Review: The Dilemma of Charlotte Farrow by Olivia Newport

Revell, January 2013.

RATING: 4 out of 5 stars (Very Good)

Housemaid Charlotte Farrow has managed to hide the existence of her child from the Banning household and their staff, mainly due to the help of Lucy, the Banning’s daughter. But now Lucy has left home to travel with her husband and a family emergency has forced Charlotte’s childminder to return her son to her at no advance notice. With no idea how to hide Henry from the other staff in the Prairie Avenue house, Charlotte allows them to come to the conclusion that the child was abandoned in the garden because the mother knew of Lucy’s charitable work. Charlotte struggles to keep up this facade as the Banning family decides what to do with the child in Lucy’s absence. But soon her infant son’s presence in the house isn’t Charlotte’s only problem, and the reappearance of Henry’s father forces Charlotte to reassess her present situation and make some hard decisions about her son’s future. Will Archie, a fellow servant, and his political connections be a help or a hindrance to Charlotte’s situation? Can she allow herself the opportunity to fall in love while she faces so many pressing dilemmas?

I’d like to start my review with an amusing story about my reading experience of The Dilemma of Charlotte Farrow. It appears that my Kindle edition of this book is glitched, as I left the book at the 50% mark last night, under the impression that the book still had a way to go even if the chapter I was reading at the time seemed to be wrapping up quite a few things. I was honestly intrigued about where the novel was going to go from there, as so much had already taken place. Today I picked my Kindle up again, read a couple of pages and found myself at the Acknowledgements and Author’s Note! Evidently, something went wrong in the conversion of this book and 47% of it is blank. I basically read an entire novel in one afternoon! I believe that’s a credit to Olivia Newport, as this book was obviously so engaging that I didn't realise quite how much of it I read in one sitting.

I’ve been eagerly anticipating this book since I read the first book in the Avenue of Dreams series, The Pursuit of Lucy Banning, back in April 2012. The only change in my reading experience between these two books is that I discovered Downton Abbey a couple of months ago. My husband and I devoured the first two seasons in a couple of weeks while studying for our end of semester exams, and I can tell you, these books are a Downton Abbey addict’s dream. Although this series is set in Chicago towards the end of the nineteenth century, there’s a similar exploration of relationships between servants and masters, and the two separate worlds that they live in. Having studied a fair amount about the position of servants in Victorian Britain while at university and watched Downton Abbey, I find the topic fascinating, and particularly liked Olivia’s portrayal of the relationships between the below-stairs staff, especially the cook, butler and Sarah, the latter of whom I’m hoping will reappear in another book. 

Although the romance between Charlotte and Archie isn’t as central as those in other historical novels from this period, I appreciated the insights into Archie’s interest in the changing face of politics and the treatment of workers. It was interesting to hear about new opportunities opening up for working class people, jobs that would take them outside the service lifestyle and give them more independence, such as factory and clerical work. Although I’m not a scholar of this particular time period in United States history, it appears that Olivia has researched this topic quite thoroughly, as her depictions of political events and the staff’s treatment of Archie’s views seemed realistic.

As for Charlotte and Henry, I really felt for her struggle to care for her son without bringing her true relationship with him to light. Regardless of whether her son was born inside or out of wedlock, it was impossible for a woman with a child to hold down a steady job in this period, particularly one in service. Charlotte truly does have a dilemma: if she reveals her relationship to Henry, she’ll lose her job and have no way to provide for him, but if she lets another servant care for him, she can continue to earn money and hopefully eventually be able to find another childminder for her son. Charlotte has to temporarily let go of her son in order to build a life for him. I actually got a little emotional reading about her struggle, and how she forced herself not to go to her son even when she desperately wanted to, for fear of giving herself away. When she eventually makes an incredibly difficult decision that she believes is in Henry’s best interests, I may have shed a tear or two.

