Review: To the Farthest Shores by Elizabeth Camden

Not Her Best

I’ve read most of Elizabeth Camden’s novels, and haven’t had a bad one yet. She avoids the more common time and place settings for historical fiction/historical romance, and her novels often feature women in unusual settings and occupations. To the Farthest Shores is similar, set in turn-of-the-century San Francisco, and featuring a civilian nurse in an Army hospital as the main characters.

But the beginning of To the Farthest Shores was shaky in comparison with Camden’s earlier novels, and I found it took a long time to settle. The story starts with Jenny Bennett and Lieutenant Ryan Gallagher professing their undying love as Ryan is about to be sent to fight in the Philippines in 1898. But he doesn’t come back … and when he does—six years later—he has a daughter in tow. And he’s pretending not to know Jenny. And lying to her. We soon find out what happened in the intervening years (through a big pile of backstory), but Jenny doesn’t find out until much later in the book.

There were a lot of secrets, and that annoyed me because it disobeyed one of my felt’ rules of fiction—that we can trust our point of view characters, that they have no secrets from the reader. I love the tension that comes from a novel where the reader knows something one of the main characters doesn’t know, and we’re then waiting with baited breath for the character to find out. When will they find out? How will they react? So much room for tension … that’s removed if the reader doesn’t know what the secret is (in Jenny’s case) or even that there is a secret (in Ryan’s case).

The story included references to early military intelligence, the search for the ability to culture pearls, and even a reference to the still-present conversation around equal pay. The research seemed solid, and never overpowered the story. The one glitch I did find was mercurochrome—something I’d never heard of, so looked up. The Kindle dictionary told me was a trademark for a disinfectant, dating from the early 20th century. In fact, it was first discovered in 1918, which means Ryan was unlikely to be using it in 1904. He was clever, but not that clever.

Overall, the story showed promise and ended well, but I found Jenny and Ryan’s secrets—and the fact they both hid them—took away a lot of the tension and therefore took away a lot of the power of the story. The story lacked in any Christian content, a trend I’m not altogether happy with, and not what I expect from a major Christian publisher like Bethany House.

Thanks to Bethany House and NetGalley for providing a free ebook for review. You can find out more about Elizabeth Camden at her website.

Review: From this Moment by Elizabeth Camden

Excellent Writing, as Usual

From this Moment begins ten years after the conclusion of the free prequel novella, Summer of Dreams. I thought the novella was excellent, but I’m glad I read it before the book because they really do need to be read in order (also, if you read the free novella, either plan on reading this straight after or don’t read the sample chapters at the end of the novella. You have been warned).

From this Moment is the story of Romulus White, editor and co-owner of the prestigious Scientific World magazine. He has been trying without success to recruit famed lithographer Stella West for three years when he finds she is living in his home town of Boston.
Stella Westergaard aka Stella West is in Boston to investigate her sister’s death: she can’t believe the official verdict of accidental death by drowning. She agrees to take an assignment with Scientific World in return for Romulus’s assistance in her quest, but soon finds the conspiracy runs deeper than she had first thought . . . and finding answers isn’t going to be easy, even with Romulus’s help.

I liked Romulus from Summer of Dreams, and liked him even more in From this Moment. He has been determined to remain single since the disastrous end to his love live in Summer of Dreams, but finds himself attracted to Stella—both her beauty and her intelligence (and he’s obviously been in love with her art for years).

Stella is equally attracted to Romulus, but tries to hide it—he’s not backwards in telling people about his lack of desire for a romantic relationship. This leads to some excellent see-sawing scenes: both are intelligent and passionate and don’t necessarily pay attention to the needs of others.

Clyde and Evelyn also feature. Clyde is working on the electrification of the new Boston subway system, and Evelyn is Romulus’s partner and co-owner of Scientific World. Their plot line was unexpected, but certainly added to the novel.

