I've always been fascinated with historical fiction, especially one written as a backdrop against historical facts, as in this case of the Blue Hour by Vicki Righettini as her debut novel. Yet don't let that dissuade you from venturing forth with our main strong-willed and determined female lead, Emily Wainwright, who at 26 is what society in most parts deems a spinster. Coming from a well-defined family who is financially well off, she wonders what her future will hold for her. As the book opens in a prologue, we understand what will happen to her husband Samuel, and the saga of how she arrived at that point will be covered in the remainder of the novel to catch us up to date on what prompted her decisions to marry Samuel Todd. a man she considers a fine catch for someone of her age.
He manages to convince Emily that her future lies along the same path as his, one that means you can start over again in Oregon as part of a party of wagoners to make their home receiving parcels of land upon venturing out west. For a single man, it is 160 acres but a married man can receive double and so that is the basis for his romancing Emily, only she doesn't know it. She just sees Samuel as the only future prospect she might receive as a husband of a strong-willed and educated woman, thanks to her father who has denied her nothing despite what society deems a proper woman ought to receive. Even though he has strong objections against her marrying Samuel, he knows that Emily is well educated enough to make her own decisions when it comes to her future and that he has very little to fear in sending her off out West.
Yet no matter how much they attempted to plan on what hazards they may face on the Oregon Trail, nothing will prepare them not only for the adversity they will face both in dealing with others on the trail, but the dangers along the way. The only thing she doesn't make plans for is how much life will change Samuel and the small ways his deceptive practices will slowly leak out along the way, causing her to question not only what she will do, but how she will survive such a mean and often times violent man, who has no real love for her, only what she can provide for him until he has everything he wants. Life can be hard enough for someone venturing out West in search of a new future and hope, but when it appears that the man you married isn't the man you thought after all, perhaps the stranger is the one thing she should fear the most.
I received The Blue Hour by Vicki Righettini compliments of Mill City Press and Virtual Author Book Tours. This is such an incredible novel because the author does such an exceptional job at the details to make the story come alive. You find yourself along with Emily as she struggles from trying to understand the basics of cooking over an open flame and dealing with the fact she must walk the entire way, while her husband drives the wagon to avoid overloading the oxen team with any extra weight. Not sure no matter how much I was trying to prepare for that, just that task alone would wear me out, not to mention, dealing with all the duties women had to provide for, from cooking, laundry and moving items in and out of the wagons. For me, this one rated a 4.5 out of 5 stars and will be adding her name next to my must read author's page.
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