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My Name is Resolute
Goodreads Choice Award
Nominee for Best Historical Fiction (2014)Nancy Turner burst onto the literary scene with her hugely popular novels These Is My Words, Sarah's Quilt, and The Star Garden. Now Turner has written the novel she was born to write, this exciting and heartfelt story of a woman struggling to find herself during the tumultuous years preceding the American Revolution.
The story begins in 1729, when Resolute Talbot and her siblings are captured by pirates, taken from their family's plantation in Jamaica, and brought to the New World. Resolute and her sister become indentured servants and are taught the trade of spinning and weaving. Betrayed by her first love, Resolute falls back on her skill with a loom to survive. Then she meets a young woodsman who is living a double life and is wanted in England. When British rule begins to crush the Colonials, Resolute begins to work in secret, hiding her craft and smuggling goods to keep Patriot soldiers clothed. Ultimately she becomes a friend of Margaret Gage, the very real wife of the commanding general of the British Army in America. On the night of April 18, 1775, Resolute carries a message to the Reveres' silver shop, changing the course of American history.
Heart-wrenching, brilliantly written, and historically authentic, My Name is Resolute is destined to become an instant classic.
The story begins in 1729, when Resolute Talbot and her siblings are captured by pirates, taken from their family's plantation in Jamaica, and brought to the New World. Resolute and her sister become indentured servants and are taught the trade of spinning and weaving. Betrayed by her first love, Resolute falls back on her skill with a loom to survive. Then she meets a young woodsman who is living a double life and is wanted in England. When British rule begins to crush the Colonials, Resolute begins to work in secret, hiding her craft and smuggling goods to keep Patriot soldiers clothed. Ultimately she becomes a friend of Margaret Gage, the very real wife of the commanding general of the British Army in America. On the night of April 18, 1775, Resolute carries a message to the Reveres' silver shop, changing the course of American history.
Heart-wrenching, brilliantly written, and historically authentic, My Name is Resolute is destined to become an instant classic.
608 pages, Hardcover
First published February 18, 2014
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,231 reviews
July 7, 2014
the entire household is asleep--because i stayed up way to late finishing this book. now, i'm scrolling through reviews, wishing i had several friends that had already read this book so we could have a midnight book group. an excellent read. i started it a few weeks ago and had to put it down after a couple hundred pages--it almost felt too heavy. but, i am so happy i picked it up again, because i would have missed out on some awesomeness that was coming resolute's way:). this is a heart-breaking and heart-mending type of book. an epic novel that reminded me of why i love historical fiction so much. resolute is another heroine that i will add to my list of favorites. and even though it was a library copy, i did find myself dog-earring pages (gasp!). there were too many wonderful quotes i wanted to come back too, but couldn't stop reading long enough to write them down. resolute seems very real to me now, and i felt sad that i didn't have a chronicle like this of my own ancestors who were alive and patriots during the revolutionary war. but, in a small way i felt like this was a piece of history that could speak for them as well. especially for those women, who fought in their own ways.
May 30, 2017
L-O-V-E. This book is everything historical fiction should be. It was informative, thought provoking, eye opening, lovely, hard to put down, and ultimately very difficult to say good bye to. I dragged out reading it for almost two weeks, savoring each moment, reveling in the pages I had left before it ended. Nancy Turner out did herself with the research and scope of her novel. Having read These Is My Words 10 years ago I was delighted to reconnect with this author.
I found Resolute flawed and headstrong at first(when she was a 10 year old child) but grew to love her as a dear friend. The supporting cast was equally intimate and real, except perhaps the minor and convenient characters of note:John Hancock, John Adams, Dr. Warren. Still, their presence did not detract from the enjoyment I took in reading this novel.
Five stars is reserved only for those rare pieces which truly touch somewhere deep in my soul. There is no question this novel earned that coveted rating. It taught me about strength of spirit, the virtue of honesty, new beginnings, familial love, romantic love, the value of a trade, hard work, loyalty, compassion, bravery, being efficient, the depths of sorrow, the joy of peace, and many other truths. In a word, this one was unforgettable.
Note: Some adult themes such as slavery and implied sexual encounters. Mild violence. One quick sex scene.
I found Resolute flawed and headstrong at first(when she was a 10 year old child) but grew to love her as a dear friend. The supporting cast was equally intimate and real, except perhaps the minor and convenient characters of note:John Hancock, John Adams, Dr. Warren. Still, their presence did not detract from the enjoyment I took in reading this novel.
Five stars is reserved only for those rare pieces which truly touch somewhere deep in my soul. There is no question this novel earned that coveted rating. It taught me about strength of spirit, the virtue of honesty, new beginnings, familial love, romantic love, the value of a trade, hard work, loyalty, compassion, bravery, being efficient, the depths of sorrow, the joy of peace, and many other truths. In a word, this one was unforgettable.
Note: Some adult themes such as slavery and implied sexual encounters. Mild violence. One quick sex scene.
July 29, 2016
Original review found at http://kristineandterri.blogspot.ca/2...
I won this ARC as part of a Goodreads giveaway in exchange for an honest review. The expected release date is February 18th.
I will start by sharing a little bit of how I have been introduced to Turners works. For many months her other novel These is My Words kept appearing in my recommended list on Goodreads based on other novels I had read and rated. I finally purchased the book and I had enjoyed it immensely. When I saw that she had another novel that was being released and that there was a chance to win it I jumped at the chance. I was beside myself when I found out that I had indeed won an ARC of the book.
I will not be discussing the plot of this story in my review. I am not an eloquent enough writer to be able to put in to words just how complex and moving this story was or how it affected me so I will not even try. This story was truly a masterpiece in my eyes which is tough to achieve in my books. To witness the story of Resolute from a naïve and privileged eleven year old to a grown woman with the strength of character to be rivaled by none was captivating. I fell in love with her and I was truly invested in her journey which I might add was not an easy one.
It is clear by the content in this book that Turner has a passion for this era and that a lot of research went in to the writing of this story. It is also clear that she has a vivid imagination as I do not think I could come close to dreaming up all of the things that Resolute went through on these pages. If someone advised me that I would love a book that had pirates, religious fanatics, Indians and the American revolution all wrapped up in one I would have thought them crazy. Turner managed this and it worked
This is my must read for 2014 so far. Fans of historical fiction will love this story and I would not be surprised if this book makes the best novel list for this genre for 2014. I had discovered Nancy E Turner by accident and after reading this story I will be purchasing all of her future work. She has easily made it to my list of favorite authors. I thank her for letting me get lost in her work, this book will be staying with me for a long while.
I won this ARC as part of a Goodreads giveaway in exchange for an honest review. The expected release date is February 18th.
