Somerset
Meacham (Tumbleweeds, 2012) returns to her beloved Tolivers and Warwicks in this prequel to her first surprise best-seller, Roses (2010). Spanning more than six decades, Somerset takes readers back to 1835 as Silas Toliver and Jeremy Warwick, younger sons of wealthy plantation owners, prepare to leave South Carolina in search of greater fortune in Texas. In a classic Meacham twist, Silas is forced to marry Jessica Wyndham, a headstrong heiress who harbors abolitionist sentiments. Love eventually grows between them and they form the foundation upon which retired high-school English teacher Meacham built Roses. Though Meacham sets her tale against the backdrop of historical upheavals, even the Civil War takes a backseat to the Tolivers’ domestic dramas full of intrigue and tragedy. Like many multigenerational sagas, Somerset aims for breadth, not depth, and loses a bit of steam as its original characters, whom Meacham develops with great care, cede the stage to a succession of offspring lacking similar spark. To the author’s credit, Jessica is a tough act to follow. --Patty Wetli