There was one major plot point in the middle which made sense by the end of the story, but totally bugged me as I was reading it—it simply didn’t make sense to me, and I couldn’t see why people as intelligent as Evelyn, Romulus and Stella couldn’t see the problem I saw. I still don’t see why they didn’t, which is the reason From this Moment isn’t a five-star read for me—certain aspects of the plot simply didn’t ring true.

Having said that, the characters and writing were an excellent as I expect from an Elizabeth Camden novel, and it was lovely to read about Boston, a city I’ve actually visited (albeit briefly). Okay, I would have liked it if the Christian aspects had been a little more front-and-centre, but we can’t have everything.

Thanks to Bethany House and NetGalley for providing a free ebook for review.

Review: Until the Dawn by Elizabeth Camden

Pure in Heart

Amazon Description

Fascinated by Dierenpark, an abandoned mansion high atop a windswept cliff in the Hudson River Valley, Sophie van Riijn sees no harm in setting up a rooftop weather station for her work with the newly established Weather Bureau. While the villagers are suspicious of the mysterious estate and its tragic history, Sophie has come to see it as her own enchanted piece of paradise.

The first Vandermark to return to the area in sixty years, Quentin intends to put an end to the shadowy rumors about the property that has brought nothing but trouble upon his family. Ready to tear down the mansion, he is furious to discover Sophie trespassing on his land.

Instantly at odds, Quentin and Sophie yet find common ground when she is the only one who can reach his troubled son. There's a light within Sophie that Quentin has never known, and a small spark of the hope that left him years ago begins to grow. But when the secrets of Dierenpark can no longer be kept in the past, will tragedy triumph or can their tenuous hope prevail?

My Review

I'm a big fan of Elizabeth Camden’s historical fiction. The characters are strong, intelligent men and women. They all have a romantic element, but it’s never an easy road for the hero and heroine. The research and the writing are always excellent (in fact, in terms of the writing, I think Until the Dawn is the best yet). And there’s plenty of conflict to keep the plot moving.

There’s certainly plenty of conflict in Until the Dawn: Dierenpark is owned by Quentin’s family, but Sophie treats it as her own—and isn’t pleased when she learns of Quentin’s plan to destroy the historic mansion. And Sophie is a committed Christian while Quentin is an atheist, refusing to believe in anything he can’t experience with his own senses. But he and Sophie bond over science and over Quentin’s son.

Quentin considers Sophie to be too sunny, too cheerful, to have any conception of what the world is really like. I’ve met people like Sophie, and it’s tempting to consider them naïve, but Until the Dawn got me thinking. Sophie is “pure in heart”, and sees the world through that veil rather than through a veil of cynicism. This got me wondering how I see the world, and I have to admit it’s more likely to be through Quentin’s veil of cynicism than Sophie’s purity. It’s a challenge, to consciously decide how we are going to see the world, to actively try to see through a pure heart, to see God. To walk with God.

Recommended.

Thanks to Baker Publishing and NetGalley for providing a free ebook for review.

Review: Beyond All Dreams by Elizabeth Camden

Excellent Historical Romance

It’s 1897 and quiet, studious Miss Anne O’Brien has her dream job: she’s the map room librarian in the Library of Congress. In the course of her research, she finds evidence that a Navy report is wrong, and enlists the assistance of a handsome young congressman to right the error. Luke Callahan is the opposite of Anne: confident and outgoing, but finds himself intrigued by the librarian.

Elizabeth Camden is one of my favourite authors, because I love her characters and plots, and I especially like the way she weaves real-life events into her stories. Beyond All Dreams is set in Washington DC in the late 1890’s, and if you know your American history, that means you’ll know the political backdrop to this novel (I didn’t know, which meant it came as a surprise, and I don’t want to spoil it).

I also liked her characters. As a keen reader (!) I could related to Anne (although I’d like to think I’m a little more outgoing…), and Luke was a wonderful hero, prepared to do almost anything for those he loved—Anne, his nephew, and his brother and sister. As always, Elizabeth Camden’s novel has managed to integrate interesting characters with real historic events into a gripping plot with a solid underlying Christian message:

“If you don’t make it as a painter, funnel that passion into something else … [it is] a gift from God … even though we don’t yet know what form it will take. Don’t limit yourself by thinking you already know God’s purpose for you.”

