Review by lauri1990 -- Forgiven by Geoff Lawson
Posted: 07 Apr 2019, 13:02
[Following is a volunteer review of "Forgiven" by Geoff Lawson.]
4 out of 4 stars
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The book Forgiven is highly recommended for a multitude of reasons. All readers with an interest in historical fiction, specifically geared towards war-themed events, should invest a portion of their day escaping into Geoff Lawson’s adventures of the late 1800s. The author provides a number of protagonist conflicts throughout the book, leaving the reader hooked, anticipating the next chapter.
Richard Wilson, a farmer of New Zealand, has pined after for Miss Rachel Purdue, beautiful with sophistication, and brought up in a class much higher than he ever hoped to achieve. His desire for adventure led him to enlist in the Second Boer War of South Africa, fighting with the British. While Richard endeavored to combat ruthless enemies in the intelligence group, at times fighting for his life, Rachel and her family fought their own battles at home in Whanganui, New Zealand. Her brother Albert, who encompassed a troublesome past, incurred a substantial debt he was unable to reimburse, causing his sister to be kidnapped and held for ransom. Chapter to chapter, the reader was left questioning whether these two would finally be rejoined or if fate had other ideas, ultimately forcing them apart for a lifetime.
There were several attributes I liked most, which were observed during the course of reading this book. From a historical perspective, the author researched the leaders, locations, movements, and battles of the Second Boer War with impeccable accuracy. The various settings were described in a way to bring a reader unfamiliar with the territory to an understanding of its effect on the plot. There was an obvious social distinction between the British and the soldiers from other countries fighting along with them. Another strategy the author utilized was in the way he shifted back and forth between settings in the past, events occurring at home in New Zealand with Rachel’s family, and Richard’s war experiences. The end of the chapters kept me on the edge of my seat, anxious to continue Richard’s journey. As one who is unfamiliar with this particular war, the strategies, struggles, locations, advances, and battle plans described by Geoff Lawson not only provided a better understanding of South Africa’s struggles during this time period, but lit a desire within myself to research further for the war’s final outcome, not included in the book.
In considering aspects disliked most, these were very few and far between. With limited background knowledge of the South African War and the countries involved, a graphic such as a map, would have been useful, aiding in further understanding of the troop movements. In addition, there seemed to be some unfinished business at the end with Albert Purdue, Rachel’s missing brother. While it is unclear if the author intends to address this issue in a sequel, I wondered what happened to this brother, and whether his issues were resolved at some point.
Forgiven deserves a rating of 4 out of 4 stars. Professionally edited, this work appears essentially flawless with respect to grammatical errors. The mores of the Victorian period, and the effects of not adhering to these standards are particularly evident. The historical accuracy and the author’s craft of intertwining the characters’ various conflicts with satisfying resolutions demonstrate its worthiness of four stars. This book left me wishing there was more at the end and I would highly recommend it.
******
Forgiven
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon | on Smashwords
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4 out of 4 stars
Share This Review
The book Forgiven is highly recommended for a multitude of reasons. All readers with an interest in historical fiction, specifically geared towards war-themed events, should invest a portion of their day escaping into Geoff Lawson’s adventures of the late 1800s. The author provides a number of protagonist conflicts throughout the book, leaving the reader hooked, anticipating the next chapter.
Richard Wilson, a farmer of New Zealand, has pined after for Miss Rachel Purdue, beautiful with sophistication, and brought up in a class much higher than he ever hoped to achieve. His desire for adventure led him to enlist in the Second Boer War of South Africa, fighting with the British. While Richard endeavored to combat ruthless enemies in the intelligence group, at times fighting for his life, Rachel and her family fought their own battles at home in Whanganui, New Zealand. Her brother Albert, who encompassed a troublesome past, incurred a substantial debt he was unable to reimburse, causing his sister to be kidnapped and held for ransom. Chapter to chapter, the reader was left questioning whether these two would finally be rejoined or if fate had other ideas, ultimately forcing them apart for a lifetime.
There were several attributes I liked most, which were observed during the course of reading this book. From a historical perspective, the author researched the leaders, locations, movements, and battles of the Second Boer War with impeccable accuracy. The various settings were described in a way to bring a reader unfamiliar with the territory to an understanding of its effect on the plot. There was an obvious social distinction between the British and the soldiers from other countries fighting along with them. Another strategy the author utilized was in the way he shifted back and forth between settings in the past, events occurring at home in New Zealand with Rachel’s family, and Richard’s war experiences. The end of the chapters kept me on the edge of my seat, anxious to continue Richard’s journey. As one who is unfamiliar with this particular war, the strategies, struggles, locations, advances, and battle plans described by Geoff Lawson not only provided a better understanding of South Africa’s struggles during this time period, but lit a desire within myself to research further for the war’s final outcome, not included in the book.
In considering aspects disliked most, these were very few and far between. With limited background knowledge of the South African War and the countries involved, a graphic such as a map, would have been useful, aiding in further understanding of the troop movements. In addition, there seemed to be some unfinished business at the end with Albert Purdue, Rachel’s missing brother. While it is unclear if the author intends to address this issue in a sequel, I wondered what happened to this brother, and whether his issues were resolved at some point.
Forgiven deserves a rating of 4 out of 4 stars. Professionally edited, this work appears essentially flawless with respect to grammatical errors. The mores of the Victorian period, and the effects of not adhering to these standards are particularly evident. The historical accuracy and the author’s craft of intertwining the characters’ various conflicts with satisfying resolutions demonstrate its worthiness of four stars. This book left me wishing there was more at the end and I would highly recommend it.
******
Forgiven
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon | on Smashwords
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