Born of Persuasion

"Later, when I allowed myself to confront the memories, to dwell on the particulars, I realized my arrival at Am Meer marked the beginning.

Not the mysterious letters that drained the life from Mama.

Not her suicide.

And not the two men arriving at dusk, stomping mud from their boots in the foyer, bearing ill tidings.

Nay-not even the disconcerting news that I had a guardian, one who intended to keep me sequestered.

For those happenings were not my story. I was sinless there. They were the end result of events set in motion long before I arrived at the cottage. I could no more have stopped their unfolding than I could have prevented my own birth.

Those of you who were alive that year might well remember the early frost of 1838. My arrival coincided with the hardship faced by farmers that August. Though harvest hadn't quite begun, an overcast sky stretched over the rolling farmlands bringing a reminder of winter's cruel bite. How well I remember the coach jostling down the familiar lane, its wheels grinding through the familiar ruts. I felt no premonition of danger, only relief, sharp and undefiled. At Am Meer, home of my dearest childhood memories, I hoped to find that which I needed most-a respite between the past and my uncertain future." (Pg 1-2).

In the beautifully written novel, Born of Persuasion by Jessica Dotta, she rewards readers with an enriched journey back to the early 1800's in the first novel in the Price of Privilege series. The details and poetic writing style paint the story of the life of seventeen-year-old Julia Elliston. Now faced with an unknown guardian who controls her destiny, she finds solace back in her childhood home with her close friend, Elizabeth Windham and her mother for a time. She believes in the promises made between her and her childhood sweetheart Edward, a romance forbidden by her parents due to their social standings. When he proposed to her and asked her to wait for him, she believed that he was the only hope to her current situation.

If she were to be married to Edward Auburn, she would be released from the guardianship that now holds her future as a servant in Scotland with no family to speak of. However Julia soon discovers that Edward has made some changes of his own taking on the role of the town's vicar, something that goes against Julia's atheist beliefs she was raised on. She realizes now that her only future is to find someone to marry even if it means giving up the hope that she can be happy and marry for love. For Julia there simply is no other answer.

I received Born of Persuasion by Jessica Dotta compliments of Tyndale House Publishers and Christian Fiction Blog Alliance for my honest review. I received no monetary compensation for a favorable review. I was completely enchanted and swept away by this novel, rich in period details that I felt like a private observer in Julia's circumstance. This was a time, when women were considered nothing more than property and their rights were never considered. The only hope for most women was to secure a future with a wealthy family through marriage to the right man in a social standing. They were expected to maintain decorum and remain silent. However Julia's fortunate to have been introduced into society through a wealthy titled dowager that opens up a world of possibilities she never dreamed possible. But will she be able to escape her past to be able to move forward in her future or are their darker forces at work than meets the eye in this story? You'll have to pick this one up to find out. I rate this one a 5 out of 5 stars and can't wait for the next novel Mark of Distinction that you get a sneak peek at in this one. Also included are some great discussion questions perfect for book clubs. A must read for fans of Downton Abbey and Jane Erye!

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Born of Persuasion by Jessica Dotta

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• Series: Price of Privilege (Book 1)
• Paperback: 448 pages
• Publisher: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc. (August 16, 2013)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1414375557
• ISBN-13: 978-1414375557
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.4 x 1.2 inches