The storyline about Henry’s father, which propels Charlotte into acting to protect Henry more than ever, wasn’t quite what I’d expected. But when I thought about it, I really can’t remember what we discovered about Charlotte in the previous book. She was a bit of a mystery in the first novel in the series, and the revelations in The Dilemma of Charlotte Farrow make her all the more an intriguing character. I don’t want to give too much away, but there are several scenes towards the end of the novel that made it very hard to put the book down. I was only a little disappointed with the outcome of the situation, finding it a little bit too convenient. I don’t want to give too much away, but I will say that I do wish that some Christian historical novels would delve into the topic of divorce, rather than conveniently getting rid of a husband through another method. There are times, particularly when it comes to abusive relationships, where divorce is the only possible outcome, but I’ve rarely seem it explored in Christian fiction. I know that it’s not an ideal solution to a problem, but if more books explored the topic, perhaps it would be easier for modern women to openly discuss their marital problems. Furthermore, discussing divorce within different historical contexts would make for a rather interesting novel. I did appreciate that Olivia touched on it a little in this novel, and allowed her characters to discuss it as an option.

My only other complaint about this book would be that the ending felt a little rushed. Initially, I thought this was because when I originally finished the book, I didn’t realise how close I was to the end of the book due to my glitched Kindle conversion. But I did go back and reread the last chapter and it seemed like an awful lot was wrapped up and concluded. I did wish we’d been allowed to see a bit more of Charlotte and Henry’s new life, but hopefully that’ll be touched on in the next book in the series. While I have a feeling that the third book will explore the life of Sarah, another servant in the Banning household, I would also like to see more of Emmaline, Lucy’s aunt.

Although The Dilemma of Charlotte Farrow didn’t capture me quite as much as the previous book in the Avenue of Dreams series, it still had a thoroughly compelling storyline.  Fans of the series will be pleased to encounter a similar mixture of romance, suspense and upstairs-downstairs relationships, all within a well-researched historical context. The 1893 Chicago Exposition makes a fascinating backdrop for this series and I can’t wait to see what Olivia Newport comes up with next.

Review title provided by Revell.

Book Review: Accidentally Amish by Olivia Newport

Escape the helter-skelter of the modern culture and join software creator Annie Friesen, hiding at the home of an Amishman. With her high-tech career in jeopardy, Annie runs from fast-paced Colorado Springs—and straight into the hospitality of San Luis Valley’s Amish community. There she meets cabinetmaker Rufus Beiler, and the more time she spends with him, the more attracted she becomes. When Annie finds she shares a common ancestor with Rufus, she feels both cultures colliding within her. But is her love for Rufus strong enough for her to give up the only life she’s ever known? (Barbour, October 2012)

This was Fans of Amish Fiction's January book group choice, over on GoodReads.

RATING: 4 out of 5 stars (Very Good)

I think that if it weren't for the historical storyline, I probably would only give this book 3.5*. While the contemporary storyline was a good mixture of Amish, romance and suspense, the writing and characters weren't as strong as in Olivia's first novel, The Pursuit of Lucy Banning. It does seem as if historical fiction is where she's stronger, at least for now. 

That said, there were plenty of elements that I appreciated about this story. This is the second series I've read that's set among the newer Amish settlements in Colorado, and it's definitely interesting to read about how different Amish groups live depending on their regions and farming opportunities. Olivia lives in Colorado, and she was able to evoke the feeling of the small towns and Amish communities in her area. 

The city that Annie worked in never felt quite as real, and neither did her job. Mainly, I believe this is because my husband is a computer programmer and the descriptions of Annie's jobs seemed incredibly vague given my knowledge of the subject. But for those who don't deal with software engineering on a regular basis, the descriptions of her work might not be so vague. 

