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Meets Expectations:
4.1 out Of 5
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Displaying items 6-10 of 24
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  1. Marianne
    Wanham, Alberta
    Age: 55-65
    Gender: female
    5 Stars Out Of 5
    a great novel
    January 10, 2014
    Marianne
    Wanham, Alberta
    Age: 55-65
    Gender: female
    Quality: 5
    Value: 5
    Meets Expectations: 5
    This review was written for Carolina Gold.
    I was fascinated to learn that the title of this novel refers to rice. And not just anywhere, but rice grown on plantations in the South Carolina Lowcountry.

    Dorothy Love did such a impressive job of igniting my imagination that I want to travel down the Waccamaw and Pee Dee Rivers and see for myself the grandeur of the old rice plantations. The authors use of vivid imagery transported me. This story, told from the view point of a young Charlotte Fraser takes place just after the civil war and deals with the struggles the southern farmers had with finding reliable workers. The novel is concerned with many subtitles, reconstruction of the southern states, tutoring, women farmers, as well as the yellow-fever which plagued the port cities of Charleston, New Orleans, and others,. It is done with empathy, and great talent as I felt the devastation of not finding the workers to put in the crop, the lack of money and the need to find a way to survive. And then the storms came and took the crop. Many of these things still concern and stress farmers today, though much has been done to alleviate their anxiety.

    I received this book free from Amy Lathrop at Litfuse Publicity Group and Thomas Nelson Publishers in exchange for an honest review. A positive critique was not required. The opinions are my own.
  2. Vera
    North Carolina
    Age: Over 65
    Gender: female
    5 Stars Out Of 5
    Historically accurate glimpse into post-Civil War
    January 9, 2014
    Vera
    North Carolina
    Age: Over 65
    Gender: female
    Quality: 5
    Value: 5
    Meets Expectations: 5
    This review was written for Carolina Gold.
    The ruination of the South was rampant following the Civil War and the landed families suffered greatly. Prior to the war they were possessors of land that was their primary source of income through the venue of cotton and rice crops. They were mostly self-sustained in that they also produced their own food. Their ability to work the land was based on the use of slaves to labor in the fields. Slaves were fed, clothed, and housed on the property of the owner. Some were well cared for and others were mistreated gravely. The Civil War emancipated the slave. But the slaves' emancipation did not resolve all their problems, but it did thrust upon the freed slave and the former slave owners problems of equally as great a magnitude.

    In Carolina Gold, a South Carolina plantation is now owned by the daughter, Charlotte, and she is determined to resume growing the plantation's crop of rice — called "Carolina Gold." She engages freed slaves to work for her and agrees to their payment terms. The hired laborers prove to be undependable and do not honor their agreement. Some of this problem is based on their attitude toward a former plantation owner being the one for whom they are working and one of the problems most likely stems from their not desiring to work for a woman. Charlotte is definitely moving in uncharted territory as she works to bring her plantation back to productive status.

    Charlotte is resourceful and secures a bank loan to purchase seed and to pay salaries of former slaves engaged to now work the land as freedmen, and she also undertakes the tutoring of two young daughters of a neighbor. But as with many farming endeavors past and present, disaster in the form of weather strikes and most of the crop is lost. But Charlotte continues to persevere.

    This story provides the reader with a historically accurate glimpse into post-Civil War South Carolina. The characters present some of the still-intact grace the Southern landed class had prior to the war and how they endured the hardships placed upon them as a result of war. It also gave a glimpse into the freed slave and how they began to establish themselves in the labor market as free men and women.

    Having grown up in a Southern coastal city and knowing that area once had a rice producing plantation, the story Carolina Gold (the rice and the production of it) was not entirely foreign to me and it shed interesting history on the demise of rice as a crop in the South. I found the story an interesting read and enjoyable. I especially found the two girls Charlotte tutored to be delightful. The sweet romance that eventually blossomed between Charlotte and Nicholas was pleasant.

    DISCLOSURE: I received a complimentary copy of Carolina Gold in exchange for my honest review. Opinions expressed are solely my own and I received no compensation for this review.
  3. Wanda
    NC
    Age: 35-44
    Gender: female
    5 Stars Out Of 5
    Carolina Gold by Dorothy Love
    January 8, 2014
    Wanda
    NC
    Age: 35-44
    Gender: female
    This review was written for Carolina Gold.
    I have read a few books by Dorothy Love and I have never been disappointed. Although I completely loved the others this book was even a notch above the rest. For some reason I love stories revolving around war and it's devastation. I think it's because I love to read about how the characters deal with it emotionally, spiritually and physically. The main thing I loved about this book was Charlotte's strength and determination. She is a woman to look up to, a woman of substance. I enjoyed her character the most but each character endeared themselves to me in their own way. Nicholas was selfless. He worked tirelessly over the sick even after he had given up his life as a doctor and you could see the love he had for his daughters. I also loved Daniel Graves, the young boy Charlotte found sleeping in one of her former slave cabins. He had the most ambition to be so young. I couldn't read a part with him in it without smiling at his determination to make something of himself. I really hope there is a book about him later on. The characters were so enjoyable and true to life but even more enjoyable was the story itself. What are great characters without a great story? Dorothy Love delivers both. Her plot was so in depth describing the aftermath of the war and the ravages of yellow fever. It was so well written I lived through the characters and felt as if I were on a southern plantation fighting to save my livelihood one minute and mopping the burning forehead of a fever induced victim the next. If you want great romantic fiction with depth, spirituality, and amazing characters then I highly recommend you read Carolina Gold because Dorothy Love never disappoints!

