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Thursday, April 7, 2011

A Proper Pursuit, by Lynn Austin

The Refiner's Fire series by Lynn Austin was an incredible account of the Civil War with each book written from three different perspectives (wealthy slaveholder, northern abolitionist, and slave).  That was my introduction to Lynn Austin, and I have enjoyed several of her books since then.
  
Proper Pursuit, AI took the opportunity to review A Proper Pursuit by Lynn Austin.  I had never read anything about the World's Fair Exposition, but this book gave some solid insight to the 1893 World's Fair in Chicago.  Imaginative Violet uses the opportunity of visiting her aunts and grandmother in Chicago to see the Exposition, but really she wants to search for her mother whom she thought was dead for years.

A Proper Pursuit is very much what the title suggests...Violet is a love interest to several young men, all from different walks of life and all with different dreams.  Her father, aunts, and grandmother all have their own opinions and agenda on who she should or should not marry, and she finds it to be a bit of a struggle to know what is best.  Should she marry a regular fellow who grew up much like her, or a very wealthy young man who seems to be in love with a servant girl (who would be his mistress).  Then there is the option of the young man who loves God with all of his heart, but would he ever have time for his family?  Though he is not a real consideration, only relates to Violet in the way that she really likes, but all indications show that he is not to be trusted.

If this was just a love story, I would not have enjoyed it.  Violet is rather immature at times, and makes some poor choices.  Violet may have been fully prepared for her social life at her school for etiquette, but Madame Beauchamps did not teach her a thing about real life, and Violet knew it!  Really the rich history in A Proper Pursuit makes it very enjoyable.  Learning about D.L. Moody, the World Fair, the rich vs. poor plight (neither seem too good to me!), and women's suffragettes.  

If you don't mind romance and enjoy history, this is a great book for you!
Thank you,  Bethany House for providing this book for review purposes.


1 comment:

Carrie said...

I read this book awhile back (and have since forgotten what it's primarily about!) I DO like Lynn Austin books. She does seem to have a common more "feminist" theme in her books so I have to space them. But I do like the characters and situations she creates.

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