As for the romance, it was slow moving, but that's because this is the first book in a series. Given that there are so many Amish romances where an English character's conversion to the faith feels rushed, I appreciated that the book didn't end with everything neatly tidied up. As confident as Annie was about making changes to her life, I think she still has a long way to go and I'm interested in reading more about her. As strange as it might seem for a computer programmer to become interested in the Amish lifestyle, I got the impression that Annie got far more involved in the business world than she intended and no longer enjoyed her job, so the changes she made at the end of the novel made sense.

I also liked the sub-plot about Rufus's sister, Ruth, and I hope that the next novel delves more into the family dynamics and Ruth's attempts to reconcile with her family while still becoming a nurse. I felt like her story was a realistic portrayal of someone who left the faith before baptism for educational reasons, and I appreciated this change from the usual stories about people who leave to "explore the world". Ruth kept much of her faith while studying nursing.

The storyline about the construction company wasn't really resolved, which was a bit disappointing, but I'd be interested to see how that panned out, even if I preferred the other storylines. I had mixed feelings about this sub-plot as I wasn't sure what kind of message it was giving about justice, retaliation and turning the other cheek. I'm intrigued to see where it goes.

Ultimately, I liked the contemporary storyline, but at times the historical plot caught my attention more. I haven't read many stories about Amish settlers in the eighteenth century, so the story of Annie and Rufus's ancestors was fascinating. It really captured just how difficult life was for new settlers, if they made it through the long journey. Jakob's struggle between sticking to his faith and wanting to remarry was very heartfelt, and although the novel focused far more on the contemporary storyline, I still became attached to the historical characters. I hope that Olivia continues their storyline, or at least focuses on some other ancestors, in the next book.

I ended up writing a lot more about this book than planned, so obviously it touched me more than I realised. Ultimately, I didn't enjoy this book as much as The Pursuit of Lucy Banning but it was a compelling and original story. For those who like dual-time narratives of a lighter fare, this would definitely suit. I might not have connected with Annie as much as some Amish heroines, but this novel definitely brings something a little different to the genre. I'll be looking out for the second book in the series later this year.

The Pursuit of Lucy Banning - Olivia Newport

GENRE: HISTORICAL

PUBLISHER: REVELL

PUBLICATION DATE: MAY 01, 2012

RATING: 10 OUT OF 10 – NEAR PERFECT

PROS: Unusual setting and time period that really come to life on the pages; good portrayal of the struggles women faced in society at this time; heroine has aims other than finding a husband

CONS: Readers may have to look up some details on the time period if they aren’t so familiar with it

Lucy Banning was born into a privileged family and has never had a need gone unmet in her entire life. But while she may live on the prosperous Prairie Avenue in Chicago, she has a heart for those who are not so fortunate. Much to her mother and fiancé’s chagrin, she spends the time that should be spent planning her wedding helping at a local orphanage. Her family would be even more upset if they knew that she was attending Art History classes at university, but this is one secret that she’s determined to keep. Lucy will not allow herself to be restrained into the position that society and her family demands that she mould to, and she becomes all the more restless as talk of her upcoming marriage to family friend, Daniel, begins to dominate her life. She cannot bear the thought of a life spent with Daniel, no matter how much she cares for him as a friend. But breaking off her engagement and living the life she wants to lead – helping the needy, furthering the cause of women and attending university – is not as easy as she thought it would be. Lucy faces many unexpected challenges as she makes the necessary changes to her life, including an unlikely friendship with a housemaid and the possibility of a blossoming relationship with a young architect who is definitely not of her class. Can she risk all that she has for those that understand the desires of her heart?

I have a terrible confession to make: I requested this book purely based on the front cover, and I was determined to read The Pursuit of Lucy Banning even before I knew what the novel was about. And after having now devoured this novel, it seems rather amusing that it was Lucy’s gorgeous dress that drew me to the cover, when she spends a lot of the novel wearing simple clothing as she doesn’t want to stand out at the orphanage where she works, or in her classes at the university.

