Stroke Books

I have never personally experienced an incident like Julia, but I found her book inspirational. When confronted with a life-threatening health issue, Julia and her family found the courage to move forward and recover against all odds. Her book is written with a humorous tone which shows her positive attitude and her unending goal to get well. Her book taught me that you need to figure out what is important in life, not lose sight of it and never give up. I would highly recommend this to anyone... whether you have experienced a situation like this or not. Definitely one of the best books I have read in a long time!! I couldn't stop turning the pages and finished it within a few days!

Julia Fox Garrison is one very ballsy broad with just the right kind of self-effacing and acid sense of humor and gutsy determination to see herself through a bad situation. Following a massive brain hemmorhage or stroke, whatever you want to call it, which very nearly kills her and leaves her whole left side flaccid and useless, she makes up her mind that she is going to come back from this, even if it kills her - which, if she'd listened to her doctors, could very well happen. For months she denies that she's in denial about a complete recovery, but after more than a year of rehabilitation, she is finally forced to admit that she'll probably never be perfect again, and begins to appreciate what faculties and skills she has recovered. Besides the obvious humor sprinkled throughout the book, there are also the awful moments, the incredibly sad ones. Like the time she realizes that even her 3 yr-old son recognizes her limitations and becomes used to getting all his support from his dad - the night she goes to him in the night when he is crying and tries to help, and Rory says: "I want Daddy, I don't want you ... No, you can't help me. You have your own problems. You fall down and you need help and you need someone to get you up."

Or when she makes a visit to her old office and endures the stares and the tentativeness of her old colleagues: "... because you simply don't look the way you looked the last time you were there. You are on industrial-strength doses of steroids as well as a cocktail of other drugs and your face is swollen and misshapen, like a pumpkin head."

Or when she and her husband, Jim, who has done everything for her since her stroke, make love for the first time in more than a year: "When you are done, you both cry a little and hold each other. 'Now we're a couple again,' Jim whispers."

In the end this is a book about not just determination and guts, but about love, and about a very supportive family (Julia's husband, parents and 8 brothers) who help her back to wellness. Anyone who has ever suffered a debilitating illness and struggled back to some semblance of health and dignity will appreciate this book, as will their friends and family members. It is quite simply a great story. - Tim Bazzett, author of Love, War & Polio

Julia Garrison Fox writes her experiences after suffering a stroke at the age of 37. This is a must read for all healthcare professionals especially those who work in the rehabilitation field. She pulls no punches and write candidly about what it feels like both physically and emotionally to go through a life altering incident. This is a wake-up call for all in the healthcare field, we are real good at treating the body but we sometimes forget the human spirit we are also caring for.

I really loved this book, and would recommend it to anyone and everyone. Although I've never suffered any of the physical impairments that the author has, her story is very easy to relate to. Not to mention that it serves as a reminder to all of us to never give up, and to never take anything for granted.

Ms. Garrison's persistance is to be admired, as is her sense of humor through ordeals that have broken the spirits of many. Kudos to you, Julia, and may you never lose your courage, love of life, and wonderful spirit!

I am a rehab nurse and I just couldn't put this book down.

Yes, all of the portraits are not flattering of folks in the healthcare profession. We must view patients as people, with all their likes, dislikes and quirks.

I found it to be a very funny, uplifting first person account.

once again radclyffe has delivered. i love anything she writes and i have never been disappointed..this book is no exception. i would recommend this book and any other book by radclyffe

To call this my favorite Rad book is like saying "Chunky Monkey" is my favorite Ben & Jerry's ice cream. It's ALL good, my friend. But "Fated Love" has a great deal of emotional connection to it that puts it on a whole new level for me. The pace is superior, the character development is fantastic and the resolution is, well, "aww shucks." I'm a sucker for a sweet ending. I highly recommend this book on so many levels.

You know what you are getting with Radclyffe: a well-written, well-edited, multi-dimensional romance with characters dealing with disappointments or painful pasts, leading to an ultimately happy ending. This is a tried and true formula, and curling up with one of these books is a delight.

As far as specifics regarding this novel, I love it when Radclyffe uses a medical setting, because she's able to so deftly make it a realistic and interesting world. Quinn was an intriguing character with a bit of a mystery surrounding her undisclosed health reasons for leaving her surgical career. Honor was a sympathetic character in trying to deal with her grief, and balance a family and professional life. Chemistry sparked, but even beyond that the gentle way Quinn pursued inserting herself into Honor's life, her delight with Arly (Honor's daughter), the way she just couldn't help but pursue this woman despite the fact that she clearly had issues, all these elements combined to create a rich narrative.

