Dinner With Lisa by R.L.Prendergast ~ Book Tour with review

Product Details from Amazon.com: Paperback: 280 pages Publisher: Dekko Publishing (October 1, 2011) Language: English ISBN-10: 0978454820 ISBN-13: 978-0978454821 Book Description Publication Date: October 1, 2011 In the disastrous economic times of the 1930s, Joseph Gaston, a young widower with four children, arrives in the small town of Philibuster seeking security for his family. Instead, he faces barriers everywhere. He does his best despite great adversity, but the strain of feeding and protecting his family whittles away his strength. Finally, destitution forces him to consider giving up his children in order to save them. Enraged by his situation, he attempts one last desperate act-on the night he learns about the mysterious Lisa. Heart wrenching, humorous and historically authentic, Dinner with Lisa incorporates the crucial issues of the depression: poverty, unemployment, drought and racism. In the midst of love and loyalty, trickery and despair, the ultimate message of the novel is one of hope and the courage to survive even the worst odds. My take on this book: I love reading historical fiction and one that is set around the Depression era always grabs my attention. What made this book stand out even more for me was the fact that it was set in Canada during the Depression. The year is 1933 and the Depression has taken its toll on people, including Joseph Gaston.Joseph,is nearing forty and has alot on his plate. His wife Helen died six months earlier while giving birth to baby Clare, leaving him a single parent to their four children. When his brother Henri who lives in Philibuster, tells him about a job there, he decides it just might be the thing his family needs. So with the promise of a job he and his children head off with the hopes of a fresh start. Will Joseph find what he needs in Philibuster to take care of his family? As I read this story the historical elements really came to life, making it obvious that the author had really done his research. The descriptions were so rich and vivid it was easy to envision the scenes as they unfolded. One instance that really captured my attention was the automobiles being pulled by horses because the owners couldn't afford gas.Joseph was a character that really garnered my empathy from the beginning, he was such an honorable man that wanted to take care of his family. There were several secondary characters that rounded out the story, and one that really stood out for me was Ms. Nye, someone that really helped Joseph and his  family. Overall, even though some of the dialect in the story was a bit hard for me to decipher, it did lend an authenticity to the story that really fit. A story that pulled me in and kept me reading to see how things would work out for Joseph and his family. Fans of historical fiction that give a very good glimpse of the Depression era in Canada will certainly want to read this one. To follow along on the book tour and read what others are saying, click here. A complimentary copy of this book was provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.