I will start by sharing a little bit of how I have been introduced to Turners works. For many months her other novel These is My Words kept appearing in my recommended list on Goodreads based on other novels I had read and rated. I finally purchased the book and I had enjoyed it immensely. When I saw that she had another novel that was being released and that there was a chance to win it I jumped at the chance. I was beside myself when I found out that I had indeed won an ARC of the book.
I will not be discussing the plot of this story in my review. I am not an eloquent enough writer to be able to put in to words just how complex and moving this story was or how it affected me so I will not even try. This story was truly a masterpiece in my eyes which is tough to achieve in my books. To witness the story of Resolute from a naïve and privileged eleven year old to a grown woman with the strength of character to be rivaled by none was captivating. I fell in love with her and I was truly invested in her journey which I might add was not an easy one.
It is clear by the content in this book that Turner has a passion for this era and that a lot of research went in to the writing of this story. It is also clear that she has a vivid imagination as I do not think I could come close to dreaming up all of the things that Resolute went through on these pages. If someone advised me that I would love a book that had pirates, religious fanatics, Indians and the American revolution all wrapped up in one I would have thought them crazy. Turner managed this and it worked
This is my must read for 2014 so far. Fans of historical fiction will love this story and I would not be surprised if this book makes the best novel list for this genre for 2014. I had discovered Nancy E Turner by accident and after reading this story I will be purchasing all of her future work. She has easily made it to my list of favorite authors. I thank her for letting me get lost in her work, this book will be staying with me for a long while.
May 23, 2022
There was one small part I got into. 67% i gave up. Super disappointed.
February 6, 2022
January 2022: This was my first book read in 2022, a reread. It was such a joy to read it slowly, to revisit a book that I love so much. It felt just as exciting and emotional as the first time I read it five years ago. Resolute continues to be one of my top favorite female leads ever. This book spans most of her life, beginning when she was a ten-year-old wealthy child living on a Jamaican plantation in the 1700's, to capture by pirates, to indentured servitude, to a Canadian orphanage, to her little home outside of Lexington and Concord, Massachusetts. Resolute has a lot of tenacity and spirit, and her problems remind me that oftentimes, my "big" problems are actually very small. This is a very strong historical saga, which is absolutely my favorite kind of story.
Sidenote: After I loved this book so much the first time I read it, my mother-in-law drove all the way to the nearest bookstore and ordered me a copy as a Christmas gift. It means a lot that she thought of such a wonderful gift for me, and I was aware of that thoughtfulness every second I held my copy as I was reading.
****
First book of 2022! So excited to be rereading this!
****
September 2016: Initial thoughts: I have decided that this is the best book that I've EVER read. I thought about this while I read it slowly, and I've thought about it since I finished reading. It'll take me a little while to sort through my final thoughts, but for now just know that:
1. this is a very strong book.
2. Resolute is a very strong character-my new favorite female lead.
3. I've never felt so "in the middle of" past history before as it came alive on pages that I was simply reading.
4. there are passages in this book that made me cry, that made me re-evaluate everything in life that I have and do, that make me proud to be who I am.
I read a library copy, but I MUST OWN A COPY OF MY OWN. I'm astounded at this book. Floored.
Sidenote: After I loved this book so much the first time I read it, my mother-in-law drove all the way to the nearest bookstore and ordered me a copy as a Christmas gift. It means a lot that she thought of such a wonderful gift for me, and I was aware of that thoughtfulness every second I held my copy as I was reading.
****
First book of 2022! So excited to be rereading this!
****
September 2016: Initial thoughts: I have decided that this is the best book that I've EVER read. I thought about this while I read it slowly, and I've thought about it since I finished reading. It'll take me a little while to sort through my final thoughts, but for now just know that:
1. this is a very strong book.
2. Resolute is a very strong character-my new favorite female lead.
3. I've never felt so "in the middle of" past history before as it came alive on pages that I was simply reading.
4. there are passages in this book that made me cry, that made me re-evaluate everything in life that I have and do, that make me proud to be who I am.
I read a library copy, but I MUST OWN A COPY OF MY OWN. I'm astounded at this book. Floored.
January 18, 2014
I won this book through Goodreads' giveaway program. I feel awful writing a not so great review, but I do want to be honest.
"My Name Is Resolute" was my first Nancy Turner book, which followed Resolute as she was kidnapped from her home and sold into slavery. Resolute was renamed as Mary by her first owners, and I loved that she continued to declare her identity and true name even when it resulted in punishment. Resolute was determined not to lose herself identity as a slave and I liked that spirit. Yet, overall, the few moments Resolute stood up for herself were too small compared to the overall story, which was good but terribly slow. The majority of the book lacked any emotion, and the story was told in a too factual manner. There were a tremendous amount of things happening and I started to wish that the author had focused on fewer events in more depth. The writing was dry and the actions of the characters felt mechanical. There were good elements to the novel, but I never connected to the characters and could not continue reading it.
Please read more of my reviews on my blog: http://fastpageturner.wordpress.com
"My Name Is Resolute" was my first Nancy Turner book, which followed Resolute as she was kidnapped from her home and sold into slavery. Resolute was renamed as Mary by her first owners, and I loved that she continued to declare her identity and true name even when it resulted in punishment. Resolute was determined not to lose herself identity as a slave and I liked that spirit. Yet, overall, the few moments Resolute stood up for herself were too small compared to the overall story, which was good but terribly slow. The majority of the book lacked any emotion, and the story was told in a too factual manner. There were a tremendous amount of things happening and I started to wish that the author had focused on fewer events in more depth. The writing was dry and the actions of the characters felt mechanical. There were good elements to the novel, but I never connected to the characters and could not continue reading it.
Please read more of my reviews on my blog: http://fastpageturner.wordpress.com
March 1, 2018
I really, really enjoyed this book!
July 8, 2016
My delay in writing this review isn't due to my finishing it nor my enthusiasm for the book. I finished it prior to having surgery, and am just now feel up to putting my thoughts into words. My feeling about the book hasn't diminished.
This is my kind of book! It has characters that stir my heart, a scope of history that is interesting, and a wealth of information about places and times I've never heard before. The writing was captivating for me. Resolute is aptly named because she is tenacious when faced with what life deals her. At first, it is misinformation that drives her, wanting to return to Jamaica to find her mother. But by sheer will (and often a stroke of luck) Resolute builds a life for herself and loved ones and is resolute in her belief in freedom. Definitely one for any history lover.
This is my kind of book! It has characters that stir my heart, a scope of history that is interesting, and a wealth of information about places and times I've never heard before. The writing was captivating for me. Resolute is aptly named because she is tenacious when faced with what life deals her. At first, it is misinformation that drives her, wanting to return to Jamaica to find her mother. But by sheer will (and often a stroke of luck) Resolute builds a life for herself and loved ones and is resolute in her belief in freedom. Definitely one for any history lover.
