Anne Mateer

This is the first time that I wasn't totally empathetic towards the main character in any of Anne Mateer's book. I wanted to quit reading this book.

The main character, Sadie Silsby, was an assistant to the Matron at the Raystown Home For Orphan and Friendless Children, in Pennsylvania in 1910. Long time friends, Sadie and Blaine were planning on marrying after Blaine bought a farm.

A deep conflict started when the Matron told Sadie that she was leaving the Home to get married. There was a unbreakable rule that the Matron be single. The Matron reccommended Sadie for the Matron position. She was estactic and went ahead and accepted the position but could not get in touch with Blaine. Blaine had to buy or forever lose a chance to a certain farm that he wanted with all his heart. WIthout contacting Sadie, he obtained a mortgage. You can imagine what happened.

Sadie told herself that it was God's purpose to be the matron, she thought that Blaine could wait years for them to marry. Unaware until the first day of the job that she had to do the accounting for the Home, she knew that never handle basic math! But she did not even ask for help. She picked out an assistant Matron, not on any demonstratable skills ignoring an applicant who she never got along with.

Read the book and see if you had trouble liking the main character.… (altro)

This was an unusually quick read for me. At first I was annoyed with the main character, Rebekah because at the age of nneteen, she seemed unbelievably naive to think that her suitor, Arthur was willing to marry him and her motivation seemed to be to get away from her controlling mother.

She wanted adventure and travel and knew she could not get that at home being a spinster or by marrying the man her mother picked out.

I did like that the story was set in 1918 at the time of the Great War and the Great Influenza Epidemic of 1918. There was miminal information about the Great War, that did not bother me but the concentrated on the effect of the Epidemic for her own family after she acceoted the request by aunt to mother to help nurse her back to health. Rebekah was shocked to find that her aunt had been taking of four children ages 9 years to a few months. Finding out that the home was not her aunt's but her aunt's friend and then having her aunt die quickly after she came, she was suddenly plunged into taking care of the children. Their mother had died and their father was off to war.

It was good to see how she managed by herself and it was natural that sje grew to love the children and look out for them.

I loved her life with the children the best but bewildered at her not knowing her first suiter better and I was fine with her decision with the
second suitor. Then it came to deciding what to do when th children's father came home. I felt there needed to be more development. I did not know her final decision until the last few pages. I felt the ending was very abrupt. I will read another book by her and hope that there is no quick ending/… (altro)

Anne Mateer has created a sweet romance perfect for Valentine’s Day reading, or really anytime you want a love story with endearing characters and an historic setting inspired by true events. With its setting in the early years of the US, it brings to life our fledgling nation and the men and women determined to make a new start in a new country. Fans of historical romance will love this one!

Remembrance Mem Wilkins is on her own, a very decidedly uncommon occurrence for a young lady of the early 1800s. Left the family farm after the death of her father, she is determined to keep her independence without the help of anyone, especially a very intimidating neighbor set upon gaining her property through the conventional means of marriage. But Mem, though already on the road to spinsterhood and with a failed romance in her past, wants nothing but a true love match, one that won’t take her financial circumstance into consideration. Simon Brennan, father and widower newly arrived from Ireland, has not much to recommend him — no money or name — but with a fierce pride that keeps him focused on establishing his own fortune. The two are irresistibly drawn together, but can they overcome the obstacles they alone have set up?

I really liked the main characters (and many of the supporting ones) in No Small Storm. Both Mem and Simon are engaging, and their chemistry is strong — just what a good romance needs. Both have independent natures and strive to achieve their goals on their own. But that independence, mixed with a good dose of pride, keeps them from asking help of others and from God. Circumstances show them that all they have is from God. And that’s all they need. The historical touches in the novel were spot on — dress, manners, customs. But No Small Storm has the added bonus of a real-life event that makes a difference in the town of Providence, Rhode Island and in the lives of the characters. No spoilers here, but I have to say this novel made me thankful for modern weather forecasts. 😉

A quick read, No Small Storm is a good choice for when you need some romance mixed with history.

Recommended.

Audience: older teens to adults.

(Thanks to Celebrate Lit for a complimentary copy. All opinions expressed are mine alone.)… (altro)