Review by Auntie57 -- Forgiven by Geoff Lawson

[Auntie57]

[Following is a volunteer review of "Forgiven" by Geoff Lawson.]

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4 out of 4 stars

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Forgiven by Geoff Lawson is a work of historical fiction set in the Victorian era. The story is told from the point of view of a young New Zealand soldier fighting in the Boer Wars. The story opens with Richard in Cape Colony, South Africa in 1899.
This story is about two young people who fall in love. Rachael Purdue is the daughter of a wealthy businessman who falls in love with Richard, a young man who was born and raised on a farm in New Zealand, during the late 19th century. The love story has numerous pitfalls, one being the different social classes of Rachael and Richard. Second Rachael’s father has some misgivings about their love, and sets certain criteria that must be adhered to before they become engaged. To counter the restrictions placed upon them by Rachael’s father, Richard enlists to fight in the Boer War. After being stationed in South Africa, he must circumvent the situations into which he has landed himself.
The story is told on two fronts simultaneously, Richards life as a soldier in South Africa and Rachael’s life in New Zealand awaiting his return. The time apart was essential to the characters, because it allowed them to grow and develop individually, instead as one unit in the form of a couple. Both characters were allowed to expand and prove themselves worthy of the love they shared.
Besides being a love story, Geoff Lawson also brought to life a piece of history that has been mostly forgotten. The Boer Wars in South Africa is a part of history not well known about by me. With his descriptions of the landscapes and people of that era let me see into a new world that I had so little knowledge of prior to reading this novel, except to know there was a such an event called the Boer Wars. During the reading I had to do a little research on the Boers, which only added to the enhancement of the story. As the story developed, I became more and more engrossed with the events developing in the story, that I had an extremely hard time putting the book down.
I am giving Forgiven 4 out of 4 stars. The story has a few grammatical errors that in no way detract from the beautiful and compelling story line. I was spellbound by the well-rounded characters portrayed throughout the novel. I recommend this book for both teens and adults.

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Forgiven
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