July 13, 2020
This is so much richer, broader, historical than I expected!! From 7 years old to 65; from pirates to Patriots; from Jamaica to Canada to pre-revolutionary Lexington, MA; from a young innocent to a wise old woman, Resolute’s story grabbed me!!
I heartily recommend this novel to readers drawn to strong female protagonists and fans of a plot enhanced by historical detail!!
I heartily recommend this novel to readers drawn to strong female protagonists and fans of a plot enhanced by historical detail!!
November 1, 2014
"My Name is Resolute" kept me up into the small hours of the morning reading, more than once! This was an enthralling read for me and came just when I was hungering for something long, historical, and intriguing : )
Resolute, along with her family, is captured by pirates and removed from her Jamaican plantation home. Her sister Patience, protects her during the voyage and their brother August is also being held in a different area of the ship. Piracy in the early 1700's was common and it just so happens that more than one ship will interfere, and transfer Resolute and her family to the New World.
There is so much happening here! Slavery and harsh conditions that seem unbelievable to us today, in the life of a young girl. Life in a convent orphanage as Resolute learns weaving. Escapes, romance, North American Indians, kindnesses, cruelties, hardship, courage, perseverance....and later on, wars. Both the French and Indian war and the Revolutionary War are going to deeply affect the lives of Resolute and her family.
Resolute is a good name for this character as she survives many hardships that would be hard for most of us to overcome.
There are difficult choices to be made within the complications of loyalty and family ties. Patience (Resolute's sister) makes choice that for me is quite hard to understand. August seems to later regret his own choice to forsake family ties on his path to seeking life on the sea. Back and forth the reader is taken into the characters' lives,with new relationships being formed, old enemies confronted, and friends made in unexpected places.
Resolute learns self-survival, becomes a mother, watches her husband and son impressed into military service to fight in the French and Indian war, survives diseases that are common to the times, and becomes an accomplished seamstress.
"I set about my work with renewed energy on Mondays, and by two weeks' end had thirty yards of fine linen. I mixed dyes and tested the results on scraps. When I had just the right of rose - darker than the blush on a dogwood flower - I added blue to make lavender. I wrote the formula and mixed my brew. I held my breath and I plunged the length of fabric into the new barrel...
When an hour had passed, I rinsed the cloth and laid it upon a rope Cullah had strung from the wall to a tree. When it had dried I laid it upon my table and took the one thing yet unused and clean, a fifth new trencher Cullah had left me, and put it upon the cloth, then drew around it, making circles. On each circle I drew a leaf on the left with a posy by it, and then with a spoon for a straight line, I made dots where I would put flowers and leaves. When I sat to embroider I decided that this would be a very fine cloth...."
The Revolutionary war inevitably interferes in Resolute's life, catching up her family members and portraying life as it was then, leading up to the years before with the hardships imposed on the colonists' with tax laws, seizures of goods and property, and unfair importation laws. It brings to life within the characters' setting the events of those hard days.
What is interesting to me is the way Resolute learns to adapt to her environment. Using the skills taught her in the convent she becomes talented and creative at weaving and embroidery and becomes a well-sought after dressmaker, even to the point of making friends with a British general's wife.
"I drew in a breath, sat up, and said, "You shall be these things, Resolute Catherine Eugenia Talbot. You shall not bow your head to any. You shall live your life always with an eye to being of great age and having no regrets for things done or undone. You shall never give your conscience for a piece of silver or a place to lay your head....
You shall bind no one as slave. You shall give of your hands generously but your heart sparingly. You shall never lie again. You will be a woman Ma would love for a sister and friend. You are your own."
My chest swelled with emotion.
A call came from downstairs. "Miss Talbot? Would you have tea?"
There is so much to say about this book! (And I know there is no way I can do it justice within the context of one review!)
Resolute, rather than being defeated by her situation and incredibly difficult circumstances (that many of us would not survive), creatively learns to 'make do' and finds herself in later years able to save another woman from her slavery, both because of her empathy and being able to identify with her plight.
Nancy Turner did a great job with "These is My Words" but this book in my estimation, is even better.
To me one of the best ways a novel can 'entertain' (for lack of a better word) the reader is to also teach them that life is not insurmountable, that characters can grow, change, and become stronger in the end than ever imagined. This story does it so well!
"When had I taken root? When had I become part of this cold, savage land and its people? When had I grown old? I was fifty-five, an age rare among women...I felt no more than twenty from the inside. I still yearned to wear a silken gown to a ball...
When had I gone from wearing embroidered silk to drab gray wool?
...My plain clothes now reflected not a smug choice, but our reduced circumstances...My linen wheel was wearing out and did not work well, but my dear woodsman had no tools to fix it. I looked at that wheel, so much a part of my life, and thought that my heart was in the wheel, and that it, too, was wearing out."
Resolute, along with her family, is captured by pirates and removed from her Jamaican plantation home. Her sister Patience, protects her during the voyage and their brother August is also being held in a different area of the ship. Piracy in the early 1700's was common and it just so happens that more than one ship will interfere, and transfer Resolute and her family to the New World.
There is so much happening here! Slavery and harsh conditions that seem unbelievable to us today, in the life of a young girl. Life in a convent orphanage as Resolute learns weaving. Escapes, romance, North American Indians, kindnesses, cruelties, hardship, courage, perseverance....and later on, wars. Both the French and Indian war and the Revolutionary War are going to deeply affect the lives of Resolute and her family.
Resolute is a good name for this character as she survives many hardships that would be hard for most of us to overcome.
There are difficult choices to be made within the complications of loyalty and family ties. Patience (Resolute's sister) makes choice that for me is quite hard to understand. August seems to later regret his own choice to forsake family ties on his path to seeking life on the sea. Back and forth the reader is taken into the characters' lives,with new relationships being formed, old enemies confronted, and friends made in unexpected places.
Resolute learns self-survival, becomes a mother, watches her husband and son impressed into military service to fight in the French and Indian war, survives diseases that are common to the times, and becomes an accomplished seamstress.
"I set about my work with renewed energy on Mondays, and by two weeks' end had thirty yards of fine linen. I mixed dyes and tested the results on scraps. When I had just the right of rose - darker than the blush on a dogwood flower - I added blue to make lavender. I wrote the formula and mixed my brew. I held my breath and I plunged the length of fabric into the new barrel...
When an hour had passed, I rinsed the cloth and laid it upon a rope Cullah had strung from the wall to a tree. When it had dried I laid it upon my table and took the one thing yet unused and clean, a fifth new trencher Cullah had left me, and put it upon the cloth, then drew around it, making circles. On each circle I drew a leaf on the left with a posy by it, and then with a spoon for a straight line, I made dots where I would put flowers and leaves. When I sat to embroider I decided that this would be a very fine cloth...."
