Authentically Catherine--Book 6: Brokenly His

I received this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. My favorite book I have read this year. An incredible story that will grab your heart. Gabi is in risk of losing her family land. Liam and Catherine fly to Italy to try and help her. They had no idea the adventure that would be before them. This is a must read!

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Jun 14, Cindy rated it it was amazing Shelves: Yes, Ron's next book is being released this fall and I gladly welcomed Catherine and Liam back into my life: This time they travel to Siena, Italy to help their friend Tony's aunt avoid being evicted from her wine villa. As always, it was a strong mystery, with Catherine playing the lead role this time.

The descriptions of Siena brought back good memories from my vacation there 6 years ago. The story switches between the present day in Siena and the late s and early s in Berlin, Germany Yes, Ron's next book is being released this fall and I gladly welcomed Catherine and Liam back into my life: The story switches between the present day in Siena and the late s and early s in Berlin, Germany and multiple locations in Italy.

Prior to this book I hadn't read much about the impact of Hitler on the Jews in the major cities and the country side of Italy. I always learn something new when reading Ron's books and this time was no exception. I knew a bit about musicians during the war but I learned a lot more about music in general along with a bit more about wine and wineries. If you have been anticipating Ron's next book as much as I was, you won't be disappointed. Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for providing me with an early copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Aug 24, Good Book Fairy rated it really liked it. Balson The Girl From Berlin kept me glued to the pages with a wonderful dual time period story. Balson again brings back his characters Liam and Catherine, a private investigator and attorney, respectively. I enjoy that common thread through all of the novels. This book read most like his first, which was my favorite out of them all, with dee 4.

This book read most like his first, which was my favorite out of them all, with deep roots in Europe, a satisfying mystery and beautiful scenery. While in Florence a few years ago, I took a quick jaunt into Siena for a wine tasting tour. That soil, those vineyards and luscious land described in the book are worth fighting for.

The Girl from Berlin

The ownership of this land is the knot that holds the different threads of the story together. This particular conundrum also showed first hand how the preservation of handwritten records and their accuracy are of utmost importance. Through her family dynamics, her life as a brilliant young violinist and her relationship with Kurt, we saw her continual persistence and perseverance.

She lived through the worst of WW2 in Berlin, losing friends, family members, valuables, self worth and basic human rights at the hands of the Nazis. Her deep friendship with a Nazi officer and her extensive hate towards another Nazi officer adds a heap of good drama. Balson hits the target in creating strong, passionate female protagonists in all of his novels and Ada is no exception; her story of courage and steadfastness was incredible. I just adored the scenes that take place in the opera houses that Ada performed in. While in Vienna this spring, I got to see a small Baroque orchestra and was blown away by the splendor of it all.

Balson portrayed these opera houses with the richness they deserve. Fans of historical fiction, WW2 and Judaic fiction fans, this is a must read! For more like this visit www. Jul 19, Julie Daniels rated it it was amazing Shelves: Honestly what else could you expect from a Ronald H Balson book besides a 5 star read? I can't recommend his books enough. What can I say? It's a Ronald H Balson book.

I knew it had to be amazing just based on that. I adore Liam Haggard and Catherine Lockhart and I'm always ready to join them on one of their exciting heartwarming adventures. And I hope they have many more of t hem. I Honestly what else could you expect from a Ronald H Balson book besides a 5 star read? I love that he has two characters that are always in his books.

That you get to explore different time periods and places but you get the familiarity of these two beloved characters. You also don't have to read his books in any particular order though I would recommend reading the previous book, Karolina's Twins which is AMAZING before reading The Girl from Berlin because you'll be spoiled for something pretty major. I loved Ada Baumgarten so so much. In fact she is now in my top four of five female characters.

And for a male author to have written that female is amazing. Somehow Ronald H Balson writes female characters very well. And not only that but females in different time periods. I also loved Kurt. The side characters were just as enthralling though. I would love to read Natalia's story as well. Ada's story was fascinating and captivated me from the start. You can tell that he does his research and brings it into the story in a very entertaining way.

