A Heart Adrift by Laura Frantz
Set in 1755, the colonial years of America, A Heart Adrift is steeped in part of our history that we typically don’t think of — that of the sailors who were called on by the colonists to take on enemy ships by becoming privateers. But the book is far more than that. It is a love story and love unfulfilled. Then there is chocolate, a chocolatier. [This reviewer loves chocolate.]
Set in York in the Colony of Virginia, Captain Henri Lennox has returned after five years at sea. During his absence, Esmée Shaw now fills the two roles close to her deceased mother’s heart–chocolatier and the almshouse. She and Lennox have a … ‘history’.
That’s just the tip of what A Heart Adrift contains. There is Eliza, Esmée’s sister, who in her own way is just as strong as Esmée. Her father is also an Admiral although now retired. But active in the colonial government.
Review
Based on the history of the period and dialogue in the vernacular of the period, Laura Frantz has employed considerable research into this book as well as others she has written set in this period of history. The dialogue takes a bit of getting used to, but I personally enjoyed looking up words where I was only guessing the meaning. Reading on a Kindle made this easy by either using the dictionary or search/web option. The terminology was spot on for the period.
The characters are rich. The scenes, especially those set on the fictitious Indigo Island, were so well done I could visualize them easily. The pacing was a bit slow at first perhaps because of the dialogue, but interesting enough to keep me reading. Then I was hooked. I had to learn more. For a genealogy nut like me, the book became a must-finish.
Ms. Frantz often employs short chapters instead of dividers to separate the scenes. Re the terminology: I would hope there is an appendix in the print books as I can’t imagine looking up words, even as easy as it is today, as often as I did on my Kindle. Be sure to read the “Author Note” after completing the book.
I received a complimentary e-ARC* copy of A Heart Adrift from the publisher, Revell, via NetGalley. A positive review was not required; the opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.
Rating: 4 stars due to 18th-century terminology and no terminology appendix/preface for the print reader.
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e-ARC* — electronic Advanced Reader Copy.
Updated: 1/20/2022 – moved to review format.