The Revolutionary war inevitably interferes in Resolute's life, catching up her family members and portraying life as it was then, leading up to the years before with the hardships imposed on the colonists' with tax laws, seizures of goods and property, and unfair importation laws. It brings to life within the characters' setting the events of those hard days.
What is interesting to me is the way Resolute learns to adapt to her environment. Using the skills taught her in the convent she becomes talented and creative at weaving and embroidery and becomes a well-sought after dressmaker, even to the point of making friends with a British general's wife.
"I drew in a breath, sat up, and said, "You shall be these things, Resolute Catherine Eugenia Talbot. You shall not bow your head to any. You shall live your life always with an eye to being of great age and having no regrets for things done or undone. You shall never give your conscience for a piece of silver or a place to lay your head....
You shall bind no one as slave. You shall give of your hands generously but your heart sparingly. You shall never lie again. You will be a woman Ma would love for a sister and friend. You are your own."
My chest swelled with emotion.
A call came from downstairs. "Miss Talbot? Would you have tea?"
There is so much to say about this book! (And I know there is no way I can do it justice within the context of one review!)
Resolute, rather than being defeated by her situation and incredibly difficult circumstances (that many of us would not survive), creatively learns to 'make do' and finds herself in later years able to save another woman from her slavery, both because of her empathy and being able to identify with her plight.
Nancy Turner did a great job with "These is My Words" but this book in my estimation, is even better.
To me one of the best ways a novel can 'entertain' (for lack of a better word) the reader is to also teach them that life is not insurmountable, that characters can grow, change, and become stronger in the end than ever imagined. This story does it so well!
"When had I taken root? When had I become part of this cold, savage land and its people? When had I grown old? I was fifty-five, an age rare among women...I felt no more than twenty from the inside. I still yearned to wear a silken gown to a ball...
When had I gone from wearing embroidered silk to drab gray wool?
...My plain clothes now reflected not a smug choice, but our reduced circumstances...My linen wheel was wearing out and did not work well, but my dear woodsman had no tools to fix it. I looked at that wheel, so much a part of my life, and thought that my heart was in the wheel, and that it, too, was wearing out."
January 21, 2016
This book is brimming with history. In the beginning I was a bit disenchanted as Resolute told lies and continued to ignore facts and wanted the things she could not have. I had to remind myself she was only eleven at the time. Nancy E. Turner can weave historical fiction so well and I became intimately involved with all of the characters. A truly well written story.
August 27, 2015
This goes on my list of all time favorite historical fiction. It is breathtaking how it grabs you from the beginning and doesn't let go until the last page. This is my favorite genre by far, and I've read a lot of it. But Nancy Turner is in a class by herself! Her characters become so fleshed out and real in the telling that I'm sure they will stay with me for quite awhile. Read it ASAP!
September 10, 2016
I was a little bit disappointed with this book. Just a very little bit. I loved the early chapters. I thought they were rich with detail and setting, but the next 50 or so years of Resolute's life felt like a sampler--just skimming over years and characters and huge, life-changing events without giving the same care and detail that had been shown early on.
I loved the scope of the book, although that obviously contributed to my last complaint that too much was skipped in the later half of the book. The book starts in the Caribbean among pirates, plantations and slave traders; sweeps up through the colonies and into Canada with its Puritans, Indians, French Roman Catholics, and then comes to rest in my new backyard--Lexington, Massachusetts during the French and Indian War and the American Revolution. And although I've spent a lot of studying (and even teaching) the American Revolution and the events leading up to it, nothing that I've read has brought home the misery and privations put upon the colonies by the Georgian government back in London. The moniker "Intolerable Acts" always made me laugh a little; it seemed so melodramatic, but Turner presented them in such a way that the name seemed completely appropriate.
My two other complaints were the love scenes--I thought they were a little cheesy, and the fact that Resolute had to come in contact with every important figure of the American Revolution, even when it was improbably and did little or nothing to further the plot. Okay, not every important figure, but John Adams, George Washington, Joseph Warren, John Hancock, Maragaret Gage, Paul Revere... Admittedly, name dropping in historical fiction is one of my pet peeves. There were many people, and Resolute could have been one of them, who lived fascinating, valuable, and memoir-worthy lives during this time period, even if they didn't serve tea to General Washington in a random episode that had nothing to do with the rest of the plot.
Honestly though, this whole review may just be the result of one giant bias. I read a blurb somewhere, I believe it was a fellow-author blurb, that said something like, "this is the book Nancy Turner was born to write," and I was offended on behalf of These is My Words. I enjoyed Resolute, but I am a Sarah Prine girl through and through. (Aside: are fellow-author blurbs ever not the worst? I'll believe it when I see one.)
Anyway, in sum, while this book wasn't transporting, it was informative and diverting, with a wonderful, if too-thinly-stretched, main character. Also, I have a weakness for books set in my new neighborhood, so I'm bumping the rating up from 3.5 stars to 4.
P.S. and mild spoiler alert: I did love that Roland changed his last name to Prine. I enjoy the idea that Resolute could be the great-great granny of Sarah.
I loved the scope of the book, although that obviously contributed to my last complaint that too much was skipped in the later half of the book. The book starts in the Caribbean among pirates, plantations and slave traders; sweeps up through the colonies and into Canada with its Puritans, Indians, French Roman Catholics, and then comes to rest in my new backyard--Lexington, Massachusetts during the French and Indian War and the American Revolution. And although I've spent a lot of studying (and even teaching) the American Revolution and the events leading up to it, nothing that I've read has brought home the misery and privations put upon the colonies by the Georgian government back in London. The moniker "Intolerable Acts" always made me laugh a little; it seemed so melodramatic, but Turner presented them in such a way that the name seemed completely appropriate.
My two other complaints were the love scenes--I thought they were a little cheesy, and the fact that Resolute had to come in contact with every important figure of the American Revolution, even when it was improbably and did little or nothing to further the plot. Okay, not every important figure, but John Adams, George Washington, Joseph Warren, John Hancock, Maragaret Gage, Paul Revere... Admittedly, name dropping in historical fiction is one of my pet peeves. There were many people, and Resolute could have been one of them, who lived fascinating, valuable, and memoir-worthy lives during this time period, even if they didn't serve tea to General Washington in a random episode that had nothing to do with the rest of the plot.
Honestly though, this whole review may just be the result of one giant bias. I read a blurb somewhere, I believe it was a fellow-author blurb, that said something like, "this is the book Nancy Turner was born to write," and I was offended on behalf of These is My Words. I enjoyed Resolute, but I am a Sarah Prine girl through and through. (Aside: are fellow-author blurbs ever not the worst? I'll believe it when I see one.)