I just couldn't put this book down. I adore it and I can't recommend it enough! If it has the name Ronald H Balson on it, it's amazing! The catalyst is the attempt to dispossess the elderly Gabi from her much loved vineyards in Tuscany. An American couple is dispatched by relatives in Chicago to try to help Gabi keep her land. Gabi insists that they read Ada's journal to help them understand what happened. We read about the young musician, raised in cultured Weimar Germany who is a violin prodigy and how the tentacles of Nazi hatred dislocate her to Italy and destroy her family.

Her connection to Gabi is lovingly explained and the reader can find great satisfaction is the way the 2 stories are connected. The author is able to transmit the hesitancy of loyal Germans to flee their country, believing that Hitler's threat was a temporary one. For those of us who also want to read a love story within a fascinating novel, we are allowed to share the 3 greatest loves of Ada's life I happened to be in Berlin while I was reading this novel, so Balson's writing had an extra meaning for me. My own family members were musicians dispossessed from Hungary, but having the good fortune to find positions in America.

You also don't have to read his books in an What can I say? Sep 25, Jaksen added it. No rating as I didn't get very far into the book, about one-fourth. The book didn't hold me at all. Its writing style seemed 'pedestrian,' in that it had no rhyme or rhythm to it. Now, the type-setting was also very poor, but I didn't hold that against it. This was an ARC and I know that happens. But it wandered and veered and repeated itself. The dialogue was often of the 'let me use dialogue to describe and explain the obvious,' which always read so false to me. Yes, dialogue CAN be used to set mood, define a place, detail events - but only when, and if, it would do so in a natural and REAL setting.

This book didn't that for me. And, if by the 20th page, I couldn't care less I like that expression, btw , about any of the characters, well then So a dnf, which I feel is more than fair. And for those who might say: It gets so much better! If a book can't hold me from the start, it's not worth my time or effort. And I say that about my fav. There are soooooo many good books out there and life is toooooooo short to waste on a book that doesn't interest or engage. But to those who love this writer and this series, read on!

I won this through Goodreads giveaway, a program I love, and from which I've found literally over a dozen new writers I would not have otherwise. The Girl From Berlin is 5 in the same series. I received a free copy for review from the publisher via Net Galley. In most dual period books, I prefer one of the narratives more than the other, but in the Ronald Balson Liam Taggart and Catherine Lockhart books I've read both continuities feel equally exciting and I was approached by the publisher to review The Girl From Berlin because I reviewed Karolina's Twins, the third volume in the Liam Taggart and Catherine Lockhart legal thriller series.

In most dual period books, I prefer one of the narratives more than the other, but in the Ronald Balson Liam Taggart and Catherine Lockhart books I've read both continuities feel equally exciting and significant. At its heart The Girl From Berlin is about strong women. There were also courageous men who played supportive roles in the lives of these women. The historical story line about Ada Baumgarten was intense, and I found her musical achievements inspiring.

At the end of the contemporary narrative, I wanted to applaud. You will not want to miss out on reading The Girl From Berlin. For my complete review see http: I won this book in a goodreads drawing. This book seemed like a real bait and switch. It's purportedly a PI novel, but the PI stuf is merely a framing device for a rather lame holocaust romance.

Someone is trying to take a winery away from its elderly owner in Italy. Italian lawyers are all corrupt, so the owner recruits an American lawyer, Catherine Lockhart. The owner gives her a manuscript, detailing the historical romance. Thi I won this book in a goodreads drawing. This takes up the whole book, when the owner could have told the story in a couple of paragraphs. A PI series should have a lot more PI stuff. Her nephew, Tony, asks his good friends Liam Taggert and Catherine Lockhart for help, promising them a free trip and lodging.

Gabi provides a translated manuscript to read, without explanation. It is the memoir of Ada Baumgarten, a virtuoso Jewish violinist who lived in Berlin while the Nazis rose to power. Most of the novel is Ada's story, her friendship with fellow violinist Kurt Koenig, whose father forces him to join Hitler Youth, and her narrow escape to Bologna. Sadly, Liam and Catherine are mostly absent in this fifth novel in the series.

I loved Karolina's Twins, also by Ronald H. This wonderful story, told from the present day and the days leading up to, through and after World War II, has Catherine Lockhart and Liam Taggart working to help the aunt of a friend, who is threatened with eviction from the land she has owned and loved for years, by an evil corporation who claims she doesn't really own it.

