When a young woman travels from a British factory town to South Carolina in the 1840s, she becomes involved with a vigilante abolitionist and the Underground Railroad while trying to navigate the complexities of Charleston high society and falling in love.
Loved how the story develops from a tragedy to a heartfelt, romantic ending! The characters are lovable, despised and I found myself rooting for some. A pleasure to read…
With compelling characters, a charming peek into Charleston society, a heart-racing romance, rich historical detail, and an epilogue that will have you holding your breath, Friedland has written a well-crafted novel that will stay with you long after you turn the final page.
Not categorized as great literary work but a story line and characters that feed your soul and add enjoyment to reading. Yes, I knew they’d probably get together but like a Hallmark movie, I had to read to find out how it happens. Enjoyable.
This was just a plain down and out good read!
Found this a satisfying read with some historical significance. The characters were interesting to meet. Twists and turns held my interest.
Great story. Holds your attention from tge very beginning.
Very slow
Interesting, but seemed to be a surface, superficial treatment of the Underground Railroad and the way folks dealt with the slavery issue.
I enjoy historical stories about abolition and this one delivered
Historical romantic fiction. Story line was true to the history of the Underground Railroad, the difficulties and risks involved for those fleeing and those helping them. While the outcome of the two principal characters relationship was somewhat predictable, getting there was an interesting journey. I very much enjoyed this book, and was surprised to learn it was a first novel for the author. I’ll definitely be looking for her next one!
Loved this book and setting!
Great book, great storyline…the ending fell a little flat and left me wondering about a few things, but overall a really good book!
I like reading books that give you another insight into historical periods that interest me.
A light piece of nonsense, barely qualifies as a beach read.
One of the best books I’ve read in a long time couldn’t put it down
With a plucky heroine, a dashing hero, and the backdrop of the clandestine abolition movement in the antebellum South, Jacqueline Friedland masterfully weaves a tale full of passion and honor, duty and survival, evil and the beauty of basic human decency. Trouble the Water will make your heart pound and swell, and keep you reading well into the night. Highly recommended!
Interesting story line but characters actions lack credibility and too many plot holes. Hero of the story goes from totally ignoring the heroine for months and months while she lives in his mansion but crosses the ocean and the country looking for her when she is gone. He goes from being utterly grief stricken at the loss of his family to crazy, madly in love with the heroine. Nothing in between. No development of characters or plot. Hard to lose yourself in a story when it is so unbelievable.
Interesting mostly but also a little tedious at times.
In a narrative tapestry woven of brilliant threads of history and drama, Jacqueline Friedland introduces her readers to seventeen-year-old British-born Abigail Milton; her generous but reluctant benefactor, Douglas Elling; and the complex world of antebellum Charleston. The evil of slavery, the nascent abolitionist movement, and the courage of an operative of the underground railroad are explored against the background of the vanished world of debutante cotillions, social intrigue, and the slow maturity and melding of skillfully drawn protagonists. Friedland’s research is impeccable, her writing fluid. Trouble the Water is that rare pedagogic novel that engages as it teaches.
The complicated history of the antebellum South comes alive in Friedland’s debut novel and offers readers an exciting and fast-paced literary journey that explores complicated relationships, the importance of friendship, and the necessary power of love.