Rosemary Poole-Carter

This story takes place after the Civil War. Lenore James is a woman who has out-lived three husbands. She is well aware of what is going on in society around her. When her brother Gilbert, a doctor loses his wife and child, he loses a large part of himself. Lenore invites him to come live with her and open a practice in New Orleans. Gilbert is willing to take those cases where the main doctor in town feels he won’t profit much. This doesn’t bother Gilbert since he is more about taking care of the patient and not worrying about the money.
He is called to a house to care for a young child who has a terrible cough. He is immediately drawn to the mother, Charlotte Eden. Charlotte is married to a wealthy architect. Gilbert’s sister remembers her when she worked making hats. It is obvious to Lenore that her brother has fallen for Charlotte.
The mystery comes in when Gilbert is asked to remove Charlotte’s body. There is so much I would love to say but won’t give it away.
We see a society where those who are in power and have lots of money rule. Women have no rights and if some people had their way there would be slavery again. The author has told a story in the flowery and flowing way it would have been spoken in that time period. For some this may be a hindrance. It took me a couple of chapters before I was comfortable with this aspect. However, it actually put me in the time period. This author has a way of helping the reader visualize everything around them. I love a book that draws me in and carries me around twists and turns to the point I don’t see the ending coming. I love the historical aspect of this book. For me the emotional factor was a plus. I could feel how much Lenore felt she needed to protect her brother’s heart. I could see how Gilbert fell hard for Charlotte from the beginning. I agreed to read this book because there was the mystery aspect and it was historical fiction. I got so much more than I bargained for from reading this book. I highly recommend anything by this author.
I received a copy to facilitate my review. The opinions expresseed here are my own.… (altro)

“While the scuffle ensued below me, unthinkingly, I must have reached out with one hand and clutched the balcony railing. I find that hand still extended from the shadow that hides me, still gripping the rail, still exposed to view, as the young man does indeed glance back over his shoulder. For a moment, his face is turned toward the gated front of our house…And then his chin tilts upward, catching the glow of the gaslight. I am sure he sees my hand, pale against the dark wrought-iron. His gaze is fixed on it.” (8)

This re-imagining of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet recasts the Bard’s star-crossed lovers as Roland Montgomery and Juliette Carondel, a Union soldier and young Creole girl living in occupied New Orleans after the Civil War. Though a concise 185 pages, Poole-Carter’s story provides plenty of sweet (and not so tragic) romance, as well as thought-provoking glimpses into the lives of nineteenth-century American women of different ages and stations--set against a convincingly rendered, voodoo-tinged Louisiana backdrop. Juliette Ascending should appeal to fans of Shakespeare’s classic, who will enjoy witnessing the familiar story unfold in an imaginative new way, and to anyone who enjoys Young Adult romances.… (altro)