Historical novel sheds light on changing times

Reading books that are historical is generally something I typically don’t enjoy. I often find it hard to absorb the data and I am a woman who would rather keep myself planted in today’s world…a world to which I can relate.
I must make an exception for Love Finds You in Last Chance California. This book, set in 1877, kept my interest and helped me learn a little about the past at the same time.
The setting is Last Chance, Calif., a town no longer in existence. It was once a thriving gold mining town in Placer County. But, like many other towns of its kind, it faded into the archives.
Author Miralee Ferrell traveled to the former location of the town and weaves her story with great facts intermixed with fictional characters.
Her antagonist, Alexia Travers, is a woman whom many of today’s women can relate. She was a little modern for her time in that she insisted on wearing “trousers” and was independent by nature.
Her father suddenly passes, leaving his horse ranch to the young, but spirited Alexia. As she sets out to handle the affairs of operating a ranch, she discovers her father left her with a few surprises. He mortgaged the ranch in hopes of improving its stock, made arrangements for new horses to arrive and took with him the only known location for a gold find on the property.
Alexia’s father also summoned assistance from wrangler Justin Phillips, who fails to disclose the details of his arrangement. Shortly after Justin’s arrival things at the ranch begin to go awry. Fences are cut, horses are missing and ranch hands leave. Phillips, a widower, and his young son slowly earn the trust of the townspeople and of Alexia.
Alexia struggles with the disdain of the women of Last Chance and two young men are vying for her affections in spite of her polite rejections. One of the two men, intentions are less than honorable and I wanted to smack him. Alexia bothered me in this way. She is intelligent, but seemed obtuse when it came to the eager ways of her neighbor.
I also struggled with the fact that there did not seem to be a sense of urgency to finding the ranch’s missing horses. I was always under the impression that people who lived in the era of the “Wild West” would seek out thieves with a sense of fevered justice or vengeance. Alexia’s livelihood and future are dependent on the horses and the situation was not met with the level of importance I would expect.
The multitude of mysteries she is faced with, however, kept my interest and the historical picture painted through Ferrell’s writing provided me with a better understanding of the time. I appreciated the detail that went into the book and would highly recommend it.
Love Finds You in Last Chance California was released last month and can be found on www.amazon.com. The publisher, Summerside Press, is a new publishing house and the “Love Finds You…” books are a new line of fiction being released. Summerside Press has plans for one novel per state to provide readers with a perspective on the unique characteristics of our nation’s history and people.

‘The Other Daughter’ circumstances surreal

by Jennie McGhan
In reading The Other Daughter by Miralee Ferrell, it makes you wonder how your own family would react if it unexpectedly grew by one.
This book explores the reaction of a family when a child appears at their doorstep, claiming the patriarch of the family is her father.
This child is a surprise to everyone in the family. She is withdrawn and scared, not feeling as though she is wanted. However, she and the family have been forced into the situation when her uncle left her at the Carson’s doorstep without even a word to the family.
The Carsons are typically kindhearted and have taken in foster children in the past. But, this child was dropped off at the door step out of the blue, because her mother has died. David happens to be her father and was unaware of that fact, though he had some recollection of a one-time incident with her mother prior to his being married to Susanne.
David is forced to reconcile his relationship with Susanne through a number of apologies. He has to confront the fact that his past has caught up with him and somehow balance his relationship with his daughter and the family whom he had been setting an example for over the years.
Susanne has a hard time dealing with Brianna, David’s daughter, and her resemblance to her husband. She struggles with anger and frustration at the situation, guarding herself from fostering a caring heart toward the girl.
Susanne does all the “right things.” However, Brianna is much like any other child and can see that the kindness shown is only for the sake of appearances. Brianna senses Susanne’s resentment of the situation.
It doesn’t help that Susanne has a friend that reinforces negative feelings about both David and Brianna when Susanne has a “girls night out.”
The Carson children readily accept their new sister and so does David’s grandfather, a man deeply committed to his Nez Perce heritage. Grandfather reaches Brianna in a way that leaves Susanne and David feeling a level of conviction and wonderment. But, they are left to ponder his secret.
It takes much soul searching, and the threat of losing Brianna to her drunken uncle to open the eyes of Susanne. She learns she has a right to feel injured regarding her husband’s indiscretion. She also learns she owes herself the peace granted in forgiving and loving those whom she has been gifted.
David learns he not only has a responsibility to Brianna and his family, but to his own heart. He seeks to bridge the gap in his relationships after this realization.
The Carsons’ two children exhibit the ability to love unconditionally from the beginning. They embrace their new sister and do their best to ensure she feels their love…it just takes the two parents a little longer.
The Other Daughter is both poignant and insightful. It opens up a subject matter that similarly mirrors situations found across our nation. The author, Miralee Ferrell, is from Washington state, and the story is loosely based on actual events in her life.
This book is both heartbreaking and inspiring. I would highly recommend this book as a good lesson in love, forgiveness and faith.