Louisville, Kentucky in 1855 is a town faced with a lot of changes and is full of people who don’t want those changes to happen. Immigration is the issue of the day – keep those Irish and German immigrants out of here. They don’t belong. The two newspapers in town take sides and begin stirring the pot. The Tribune belongs to Wade Darcy, who has raised his only daught, Adriane, to be a newspaperwoman. She finds the stories, writes articles, and can even help to set the type on the printing press. All of this is frowned upon by “proper” society, so Wade arranges a marriage for her that would give Adriane some respectability. He chooses Stanley Jimson, the son of the richest man and leading political candidate in the Know Nothing(anti-immigrant) party in Louisville. Although she’s known Stanley for quite awhile, Adriane has no desire to get married. Neither her father nor Stanley will let her off the hook that easily.
The Herald, the other paper in town, is run by Blake Garrett, fresh from the North. His style of reporting is more controversial than the Tribune, tackling murders the police are reluctant to solve and taking on the Know Nothing party. Blake and Adriane, leaders of the two different papers, are certainly enemies – until they meet at a benefit and begin to get to know each other.
I found this book absolutely fascinating and very hard to put down. I love historical fiction that puts me in a place and time and actually teaches me something about it. This book did that. I had no idea of the controversy surrounding immigration in Louisville in the 1850s – so much so that there was even rioting in the city. Through this book, you learn many different viewpoints of this issue. The attraction between Blake and Adriane was very enjoyable to see unfold slowly. And Stanley Jimson is a character you are designed to hate from his very first appearance, and he only gets more disturbing as the book progresses. The characters were realistic and fascinating. You were dropped right into the time period. This is a wonderfully serious and very enjoyable book.
The Herald, the other paper in town, is run by Blake Garrett, fresh from the North. His style of reporting is more controversial than the Tribune, tackling murders the police are reluctant to solve and taking on the Know Nothing party. Blake and Adriane, leaders of the two different papers, are certainly enemies – until they meet at a benefit and begin to get to know each other.
I found this book absolutely fascinating and very hard to put down. I love historical fiction that puts me in a place and time and actually teaches me something about it. This book did that. I had no idea of the controversy surrounding immigration in Louisville in the 1850s – so much so that there was even rioting in the city. Through this book, you learn many different viewpoints of this issue. The attraction between Blake and Adriane was very enjoyable to see unfold slowly. And Stanley Jimson is a character you are designed to hate from his very first appearance, and he only gets more disturbing as the book progresses. The characters were realistic and fascinating. You were dropped right into the time period. This is a wonderfully serious and very enjoyable book.
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