Anyway, in sum, while this book wasn't transporting, it was informative and diverting, with a wonderful, if too-thinly-stretched, main character. Also, I have a weakness for books set in my new neighborhood, so I'm bumping the rating up from 3.5 stars to 4.
P.S. and mild spoiler alert: I did love that Roland changed his last name to Prine. I enjoy the idea that Resolute could be the great-great granny of Sarah.
Read
October 17, 2019I probably shouldn't be allowed to rate this book, as I only read the first half, and it honestly seemed like it might have been starting to get better. But by then I was already done. It wasn't awful, but it was so long that it wasn't worth giving up that many more hours of my life to finish an okay book. I loved These Is My Words so I had high expectations and was ultimately disappointed.
What I liked: Resolute's attitude. She would say and do some fiery things when the book included dialogue (but this seemed kind of rare, and she wasn't as interesting in her thoughts as she was in her words to other people).
I tried to decide what it was that I didn't like about this book, and I'm not quite sure what it was, but here are a few things.
I felt like Turner found a list of every possible major thing that could go wrong in the early 1700s and made it happen to the main character. Every time a new disaster struck I was annoyed, not interested. I thought, you know, "murdered by pirates is good." There didn't seem to be a strong enough thread holding all of the events together other than her desire to get back to Jamaica, which it was pretty clear was a bust of a dream anyway.
Resolute was also the only character that stuck around, so the story seemed to just be about things that happened to her, and rarely about relationship, whether friendship, family, or romantic. I rejoiced every time one of these type of relationships started to develop, but it always seemed to just get summed up and sidelined as the next event of the 1700s checklist occurred. It would have been fine if the book was focused on Resolute in terms of how her character developed, and felt, and changed, and grew, but I felt like even these were benched to make room for more kidnappings, etc.
I guess in summary: With so many exciting things happening, this book still managed to bore me.
What I liked: Resolute's attitude. She would say and do some fiery things when the book included dialogue (but this seemed kind of rare, and she wasn't as interesting in her thoughts as she was in her words to other people).
I tried to decide what it was that I didn't like about this book, and I'm not quite sure what it was, but here are a few things.
I felt like Turner found a list of every possible major thing that could go wrong in the early 1700s and made it happen to the main character. Every time a new disaster struck I was annoyed, not interested. I thought, you know, "murdered by pirates is good." There didn't seem to be a strong enough thread holding all of the events together other than her desire to get back to Jamaica, which it was pretty clear was a bust of a dream anyway.
Resolute was also the only character that stuck around, so the story seemed to just be about things that happened to her, and rarely about relationship, whether friendship, family, or romantic. I rejoiced every time one of these type of relationships started to develop, but it always seemed to just get summed up and sidelined as the next event of the 1700s checklist occurred. It would have been fine if the book was focused on Resolute in terms of how her character developed, and felt, and changed, and grew, but I felt like even these were benched to make room for more kidnappings, etc.
I guess in summary: With so many exciting things happening, this book still managed to bore me.
August 5, 2016
How I wish I had the talent to craft such beautiful thoughts as Ms. Turner! "These Is My Words" has remained among the top of my favorite books (how is it possible to ever pick just one favorite?) since I read it years ago. I might not remember much of what took place in that epic novel, but I will ever remember how I felt as I read, how my heart ached with Sarah Prine's and how unsettling it was to return to this modern world after finishing the book.
I think Resolute will linger in my mind for quite some time. It feels as though she is a friend, and I will miss her. She was strong and courageous and above all kind. How grateful I am to have made her acquaintance. And how fitting was her name. (A synonym for resolute is steadfast - my favorite word!)
My only wish is that perhaps (and even as I write this I wonder how it could possibly work) the book had been divided into two or three volumes. Once picked up, it was difficult to put down. 580+ pages was hard work to finish in the limited time I had, even though I begged every minute from every day I could to read about Ressie.
I loved the strong men. I so liked the balance of bad and good - unlike the book I read previous to this that I simply could not finish it was so dark and depressing. The world is full of bad and good/ kind and mean/ dark and light. Why would I wish to read something all bad/mean/dark?
I started out making note of passages that I thought were wonderful, insightful, uplifting, beautifully descriptive - and had to give it up. I wonder at Ms. Turner's stamina, being able to write such a lengthy complete book.
And now that I have finished, I shall have to find something set in a completely different time. I don't want to spoil the memories of a book and heroine that has - in a small way - captured my heart.
I think Resolute will linger in my mind for quite some time. It feels as though she is a friend, and I will miss her. She was strong and courageous and above all kind. How grateful I am to have made her acquaintance. And how fitting was her name. (A synonym for resolute is steadfast - my favorite word!)
My only wish is that perhaps (and even as I write this I wonder how it could possibly work) the book had been divided into two or three volumes. Once picked up, it was difficult to put down. 580+ pages was hard work to finish in the limited time I had, even though I begged every minute from every day I could to read about Ressie.
I loved the strong men. I so liked the balance of bad and good - unlike the book I read previous to this that I simply could not finish it was so dark and depressing. The world is full of bad and good/ kind and mean/ dark and light. Why would I wish to read something all bad/mean/dark?
I started out making note of passages that I thought were wonderful, insightful, uplifting, beautifully descriptive - and had to give it up. I wonder at Ms. Turner's stamina, being able to write such a lengthy complete book.
And now that I have finished, I shall have to find something set in a completely different time. I don't want to spoil the memories of a book and heroine that has - in a small way - captured my heart.
June 1, 2022
This is historical fiction at its finest! However, this won't be for everyone. Reason being, it's long, it's very descriptive and it spans one woman's complete existence.
This is the story of Resolute Talbot. When we first meet her, she is but a young girl. Her and her siblings, Patience (15) and her brother August (13) are captured by pirates and taken from their home in Jamaica. It is set in the year 1729 just before the American Revolution. What a story told!
Resolute and her sister are brought to the New World and sold into servitude. They are taught spinning and weaving, until their rescue/escape. When she is betrayed by the man she thought she would marry in Boston, she falls back on her skill to survive. She meets a young woodsman living a double life, who is wanted in England. Here, her true life begins...and so does the history of America as we know it!
In my opinion, this was a wonderful history lesson with a strong fictional female protagonist! Her life is nothing short of adventurous and heart wrenching!
I loved the characters, hated the evil doers and was so invested in this story that I could not wait to do things that put me in a position to pop those ear buds in...to listen again!
I wholeheartedly recommend this book to anyone who loves historical fiction, America's history and one girl's scary kidnapping from a Jamaican plantation to the shores of America!
Thank you Nancy E. Turner for writing such a fantastic story.
This is the story of Resolute Talbot. When we first meet her, she is but a young girl. Her and her siblings, Patience (15) and her brother August (13) are captured by pirates and taken from their home in Jamaica. It is set in the year 1729 just before the American Revolution. What a story told!
