novelreviews.blogspot.com
Well-written, emotionally charged, unexpected plot twists, and an amazing balance of foreshadowing with backstory all lend to a remarkable debut novel.... Klassen has captured the best of Austen and Brontë.... Overall this is a fantastic narrative that will draw you into the era and wreak havoc with your emotions.
—Michelle Griep
Blogcritics.org
Lady of Milkweed Manor will warm the heart of any mother - experienced or to-be. Women of all ages will find in it not only a beautiful tale but a fascinating study of women's roles in a time not so terribly distant. I'd say bravo on a fine debut and here's hoping for another finely crafted historical from Klassen soon.
—Violet Nesdoly
edgyinspirationalauthor.blogspot.com
This is truly one of the most emotionally gripping novels I've ever read and it is sure to make my best of 2008 list. My heart pounded with anticipation so many times I lost count. Just when I thought I knew what would happen next, something different took place. The author did an amazing job pulling the reader into Charlotte's life. I longed for her happiness. And there were so many powerful subplots that my head is still swimming with amazement, and my heart is still gripped by this strangely sad, yet hopeful and deeply romantic tale of love and loss, of sacrifice and reward. Bottom line...This story is so full of passion that it will make your heart sing.
—Michelle Sutton
books-movies-chinesefood.blogspot.com
This was an excellent first novel and one of the best historical novels I've read this year. I am looking forward to Julie Klassen's next book. HIGHLY recommended.
—Deborah Khuanghlawn
Publishers Weekly
In this inspirational historical romance debut novel set in 19th-century England, a young pregnant woman is forced to make difficult choices. Twenty-year-old Charlotte Lamb is the daughter of a heartless English vicar, as we discover when she becomes pregnant and he throws her out of her childhood home. Vulnerable and unprotected, she is forced to a lodging place for unwed mothers. Soon, Lamb must make decisions involving true love and sacrifice, providing many powerful turning points throughout the story. Although Klassen occasionally lapses into back-to-back dialogue, her prose is generally smooth, and Charlotte has the reader's sympathy from the earliest pages. The amount of information about wet nurses, lactation and breastfeeding can become weighty, although often intriguing (such as the practice of using goats to directly feed foundling infants to avoid the spread of syphilis). Faith themes are subtly woven throughout. The reader will need to suspend disbelief to enjoy some of the plot twists, especially the happily-ever-after ending, which provides the redemptive conclusion common to Christian fiction. A bonus is the milkweed poetry, lore and symbolism knitted into the narrative. Both readers of faith fiction and general readers of historical romance should enjoy this lovely first offering from Klassen. (Jan.)
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