Title:
Olivia, Mourning (Book 1 of the Olivia series)
Author:
Yael PolitisAuthor's website: yaelpolitis.wordpress.com
Genre: Historical Fiction (USA, 1840s)
ISBN: 1493652451
ASIN: B00H0GYRT2
Available on Amazon
Reviewed by
Diane Donovan, Senior eBook Reviewer for Midwest Book Review
Olivia, Mourning, Book 1 of the ‘Olivia’ series, is historical
fiction at its best. It is the story of Olivia Killion, a feisty,
would-be-independent woman – a seventeen-year-old female living in 1841 who’s
determined to fulfill the requirement of her father’s will and cultivate 80
acres in Michigan in order to gain title to the land.
She spent two years caring for her demanding father during his long illness
and now feels entitled to a home she can call her own. Many obstacles stand in
the way of her plans but Mourning, her childhood friend, has experience working
the land and agrees to become a partner in this endeavor. Olivia not only trusts
him but fears no romantic entanglement developing between them and complicating
matters.
There’s only one problem: he’s black and reluctant to risk the wrath of
white men by working with a young white girl. He’s also the orphaned son of
slaves who escaped to the north. Mourning was born free in Pennsylvania, but
knows that the private agents who patrol the free states in search of fugitive
slaves to return to the south are not particular about the legal status of the
young black men they kidnap.
Olivia believes she can make her dream come true without putting Mourning
in danger, and the two set off to an isolated log cabin to work the land
together. Olivia represses the feelings she begins to develop for Mourning and
focuses instead on her attraction to a young neighbor. But when all turns to
disaster, Olivia is forced to acknowledge – and re-assess – not only her
feelings for Mourning, but the very nature of her drive for independence.
Olivia, Mourning deftly captures the atmosphere of her times,
offering readers a smooth introduction to Olivia’s character and its origins,
her purpose, and her growth: “Olivia had heard the good women in the pews behind
her all through her father’s funeral service, a flock of pecking hens in winter
poke bonnets. They lowered their voices, but not enough; she heard their
opinions of what that Killion girl ought to do. Or not do. Just what was wrong
with her and how it ought to be fixed.”
The way she attempts to conduct her relationship with Mourning reveals the
depth of her maturity and awareness of the challenges they face: “I’m not a
fighter, Mourning. I’ve never wanted to change the world. All I want is to make
my own little piece of it as nice as I can. We’ll both have a lot more trouble
doing that if all the white folks we meet get it into their heads that we’re way
too friendly for their liking. We’re going to need good relations with our
neighbors, and if telling them you’re my hired man – and me bossing you like you
are – will keep them from getting all rankled, well so what?”
Her assessments of reality are strikingly down to earth for a
seventeen-year-old and her slow realization of Mourning’s importance to her life
(beyond their business relationship) is candid and revealing, too: “It’s
Mourning, she thought. Mourning is the one I care for. Has been for a long time.
Not just as a friend. He’s the one it could be wonderful to share a life with.
But with Mourning there is nothing to hope for, no “if only he wanted me.”
Never. I might as well wish both of us dead as wish for him to express desire
for me. Nothing will ever change that. And no other man will ever feel like part
of me, the way Mourning does.”
What to do with this new-found self-awareness? What choices will Olivia
make? Will they support her beliefs or compromise everything she purports to
value? And what roles will isolation and stubbornness play in both their
lives?
Olivia, Mourning is about the changing complexities of human relationships
and politics as much as it is about one determined young girl’s desire to make
her own place in the world, outside of boundaries and conventions. It’s also a
story of trauma and how even the closest-held relationships and secrets
change.
Expect no easy conclusions to Book 1: it’s all about transition points and
leaves the door open for further journeys with Olivia. Readers interested in
historical fiction with a healthy dose of romance will find Olivia, Mourning a
compelling, gripping saga that deliciously wraps what could be predictable
elements in a cloak of many choices. It’s all about options and consequences –
and is a heartfelt story especially recommended for readers who enjoy headstrong
protagonists tasked with making their own way in the world.
– D. Donovan, Senior eBook Reviewer, MBR
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