By the time I got around to starting this book, I’d actually forgotten what it was about, and could only remember the pretty cover. So I was pleasantly surprised to find that this was far more than your standard historical romance novel. While The Pursuit of Lucy Banning is set in nineteenth century America – an incredibly popular time period and setting for Christian historical romances – it’s set at the very end of the century, amidst the growth of the metropolis and of industry. The streetcar has been invented, and there is talk of some crazy contraption called a Ferris Wheel. While I know a fair amount about the history of Britain in this period, my knowledge of American history at this time is much more basic, so I did have to look up the Gilded Age and the World’s Fair, the latter of which is the focal point of this novel. Don’t let this put you off – a brief glance at Wikipedia was enough to make the details in this novel fall into place for me. And there are a lot of details; Olivia has evidently spent a lot of time researching all of the build up to the World’s Fair. The city of Chicago really comes to life in this novel, and I could really picture the busyness of the streets full of carriages and streetcars. The Pursuit of Lucy Banning shows that there is far more to late nineteenth century America than all the novels about homesteading and prairie life would have you believe. If Little House on the Prairie really isn’t your thing, then perhaps The Pursuit of Lucy Banning is the sort of novel you should be checking out. I never thought I would be so captivated by a novel set in a city and surrounded by so much industry and technological development, but something about Chicago in this period was both exciting and romantic.

While the title suggests that this book revolves entirely around Lucy, this isn’t exactly the case. The majority of the novel does focus on Lucy’s struggles with the role which society and her family expects her to fulfil, she’s also joined by the wonderful character of Charlotte, a maid in the Banning household. Having read Julie Klassen’s The Maid of Fairbourne Hall last month, as well as studying a fair amount about Victorian domestic servants at university, I was thrilled to discover that Olivia had chosen to explore both sides of the Banning household. The world of service is literally that; an entirely different world. I loved the interplay between Lucy and Charlotte as they become confidants. Despite their differences in class, Lucy and Charlotte were both visual representations of the restrictions placed upon women in this time period by an intrinsically male-dominated society.  

Daniel, Lucy’s fiancé, represented this masculine, controlling society. While I was initially sceptical about the almost villainous turns that his character took, I couldn’t help but care for Lucy and fear for the control that Daniel exerted over her life. It took me a while to understand that he wasn’t being a brainless menace, as some villains are, but simply taking advantage of the control that any man had over a woman in this period. This image was powerful but also understated. I have to say that it was the development of Daniel’s character that could have really influenced my impression of this novel. I’m not keen on characters who seem to be overtly villainous with no redeeming qualities, but Daniel wasn’t like this. His controlling character developed slowly, and the turn that it took at the end of the novel really endeared me to this book. Olivia didn’t slip into stereotyping, and also managed to teach some contemporary lessons about mental health.

Along with the society commentary about women and mystery surrounding Daniel, there’s also an element of romance in this novel, although it isn’t the focal point. Much as Lucy’s aims in life aren’t centred around falling in love, this novel doesn’t focus primarily on her love life. Despite this, I did enjoy the way that Lucy’s relationship with Will developed. She didn’t swoon or spend hours pining over him, but they clearly cared deeply for each other. Perhaps some romance readers will be disappointed that Lucy isn’t more enamoured with Will, but I found their relationship to be very realistic. It was nice to read about such a simple relationship that was complicated by external events, rather than misunderstandings or confused emotions.

Sometimes I’m fortunate enough to read a wonderful book and then discover that the author has an entire backlist that I can dip into. With The Pursuit of Lucy Banning this isn’t the case, and I’m very impressed that this is only her debut novel. Exploring a time period and setting that is entirely new to me, The Pursuit of Lucy Banning had just the right blend of historical detail, mystery and romance to keep me gripped. The more I think about his book, the more I realise that I really can’t find any major flaws with it. I genuinely didn’t expect to love this book as much as I did, and I’m sure that other readers will be similarly pleased by this original debut novel.

Review title provided by Revell.