Today I am featuring a Western anthology,
a Timeless Western Collection
including novellas by Heather B. Moore, Teri Harman, and Linda Carroll-Bradd
About Mercer's Belles:
When
Mr. Mercer sends out a call for single women to travel to Seattle for teaching
positions and the potential of forming marriages, 45 answer his call, becoming
Mercer's Belles.
The following collection is based on true events during the 1860s:
ONE DANCE by Heather B. Moore:
When Harriet Silverman arrives in Seattle for a fresh start and a new teaching position, the last person she expects is to meet is a fisherman who seems to be every place she turns. As she gets to know Caleb Munns, Harriet discovers they are a perfect match--for friendship. They both have solid reasons for not pursuing marriage. But as their paths continue to cross, Harriet begins to see a completely different future than she imagined.
A JOURNEY TO LOVE by Teri Harman:
Cora, a nurse and surgeon's assistant who learned her skills during the war, joins Mercer's expedition in hopes of finding a job in the West. She's a widow and does not want to marry again. When she meets Albert, a surgeon who is traveling on board the Continental, she finds herself intrigued. Yet, Albert's determined to open his own practice in Seattle, make it a success, and has no plans to look for a wife. But the more time Cora and Albert spend together on the voyage, the more they are drawn to each other.
A FARAWAY LIFE by Linda Carroll-Bradd:
Teacher Sorcha Geraghty yearns for a fresh start after the death of her beau and a factory accident maimed her hand. Asa Mercer’s call for teachers for Washington Territory provides a new opportunity, and she joins his ocean-going expedition. Upon arrival, she learns of the expectation for the women to become wives to the many bachelors. Sorcha needs a new plan and fast. Logging manager Lang Ingemar wants a teacher to provide basic English instruction to his Swedish-speaking crew and keep them out of trouble when they go to Seattle. When he convinces Miss Geraghty to relocate to the logging camp, he has no idea the ways his life will be changed.
The following collection is based on true events during the 1860s:
ONE DANCE by Heather B. Moore:
When Harriet Silverman arrives in Seattle for a fresh start and a new teaching position, the last person she expects is to meet is a fisherman who seems to be every place she turns. As she gets to know Caleb Munns, Harriet discovers they are a perfect match--for friendship. They both have solid reasons for not pursuing marriage. But as their paths continue to cross, Harriet begins to see a completely different future than she imagined.
A JOURNEY TO LOVE by Teri Harman:
Cora, a nurse and surgeon's assistant who learned her skills during the war, joins Mercer's expedition in hopes of finding a job in the West. She's a widow and does not want to marry again. When she meets Albert, a surgeon who is traveling on board the Continental, she finds herself intrigued. Yet, Albert's determined to open his own practice in Seattle, make it a success, and has no plans to look for a wife. But the more time Cora and Albert spend together on the voyage, the more they are drawn to each other.
A FARAWAY LIFE by Linda Carroll-Bradd:
Teacher Sorcha Geraghty yearns for a fresh start after the death of her beau and a factory accident maimed her hand. Asa Mercer’s call for teachers for Washington Territory provides a new opportunity, and she joins his ocean-going expedition. Upon arrival, she learns of the expectation for the women to become wives to the many bachelors. Sorcha needs a new plan and fast. Logging manager Lang Ingemar wants a teacher to provide basic English instruction to his Swedish-speaking crew and keep them out of trouble when they go to Seattle. When he convinces Miss Geraghty to relocate to the logging camp, he has no idea the ways his life will be changed.
My book
review:
For historical context, these two voyages from the East to
Seattle, Washington, took place around the end of the Civil War. The first
group of single women arrived in 1864. The second group arrived in 1866.
One
Dance –
Among the first group of Mercer’s Belles to arrive in
Seattle was Harriet. The author did an excellent job of developing her
character as a formal woman, not overly social, slightly beyond what was
considered the usual marriage age. Mercer’s plan for bringing teachers to
Seattle appealed to her, but she sought independence, not the prospect of
marriage which was the the other part of Mercer’s plan. I love how the author
set up the romance with Harriet creating a splash as she arrives in Seattle. As
she finds herself dealing with the disquiet of women-hungry men, Caleb, a rough
and tumble fisherman, who was one of the few men not interested in seeking a
wife, dove in to rescue her in more ways than one. Delightful story.
A
Journey to Love –
The Civil War is over. I felt a great empathy
for Cora, a woman in what was considered a man’s occupation, as joins Mercer’s
second group of women bound for Seattle hoping the need for medical care in
Seattle will be great enough for the residents to overcome their prejudices
against women in the field of medicine. Albert, a war-time surgeon, joins the
group to work as an assistant physician on the ship, plus he plans to open a
practice in Seattle. He meets Cora whom he knew only by her reputation as a
battlefield surgeon’s assistant. I
enjoyed how this couple overcame all efforts to keep them apart and prevent
Cora from using her knowledge to help the sick on board. Many interesting
details come to light in this book, not only about the primary physician on the
ship, but Mercer himself. The author set the scene well and described the
characters so I could picture them easily. This romance held my interest
throughout.
A
Faraway Life –
As always, Linda Carroll-Bradd brought
unique, well-researched details to her story that added depth and color to an
already great romance. Sorcha came to Seattle to teach, but had never dreamed
she would be asked to teach hulking, grown Swedish loggers how to speak
English. Mindful of the employment needs of her seamstress cousin she convinced
to come with her, she agrees to give the position a try after she learns the
job comes with a lovely, well-appointed cabin large enough for the two women. It
requires an entire change of approach to her teaching methods, but she accepts
the challenge. The author introduced the reader to basic Swedish phrases and
culture, logging, and Sorcha’s lovely Celtic harp. This was a lovely sweet
romance about overcoming fears and self-consciousness.
Mercer’s Belles is
available on Amazon. PLEASE CLICK HERE.
