Category: Steamboat

Book Review | “A Captain for Laura Rose” by Stephanie Grace Whitson A new-to-me-author of #INSPY #HistFic!

Posted Thursday, 19 May, 2016 by jorielov , , , 0 Comments

Ruminations & Impressions Book Review Banner created by Jorie in Canva. Photo Credit: Unsplash Public Domain Photographer Sergey Zolkin.

Acquired Book By: I am a new reviewer for Hachette Books and their imprints, starting with FaithWords which is their INSPY (Inspirational Fiction) imprint of releases focusing on uplifting and spiritual stories which are a delight to read whilst engaging your mind in life affirming and heart-centered stories. I found Hachette via Edelweiss at the conclusion of [2015] and have been enthused to start reviewing for them, as I picked a small selection of stories I felt I would enjoy reading; three of which were from FaithWords.

I have been wanting to read the stories of Stephanie Grace Whitson for awhile, and felt this was a good author to start with as I become familiar with INSPY by FaithWords. Being an avid reader of Historical Fiction (including within the INSPY fiction market) I was delighted she focuses on this genre to tell her stories! I received a complimentary copy of “A Captain for Laura Rose” direct from the publisher FaithWords (an imprint of Hachette Book Group Inc.) in exchange for an honest review. I did not receive compensation for my opinions or thoughts shared herein.

On my passion for INSPY Fiction & Historical dramas:

Ever since I first picked up a copy of Frontier Lady by Judith Pella, I have been truly inspired by historicals written by INSPY authors! Little did I realise this story would spin itself into a trilogy, as I do have a copy of Stoner’s Crossing but not of the final story Warrior’s Song. I have only read Frontier Lady as a result and looking back, this is a prime example of my beginning roots as a ‘book blogger’ as I remember gushing about this book to such a level of joy, my family told me my ‘memories’ of the story felt as if they had actually sat down to read the story for themselves! Even then, as a young girl I was finding my voice to talk about stories and how those stories gave me such visual joy in reading them!

INSPY fiction has been in my life for such a long time, it’s hard to think back on a moment I was not reading it, as I have previously disclosed my joy in finding the Cooper Kids Adventure series, inasmuch as the fact I have roamed through INSPY and Mainstream markets since I became an avid reader somewhere in my youth – between the angst of learning to read (as a dyslexic reader) and finding my niches along the way by the time I hit Fourth Grade when my teacher refused to believe I couldn’t find enjoyment out of the written word. Mum and Da encouraged me to read whatever interested me, whilst encouraging my Indie spirit to seek out book shoppes that were not major chains… this helped twofold, as Indies were more lax about children in their stores who were seeking a ‘next read’ but needed time to sort that out and they had a larger inventory of books in which to seek! I also had a healthy curiosity of the fiction I’d find at a local Christian Book Store – where I’d spend hours looking through the adult fiction sections before I stumbled across the Mandie series and Cooper Kids Adventures. From there, I jumped straight into adult INSPY fiction as I found the Children’s Lit sections a bit too limiting – hence Judith Pella! The collective works of Dee Henderson soon followed suit, by the by!

I hadn’t realised it until I became a book blogger three years ago, I have the tendency to soak inside the historical past moreso than the Contemporary offerings throughout the fiction realms! Should have noted this I suppose along the way, but I read so very diversely across genres, it’s hard to pin-point me down to any particular ‘genre’ or style of literature at any given moment! Laughs. If you’ve visited my Story Vault by Genre you’d understand immediately! However, for a bit of a short history about my appreciation for INSPY Fiction, look towards my 70 Authors Challenge which this year I am making enroads towards whittling down a bit to where more entries are listed!

When it comes to the works by Ms Whitson, I felt like she was approaching the historical dramas with story-lines that not only appealed to my historical passion of interests, but with a touch of what I seek when I look towards INSPY writers who are crafting historical stories! Since I’ve become a book blogger, you might have seen my enthused joy in reading historicals by Susan Meissner (time slip historical – A Fall of Marigolds); Carolyn Steele (Willow Springs & Soda Springs) and Carla Kelly (Softly Falling & Summer Campaign). It has been an honour of mine to pick up the search for inspiring historical novelists since I first discovered Judith Pella and Lois Gladys Leppard (Mandie series) – I had a sense Ms Whitson might become the next author I add to my ‘short list’ of personal favourites; hence why I was wicked happy FaithWords gave me the pleasure of selecting two of her novels to begin reading as I become a reviewer of theirs and join their blogger team!

Fun Stuff for Your Blog via pureimaginationblog.com

Book Review | “A Captain for Laura Rose” by Stephanie Grace Whitson A new-to-me-author of #INSPY #HistFic!A Captain for Laura Rose

Laura Rose White's late father taught her everything he knew about piloting a Missouri River steamboat. He even named their boat after her. Despite that, it seems that Laura will forever be a "cub pilot" to her brother Joe, because in 1867, a female riverboat captain is unheard of. That is, until tragedy strikes and Laura must make the two month journey from St. Louis to Fort Benton and back in order to save her family's legacy, her home, and the only life she's ever known.

The only way for her to overcome the nearly insurmountable odds is with the help of her brother's disreputable friend Finn MacKnight, a skilled pilot with a terrible reputation. Laura loathes having to accept MacKnight as her co-pilot, especially when she learns she must also provide passage for his two sisters. Straight-laced Fiona has a fear of water, and unpredictable Adele seems much too comfortable with the idea of life in the rough and tumble environment of the untamed river and the men who ply it. Though they are thrown together by necessity, this historic journey may lead Laura and the MacKnights to far more than they ever expected.


Places to find the book:

Borrow from a Public Library

Add to LibraryThing

ISBN: 9781455529056

on 4th March, 2014

Pages: 336

Published by: FaithWords (@FaithWords)
an imprint of Hachette Book Group, Inc. (@HachetteBooks) via Hachette Nashville

Formats Available: Trade Paperback and Ebook

Converse via: #StephanieGraceWhitson, #INSPYbooks, #ChristFict or #ChrisFic

& #INSPYfiction & #HistFic or HistRom

About Stephanie Grace Whitson

STEPHANIE GRACE WHITSON is a bestselling inspirational author of over 20 books. She's a two-time Christy Award finalist and the winner of an RT Book Reviews Reviewer's Choice Award for Best Inspirational Romance.

When she's not writing, she enjoys taking long rides on her Honda Magna motorcycle named Kitty.

Read More

Reading this book contributed to these challenges:

  • 2016 Historical Fiction Reading Challenge
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Posted Thursday, 19 May, 2016 by jorielov in 19th Century, Apothecary, Balance of Faith whilst Living, Bits & Bobbles of Jorie, Blog Tour Host, Book Review (non-blog tour), Coming-Of Age, FaithWords, Female River Captains, Historical Fiction, Inspirational Fiction & Non-Fiction, Missouri River, Naturopathic Medicine, Reconstruction Era (1865-1877), River Captains & Freight Carriers, Steamboat, Widows & Widowers