This book sets itself apart with the realistic or unflinching way it deals with falling in love again after having lost a previous partner. The pacing lags a touch as the characters sometimes seem to be endlessly retreading the same ground on issues. But I appreciate the weight that this author gives to serious themes, versus just glossing over them like a less-experienced author might in order to get to the "real" story, while ending up missing the real story.

The themes of moving on after great loss are represented in a variety of ways, through both Honor's grief and Quinn's coping with finding new ways to embrace happiness apart from the career she'd dreamed of having. This whole set-up was rife with believable road-blocks to happiness for our protagonists, ones it was fulfilling to follow them in overcoming. We also get a delightful little interlude in the end with Sax Sinclair and Jude from "Passion's Bright Fury" as a bonus.

A very good read, as was expected, and a book I'll be keeping in my collection.

Radclyffe has truly done it with this one. I have only been reading lesbian romance for approimately a year now, however, I have read everything by this author. To date this book is My Favorite. Great Story, Great Characters, Great Romance.

I couldn't put it down. I read this in one sitting and have read it two more times since then. This is an excellent story. Again I love the hospital settings and the surgeons. Radcylyffe has a way of TRULY bringing her characters to life. There is no way you can't love Honor and her undying devotion to her late wife. Radclyffe does an excellent job in portraying her reluctance to pursue Quinn, but in the end you want them to be together. I also loved Arly.

Excellent, Excellent, Excellent!

This book combines the Ying and the Yang. It creates a professional bonding that is so powerful it makes your heart expand for all that is good in the world.
The characters are well developed proffessional women who personify dedication and integrity.
The love for a child, a mother-in-law, and for a lost soul mate is very powerful.
I found myself feeling the heart renching discovery of memories lost but never forgotten.
An absolutely amazing read, which leaves the reader wanting more, but never questioning that these characters will live happily ever after.
Devlyn

This is without a doubt the most inspirational book I've read. I've always been a huge fan of Tedy Bruschi's, and after this book I have a whole new respect for him and his family for what they went through. It's a great book for everyone, regardless of how they feel about the Patriots!

Never Give Up is the journey of Tedy Bruschi and how he went from Super Bowl Champion/Pro Bowl participant to hoping he could lead a normal life. Bruschi suffered a mild stroke that impaired his vision and ability to walk. He and his wife Heidi received a crash course in what it means to have a stroke and how it can impact your life.

Bruschi details how this event caused turmoil in his personal and professional life and how he went from being completely striped of any hope of playing football again to becoming a leading spokesman for stroke awareness. The book is well written and a very fast read.

This book is well beyond a book only for New England Patriots fans; it is a great inspiration for anyone who is facing adversity in their life. Highly recommended.

Truly insperational. I love Tedy Bruschi and this shows the heart of a true sportsman and a great person. This book is easy to read and a must read if you are a PATS fan at all!

I haven't finished the book, but what i have read is excellent. It was well written, and I felt it explained in the details of his life.

I am a HUGE Patriots fan and i could not put this book down. I am 14 years old and i have to read every single night and i was excited when i started to read this book. This book makes you think about what you have and the things that you take for granted. Even though the patriots lost the super bowl i got over it quicker than i would of since i had just finished the book. I liked the insight on what goes on and what goes through the NFL players head. You have got to read this inspirational book!

Anyone who is facing the prospect of making decisions for a family member who is ill or frail should read this book. Some of the information shared is vital - not only on an emotional level, but a financial one as well. Many people make mistakes when choosing nursing home care. Bosworth shares things that readers can use to assist them in finding the best care available for their loved one. She also stresses the importance of making your personal wishes known to your family before they are thrown into a whirlwind of confusion should you suffer an unexpected medical emergency.

Bosworth never succumbs to self-pity, yet she shares her heart and her pain in a way that makes the reader part of the journey. I was struck with her compassion and her honesty. After reading YOUR MOTHER HAS SUFFERED A SLIGHT STROKE, you will feel as if you have gained more than the sharing of a painful experience - you will feel as if you've made a new friend. This book is a treasure.

Highly recommended.

The person who wrote this book is not a writer. It's not beautifully done and has some typos, but it's very informative about what can happen when a close family member has a massive stroke. Her skill is honesty, and the story itself is fascinating. She touches upon many important issues such as physical therapy, nursing homes, money issues, dementia, quality of care, feelings, and the strained relationships between doctors and the family of the patient. I read the entire thing the same day I picked it up from the library: recommended.

