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Sacred Intentions (2000)

by Roxane Tepfer Sanford(Favorite Author)

3.98 of 5 Votes: 4

languge

English

genre

Historical Fiction

series

Arrington

review 1: Absolutey loved it!! You are a splendid writer Roxane, and have a dedicated reader here. Can't wait for more books of yours to read. A prequel book to the Arrington series of how it all began. Takes place during the time of slavery at its end and the beginning of the civil war. A young girl forced to grow up way too fast as her father marries a woman he doesn't love, but is able to run the home. She is of strictness, he is of what in the day would be called weak when it comes to his slaves and keeping the upperhand. The stepmother has much anger and resentment to amelia who falls in love with her half brother she meets during wartime. This book has many twists and is a definite page turner that you can't put down. A few parts will through you for a loop just when you thin... morek you got it all figured out.
review 2: 4.5 Dysfunctional family stars out of 5!Wow I never knew so much drama could go on before and during the Civil War!This was a fantastic book, and thank you to Roxane Tepfer Sanford for allowing me to read this early copy.I really loved the fact that this was told from Amelia’s point of view and loved getting the “back story” about the characters that lived in Sutton Hall. Great to find out who Amelia, Patrick Garrett, Warren Stone, Hattie, Jacob Thomas, Abigail and of course Lilian’s psycho grandmother Eugenia.Amelia is Lilian’s mother and the story starts when she is about the age Lilian was at the beginning of The Girl in the Lighthouse. I can’t believe how similar Amelia and Lilian are. I mean sure they’re mother and daughter, but both seem to be very naïve around the men in their lives. Maybe it is the era these books are set in, but I can’t believe they could both get themselves into these similar situations with the men that they put their trust into. Sometimes these aren’t the best men to trust though.Amelia’s mother died giving birth to her and she has carried this guilt with her throughout her life. She spent the early years in absolute happiness with her Daddy, Mammy Abigail and her “sister” Hattie. However when Thomas Arrington meets Eugenia Norton and decides to marry her, Amelia’s life is turned upside down. Mammy and Hattie are no longer treated like part of the family and are sent to live in the cabins with the rest of the slaves. Amelia is told not to spend time with them and when Abigail gives birth to Amelia’s half-brother Jacob Thomas, Eugenia becomes even worse. As Amelia grows into a young woman she becomes confused with the feelings she is experiencing about the different men entering her life and her complete psycho step-mother isn’t helping by putting the fear of god into her. She keeps telling her that she is the devil’s child and just like her tramp mother. Her father is no help as he no longer takes the time to listen to her or take notice of her life anymore and when the Civil War begins he joins up and leaves her alone with Eugenia.I kept feeling that Perry Montgomery was familiar for some reason, but not sure why. I thought that he maybe had been in The Girl in the Lighthouse or All that is Beautiful but obviously not.Warren Stone – well what can I say about him. If he was around in today’s times I am sure he would really need to be locked up. A real charmer but a complete and utter sleaze bag as well.Patrick Garrett – an interesting character. I still think that there was more beneath the surface between him and Amelia’s mother that just her being the servant in his home and comforting him when his mother died. I would be interested to know exactly how old he was when she died.Thomas Arrington – He wasn’t your typical southern plantation owner of the time as he treated his slaves with some dignity, especially Abigail as he truly loved her, however he became what I like to call “A spineless jellyfish” when he married Eugenia. He let her take over and rule the plantation with an iron fist and lost any respect I may have had for him.Eugenia – She is just one bitter and twisted piece of work. Usually when there is a character in a book that is just pure evil, they usually start off nice but something makes them change. Eugenia however, started off evil and only showed a small piece of humanity for a couple of brief periods. But even during those times, she still treated Amelia like a piece of dirt.As an Australian and somebody who wasn't raised learning about the Civil War, I really found this interesting as it was told from a different point of view from the "normal" stories we hear about. Told through the eyes of a teenage girl living in Savannah and whose best friend is the daughter of a slave, certainly gives a different spin on things.Can’t wait for the final product to be released and I will then read all three together. less

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