Resolute and her sister are brought to the New World and sold into servitude. They are taught spinning and weaving, until their rescue/escape. When she is betrayed by the man she thought she would marry in Boston, she falls back on her skill to survive. She meets a young woodsman living a double life, who is wanted in England. Here, her true life begins...and so does the history of America as we know it!
In my opinion, this was a wonderful history lesson with a strong fictional female protagonist! Her life is nothing short of adventurous and heart wrenching!
I loved the characters, hated the evil doers and was so invested in this story that I could not wait to do things that put me in a position to pop those ear buds in...to listen again!
I wholeheartedly recommend this book to anyone who loves historical fiction, America's history and one girl's scary kidnapping from a Jamaican plantation to the shores of America!
Thank you Nancy E. Turner for writing such a fantastic story.
November 12, 2014
If this book had not been for a book club I would have stopped reading it in the first 50 pages. As it was, I persevered and loved pieces of it, despised others, was glad to have been witness to some of the wonderful deep poignant moments that show the wisdom and depth and meaning behind all human experience, wished I could erase some of the things read from my mind and regretted the day I read them. All in all, this book had wonderful moments, and terrible ones, but the wonderful parts did not, for me, outweigh the filth.
*Possible spoilers below*
In the beginning as Resolute is captured, awful things happen, which are only made bearable due to being seen through the eyes of an innocent 10 year old girl. As she grows, however, so does the graphic representation of her circumstances. I did not appreciate it. The physically violent scenes were disturbing, but not as much as the scenes of violence against women. It made it seem like nearly all men are dirty rascals who want and will take the one thing they want from women: their virtue. I think she tried to counterbalance this vulgarity towards woman by showing a healthy relationship between Resolute and her husband. But I didn't appreciate how that was represented either.
I found the idea of this novel intriguing though I didn't always appreciate the mode of delivery.
*Possible spoilers below*
In the beginning as Resolute is captured, awful things happen, which are only made bearable due to being seen through the eyes of an innocent 10 year old girl. As she grows, however, so does the graphic representation of her circumstances. I did not appreciate it. The physically violent scenes were disturbing, but not as much as the scenes of violence against women. It made it seem like nearly all men are dirty rascals who want and will take the one thing they want from women: their virtue. I think she tried to counterbalance this vulgarity towards woman by showing a healthy relationship between Resolute and her husband. But I didn't appreciate how that was represented either.
I found the idea of this novel intriguing though I didn't always appreciate the mode of delivery.
February 10, 2017
2 stars because the quality of the writing is well done with good character development.
That said, I cannot recommend this to my friends and family. The American revolution figures as a side-plot toward the end instead of the focus, as insinuated by the book blurb. The main focus is to drive home just how terrible an existence 18th century women had and to traumatize and depress the reader (I'm only half joking). Resolute is determined to be a "strong female character" and that's about the only redeeming thing I can say. Mature content that is not suitable for younger readers is rampant, including but not limited to: descriptions of sexual assault, rape, a detailed wedding night scene, violence, murder, prostitution, abuse, infidelity, and strong language. I have no doubt these things were common at that time, as they certainly still are today, but I am not looking for that content in the books that I want to read - the whole book is full of PTSD triggers. The story overall was heavy, despairing, and ultimately I felt the tie-in to the revolution and subsequent conclusion were weak.
Because another book of hers that we previously read at our book club was also full of objectionable content I am going to steer clear of her works in future.
That said, I cannot recommend this to my friends and family. The American revolution figures as a side-plot toward the end instead of the focus, as insinuated by the book blurb. The main focus is to drive home just how terrible an existence 18th century women had and to traumatize and depress the reader (I'm only half joking). Resolute is determined to be a "strong female character" and that's about the only redeeming thing I can say. Mature content that is not suitable for younger readers is rampant, including but not limited to: descriptions of sexual assault, rape, a detailed wedding night scene, violence, murder, prostitution, abuse, infidelity, and strong language. I have no doubt these things were common at that time, as they certainly still are today, but I am not looking for that content in the books that I want to read - the whole book is full of PTSD triggers. The story overall was heavy, despairing, and ultimately I felt the tie-in to the revolution and subsequent conclusion were weak.
Because another book of hers that we previously read at our book club was also full of objectionable content I am going to steer clear of her works in future.
September 7, 2016
A masterpiece. Turner's historically authentic narration of "Resolute" is perfect, from the confused and frightened perspective of a child ripped from her home to the voice of the loyal wife, mother, and brave Patriot she would eventually become. Woven with lyrical prose and striking truth, this is the gripping life story of a woman who suffered much, yet persevered to fight for love and liberty in the land that--at long last--she came to call home.
"My story is the story of other women like me, women who left no name, who will not be remembered or their deeds written, every one of them a restless stalk of flax who lent fiber to the making of a whole cloth, every one of them a thread, be it gold, dapple, crimson, or tarred. Let this tapestry be a record, then, that once there lived a woman, and that her name was resolute." (Nancy Turner)
"My story is the story of other women like me, women who left no name, who will not be remembered or their deeds written, every one of them a restless stalk of flax who lent fiber to the making of a whole cloth, every one of them a thread, be it gold, dapple, crimson, or tarred. Let this tapestry be a record, then, that once there lived a woman, and that her name was resolute." (Nancy Turner)
August 1, 2014
Wow, I love historical fiction and this knocked my socks off. I spent the whole weekend reading it non-stop. I've read all of Ms. Turner's books and enjoyed and recommend them all but this one is exceptional in it's scope. A young, spoiled girl living on a plantation in 1729 Jamaica is stolen away with her two siblings by pirates. She is sold into slavery of numerous kinds and her ability to lie quickly on her feet is a saving grace, although she pays dearly for it. She is sassy and irreverent but slowly she learns her old life is gone. The story ends in 1781 with her looking back at a life well lived, the Revolutionary war behind her now beloved adopted country.
It reminds me yet again how miraculous the fight for this country's freedom really was and how it was fought by every day heroes willing to sacrifice everything.
It reminds me yet again how miraculous the fight for this country's freedom really was and how it was fought by every day heroes willing to sacrifice everything.
April 6, 2014
Unlike my daughter-in-law who reads the end of a book first (!), I'm so glad that I had no idea the events this book would lead me to.
I loved reading the author's books about the historical fictional life of an American pioneer, Sarah Agnes Prine, These Is My Words. Also, the two follow-up books of her life. I am realizing that I generally expect an author's next work to be very similar to the previous books I read and enjoyed.
I definitely enjoyed My Name Is Resolute, and I was completely surprised from beginning to end with Resolute's journey through life. Both books were very well written and researched, and the stories were completely different, new and fresh. I found myself doing some of my own research about the time periods these two women lived through.
