We’ve finished the third month of the Unlocking the Past 2022 Reading Challenge: Around the World. This month we traveled to the Caribbean, and my choice of story was Keturah by Lisa T. Bergren. Once you read my review, don’t forget to comment to be entered for your chance to win a copy. Interested in other Caribbean reads? Among the Reads has a great list here: https://amongthereads.net/book-setting/caribbean/
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Keturah
by Lisa T. Bergren
I’ll have to admit, this one was a heavier read than I expected. I enjoyed it, but it was not a relaxing read for me. Keturah faced many challenges both past and present and was surrounded by a hard-to-watch culture of slavery. It is good as a reader to see these things and have a better understanding of the suffering endured at the hand of greed, but probably not my best choice read while already stressed out. Keturah handled it all with grace though, and her struggles were believably dealt with. I enjoyed the read, despite being stressed as I read it, but I probably would have enjoyed it more at a different period of life when not quite so stressed already. There were heavy topics addressed: slavery, marital abuse, and an affair, although the affair was lightly touched upon.
I recommend this story to those who enjoy true-to-life stories of struggle, slavery, recovery from abuse, light-touch romances with gentle heroes, and stories set in exotic locations and times.
Genre: Historical Romance, 1770s Caribbean Islands
Plot Overview:
In 1773 England, Lady Keturah Banning Tomlinson and her sisters find themselves the heiresses of their father’s estates and know they have one option: Go to the West Indies to save what is left of their heritage.
Although it flies against all the conventions for women of the time, they’re determined to make their own way in the world. But once they arrive in the Caribbean, proper gender roles are the least of their concerns. On the infamous island of Nevis, the sisters discover the legacy of the legendary sugar barons has vastly declined–and that’s just the start of what their eyes are opened to in this unfamiliar world.
Keturah never intends to put herself at the mercy of a man again, but every man on the island seems to be trying to win her hand and, with it, the ownership of her plantation. She could desperately use an ally, but even an unexpected reunion with a childhood friend leaves her questioning his motives.
Set on keeping her family together and saving her father’s plantation, can Keturah ever surrender her stubbornness and guarded heart to God and find the healing and love awaiting her?
What I loved: As hard as it was to read, I really appreciated the view of life for the black population of the Caribbean islands and what they endured. Fiction is always good for helping us to understand the plight of others.
Favorite Character and Why: Verity. I am really looking forward to her story. She seemed steady, owned a falcon, and she knew her mind.
Who would like this? I recommend this story to those who enjoy true-to-life stories of struggle, slavery, recovery from abuse, light-touch romances with gentle heroes, and stories set in exotic locations and times.
PURCHASE LINKS
Amazon Baker Bookhouse Barnes & Noble Books-a-Million Book Depository Bookshop.org Christianbook.com Indiebound.org
Giveaway
For your chance to win a print copy, comment with what book YOU read for this month and you will also be entered into the year-end Grand Prize Reader Basket. Use the Rafflecopter below for extra entries and to mark that you left a comment. Entries end on April 7th at midnight EST, and the winner will be drawn sometime that week and notified by email. The winner will be announced don’t the Rafflecopter widget. *Open to all residents of the contiguous USA, legally able to enter, and an e-book format or Amazon Gift Card will be awarded to those outside that range who are legally able to enter.
I too read Keturah! I liked the afterward where she told that she asked for help from other authors to see if anything offended.
It was a great book. I still need to write my review.
She really did a great job of balancing and working through some of that. It was a hard read for me, but I still managed to enjoy it.
I lived Keturah when I read it. I wanted to read something new this month and picked a set of cozy mysteries. The Caribbean Cruise Cozy Mysteries by Susan Harper. I love cruising and these were a good, fun, read.
A cruise mystery sounds fascinating! I’ve been on two cruises and wouldn’t mind doing it again once some of the craziness settles down.
I read one that had been on my Kindle since 2014: The Redemption by MaryLu Tydall. The book was good and I plan to continue the series (Legacy of the King’s Pirates). I enjoyed reading a book from a less common setting (Caribbean).
Awesome. I have that whole series on my shelf, I just haven’t gotten to it. I’m looking forward to the day that I can though!
I read Keturah as well. She is a really good author. Those were some heavy topics to cover but she did them well. I am so grateful we live now and not in that time period. Some of these issues still exist today, but we have options and resources that she never did.
I agree. She did an AMAZING job handling them. They are some seriously hard things, and I agree, I am so glad we don’t live then.
I read Keturah as well. I’ve had a copy for several years, but just hadn’t read it yet. I liked it, but I have a bad feeling that the bad guy isn’t fully gone…
Yeah, I was disappointed to read the blurb in book three to find out he’s still around. AGH! I can’t wait for him to meet his demise.
I read Beloved Castaway by Kathleen Y’Barbo. In April I plan to read The Medallion by Cathy Gohlke.
I haven’t heard of that one from Kathleen. I’ll have to look it up, and I’ve heard great things about The Medallion.
I read An Unbound Heart by Laura Frantz. It was so good, and I got ro experience several different locations in the book.
I LOVE that book, especially on audio. Best Audiobook ever.
I also read Keturah by Lisa T. Bergren. I really enjoyed it. Definitely can’t wait to read the other two books.
I think I’m looking more forward to the other two books than the first, but I really think it has to do with the season I’m in rather than the book itself.
I’m another Keturah reader. 😁
LOL
I also read The Redemption by Mary Lou Tyndall.
Yay! I’ve got that one on my shelf and waiting.
I heard about your new book, and found this challenge, thanks to another blog. One goal I’m trying to work on is my TBR pile. Since there was only one book in it set in the Caribbean which I knew I could finish in time, I ended up reading The Emperor Jones by Eugene O’Neill.
Sadly, it’s clearly a reflection of more racist times, and has a particularly offensive word at least 20 times. On a brighter note, it was very suspenseful, and- as a Floridian- I could relate to its depictions of stifling heat and thick vegetation taking over anywhere it can. The author bio also had some cool insights on his impact on American theater.
I’m so glad you found the challenge! I am sorry your read had such offensive language. I’m glad you were able to find nuggets to enjoy about the book. This challenge has definitely stretched me. The slavery in the cane fields was a really hard thing for me to read through, even though I appreciated the need for it to be there and the understanding it gave me.
I had a similar experience back when my high school class had us read excerpts from ‘Diary of A Slave Girl’, and a book by Frederick Douglas.
But nearly every book has good parts in it. And when I find a book I don’t love, at least I can create more space for other books 😉 .
Plus, when I looked to see what I had for this challenge, I found some longer books to read later- including a Julia Alvarez that I forgot I had (she talked at my school years ago for Hispanic Heritage month, and I decided to try her books).
I’m sorry it took so long to reply. April ended up being a horrendous deadline/family health drama month.
I agree that nearly every book has good parts in it. That’s awesome that you had Julia Alvarez come to speak. I’m playing catch up on all things reading challenge this month. 🙂