Talented author, Kathy Bosworth, has written a timely and informative book for all who have aging parents or know of other with aging family members or friends. In a step by step discussion of the effects of a stroke on the loved one and on others who are "standing by," we are taken along on a daily, weekly, and monthly review of a family's coping and a "first-hand" account as understanding and adjustment becomes a primary focus in caring for the individual, in this case, Kathy's mother.
It is a sensitive, touching, and informative account that can serve as a guide-book for many of us who do not understand the full impact of a stroke and its implications.
It is written in a language we can all understand and the reader is drawn into the daily experiences until the conclusion of the book. I recommend this book for every home library as a source of referral and information. Your Mother has Suffered a Slight Stroke is a necessary and helpful read for everyone and the reader is sure to relate to Kathy and her family and their touching and poignant, true-life experiences.
Evelyn Horan - Author
Jeannie, A Texas Frontier Girl, Books One-Four

A friend gave me this book when my mother suffered a stroke. This book helped me understand and know what to ask, when to ask and how to ask questions. I have read several books recently and this one outlined more about what I needed to know. I would recommend it highly. It certainly helped me.

I'm a bereavement counselor and I coucil with people who are experiencing many different types of losses. A mentor of mine told me about this book months ago. She called me the other day to ask if I had put this book to work by using the information in it to help others. It reminded me of all the great information and love in this well written book about getting a family through medical trauma. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who is struggling with any kind of a disease. A stroke can come into any of our lives any minute on any given day. This book is about so much more than strokes.

Two books are tops for those who love the game and choose to continue learning how to play it well: this one and Every Shot Must Have a Purpose: How GOLF54 Can Make You a Better Player The stories, experiences, tips, and memories are superbly inspiring. Worth re-reading every year!

I don't play golf but I LOVED Ms. Vold's book, read every word, hated to have it end! I would recommend this book to anyone whether they play golf or not.

This book has it all....contemporary history of women who love the game and made the LPGA what it is today, nostalgia, technique and lots of food for thought. Any woman who has a passion for golf must read this one. I seldom read a book more than once...I'm on my third time through in less than three months. Do yourself a favor by buying it and keeping it near your nightstand to refer to again and again.

"If a person has any greatness in them, it comes to light , not in one flamboyant hour, but in the ledger of their daily work." Beryl Markham "West with the Night"

The women Mona Vold writes about in her book, "Different Strokes", are national treasures worthy of any reader's time. And although the common thread of their journeys is the world of golf, the passion of their hearts, the clarity of their minds and the strength of their voices both dig deeply into and transcend that rich and humbling game.

Without reservation, I highly recommend this wise and thoughtful book.

Fun to hear what the other half has to say about the game. Great stories a good read for any golfer. Not to sure about the technical information. You might want to purchase GOLF IS A WOMAN'S GAME to set you straight on that. Both books really elevate women's golf.

This is the first novel I ever read from this author and I loved it. It is perfect in character depth, conflict, resolution, stamina and any number of other areas. This novel is the rule by which all others are measured.Ms. Radclyffe has done a wonderful job of spoiling readers against authors of lesser talent.

I loved it. This is my first Radclyffe and I can see why she's so popular. To me the queen of lesbian western love stories is Vada Foster & B. L. Miller's "Josie & Rebecca: The Western Chronicles" and I started out comparing this one to that. There are a number of similarities in the two. But, as the story continued I started to view it from another angle.
Besides being a delightful and sexy love story it is, as the title hints a very "innocent" love story. Both girls have no inkling of their sexuality until they meet and fall in love with each other and even then they're pretty slow at realizing their true feelings.
This factor gives the story an innocent ring to it and also a purity that is unusual for a book that has such sexy scenes. I would vote it as the book I would most like my gay-friendly hetro friends to read. It's a great book for lesbians and hetros alike. I look forward to reading the sequel and some of Radclyffe's other books.

Kate Beecher is a young woman who has literally been dragged from her pampered Boston existence by her father and mother out West. She is 19 and into photography/journalism. Her father and mother had been enticed by a friend of theirs who made the journey and promise a decent life for all of them. Kate is reticent to make the trip and even more reticent when she finds it is a rough settlement and not all like the life she left in Boston, until she meets Jessie Forbes. Jessie is the owner of a huge ranch outside town since her father died. Jessie is very butch and causes a lot of eyebrows to go up when she comes to town, but they seem to accept her for what she is. Jessie is a cattle rancher, and takes a lot of pride in maintaining the ranch that her father built. She takes a shine to Kate and soon a mild flirtation begins to happen. Meanwhile, Kate's parents notice that Kate has no interest in the young man they have picked out for her. They see her spending all her free time with Jessie, whom they see as an improper woman, wearing men's clothes and doing men's work. Kate is falling hard for Jessie and Jessie falls hard for Kate. The romance is hot and the story is good. Radclyffe does a great job, departing from her usual genre.

