Review: Set in Colonial New York
Rating: 3 out of 5
Date: 08 24, 2012
I found GENESEE generally well-researched, realistic in many ways, and interesting. The novel hung heavy, almost depressing in places, however. I also found some minor weak areas. In addition, the cover has now been changed, and I think the new one is much less appealing than the old one.It is unlikely a backwoods Dutch family in 1777 would have had a patchwork quilt, and certainly an Indian with them would be even less likely. The first quilts in America, like in Europe, were whole cloth ones, but these were time consuming and expensive to make. Patchwork isn't as expensive, but it reqires even more time. Those trying to survive the wilderness rarely had the extra time. Patchwork didn't become common until up in the 1800's.After Jenny goes back to the plantation from Albany, the story slows somewhat, and it almost becomes dark and depressive. For one thing, at first, we get both Jenny's and Alex's point of view. Then, it became only Jenny's, and Alex was harder to like, because I didn't understand where some of his actions were coming from. I needed to know his thoughts. Jenny knew Jean Desbrosses wanted her and that he was ruthless. Therefore, it made little sense that Jenny would believe him when he told her Alex was courting a widow now. After all, Alex had promised to wed Jenny several times and even given her a handfast ring. The action picks up again near the end, when her Cayuga father and a band of Irish Tories and Indians capture Jenny. Jenny learns that Jean Desbrosses has been playing both sides for profit during the war, and Black Wolf plans to trick his final efforts to wed Jenny, yet the man never turns up in the novel again. I hate loose ends like this.The story has a resolution and ending, but it is short and rather ordinary. It was told as much as shown. This was somewhat of a letdown. I thought perhaps it was set up for a sequel, but this doesn't seem to be the case. I still consider the novel to be a good historical romance, however.