reviewsbyerin

Inspired by the life of a real Lowcountry historical figure, this novel is set in coastal South Carolina just after the Civil War. Charlotte Fraser has inherited her father's rice plantation and is determined to make a go of it again. The problems she faces are numerous: the fields and house need restoration, the Yankees have stolen everything of value, and the newly freed slaves have little interest in working for her even while earning wages. Besides all this, there is a dispute about if her father actually owned the land and if it is now legally hers or not.

Despite all of this, Charlotte sets out to do her best. Having left the Lowcountry during the war, she begins reconnecting with her neighbors and taking her place in the community. When her nearest neighbor requests that she begin tutoring his young daughters, Charlotte reluctantly agrees and soon finds much joy from interacting with the children.

Part of this book takes place on Pawleys Island, which was already a place of interest for me, since that was also a setting for one of my favorite novels ever. This story only strengthened my desire to visit it myself someday! While on Pawleys, Charlotte's reserve is tested more than ever, as she must deal with storms which threaten her rice crop and the disappearance of her young charges' father.

Education is quite a theme in this story. Without ever directly naming it, the author seems to promote the Charlotte Mason method of teaching, and indeed to call it such would be anachronistic. This is an unexpected and not unworthy subplot, but it didn't really seem to naturally flow with the rest of the novel. My only other complaint was time passed very inconsistently, and therefore it was hard to follow seasons and how much time was going on between major events.

Aside from those things, I enjoyed "Carolina Gold" and cared about the outcome of the characters. I didn't want to put the book down as it neared its conclusion. This was the first book I've read by this author, and I'd be interested in reading more.

I received this book from LitFuse in exchange for this honest review. All opinions are my own.

Don't miss Dorothy Love's latest historical novel, Carolina Gold. Fun news: The release of Carolina Gold coincides with Dorothy's birthday. Celebrate with her by entering the Southern Essentials Giveaway and RSVPing to her Facebook party on January 14th!