Kate Beecher leaves Boston with her family and treks across the county to land in Montana.

Kate is inspired by the beauty of the land. She's a little confused by the gun toting, Stetson and pant wearing Jess Forbes.

Jesse is a rancher and breaks horses as a past time. She notices Kate. Even saves her from an accidental stampede.

When a life threatening illness spreads thru the territory, they combine their efforts to help all they can. Their feelings getting more interesting as time goes on.

I love a good western romance. Kudos!

This book blew me away. Where else can you get the wild west, suspense and lesbian romance? Three of my favorites. I just recently discovered Radclyffe. Have I been missing out!!! She is fantastic and her books are all great. My shelf is quickly filling up with her name. I am anxiously awaiting the arrival of Promising Hearts, Innocent Hearts sequel.

I read this book in 2 days. Radclyffe keeps you thirsting for more. I fall in love with all of her characters.

Jessie and Kate will capture your heart. In a time where women don't wear pants, vote or have a say in anything. Two women fall in love. Jessie, a ranch owner who carries a gun and tames wild horses meets Kate a determined and feisty woman who has just arrived from Boston with her parents. They want Kate to get married(to a man). Not that anything else would enter their minds. What follows shows why Radclyffe is so amazing and special.

Like all her other books I've read, these characters grab onto the readers heart take them on an adventure, stop and start it a few times(no defibulator needed in this story, see Fated Love) and leave the reader feeling warm and satisfied.

What I love to do is get my crystal light, cuddle with my cat, Kali put on some smooth jazz and RR(Read Radclyffe).
ENJOY!!!

This is a beautiful story by Radclyff. The characters are believable and she touches on a subject that many people would not know how to write about. I'd suggest reading it before the Honor series.

Since Tanner's father died on the open sea, she's been a rebellious, party animal. Not caring how much she drinks, how fast she drives or who she sleeps with.

Until one morning lying on the beach where she slept the night away, the beautiful Adrienne stumbles onto her thinking she's dead.

The two have a roller coaster relationship with an interesting ending.

Tomorrow's Promise is a classic love story. This book is the journey of two different women from totally different worlds that share one thing in common...they are broken! They find their souls and bodies healing from their growing passion for eachother but, will it be enough? Time will heal old wounds but, how much time do they have together? This book was romantic from start to finish and I couldn't be happier! It was an easy read and a complete pleasure as always a Rad book is! I will definitely keep this classic in my collection! You will not be disappointed...

Excellent read. The characters are well developed, with an enjoyable plot that makes it impossible to put this one down. As uisual the romance is hot and passionate.

For only the second time, this reader is giving a 4-star rating to a Radclyffe book. In `Tomorrow's Promise,' Rad introduces Adrienne Pierce. Adrienne is a recent survivor of a breast cancer scare during which she had a single mastectomy. Her lover of several years became distant and her career was put on the back burner. Adrienne decides to spend the summer alone on Whitley Point, a secluded semi-private island off the coast of Maine. There, she meets the enigmatic Tanner Whitley - wild child and heir to the Whitley fortune.

Tanner is soon enamored by older Adrienne and the women find themselves falling into a tentative love relationship. Tanner is convinced Adrienne is there to stay and is devastated when Adrienne decides to return to her regularly-scheduled life.

The book seems to end abruptly without closure to many of the issues introduced by the author. There is not enough time allowed (i.e., only a page or two) for the characters to embrace their future. Neither the characters of Adrienne nor Tanner seem fully developed. Only Tanner's past seems to have any dimensionality. Adrienne's only includes her career in the military and her estranged former lover/wife.

As with any Radclyffe book, no collection of lesbian fiction is complete without including this one. However, it just doesn't seem to rise to her standard level of excellence.

Radclyffe does a wonderful job of introducing and personalizing her characters in this fun, passion-filled romance. Readers are guaranteed to identify with these lonely women as they mend broken hearts and explore secret desires. While enjoyable, the sex and intimacy in this novel left something to be desired. I'm anxiously awaiting a Radclyffee romance that can rival or surpass Shadowland's intensity.