I'm looking forward to Nancy E.Turner's next completed project.
I loved reading the author's books about the historical fictional life of an American pioneer, Sarah Agnes Prine, These Is My Words. Also, the two follow-up books of her life. I am realizing that I generally expect an author's next work to be very similar to the previous books I read and enjoyed.
I definitely enjoyed My Name Is Resolute, and I was completely surprised from beginning to end with Resolute's journey through life. Both books were very well written and researched, and the stories were completely different, new and fresh. I found myself doing some of my own research about the time periods these two women lived through.
I'm looking forward to Nancy E.Turner's next completed project.
February 5, 2021
Wow, my heart opened wide and swallowed this book whole. Nancy Turner is an exceptional writer and perhaps my favorite historical fiction author. Resolute was a sweeping story that spanned a lifetime and an age. This was the second book I have read by her and I was not disappointed. Every once in a while I read a book and am moved by the shear work the author must have undertaken to complete something so interesting and beautiful. Thank you, Nancy.
January 16, 2016
My first 5 star book of 2016 and boy was it ever so good and exciting all the way from the beginning to the end. I appreciate the effort and research that the author brought to this period book. Resolute is a character that you gladly cheer for on the sidelines, the book is literally steeped in history and atmosphere. One of my all time favorites.
February 18, 2016
The best book I've read in a long time....Nancy knows how to write an epic novel with characters you love, and hate, during a difficult time in history. Its books like this that make history come alive for me!!
June 8, 2022
Loved this book. It's filled with adventure starting off with being kidnapped by pirates, then traveling with Indians and sold as a slave. Finally escaping and making a life for herself. The action filled story takes you up to the beginnings of Revolutionary War in which Resolute has apart to play. I just kept thinking what a good movie this book would make.
August 12, 2017
An epic read. I think my favorite of the year so far. It has everything I like in historical fiction.
May 9, 2014
Wow. Just finished this last night and have been thinking about it today. Reading this book is no small feat, it clocks in at 600-something pages and is not a light read. "My Name is Resolute" is long because it spans a woman's life. It encompasses the joys, the lows, adversity, and triumph.
The book begins with Resolute Talbot, a ten-year-old girl and British citizen from a high-born family, living on a plantation in Jamaica. She has a good life. A loving family, money, and is learning to be a lady. Within the first few pages of the book every good thing in her life is destroyed in the most terrifying ways. I was completely involved in this story as Resolute and her remaining family members are kidnapped by Saracen pirates (the most feared pirates, we learn), and Resolute and her sister are held for some terrifying weeks in the dark and claustrophobic holds of the ship as they await their fates. This time will haunt Resolute for the rest of her life. The fates for these victims are not good, and Resolute herself ends up in the colonies as a slave to a dysfunctional Puritan family. The first third of the book was hard to bear, as Resolute is a small girl, alone and unable to understand what is happening and why. You see life through her eyes, and feel like weeping with her as she cries at night for her mother. This part of the book was not an easy read, and it was not helped by the fact that I currently have a daughter the same age, with an older sister much like Resolute's older sister. I will not tell you much more except to tell you that Resolute, who rebels again and again at those who would repeatedly change her name (hence the title), begins to pick her self up, to show courage and wits, and to take her life back in her hands. She grows up before our eyes, learns life lessons (sometimes the hard way) and becomes a kind and good soul who takes part in some of the most eventful moments of American history, whether she liked it or not. It runs the gamut from slavery, to Jacobites, to Revolutionaries.
There was a point in the middle of the book where I personally felt some frustration. I felt like Turner could have easily and wonderfully ended the book there. Instead, she follows the rest of Resolute's life. There were several chapters in the middle that dragged a bit, but then thankfully began to pick up steam as the book, and her life, headed in a new direction. I also felt at the end she glossed over some rather major events in Resolute's life as she began to tie everything up for the end. Rather monumental things, in my opinion, were shared in a sentence or two when I wish they had been given a little more depth. There is the possibility that it reflects the fact that Resolute herself is tired, and that this is the way of Colonial life. I look forward to my friends' reading this book so I can hear their opinions on this. Despite these few issues, I still rated it five stars because honestly, I could feel Turner's blood, sweat, and tears poured into this book. It is a major work, and I still really enjoyed it.
The author creates and follows meaningful and realistic characters. It is a realistic life, not too hard and graphic but not sweetened up either. I especially could appreciate Resolute's journey as a woman. Her family made sacrifices for her that she did not fully understand or appreciate until she was an adult (which so many of us can relate to). Her mother appears in a handful of pages, yet her bravery and love shines through the rest of the book.
I would give advice to future readers to not read the inside jacket cover description. I did not by accident, and it really contributed to my enjoyment not knowing where the story was headed. When I finished the book and read the inside leaf I was really quite horrified by how much of the story it gave away! It would have ruined some major surprises for me.
One question I know my friends want to know: "Is this book as good as 'These Is My Words?'' Which is a book so many of us love! I will say that it is a very different kind of book. It feels different. It's like trying to compare pizza to sushi, New York to Seattle, Gone With the Wind to Hunger Games. I will tell you this, for any lover of "These Is My Words" you will find a quick little nod to it in this book. I broke out in a grin when I saw it!
The book begins with Resolute Talbot, a ten-year-old girl and British citizen from a high-born family, living on a plantation in Jamaica. She has a good life. A loving family, money, and is learning to be a lady. Within the first few pages of the book every good thing in her life is destroyed in the most terrifying ways. I was completely involved in this story as Resolute and her remaining family members are kidnapped by Saracen pirates (the most feared pirates, we learn), and Resolute and her sister are held for some terrifying weeks in the dark and claustrophobic holds of the ship as they await their fates. This time will haunt Resolute for the rest of her life. The fates for these victims are not good, and Resolute herself ends up in the colonies as a slave to a dysfunctional Puritan family. The first third of the book was hard to bear, as Resolute is a small girl, alone and unable to understand what is happening and why. You see life through her eyes, and feel like weeping with her as she cries at night for her mother. This part of the book was not an easy read, and it was not helped by the fact that I currently have a daughter the same age, with an older sister much like Resolute's older sister. I will not tell you much more except to tell you that Resolute, who rebels again and again at those who would repeatedly change her name (hence the title), begins to pick her self up, to show courage and wits, and to take her life back in her hands. She grows up before our eyes, learns life lessons (sometimes the hard way) and becomes a kind and good soul who takes part in some of the most eventful moments of American history, whether she liked it or not. It runs the gamut from slavery, to Jacobites, to Revolutionaries.
