
Goodreads Project: Part 2, Historical Fiction
I’m working on a project in which I read a book from each of the fifteen categories Goodreads uses in its best books of the year contest. The first category was fiction. You can see my comments on that category here.
The second category was Historical Fiction. I had already read Weyward by Emilia Hart. But by the rules I set for my project, I needed to choose a new book too, and I selected Go as a River by Shelley Read.
Historical Fiction
Previously Read
Weyward by Emilia Hart
The story of three women in the Weyward family: Altha in the early 1600s, Violet in the 1940s, and Kate in the contemporary world. All three have a sensitivity to nature that marks them as both healers and witches, categories that slide close together particularly in Altha’s world. Indeed, she’s formally tried for witchcraft. As is common in books with several point of view characters, one gripped me more than the others, that being Kate’s relationship with her abusive husband. Altha was my second favorite, followed by Violet. Eventually, I was drawn in by all of them and found myself eager to learn what happened next with each.
My one quibble with this book is that most of the men are violent and evil. Violet’s brother was an exception, as was Simon, a kind neighbor of Altha. But in general, these women needed to stay away from men if they were to be safe. That seemed to cast a wide generalization about men and the possibility of a relationship that’s close and yet allows women to keep control of their own world.
The New Book
Go as a River by Shelley Read
The story of Victoria, a woman living in rural Colorado between the years 1948 (when she’s 17) and 1970. This book has hundreds of Amazon reviews, with many readers loving it. Unfortunately, it turned out not to be a good match for me. The first half was possibly the most depressing book I’ve ever read. It reminded me of one of those sad country songs, right down to having the dog die, along with the faithful horse. Also, the book included a great deal of landscape description, which seems to be a staple element in books set in the countryside. I general skip paragraphs of description because I find them inert.
Victoria lives with her father, a disabled and malevolent uncle, and her sociopathic brother. She falls in love with a stranger passing through town with predictable results, made worse because the stranger is Native American and townsfolk react with violent prejudice. The second half of the book read better for me because we see Victoria learning her own strength. Additionally, she’s perceptive about some of the more disturbed people around her. She sees what lies beneath their surface and makes them act as they do. By the end, she’s made a happier life for herself.
This book has a lot of strengths, but in the end, it was too bleak for me.
Up Next
Onward to the Mystery and Thriller category