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A journey across the sea begins a journey of
healing for Aimée's soul and a discovery of love and faith she thought she'd
never find. When a Yankee-induced fire destroys her family and her home,
young plantation-bred Amethyst Rose finds herself on the run. Angry towards
God and the men in blue, Amethyst's only choice left is to move in with her
elder and controlling sister, who runs a bordello in The French Quarter of
New Orleans-a decision guaranteed to destroy Amethyst's personal respect and
tarnish her family name. With her bitter hatred towards all Yankees plunged
into high gear, nothing seems to matter anymore, until, on a riverboat en
route to New Orleans, she finds herself intrigued by the presence of not
one, but two Union officers. Each in his own way find ways to tug at the
heart and soul of this woman lost.
♥ ♥ ♥
Flame From Within by Shirley Kiger Connolly
opens with a dramatic poem, giving us a hint about a certain character I
think, alerting us to the faithful and compassionate warrior. Rarely
throughout, a brief stanza is supplied. Surprisingly, these do not draw one
away from the story, but rather, offer a tiny insight into character.
This historic romance - set in nineteenth century America, the Civil War
south in fact - is immediately engaging. Amethyst Rose Lebrun (Aimee) is an
honorable lady of the south, although not at the most advantageous time to
be one. She is far from a 'southern belle' in both attitude and appearance.
Although some people she runs into will remember her as the attractive Mllle
Aimee, the realities of war, and of hunger and exhaustion change outward
appearances. Still, she attracts unwanted - (and yet critical) attention
from certain northern troops (most definitely her intention.) It is not a
matter of simple courtesy she must deal with, but, from the first, guarding
her safety, and her honor. Yet, she feel is imperative she takes on a
dangerous journey, to New Orleans. Everything she loves has already been
destroyed, and she has no clear idea of what to expect where she is headed.
One Yankee officer, Captain Palmer Jordan, has a far better understanding of
the dangers she might encounter and sees beyond the surface to realize that
'Aimee' is more than a poor street person. His own sympathy is engaged from
the start. Sympathy- yet more; Jordan's machinations would capture this
young lady at the altar, and if affection will not convince her, then he is
not above using logic...
Aimee is not one to be manipulated, but her situation is desperate. She does
find friends along the way. She sympathizes with the wounded and struggles
to make a place for herself in this unpredictable world, caught as she is,
in the midst of armies. Faith, and finding strength in faith is an important
theme at times, but this is one point that seems to be touched on only
occasionally.
This romance is truly an affair of the heart and will engage your emotions,
as well as your imagination. Connolly's almost-poetic descriptive phrases,
well developed scenes, and penchant for complexity even in supporting
characters will make you believe you are looking directly into history.
This is a long, epic tale. It kicks off with some strong characters, obvious
conflict, and extremely well-described locations. This reader was
immediately engaged, but I must confess that the super-long is not my
favorite. I had reservations - could Connolly maintain my interest
throughout? Would the middle of the tale fall flat... would... but no. These
is a beautifully written historic romance, and I recommend it highly. Find a
warm spot by the fire on a snowy day, and curl up with this incredible epic.
I'm going to go have a second read...
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