Wednesday, May 30, 2012

Chasing the Sun: A Book Review

As you all know, I love a good book ;), and I am not picky when it comes to what I like to read.  I read things that are all over the map from classic literature to nonfiction to easy novels.  During these days of mothering "littles," I am usually a bit brain dead at the end of the day, and I am eager for a way to escape.  So, for me, Chasing the Sun, by Tracie Peterson, was just the thing I needed.

In this novel, set in Texas at the end of the Civil War, Hannah Dandridge finds herself a woman in charge of a ranch and her two younger siblings, after her father disappears in war torn Mississippi.  Not knowing where her father is or if he is even alive, Hannah is faced with caring for her younger siblings and the ranch her father left behind, avoiding the unwelcome advances of her father's pushy partner, and dealing with a wounded Union soldier, William Barnett, who returns to Texas, claiming that the Dandridge ranch legally belongs to him.  In the midst of all of that, Hannah also has to deal with her confusing feelings regarding Barnett--does she love him or is he the enemy, seeing that her father was on the side of the confederacy?

Though it took me a little while to get into the story,  I did think that this novel was an enjoyable read.  I enjoyed the historical setting and the details of life in Texas during the Civil War.  As for the love story itself, I was intrigued and interested to see how it would all end, but I thought a bit more plot and character development would have made the romance, and the twists and turns to the story, more realistic.

However, I am hooked enough by this novel, that I am eager to read the next book in the series, coming in June.  Bottom line, if you are looking for an easy read that is fun but doesn't require a huge amount of brain power, this is the one for you.

*FYI, I was given a copy of "Chasing the Sun" by Bethany House Publishers but all above opinions are my own.  If you, too, are interested in reviewing books for Bethany House, click on this link  www.bethanyhouse.com/bookreviewers!









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