Saturday, October 15, 2011

The Measure Of Katie Calloway by Serena Miller ~ review


Product Details

  • Paperback: 316 pages
  • Publisher: Revell (October 1, 2011)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0800719980
  • ISBN-13: 978-0800719982
A review copy was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.


About the book:
The Civil War has ended, but in Katie Calloway's Georgia home conflict still rages. To protect herself and her young brother from her violent and unstable husband, she flees north, finding anonymity and sanctuary as the cook in a Northwoods lumber camp. The camp owner, Robert Foster, wonders if the lovely woman he's hired has the grit to survive the never-ending work and harsh conditions of a remote pine forest in winter. Katie wonders if she can keep her past a secret from a man she is slowly growing to love.

With grace and skill, Serena Miller brings to life a bygone era. From the ethereal, snowy forest and the warm cookstove to the rowdy shanty boys and the jagged edges of the saw, every detail is perfectly rendered, transporting the reader back to the time when pine was king, men were made of iron, and rivers were choked with logs on the way to the sawmills. Readers will have a hard time leaving the Northwoods when they turn the last page.



My take on this book:


This book takes place in 1867-1868 and as the title suggests its about Katie Calloway. This story opens with Katie having suffered a brutal beating at the hands of her husband Harlan, but when she realizes he plans on killing her the only thing she can do is take her eight year old brother Ned and leave starting a new life far from Georgia where she and her husband lived. She winds up going to Michigan, changing her name and getting a job as a cook in a lumber camp. She soon finds herself having feelings for the man who hired her. Will her past keep her from having a future? 


I read a lot of historical fiction set in and around the civil war but what made this book stand out for me was the setting of the lumber camp. The author's descriptions easily transported me to the camp making me feel like I was right there, along side Katie as she cooked for the lumberjacks.  The cast of characters Ms. Miller creates really made this book memorable. Katie was a commendable character, and I was so glad she left her husband, not an easy thing to do during the time period. Katie's husband Harlan was easy to dislike, it seemed he blamed all his problems on Katie. The lumber camp owner Robert Foster was a kind man who was dealing with issues from his past. I couldn't help but wonder how a relationship might work out between Robert and Katie, but kept hoping it would anyway. A dash of romance,added to humor, suspense along with the historical setting made this book a top notch read. 


If your a historical fiction fan who also loves a good inspirational story then "The Measure Of Katie Calloway" by Serena Miller is well worth checking out.


*A complimentary copy of this book was provided by the publisher for an honest review.*


"Available October 2011 at your favorite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group."



12 comments:

  1. just out hopping. Following you from the weekend gathering

    Two Boys on the Run

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  2. Sounds like a good book! I'll look into getting it from my library. I love to read and enjoy reading books from that time period.

    Thanks for stopping by my blog earlier. I'm a new follower here.

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  3. hmm lumberjacks could be interesting. i like reading about the civil war era too.

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  4. Sounds like a good book... Might have to download that one. Thanks for stopping by my blog! Following back! Through the Eyes of a Tiger

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  5. Sounds like an interesting read. Might have to check this one out!

    New follower from the weekend blog hop. Hope you can follow back!

    Heidi
    http://pagesofgold.blogspot.com

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  6. This book sounds really good--I might have to give it a read! Thanks for stopping by my blog and for following! Returning the favor and following you back. I LOVE to read and I crochet and knit too so your blog is right up my alley!

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  7. Thanks for following! I'm following back.

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  8. Sound interesting. It reminds me of the John Jake's series. I like the historical facts mixed in with fictional characters.

    Thanks for following me, Brenda. I am following you too!

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  9. This sounds like a wonderful story, thanks for sharing your thoughts on it, I think I would like to read and find out what happens in the rest of the story.
    Paula O(kyflo130@yahoo.com)

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  10. IF you enjoyed Gist's other book, you'd be interested to know that she has one also in a lumber camp. But that's in upstate Washington I think.

    I really enjoyed this one as well and Serena is a new to me author. If you enjoy CHF you might be interested in the community that I'm working on. www.ChristianHistoricalFiction.com

    Here's my review of Katie Calloway FYI --> creativemadnessmama.com/blog/2011/10/14/the-measure-of-katie-calloway-by-serena-miller/

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