It's a lesson we all need to hear, regardless of whether our God-given passion is painting or something else. Recommended for fans of historical romance.

Thanks to Bethany House and NetGalley for providing a free ebook for review. You can find out more about Elizabeth Camden at her website.

Review: With Every Breath by Elizabeth Camden

Elizabeth Camden has done it again

Elizabeth Camden is fast becoming one of my favourite authors. She’s won well-deserved RITA and Christy awards with her previous novels, and she just keeps getting better.

Kate Norton lost her chance to go to college in 1879 when Trevor McDonough won the scholarship they were both competing for. She has worked as a statistician at the census bureau since then, but is now offered a new opportunity working for Dr T M Kendall at Washington Memorial Hospital, analysing data and predicting trends in health. She is shocked to find Dr Kendall is her high school nemesis, but soon finds there is more to him than she knew.

Trevor is attempting to find a cure for tuberculosis, an infectious and misunderstood disease. He’s convinced that rest, good diet and sunshine are key, but a series of malicious newspaper articles bring the project under scrutiny, and he and Kate have to work together.

I thought everything about With Every Breath was excellent—the characters (especially the brilliant but socially awkward Trevor), the plot, and especially the writing, which was a masterful exercise in restraint in the way so much was happening beneath the text. With Every Breath is Christian fiction, although the faith elements are understated.

The information around tuberculosis gate a poignant and bittersweet note to With Every Breath, because I knew Dr Kendall wasn’t going to discover the cure. My great-grandfather, a postman, died of pulmonary tuberculosis and exhaustion on Christmas Day 1925, and Her Daughter's Dream by Francine Rivers (and based on her family history) featured a character suffering from the disease in the early 1950’s. Reading this made me thankful for the men and women like Kate and Trevor who have dedicated their lives to finding cures for horrible diseases over the years. Recommended.

Thanks to Bethany House and NetGalley for providing a free ebook for review. You can find out more about Elizabeth Camden at her website.

Review: Into the Whirlwind by Elizabeth Camden

Mollie Knox is the owner of the 57th Illinois Watch Company, designers and manufacturers of exclusive hand-made watches Hartman’s, the elite Chicago department store. Zack Kazmarek is the son of Polish immigrants who has risen to be the lawyer for Hartman’s. He meets Mollie every three months to approve her designs and he has fallen hard for her unique combination of passion and business sense.

Mollie is suspicious when Zack presents an offer from Hartman to purchase her business outright, especially as the offer price is more than she thinks the business is worth. She doesn’t trust Zack, so wonders what he knows that she doesn’t, because he has a reputation for not always operating within the black and white of the law. Frank Spencer, her company lawyer and a second father to her, is especially distrustful of Zack.

Into the Whirlwind kicks straight in to the action, showing Mollie and Zack trying to escape the fire, before taking us back six days to the morning where Zack presents his offer. We are introduced to some of the employees of the 57th, named for the regiment Mollie’s father fought for in the war—the small business employs fifteen veterans from the 57th, all disabled in one way or another, and all who rely on Mollie for a livelihood.

After the fire, Mollie is struggling to re-establish the business when help arrives from General Richard Lowe, the handsome commander of the 57th, who held the company together during their most difficult battle. Neither Richard nor Zack make any secret of their feelings towards Mollie. Two very different men—who will she choose?

Mollie, Richard and Zack were all likeable characters, backed up by a strong cast of supporting characters, especially Zack’s mother and some of the employees of the 57th. The plot was excellent—very fast-paced, with a high level of tension in the scenes between Mollie and the two very different me, but particularly in the scenes during the fire. While it is Christian fiction, the faith elements were very low-key, and I think anyone who enjoys historical romance with a high level of drama would enjoy Into the Whirlwind. One of the best books I’ve read this year—recommended.

Thanks to Bethany House and NetGalley for providing a free ebook for review. You can find out more about Elizabeth Camden at her website.