I got an early review copy of Becky by Lenore Hart from LibraryThing's Early Reviewer program, and what a catch! I absolutely LOVED this book!
Imagine Becky Thatcher from The Adventures of Tom Sawyer as an adult. Got it? Now, completely discard that image! Becky is not the prissy girl Mark Twain would have us believe her to be. She is now a mother of 2, married to Tom's cousin, Sid Hopkins, who is soon off to fight in the Civil War, which is nearing its end. The book takes us along with Becky to the battlefield, the Nevada territory, San Francisco, and even Panama. Life is nowhere near easy for Becky and her family, but she is strong throughout her trials.
You do not need to be terribly familiar with the story of Tom Sawyer in order to enjoy this book. My only real experience with Tom Sawyer was a cursory reading in 7th grade, and a similar experience with Huck Finn in 11th grade. Becky is a very solid character, and by no means perfect. Even now, she still carries the love for Tom that began when she was just a schoolgirl.
Read this! You won't regret it!
3 comments:
I, too, receive an early copy, and although I'm not big on historical novels, I loved Becky. The author did a fine job of fleshing out her character and those of the adult Tom, Huck and Jim and gave life of more minor characters. As a Southerner, I was especially interested in the depiction of the Civil War as it took place in the Midwest, events of which I had little knowledge. The writer did a lot of research that did not announce itself as such. That's talent.
Kudos to Ms. Hart!
I just saw your comment on this - sorry it took so long! I enjoyed reading your review, too - being a Southerner myself, I, too, was interested in this perspective.
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