Monday, July 27, 2009

Review of Anna Jones Buttimore's book, Easterfield


Easterfield is a historical romance set in Lancashire, England in 1850 and tells of the challenges that come into the life of a well-to-do family when they encounter one of the first LDS missionaries. Anna has an Honors Degree in English literature, and the story was inspired by her love of Jane Austen’s novels, as well as the work of the Bronte sisters and WM Thackeray, and her realization that these classic works were set around the time the Gospel of Jesus Christ was restored. What, she wondered, would happen if an LDS element were introduced? Easterfield is the answer.

The novel is carefully written in the elegant and expressive language of the period, and involved a great deal of painstaking, but fascinating, research. Nineteenth-century life, especially for higher-class families, was often slow-paced and uneventful, but Anna worked hard to build intrigue, dilemmas, and painful choices to keep the story moving and keep the reader engaged. British English spelling and idiom has been retained for authenticity, and Meridian reviewer Jennie Hansen called it “a tight, well-written story with charming, versatile characters [which will] become a classic favorite of women of all ages.”

SYNOPSIS: When Mr. Wilson, a Mormon missionary, arrives in the rural English town of Easterfield, Lancashire, in 1850, Catherine Waters finds herself intrigued by both the message he brings and his relationship to her reclusive and aristocratic neighbour. Through Mr. Wilson, Catherine is drawn into the strange world of Easterfield Hall, where both her cousin and sister find forbidden love, and Catherine uncovers secrets that change her entire outlook on their peaceful life. After Mr. Wilson is called back to Utah, the dashing Dr. Davenport is on hand to offer love, security, and help in piecing together Catherine’s fragmenting life. As she experiences gut-wrenching fear, hopeless love, and the loss of all she once thought important, she learns that the things that really matter are eternal.

If you like Jane Austen, you'll love Anna Jones Buttimore!

2 comments:

Jen said...

Oh wow, Anne! I'm glad you found & reviewed this book! I read two of her other books a few months ago, but it seemed as if she took a hiatus or something - I couldn't find anything more on her. Glad to know she kept writing. Thank you for sharing!

Heather Moore said...

This definitely sounds like a book I'd enjoy.

A Night on Moon Hill by Tanya Parker Mills

Review by Heather B. Moore Award-winning author, Tanya Parker Mills (2009 Indie Book Award Winner for The Reckoning ), delive...