Although not licensed to practice in Italy, Catherine and Liam dig into the court case that led to the eviction, and find a number of things that, to quote Liam "stink like a dead fish". Alternating with Catherine and Liam's story is the story of Ada Baumgartner, child violin prodigy and young Jew in Berlin in the 's. We learn about Ada's career, her family and her love for a young man who may be a Nazi. But what is the connection between the young jewish woman in Berlin, and Gabi Vincenzo, the elderly Italian woman in Siena?

And how is Catherine going to prove the frauds that have been perpetuated against Gabi? The Girl From Berlin is a wonderful book which will keep you turning the pages long after you should have turned out the light; you won't be able to put it down! Jun 16, Lori rated it it was amazing. I enjoyed the characters who had been in his previous books. I flew through the book wanting to know what happened. My only criticism of the book is that it seemed ridiculous to me that the characters took a crazy amount of time to read a manuscript which was key to their investigation. With time of the essence, either the information should have been told to them verbally or they should have finished it within a day.

I read the book including the manuscript in less than 24 hours. This could have been solved by having them need to wait to get parts of the manuscript translated. I also thought the book ended rather abruptly. I highly recommend the book for readers who enjoy both historical fiction and legal thrillers. I look forward to the next book in the series. Oct 06, Glady rated it really liked it. The Girl from Berlin is the 5th book in a series with the characters of Catherine Lockhart, a lawyer, and Liam Taggart, a private investigator. Readers need not be concerned if they are unfamiliar with the series since these two characters are rather minor figures in this novel.

They serve as a investigatory thread from the horrific events of World War II to the lush vineyards of present-day Tuscany. Elderly Gabi is threatened with eviction from her vineyard and home by a powerful corporation that claims ownership of the land. They have no illusions that they will be successful since local lawyers were already defeated, they don't speak Italian, and they don't really know the Italian system of jurisprudence.

Incomplete property records only compound the problem. A translated memoir from Ada Baumgarten might be the only first-person account of the history of the very valuable real estate that Gabi claims to own. Excerpts from the memoir are actually the vast majority of the book.

Ada, the daughter of a well-known musician and his wife, is a very talented young Jewish violinist, growing up in Berlin when the threats of Nazism are on the upswing. Her major focus, however, is her musical career. Females, not matter how extraordinarily talented, are not welcome as members of any prestigious orchestra. Her exceptional aptitude shines through and she is able to secure limited showcases for her work.

At times her expertise protects her from the ravages of the Nazi extremism but it also hinders her ability and willingness to escape to a less dangerous environment. Her parents, specifically her father, believe the commitments made to an orchestra are critical and therefore plans to leave Germany are always in the future. Ada and her mother depart for Italy simply because Ada secures a one year contract in Bologna substituting for a violinist on leave.

Balson captures the sweet naivete of the young violinist while describing her connection to the music she plays. As the Nazis gain power and take on the world, Ada clings to her violin and the music. Of course, no one is truly safe from the vitriol and violence of the Nazi regime.

Italy might be safer that Germany but it is not safe for Jews. Ada and her family are caught up in the nightmare of war. Balson slowly reveals that connection while clearly demonstrating the long-term waves of greed and evil that Nazism let loose in Europe. Nov 06, Quirkybookworm rated it it was amazing Shelves: Balson has just become one of my few favorite authors.

I'm really regretting not keeping Once We Were Brothers. This is such an incredible novel I've come across in a while! Balsom most certainly has done his research. He is so eloquently talented with words where he brings the story alive immediately from the beginning to the end, holding your interest. He is one of the few phenomenal storytellers of our time. This book is the fifth book of Liam Haggard and Catherine Lockhart series. Now, this should not scare you off because this can be a stand alone novel and I can tell you why.

The heart of this novel truly sets on the mystery, music, and historical details of the main character who wrote the journal. Once you start reading the first couple of pages, there's no turning back. Balsom did an incredible job bringing the depths of history, music and feelings alive.

