In The Primrose Way by Jackie French Koller we find a detailed account of the first years of settlement in the Boston colony and its environs. Beginning in 1633, we find Rebekah onboard a ship from England just as they sight the land surrounding Massachusetts Bay. Rebekah is coming to join her father, an elder in the church. She is excited to reach the colony yet after leaving the comfort of a cozy home with servants she is somewhat taken aback at the conditions she finds in Boston. Things go downhill once more when she leaves the relatively civilized Boston for the new settlement of Agawam at the edge of the wilderness. Throughout the story Rebekah will deal with betrayal, loss, and love. But will she opt to return to England and the chance to be a bride or choose to remain in the colony and seek her true love?

The Primrose Way is a clever tapestry of fact and fiction that is skillfully woven by the author. Great detail into the everyday existence of both white settlers and Native Americans gives the reader a true picture of what life was like in the early 17th century. Easy reading that will move you through the story at a rapid pace but you'll want to slow down and savor each finely drawn scene. Don't gloss over the details - they add so much to the story. And while the story is placed in early America the characters deal with problems that are relevant today.

This book includes a glossary of Native American terms as well as a detailed bibliography for further reading. Teachers and students alike will enjoy The Primrose Way not only for its story but for the lessons it teaches. Highly recommended.

The Pilgrims' First Thanksgiving is a children's book about the struggles of the pilgrims, it is a great way to enter November teaching children the real reason behind Thanksgiving. It brings to life the conditions the pilgrims had to live in. Also shows students that many people have a less than they do and that is why we are so thankful for the pilgrims taking the leap of faith to America. I would read this to my students if I was teaching grades kindergartners to third grade.

I couldn't finish the first book this author wrote, but I read the reviews for this book and thought I would give her a second chance. I did finish this book. However, I was not enthralled whatsoever.

Mostly they would talk about how cold it was and would give the temperatures, the mom was and had been doing two guys; one of which was the father of her son, the son wanted to be a girl and kept wondering when her boobs would grow in and the new neighbor next door just kept thinking about the mom. There was constant news about how far south the cold weather was going and how the icebergs were floating south. Even Africa and other southern areas were getting huge amounts of snowfall.

That's pretty much in a nutshell what this book is about. The ending was still talking about how cold it was. If you find this review interesting, then you should read the book.

Thanks to Blogging for Books for providing me with a copy of this book to read and review.

This is not the brutal story "The Panopticon" is, but then "The Sunlight Pilgrims is not as powerful either.

There are similarities, as with teenagers being a focus of each novel, but 'Sunlight' does not feel rushed and the temperatures keep getting lower and lower.

I would have liked to know more about Constance and her back-story, but I quibble.

Don't let the apocalypse/global warming backdrop dissuade you from trying this book. Nor, if "The Panopticon" was not to your liking. This story is about three people and takes place during a very brutal winter in a small place in Scotland.

I was expecting the next apocalyptic story, where the world slowly freezes over the period of a long and freakish winter. While this is indeed a part of the story, to me it felt in the end as the minor part. Sure, there's talk about how cold it is and people are freezing to death in the streets (apparently, it takes a week to thaw a fully grown men, although why they would thaw them and then hold mass-cremations beats me).

Instead this is the story of the people living in a Scottish caravan park. The are all troubled and the cold really is the least of their problems. There is a sense that life wasn't good there before the start of the cold. Also, they never stop talking about the huge iceberg. However, while there's talk about some more drastic apocalyptic things, they aren't shown in the novel.

I found The Sunlight Pilgrims to be very slow, and while I don't need action packed sequences, it felt too much like all the characters were stuck where they were, unable to change anything and resigned in their fate. It was rather depressing. I'm sure tons of people are going to like it a lot, because it is written beautifully, but for me it was not the right book at this time. Or rather it was the wrong book for this time.

Also, on a much lighter note: It felt a little bit strange to read about a monster winter in the middle of summer (even though it's only 18 C these days).

Thanks to Blogging for Books for providing me with a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!