By
Dorothy Love
The Bracelet,
by Dorothy Love falls under a few sub-categories in the fiction genre-
historical, historical romance, and romance.
Set in the Deep South just prior to the start of the Civil War, the
story gave us a picture postcard view of life in the upper crust of Savannah
Aristocracy. Dorothy did a beautiful job
of painting her detailed pictures of the social life of society and their
social events. Many of her descriptions
were true word paintings of the homes and other settings of the time.
There were three distinct storylines to follow within the
book: the courtship of a young socialite
couple in the Savannah pre-civil war society, an old murder mystery about the
family that raises its’ head in the midst of wedding planning, and the
pre-civil war political story. It was
apparent that Ms. Love spent some time researching and digging into the history
of the era and into the detail of the workings of society of the period for the
writing of the novel. Great detail went
into the scenes and portions of the story about and around great society
gatherings. You could easily visualize
yourself moving through the swirling skirts under the candlelight chandeliers
and observe the tete’ a tete’ of the cliques within the room as the event was
judged behind fans and gloved hands.
Much as a couple at soiree or picnic on a summer evening
in the Deep South, the main storyline wove its way through the novel at a slow
meandering pace, stopping to visit or off to wander down a path, leaving
wondering where it was going, or if it would get there… But due diligence and
patience has its’ rewards, as each of the rabbit trails and seemingly
meaningless visits were truly not as they appeared. For the story was told in the slow southern
style that forces one to slow down and enjoy the read, not rush through like a
jack rabbit running from the fox.
The elements of the story slowly came together, with a
few surprises and hiccups en-route. A
good story, but not a book recommended for the speed reader. Definitely a book for the porch swing and a
big glass or two of that southern sweet tea.
Karen Laird
Shade Tree Book Reviews and Blog
