I've been on a dry spell as far as reading is concerned (as you can tell from my lack of posts). I needed something to read, and my mom gave me this. I had it for a while before I actually picked it up. I was hesitant because it was clearly an LDS book (don't know why that made me not want to read it--I loved The Work and The Glory). Anyway, so I picked it up and read it in a couple days.It's a really quick read. I don't know much about the author, but I know in the preface she said she tried to make the book as accurate as she could with a historical fiction. That may be true, but I found her talent pretty lacking. There were some major cheesy parts in the book and the end was the worst ending I think I have ever read. I was really disappointed.
That being said, the plot was actually pretty good. The main character, Maria, was an indentured servant from Germany. Her parents died on the ship ride over to America, so she was sold to pay for the passage. She was supposed to gain her freedom at age 18, but her master at that time was a southern plantation owner and claims she's a slave. He rapes her and she runs away. The entire book he chases her across the continent because he believes she has his child (I'll let you read it to find out if she really did). Anyway, she meets up with some LDS people in Mississippi and ends up joining the church. She travels to Salt Lake City and goes through some pretty trying stuff on the way and after she gets there. I did want to keep reading to find out what happened to her, but honestly, the literary talent was pretty lacking.
If you're looking for a really quick, easy read and are interested in LDS church history, this might be a book for you. The book isn't about church history, it's just part of the setting, so don't let that deter you!