Philadelphia to be exact - in this case, the city of Sisterly love!

Oh My! what an erotic book! and yet it had just the sweetest love story!

From hospital corridors to not so private sex near the softball diamond this book has it all!

Thirty year old Bren is attractive, thoughtful and introspective, she has a fulfilling job directing the rare books department at Temple University but has never been in a long term relationship.

Twenty-seven year old Candace, a model pretty blonde, has a high stakes job as a self-employed commodities trader who lives and loves in the moment.

Thirty-five year old Liz Ramsey is a medical attorney who is lovely inside and out.

The three met during their college days and have been fast friends since. Totally supportive of each other but that doesn't mean that they know all each other's secrets.

And gorgeous thirty-one year old orthopedic surgeon Dr. Reilly Danvers is a joy to read.

As a bonus for her readers the author has nice appearances from characters from her excellent novel 'Love's Tender Warriors'.

If you liked this novel you will also enjoy these tiles by the author -
Fated Love
Tomorrow's Promise
When Dreams Tremble
Passion's Bright Fury
Turn Back Time
Love's Melody Lost
Love's Masquerade
shadowland

Once it ended. Friends thought I had disappeared for a day when I started reading this book and made other plans! Seriously though, great book, intriguing characters, sex-surprisingly not all that much, but enough to really keep you interested. Anyway, Radclyffe proves that whether weilding a pen or a scalpel, she can cut to the heart of a her readers and her characters alike.

Radclyffe does her best work when she writes her stand alone novels. Unlike her series, which sell books, but have gotten rather mundane, this book has a fresh concept. It's not often that a lesbian novel features a central figure who is pregnant and alone. While Liz and Reilly are the major focus of the book, the most interesting character might be Bren, who has a couple of secrets she's kept from her best friends. Any of these characters could have carried the book and that makes them stronger than is usually seen in this genre. This is what Radclyffe excels at when she writes her stand alone novels. She should stick with it. The Lonely Hearts Club is a good read.

This is another one of Radclyffe's that I couldn't put down. Excellent story. Excellent characters. Great portray of true genuine friendship. It was good that there were three different storylines going on all at the same time, yet all linked together.

I really liked Bren. The soft spoken friend (well it appeared that way at first). I hope there is a sequel to this one. I would like to read more about her character in the future.

As usual I am never disappointed when it comes to Radyclyffe.

I enjoyed the whole series and am looking forward to the next installment this summer.

I've begun with the first book, Above all Honor, and have read through to this 4th installment in the series. I love the way the books pick right up where the other left off. This one opens in Paris with a very descriptive narrative from the hotel clerk's point of view. In this book Radclyfe weaves the events of 9/11 into the story and ties it into an assasination attempt on Blair's life. The events foreshadowing the attempt are mixed into the story nicely and wind up leaving you a little bit nervous throughout. This book also fills in the lives of some of the other characters so you get to know more about them. Finally, I love the way all her women in the stories, gay or straight are portrayed as strong, sure and confident, which is always sexy.

The best part of this series is that I do not get bored. The characters keep growing with each book. And the introduction of some new characters and their own perspectives of the things happening around them and to them helps drive the story. Cool stuff

Again, as with the first 3 books in the series, I could not put it down.

A sequel to "Love & Honor", and fourth in the "Honor" series, I keep half-expecting to get tired of this series, but each installment continues to be strong by focusing on the emotional impacts events have on the relationship between Blair and Cam, and how their partnering evolves and they grow closer together in response to conflict, stronger together than apart. Ultimately this book gives an interesting fictional twist on the events of 9/11, with the terrorism used as an interesting back-drop for the main plot that was handled well, with little need of artistic embellishment in order to provide emotional impact. Blair is attacked simultaneous to the planes being hijacked, and the events set in motion are tense and revealing, and clearly a set up for another book in this series. But this comes at the very end of the book, and meanwhile there are plenty of other things to focus on as Blair travels through Paris, finally opens her own art exhibit at the Bleeker Gallery, and endures a medical scare with Cam ever by her side.

Still, the ability to weave supporting characters and their story lines in still seems to be in its infancy here, particularly when compared with the strength of Lonely Hearts Club, though the seeds are there. Mostly it's a little jarring to me to read about the other characters when we really don't know anything about them. With Cam and Blair we've had the benefit of getting back-story and more depth in their motivations, but with characters like Stark and Renee we don't know anything about them outside the direct Blair sphere. Radclyffe explains in her foreword how when writing a series and introducing supporting cast everything revolves around and draws energy from the main pair: Cam and Blair in this case. And Radclyffe does a good job of keeping that connection there: most actions Cam and Blair take affect the lives around them in a material way. It's an interesting perspective to get.