I LOVE how he conveyed a story to each of the classical music pieces. It isa not for a quick reading. This novel will bring out all kinds of emotions from you. It is intended to be savored reading and long after you finish reading the book. I truly truly enjoyed this story.

I will read his other books and continue to read more of his books in the future. I recieved this marvelous ARC from St.

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Martin's Press in exchange for my unbiased and honest review. Oct 09, Linda Zagon rated it it was amazing. This is the fifth Liam Taggart and Catherine Lockhart novel, but can be read as a stand only. The author describes some of his colorful characters as complex and complicated. There is a legal question of deeds, contracts and dates of land ownership. When there is in adequate information, loss books of information , attempted arson and a dead body, this is becoming a dangerous quest. Upon further investigation, Catherine and Liam realize this goes back to Germany and a young girl by the name of Ada Baumgarten , an accomplished first chair violinist in Berlin.

Who are the big corporations fighting to evict her, and why? How does this become an international matter? Hardcover , pages. Niagara Falls, Ontario , Canada. To see what your friends thought of this book, please sign up. Lists with This Book. This is my debut novel. Hope you love it. Steeped in the intriguing history of Niagara Falls, this is an epic love story as rich, spellbinding and majestic as the falls themselves.

The dawn of the hydroelectric power era in Niagara Falls. Seventeen-year-old Bess Heath has led a sheltered existence as the youngest daughter of the director of the Niagara Power Company. After gradua This is my debut novel. After graduation day at her boarding school, she is impatient to return to her picturesque family home near Niagara Falls.

But when she arrives, nothing is as she left it. Her father has lost his job at the power company, her mother is reduced to taking in sewing from the society ladies she once entertained, and Isabel, her vivacious older sister, is a shadow of her former self. She has shut herself in her bedroom, barely eating—and harbouring a secret.

The night of her return Bess meets Tom Cole by chance on a trolley platform. He is not from their world. Rough-hewn and fearless, he lives off what the river provides and has an uncanny ability to predict the whims of the falls. His daring river rescues render him a local hero and cast him as a threat to the power companies that seek to harness the power of the falls for themselves. As their lives become more fully entwined, Bess is forced to make a painful choice between what she wants and what is best for her family and her future.

Set against the tumultuous backdrop of Niagara Falls, at a time when daredevils shot the river rapids in barrels and great industrial fortunes were made and lost as quickly as lives disappeared, The Day the Falls Stood Still is an intoxicating debut novel. View all 12 comments. A love story centered around the early s when men in power were determined to harness the power of the mighty Niagara with hydroelectric power plants.

Tom Cole has loved the river his entire life but also loves Bess. A love which will lead him to compromise his personal beliefs and convictions because the only way he can support his family is by working for the company that is against everything he believes in.

Bess is also divided in her heart over her need for financial security versus the A love story centered around the early s when men in power were determined to harness the power of the mighty Niagara with hydroelectric power plants. Bess is also divided in her heart over her need for financial security versus the need to support and believe in what makes her husband the man he is. The choices and sacrifices they make will have profound consequences. The well researched and supported history is a relevant and interesting storyline in light of these current times when movements are starting up all over the United States to remove dams that seemed like a good idea at the time but exacted great losses to our natural scenic treasures and wildlife.

I can't help but include one of his quotes. Overall a touching, educational, and satisfying read. Through all the wonderful, eventful centuries God has cared for these trees, saved them from drought, disease, avalanches, and a thousand straining, leveling tempests and floods; but he cannot save them from fools.

View all 8 comments. May 04, Mmars rated it it was amazing. One of the greatest pleasures of reading is to be unexpectedly wrapped up in a book. There are many books I have not read for fear of such a reaction, and then there are these other books that come along less frequently. They make me suspend disbelief and wrap me up in another time, another life, another level of reality. Such was my reading experience in this book. But it carried me away like the fast-flowing waters of the Niagara River. I want to set the story up but give nothing away, so in brief, the story is set on the Canadian side of the falls from The development of hydro-electric power provides much-needed jobs and the convenience of electricity, but also irrevocably changes the river, much to the dismay of Tom Cole, whose father has provided him with a sixth-sense type of knowledge of the river, the falls, the ice and all of its dangers.

The narrator, Bess is from privileged society, her father providing well given his position in the hydro-power industry.