    Disclaimer: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher for my honest review. The opinions stated are mine alone and are honest a forthright. If I recommend a book it's because I truly enjoyed it. I received NO monetary compensation for this review.
  4. debwilson
    Summerfield, FL
    Age: 18-24
    Gender: female
    5 Stars Out Of 5
    January 4, 2014
    debwilson
    Summerfield, FL
    Age: 18-24
    Gender: female
    Quality: 5
    Value: 5
    Meets Expectations: 5
    The war is over, but at Fairhaven Plantation, Charlotte's struggle has just begun.

    Following her father's death, Charlotte Fraser returns to Fairhaven, her family's rice plantation in the South Carolina Lowcountry. With no one else to rely upon, smart, independent Charlotte is determined to resume cultivating the superior strain of rice called Carolina Gold. But the war has left the plantation in ruins, her father's former bondsmen are free, and workers and equipment are in short supply.

    To make ends meet, Charlotte reluctantly agrees to tutor the two young daughters of her widowed neighbor and heir to Willowood Plantation, Nicholas Betancourt. Just as her friendship with Nick deepens, he embarks upon a quest to prove his claim to Willowood and sends Charlotte on a dangerous journey that uncovers a long-held family secret, and threatens everything she holds dear.

    Inspired by the life of a 19th-century woman rice farmer, Carolina Gold pays tribute to the hauntingly beautiful Lowcountry and weaves together mystery, romance, and historical detail, bringing to life the story of one young woman's struggle to restore her ruined world.

    My Review:

    Charlotte is a remarkable young woman with perseverance that spans the annals of time. Her ability to keep going despite her circumstances is a true example of what the human spirit is capable of. What captured my attention the most about this story was how everyone pulled together to rebuild after the Civil War. and Love. I was blown away with the way the author portrayed the unity and harmony of the Fairhaven Plantation despite such trying times.

    Love relates in perfect detail the time period that this novel is set in. I learned many new facts about rice plantations, the time after the Civil War, and the concept of living near the beach during the summer. I enjoy novels that open up to worlds to me, that teach me about things I've never heard of, and take me places I can never visit. Love does an excellent job of doing all of these things, while also writing a romance as a beautiful backdrop to the story. The author never overwhelms us with the romantic side of things, and that makes this a novel an exemplary piece of fiction that belongs on every historical fiction fan's bookshelf.

    This book was provided by the publisher through Litfuse Nest for free in exchange for an honest review.
  5. debwilson
    Summerfield, FL
    Age: 18-24
    Gender: female
    5 Stars Out Of 5
    January 4, 2014
    debwilson
    Summerfield, FL
    Age: 18-24
    Gender: female
    Quality: 5
    Value: 5
    Meets Expectations: 5
    This review was written for Carolina Gold.
    The war is over, but at Fairhaven Plantation, Charlotte's struggle has just begun.

    Following her father's death, Charlotte Fraser returns to Fairhaven, her family's rice plantation in the South Carolina Lowcountry. With no one else to rely upon, smart, independent Charlotte is determined to resume cultivating the superior strain of rice called Carolina Gold. But the war has left the plantation in ruins, her father's former bondsmen are free, and workers and equipment are in short supply.

    To make ends meet, Charlotte reluctantly agrees to tutor the two young daughters of her widowed neighbor and heir to Willowood Plantation, Nicholas Betancourt. Just as her friendship with Nick deepens, he embarks upon a quest to prove his claim to Willowood and sends Charlotte on a dangerous journey that uncovers a long-held family secret, and threatens everything she holds dear.

    Inspired by the life of a 19th-century woman rice farmer, Carolina Gold pays tribute to the hauntingly beautiful Lowcountry and weaves together mystery, romance, and historical detail, bringing to life the story of one young woman's struggle to restore her ruined world.

    My Review:

    Charlotte is a remarkable young woman with perseverance that spans the annals of time. Her ability to keep going despite her circumstances is a true example of what the human spirit is capable of. What captured my attention the most about this story was how everyone pulled together to rebuild after the Civil War. and Love. I was blown away with the way the author portrayed the unity and harmony of the Fairhaven Plantation despite such trying times.

    Love relates in perfect detail the time period that this novel is set in. I learned many new facts about rice plantations, the time after the Civil War, and the concept of living near the beach during the summer. I enjoy novels that open up to worlds to me, that teach me about things I've never heard of, and take me places I can never visit. Love does an excellent job of doing all of these things, while also writing a romance as a beautiful backdrop to the story. The author never overwhelms us with the romantic side of things, and that makes this a novel an exemplary piece of fiction that belongs on every historical fiction fan's bookshelf.

    This book was provided by the publisher through Litfuse Nest for free in exchange for an honest review.
Displaying items 6-10 of 24
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