Welcome to Litsy!

As a native Cincinnatian I appreciated a novel set in our city‘s early years. As a descendant of abolitionists I appreciate a story that helps me imagine what I would have done had I been there.

The book covers about 30 years, and the skips in time seem a little disjointed and uneven. But overall a solid character-driven story. June #bookspin done!

June‘s #BookSpin and #DoubleSpin selections as chosen by @TheAromaofBooks

These are both books that have been low on my TBR pile, so I‘m looking forward to marking them off.

What a interesting read. The characters are so well written and connected you hold your breath waiting to see what happens next. @michellelav you are going to love it.

Looking forward to starting this.

Irish immigrants ✅
Underground Railroad ✅
Set in my home state of Ohio ✅
This work of historical fiction held many of my favorite topics. An immigrant Irish family, facing challenges & making their way in Cincinnati, unwittingly falls into abetting runaways on the Underground Railroad.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

I still have to finish two more books by the end of the year, but in the meantime I‘m going to call the tagged book my #FavoriteDecemberRead because I think it needs some more love from Litsy. Here are the rest.
-Force of Nature (Harper) 🇦🇺
-Christmas Cake Murder (Fluke) 👎🏻
-Ellen‘s Lion (Johnson) 🦁
-Winter at the Door (Graves) 🌲
#hollyjollyreading
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Life in pre-Civil War Cincinnati is not very #jolly for Olivia Givens and her family, but it‘s not boring either! After immigrating from Belfast, she deals with the loss of her parents, her brothers‘ quirky personalities, provincial society‘s expectations, the shifting sands of abolition and slavery...and more! Though I‘m tiring a bit of the elderly-woman-looks-back-on-her-life trope, I enjoyed this book. Olivia is great! #hollyjollyreading

Ohio Valley, 1818-1890: An Irish immigrant family navigates slavery and abolition, with varied opinions on these things. The siblings take different paths in life but remain loyal to one another throughout. I LOVED IT, especially sister Olivia who tells the story. She is progressive and opinionated, and this sets the course for her life and gets her in a little trouble with society. Religion, parenthood, and marriage are also explored. SO GOOD!!

Superb historical fiction. Follows 3 Irish immigrant siblings in America throughout most of the 19th century - excellent story encompassing aboltionism, entrepreneurial ideas, and the inchoate idea of the independence of women. Recommended. Thanks, WilliamMorrow, for the advance copy!

Book mail!! Had to start this right away! Three siblings from Ireland making their way in early 19th century America. Only 14 pages in and I‘m immersed in it.