Somerset

Somerset by Leila Meacham


All 607 pages of this saga will glide effortlessly through your fingers as you read about the pioneer spirit of three families and their harrowing journey to the land of promise, better known as Texas. Follow the mesmerizing story that begins in 1835 with the Tolivars, Warwicks, and DuMonts, an incredibly dynamic group of people who believe that happiness and prosperity lie just beyond their reach if only they have the fortitude and determination to forge ahead. In the grand style of Gone With the Wind,  Leila Meacham develops characters that possess a remarkable resoluteness and sense of purpose. Along the way, they just might capture your heart.

Jessica Wyndham is different from the rest of her aristocratic South Carolina family. No great beauty, she instead has a fiery disposition and lofty ideals that set her apart from the slave owners in the South, including her domineering father, Carson. This is her story. As each section enfolds, the reader learns of her life from a timid young girl to a self-assured abolitionist, fighting for the rights of slaves and women. By her side is Silas Tolivar, an unlikely partner who grows to love and respect her, and son Thomas, so like his father, but filled with admiration for his courageous mother. There is dear friend Jeremy who becomes Jessica's confidante in times of trouble. And Tippy, the talented slave Jessica calls her best friend even when Tippy's curious unconventional looks cause people to stare and whisper. Together they travel down a road filled with hardship and incredible odds until they find a place to call home.

This historical fiction novel provides a powerful insight into the tumultuous years of the 1800s when our country was in the throes of discontent between the North and the South leading up to The Civil War. The glamour and grandeur of plantation life are soon erased as these formidable men, women and children set out to fulfill their dream of owning land and creating new lives for themselves. First they must overcome the challenges that await them. Chapter by chapter the reader shadows their lives through the heartache and triumphs until the gripping end.

Leila Meacham has written three novels, all in splendid style. Tumbleweeds is a stand alone novel. Roses, however, is actually a sequel to Somerset but written earlier in 2010.  I would suggest reading both novels   (in no particular order) to fully appreciate the complexity of the story. You'll want to know the conclusion to this compelling tale.

If you are looking to immerse yourself in a good old-fashioned story filled with emotion, this is a wise choice. It reads like a soap opera with anguish and pain, joy and sorrow, laughter and tears. Jessica's story is one few of us could imagine.

An entertaining, engaging, and delightful  choice for a summer read ......