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But WWI comes along and changes industrial needs, makes his aluminum dreams for the company a near disaster and costs, him his job. The story hinges on Bess and Tom. But Buchanan is a more than capable writer, with just enough descriptive detail of place and daily life always given and just enough insightful thought revealed to make you wonder what action Bess will take. Just enough foreshadowing constantly compelled me on. But doggone it, to say much more would spoil the fun of reading it. I recommend it to readers who enjoy historical fiction with strong, female characters, tragedy and, of course, romance.

Mar 11, Bette Crosby rated it it was amazing. View all 3 comments. Sep 11, Heather rated it did not like it Shelves: I recieved this book as a review copy from the publicist. Started out very interesting, but I am putting it away halfway through. It was too depressing. A suicide, girl who's life is spiraling downward and sexual content I didn't want to read. The book has an overall sad tone though it is poetic. View all 11 comments. Feb 05, Robert Blumenthal rated it it was amazing. This is the first novel by the author of the wonderful The Painted Girls, and it is a lovely one indeed.

I seem to have developed a literary crush on Cathy Marie Buchanan, her novels really sit quite well with me. Though this novel is much quieter than her next one, it is the simple sort of tale that rivals such works as Brooklyn by Colm Toibin and Someone by Alice McDermott.

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This is not the novel for those that need lots of tension and foreshadowing. It flows like the Niagara River on which it This is the first novel by the author of the wonderful The Painted Girls, and it is a lovely one indeed. It flows like the Niagara River on which it is based, with a bit less turbulence. With the exception of a couple of river rescue scenes, there is not a whole lot of excitement in this tale. It takes place from - on the Canadian side of the great falls, and I saw it basically as a sort of love story of this wonder of the world.

Iris is enrolled in a private school. The summer of her 17th birthday, her world totally changes due to 2 significant events. One I will not divulge, the other being meeting Tom Cole, The book reveals their meeting and subsequent romance. This is not of the bodice ripping, overly dramatic kind, which I greatly appreciated. Though there is passion, the author chose a more practical approach to their relationship.

She made it so real and so very much of the times. Two very important themes that are dealt with here are the negative effects of establishing power companies on the strength and volume of the river that goes over the falls, and the questioning of the supposed unquestioning belief in God what some call faith. People who are devout might have some problem with the development of the narrator on these terms--I found it extremely intelligent and grounded.

I became very involved in these characters and really appreciated the lack of melodrama here. There were many places where it could have occurred a particular one with the relationship between the narrator and her best friend from school. This is an excellent first novel, and seeing how much I loved her second, I eagerly await her third. Aug 15, Pam rated it really liked it. We live in an age where nearly all of our threats are human.

Nature has no recourse against man-made factories, bridges, levees, and weapons. In the middle-north of the country, though, nestled between the United States and Canada is a reminder that we are human but only human. There is something helplessly beautiful and tragic about the power and majesty evoked by lore surr We live in an age where nearly all of our threats are human. There is something helplessly beautiful and tragic about the power and majesty evoked by lore surrounding the Great Lakes basin.

Set in the early to mid twentieth century, the story is told through the eyes of seventeen-year-old Bess Heath, the second and youngest daughter of a man who, prior to the beginning of the story, has been a social and financial success in the hydro-electric efforts in town. Immediately before Bess returns home for the summer, her father runs into a bit of trouble when a prediction fails to bring success to his fellow businessmen. He is let go from the industry and sets in motion a drama that rolls forward like a stack of dominoes. Amidst the downfall of the industrial elite, there is a softer voice.

The voice of the river slips quietly through town, in the form of Thomas Cole, grandson of a famous river man who was more river than man, metaphysically and physically. In a melding of two worlds, Bess and Tom find their lives intertwined in ways that challenge both the unstoppable progress of the hydro era and the fading grandeur of the water that is their livelihood.

To say that this is a historical fiction romance is to completely miss the point. There is history, steeped in incredible drama, which found me at my computer in the wee hours of the morning, searching for more tidbits about the period. And, of course, there is the love story, both believable and magical. However, those two things are not the elements that drive this book. The Day the Falls Stood Still is an absolutely stunning debut and I am waiting at the edge of my seat to read more by Buchanan.

