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Prohibition….Gangsters….Bootleggers….Al Capone….and a 17-year-old girl named Eve Marryat who, in the tumultuous summer of 1931, learns the meaning of….
Sweet Mercy
Sweet Mercy
by Ann Tatlock
Paperback, 400 pages
Expected publication: May 1 2013 by Bethany House Publishers
Premise:
When Eve Marryat’s father is laid off from the Ford Motor Company in 1931, he is forced to support his family by leaving St. Paul, Minnesota, and moving back to his Ohio roots. Eve’s uncle Cyrus has invited the family to live and work at his Marryat Island Ballroom and Lodge.
St. Paul seemed like a haven for gangsters, and Eve had grown fearful of living there. At seventeen, she considers her family to be “good people.” They aren’t lawbreakers and criminals like so many people in her old neighborhood. Thrilled to be moving to a “safe haven,” Eve is blissfully unaware that her uncle’s lodge is a transfer station for illegal liquor smuggled from Canada.
Eve settles in to work and makes new friends, including an enigmatic but affecting young man. But when the reality of her situation finally becomes clear, Eve is faced with a dilemma. How can she ignore what is happening right under their very noses? Yet can she risk everything by condemning the man whose love and generosity is keeping her and her family from ruin?
My Thoughts:
This book just found itself on my favorites list. It was awesome.
First I liked the whole premise about a girl during prohibition. I have not read another book in that time period and thought it was great. Most authors, I believe, do not want to get into the "is alcohol evil or not?" so they leave this time in history alone. To me that is a sad thing because it was such an important time in American history and has such applicable lessons for today. Ann Tatlock earned my respect in that she tackled this and that she did such an amazing job with it.
The research done for this book is completely evident without feeling like a history textbook. Details, dates, and facts all blended seamlessly with fiction. The characters unique and their issues were handled beautifully. My personal favorite was Jones, though many might not agree with me, because he seemed so real. Link had to be my second as he made me laugh.
The facts about Al Capone were interesting to me. I remember learn about him in middle school, but we did not learn some of the things mentioned in this book. Not only was Capone a criminal in this book, but he was a person, something I believe many people forget.
This book just found itself on my favorites list. It was awesome.
First I liked the whole premise about a girl during prohibition. I have not read another book in that time period and thought it was great. Most authors, I believe, do not want to get into the "is alcohol evil or not?" so they leave this time in history alone. To me that is a sad thing because it was such an important time in American history and has such applicable lessons for today. Ann Tatlock earned my respect in that she tackled this and that she did such an amazing job with it.
The research done for this book is completely evident without feeling like a history textbook. Details, dates, and facts all blended seamlessly with fiction. The characters unique and their issues were handled beautifully. My personal favorite was Jones, though many might not agree with me, because he seemed so real. Link had to be my second as he made me laugh.
The facts about Al Capone were interesting to me. I remember learn about him in middle school, but we did not learn some of the things mentioned in this book. Not only was Capone a criminal in this book, but he was a person, something I believe many people forget.
Ann Tatlock is the author of the Christy Award-winning novel Promises to Keep. She has also won the Midwest Independent Publishers Association "Book of the Year" in fiction for both All the Way Home and I'll Watch the Moon.Her novel Things We Once Held Dear received a starred review from Library Journal and Publishers Weekly calls her "one of Christian fiction's better wordsmiths, and her lovely prose reminds readers why it is a joy to savor her stories." Ann lives with her husband and daughter in Asheville, North Carolina.On this Tour... test your 1930's Gangster knowledge with our trivia quiz, a different question on every post!
Giveaway:
2 Winners, USA only: Print copy of Sweet Mercy, Ghirardelli chocolate, book themed pen & notepad.
2 Winners, world-wide: eCopy of Sweet Mercy
Open only to those who can legally enter. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by Rafflecopter and announced on Rafflecopter and Grand Finale posts as well as emailed and the winner will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Burgandy Ice @ Colorimetry and Prism Book Tours and sponsored by Bethany House Publishers and Ann Tatlock. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
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On Tour with Prism Book Tours
April 15 - May 3, 2013:
15 – Launch!
16 – I Am a Reader, Not a Writer - What was Prohibition?
17 – JoJo’s Corner – Review
18 – Letters to the Cosmos – Review
19 – The Broke Book Bank – Guest Post Meet the Lawmen
22 – Tressa’s Wishful Endings – Review, The Setting behind the Setting
- Momma Bear’s Book Blog – Review, Meet the Cast
- Christy’s Cozy Corner – Fun Facts About 1931
24 – ADD Librarian - Review
25 – Worthy 2 Read – Review
26 – Green Mountain Couple – Just a Taste (to wet your whistle)
28 – Backing Books – Review
29 – Celtic Lady’s Reviews – Four Famous Gangsters
30 – A Year of Jubilee Reviews – Review
1 – The Jack’s Junk Drawer – Review
2 – Living a Goddess Life – Review, Recipe
3 – Grand Finale