I like reading about the exciting lives of these idealized characters. They seem 3-dimensional and human. And I'm enjoying reading this series again, and watching Radclyffe grow as an author in its progression.

This book delivered the goods completely! If you want a Civil War Period work that takes you to places unchartered this is the book for you. KI Thompson as the kid's say "Is the Bomb" as a writer. Her character development in unrivaled along with her research on 1860's Washington, DC during the Civil War and the rifts with family and close friends that kept me reading this book into the early morning until I completed it. I loved the plot twists, the surprises, and reading the growth of the characters - it was a roller coaster ride I would gladly repeat. The romance between the two main characters was expertly done and appropriate for the period. It does not get better than House of Clouds folks. KI Thompson is a giant of a writer. I can't wait for her next work.

A lesbian saga. Remember the old days when sexual tension existed because people didn' think they were rabbits? This novel was so rich in it's content, that I felt as though I had been given a gift as reader. I loved the characters and I understood them. Trust me, as an African American Woman, I am not inclined to find romanticism or nostalgia in or for the 1800's, in fact, the only time period I acknowledge as "happy" is 1995 on, and that's being generous. But I felt for Laura. I really did. I understood her characters journey. I was able to read this book without prejudice and that's what made it so wonderful.

First let me say, I truly loved this book. KI Thompson is a great storyteller who weaves a story that is rich in characters, history, and shares a landscape of the south that I could visualize unfolding before me.

Set during the civil war this is the story of Jordan, a northern actress asked to spy for the Union, and Laura, a southern young woman who is raised on a plantation with slaves. Those slaves are part of the family in many ways, by blood and by familiarity, and at the same time are possessions considered less intelligent that whites and therefore, it is rationalized, in need of being slaves in order to be cared for.

Jordan and Laura are introduced via their brothers, each a cadet at West Point just before the war breaks out. The reader gets a sense of the deep feelings of both the south and the north during the run up to the war, and after the war is begun.

What these two woman learn about themselves and each other during the course of the story keeps the reader on edge. Intrigue, betrayal, sorrow and intense edge-of-your-seat suspense make this a read to remember.

This is a title to add to your collection!

I bought this book for mindless reading over the holidays but was beyond surprised to find that it was far from mindless. In fact, I couldn't put it down. House of Clouds kept me not only in suspense but also completely engrossed with the well written historical context in which the story takes place. One reviewer has criticized the constant movement of the characters but this is precisely why the book is so suspenseful. Perhaps the reviewer doesn't like to travel. Anyway...I loved this book and would reccomend it to anyone who loves great writing and great character development. I am already looking to see if there are any other books by this author!

Yankee actress Jordan Colfax and her brother have been raised by her widower father in the North. She's a forward-thinking woman, as modern as she could be in the 1860s. She's got the kind of spunk that Louisa May Alcott's Jo March possessed, so it's no surprise when she takes on the role of undercover spy for the Pinkerton agency.

Laura St. Clair, raised in Virginia, comes from an entirely different world than Jordan. She's been raised on a plantation worked by slaves, her father is an advisor to Jefferson Davis, and she has little choice in the strait-laced life her parents have planned for her. Her brother, Ransom, knows Jordan's brother, Tyler, from West Point, where both young men are cadets, and the two women meet through them. Laura is initially appalled by Jordan's liberal attitudes and freewheeling ways. She immediately judges the young actress to be no better than a harlot. Jordan is appalled by Laura's Confederate sympathies and southern belle status. The dawning attraction between the two comes as a surprise to both.

Laura's coming of age and coming into her own begins with the death of her brother in his first battle and continues because of her association with Jordan. But when Jordan is arrested for spying, all hell breaks loose. How can these two women remain friends, much less lovers, with so much culture, history, and societal difference between them?

Though essentially a love story, the novel very effectively takes on the issues of the mid-to-late 19th Century: slavery, race, culture, class, property, states' rights, relationships between men and women, and the taboos surrounding same-sex love. This epic saga moves along with great energy and clocks in at a delicious 377 pages. The author writes with surety and accomplishment, never allowing the historical events to take over the story. An engaging plot and lively characters keep this dynamic story right on track and full of unexpected twists and turns. Highly recommended for all romance readers, lovers of historical fiction, and anyone who enjoys a fascinating story ably told. ~Lori L. Lake, Midwest Book Review