Aug 28, Tara Chevrestt rated it it was amazing Shelves: This is a magical, well told tale about a young woman named Bess, a riverman named Tom, and the history of the Niagara Falls. Bess meets Tom at the beginning of World War One when her family has fallen on hard times. They both reside on the Canadian side of the Niagara Falls in a town being overcome by hydroelectric power plants. Bess comes from a family that made its riches from the power plants, whereas Tom strongly believes in the beauty of the river and leaving nature untouched.

This differe This is a magical, well told tale about a young woman named Bess, a riverman named Tom, and the history of the Niagara Falls. This difference in opinion, however, does not deter their feelings for each other. Partly due to her family's financial struggles, her father's loss of a job, but mostly her sister's suicide, Bess transforms from a gullible, naive girl to a strong, independent woman almost overnight and against her family's wishes, she marries Tom.

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After he serves his time in the war, they start a family and Tom faces difficult choices and must make decisions that go against his personal beliefs. Tom loves the river, but the only jobs available are involved in the destruction of it and his beloved falls. What will come first in his priorities, his family or his ethics? In between the romance and Tom's amazing river rescues, readers get a detailed story about the Falls and the power plants that set out to destroy it. There are wonderful pictures, newspaper articles, and factual tidbits in between chapters.

I found this particular touch very charming. A wonderful story and very realistic. It is not all happiness and joy, but also frustrations and fears. A very surprising ending. Jul 22, Barb rated it really liked it Shelves: I love Niagara Falls, every time I visit I am completely awestruck. It is an amazing wonder to behold, it's literally breath taking. If you have never been I would urge you to go. I have seen much of the landscape the author describes in this book and I remember some of the folk lore from my many visits. Niagara Falls has a magic and wonder that is hard to describe.

I really enjoyed this novel that incorporates so much I love Niagara Falls, every time I visit I am completely awestruck. I really enjoyed this novel that incorporates so much of the history and folk lore of the Falls. I liked the literary references, the history of the falls and the conflict over harnessing their power.

Buchanan creates likeable and sympathetic characters in Tom Cole and Bess Heath. She paints a tender portrait of their courtship and a realistic one of their life together after they are married and Tom returns from World War I. The story is compelling enough to make it a quick read and the writing is good enough to make it an easy one. There is a particular turn of events that seemed a little bit unlikely to me but I liked the story despite it.

I thought the commentary on fashion and the economy and how it impacted dress making was interesting as were the dress making details themselves. There are plenty of period details that take the reader back in time. Overall an enjoyable and moving book that I would recommend. And if you are looking for another historical fiction at the falls I recommend Lauren Belfer's 'City of Light' which I loved.

View all 15 comments. Aug 05, Danielle Lentz added it. Good book with a wonderful and fascinating setting of Niagara Falls-on the Canadian side. The author carefully intertwines this setting into the story of a young woman, Bess, her family and husband Tom Cole-the"riverman". The story takes place at a time when there are many changes to people's lives in terms of technology.

The power of the river is being harnessed to "benefit" people's lives for electricity yet the Falls and the river still have the power to take away people's lives. It also t Good book with a wonderful and fascinating setting of Niagara Falls-on the Canadian side. It also takes place just at the onset and during the Great War-a time when many returned to unemployment but also were ravaged as men-they had seen the unspeakable and not many emerged unscathed. The power of the falls and the horror of war somehow connect in this story. I loved the way the author included photos of the Falls and the generator houses of the Hydro-electric plants.

She obviously researched the history of the Falls but she also had a keen knowledge of Niagara and the surrounding area. You really felt you knew the lay of the river and surrounding area. All in all a good story with a great background. It makes me want to really see the Falls in person to admire the power, majesty and yet awesome danger of them. Aug 29, KrisT rated it it was amazing Shelves: Sometimes a book just wraps you up inside its covers and you don't recognize the regular world when you look up.

That is what happened to me and this story. Bess Heath is a boarding school girl used to a better class of life but when her father is laid off from work they must all pitch in. Bess is 17 and a marriage to the right boy would help the family but the young river man holds her attention. The characters are interesting and life-like in this story of love and death and progress versus nat Sometimes a book just wraps you up inside its covers and you don't recognize the regular world when you look up.