There was a point in the middle of the book where I personally felt some frustration. I felt like Turner could have easily and wonderfully ended the book there. Instead, she follows the rest of Resolute's life. There were several chapters in the middle that dragged a bit, but then thankfully began to pick up steam as the book, and her life, headed in a new direction. I also felt at the end she glossed over some rather major events in Resolute's life as she began to tie everything up for the end. Rather monumental things, in my opinion, were shared in a sentence or two when I wish they had been given a little more depth. There is the possibility that it reflects the fact that Resolute herself is tired, and that this is the way of Colonial life. I look forward to my friends' reading this book so I can hear their opinions on this. Despite these few issues, I still rated it five stars because honestly, I could feel Turner's blood, sweat, and tears poured into this book. It is a major work, and I still really enjoyed it.
The author creates and follows meaningful and realistic characters. It is a realistic life, not too hard and graphic but not sweetened up either. I especially could appreciate Resolute's journey as a woman. Her family made sacrifices for her that she did not fully understand or appreciate until she was an adult (which so many of us can relate to). Her mother appears in a handful of pages, yet her bravery and love shines through the rest of the book.
I would give advice to future readers to not read the inside jacket cover description. I did not by accident, and it really contributed to my enjoyment not knowing where the story was headed. When I finished the book and read the inside leaf I was really quite horrified by how much of the story it gave away! It would have ruined some major surprises for me.
One question I know my friends want to know: "Is this book as good as 'These Is My Words?'' Which is a book so many of us love! I will say that it is a very different kind of book. It feels different. It's like trying to compare pizza to sushi, New York to Seattle, Gone With the Wind to Hunger Games. I will tell you this, for any lover of "These Is My Words" you will find a quick little nod to it in this book. I broke out in a grin when I saw it!
March 22, 2023
A great story in the founding days of the United States. I loved the references to her family history in Scotland. I expect this will be my all-time favorite book this year. If you have read and enjoyed 'These is My Words' by the same author, you'll like this story too. It's quite long, which I prefer over shorter books.
My Rating System:
* = Didn't like and didn't finish
** = Finished. Meh.
*** = Finished it. Enjoyed it. Would recommend. Probably won't think about it much again.
**** = Finished it. Loved it. One I want to keep a hardcopy of on my shelf to re-read later. A story that stays with me.
***** = Something of a literary masterpiece. Or at least, a book that I have read multiple times and it continues to influence my life.
My Rating System:
* = Didn't like and didn't finish
** = Finished. Meh.
*** = Finished it. Enjoyed it. Would recommend. Probably won't think about it much again.
**** = Finished it. Loved it. One I want to keep a hardcopy of on my shelf to re-read later. A story that stays with me.
***** = Something of a literary masterpiece. Or at least, a book that I have read multiple times and it continues to influence my life.
March 28, 2016
I couldn't say it better than this review by Liz in my Goodreads feed.
Note: This is straight from her review. I just couldn't say it better. YES YES YES
"L-O-V-E. This book is everything historical fiction should be. It was informative, thought provoking, eye opening, lovely, hard to put down, and ultimately very difficult to say good bye to. I dragged out reading it for almost two weeks, savoring each moment, reveling in the pages I had left before it ended. Nancy Turner out did herself with the research and scope of her novel. Having read These Is My Words 10 years ago I was delighted to reconnect with this author.
I found Resolute flawed and headstrong at first(when she was a 10 year old child) but grew to love her as a dear friend. The supporting cast was equally intimate and real, except perhaps the minor and convenient characters of note:John Hancock, John Adams, Dr. Warren. Still, their presence did not detract from the enjoyment I took in reading this novel.
Five stars is reserved only for those rare pieces which truly touch somewhere deep in my soul. There is no question this novel earned that coveted rating. It taught me about strength of spirit, the virtue of honesty, new beginnings, familial love, romantic love, the value of a trade, hard work, loyalty, compassion, bravery, being efficient, the depths of sorrow, the joy of peace, and many other truths. In a word, this one was unforgettable." Review by Liz
Note: This is straight from her review. I just couldn't say it better. YES YES YES
"L-O-V-E. This book is everything historical fiction should be. It was informative, thought provoking, eye opening, lovely, hard to put down, and ultimately very difficult to say good bye to. I dragged out reading it for almost two weeks, savoring each moment, reveling in the pages I had left before it ended. Nancy Turner out did herself with the research and scope of her novel. Having read These Is My Words 10 years ago I was delighted to reconnect with this author.
I found Resolute flawed and headstrong at first(when she was a 10 year old child) but grew to love her as a dear friend. The supporting cast was equally intimate and real, except perhaps the minor and convenient characters of note:John Hancock, John Adams, Dr. Warren. Still, their presence did not detract from the enjoyment I took in reading this novel.
Five stars is reserved only for those rare pieces which truly touch somewhere deep in my soul. There is no question this novel earned that coveted rating. It taught me about strength of spirit, the virtue of honesty, new beginnings, familial love, romantic love, the value of a trade, hard work, loyalty, compassion, bravery, being efficient, the depths of sorrow, the joy of peace, and many other truths. In a word, this one was unforgettable." Review by Liz
May 17, 2015
My reaction to 'My Name is Resolute' is very similar to 'These is My Words" -- I enjoyed it, but I didn't love it. Resolute is a great, well-rounded character and it was neat to watch her grow and mature (she felt very real to me), but I'm not sure how much I liked following her story for so long. I had the same problem with 'These is My Words'. The book felt stretched to me -- it could've been much shorter than it was and more focused.
I genuinely liked some parts (like her run-in with the apples and Serenity), while I couldn't help but roll my eyes at others (the love scenes, for instance, seemed too romance novel-y for my taste). I don't know, the book just felt too broad. I'd have preferred to read about one or two parts of her life in more detail and with more action and emotion than follow her through fifty years. That said, I did like seeing how the American Revolution came about through her eyes, watching along with her how the colonies grew and changed over the decades.
Still, I kept turning the pages, so that does stand for something. Resolute is an engaging character. . I liked the rich historical details (though some of the run-ins with various historical figures seemed a bit heavy-handed). In all, an interesting read with interesting characters - I just wish it'd been more condensed than it was.
I genuinely liked some parts (like her run-in with the apples and Serenity), while I couldn't help but roll my eyes at others (the love scenes, for instance, seemed too romance novel-y for my taste). I don't know, the book just felt too broad. I'd have preferred to read about one or two parts of her life in more detail and with more action and emotion than follow her through fifty years. That said, I did like seeing how the American Revolution came about through her eyes, watching along with her how the colonies grew and changed over the decades.
Still, I kept turning the pages, so that does stand for something. Resolute is an engaging character. . I liked the rich historical details (though some of the run-ins with various historical figures seemed a bit heavy-handed). In all, an interesting read with interesting characters - I just wish it'd been more condensed than it was.
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