The characters are interesting and life-like in this story of love and death and progress versus nature. I really was touched by the authors in depth writing about loss and grief. Aug 25, Kathrina rated it did not like it Shelves: This book struggles in many ways, and I'm not going to finish it. My biggest issue is the anachronistic dialogue. I'd like to read a book about the small but heroic efforts of women making it on their own in , where cooking and sewing are the domestic skills that empower them, but it's not enough to keep this novel alive.

Bess's attraction to Tom is trite and predictable, and the historical references feel like slaphazard inserts thrown in after the first draft was w Sorry, Goodreads author. Bess's attraction to Tom is trite and predictable, and the historical references feel like slaphazard inserts thrown in after the first draft was written.

Bess doesn't take us anywhere new; nor does Buchanan's writing. View all 6 comments. Sep 27, Marla rated it did not like it. I picked this book up because I had just been to Niagara Falls and thought it would be a neat connection. But I couldn't get past the first pages of a page book. So I looked at some online reviews and everyone said it is really good in the beginning and gets slow in the middle, with a disappointing ending.

Since I absolutely forced myself for the "good" pages, I hung it up. I appreciated how the author fused the prominent issues of that time into the story. It explored the environmental and moral sacrifices these advances brought. I enjoy when a historical fiction gives the reader a good image of how daily life was during a specific time period and I felt The Day the Falls Stood Still did just that. It took me some time to really get into the story. However once I was hooked, I became very immersed in the plot. I also liked the old photographs that began each section. Sep 02, Cynthia rated it it was ok Shelves: This book had everything, a beautiful setting, a love story, cultures and classes clashing, occult overtones, but ultimately it was disappointing.

I kept wondering what the author's point was. Sometimes, if the story is engrossing enough, meandering can be forgiven but Buchanan's writing showed seams badly and her characters went in and out of focus, sometimes feeling real then fading into caricatures. Rather than speaking their frustration, confusion, anger, etc.

Buchanan repeatedly had them "o This book had everything, a beautiful setting, a love story, cultures and classes clashing, occult overtones, but ultimately it was disappointing. Buchanan repeatedly had them "open their hands, palms up". The historical falls pictures were great and the cover art was lovely! Was this the publishers answer to increased Kindle use? If so it was cleverly done. The cover consists of a sepia toned conglomerate picture with the falls in the background and a lovely, turn of the century woman, her hand resting lightly on a superimposed rock.

She has no feet so she seems to be floating. Blending with the sepia tones a rose gold disc with lacework vines seeping out on either side of it floats above the woman's head. There is a parallel between the the disparate parts of the cover art with the muddled together plot elements however the visual art works. Nov 07, Ruth Seeley rated it really liked it. Not sure why I hadn't realized this was a historical novel before embarking on it.

Luckily the OD on historical novels that happened in has faded in my memory and I was able to enjoy it for a variety of reasons - the lush prose, the profundity of some of the observations particularly those relating to cumulative grief and loss, of which there is a lot in this book - loss of hope, loss of life, loss of opportunity, financial loss, as well as loss of integrity which to some is merely comprom Not sure why I hadn't realized this was a historical novel before embarking on it.

Luckily the OD on historical novels that happened in has faded in my memory and I was able to enjoy it for a variety of reasons - the lush prose, the profundity of some of the observations particularly those relating to cumulative grief and loss, of which there is a lot in this book - loss of hope, loss of life, loss of opportunity, financial loss, as well as loss of integrity which to some is merely compromise. Bess Heath is a heroine in the truest sense of the word.

Her comfortable existence is shattered at 17 when her father loses his job, her sister's fiance jilts her, and she meets a riverman named Tom Cole. Bess creates a new life for herself, lived on her own terms. It's neither easy nor predictable, but it's absolutely authentic. Great character study of those who swim against the tide. Aug 09, Petra rated it liked it Shelves: I enjoyed this book, which included a partial history of Niagara Falls at the time of electrical development.

The falls are described in such detail and force that they are a character in the story. I found, though, that the real people weren't as solid or powerful as the falls.