Attorney of Austin

Proper Pursuit, A

Description

20-year-old Violet Hayes is distressed to learn that her father is remarrying-and that her mother, whom Violet believed lay recovering from a mysterious illness in a sanitarium somewhere, had in fact simply abandoned her family and filed for divorce. To escape a stepmother-to-be she can't stand, Violet heads to Chicago to stay with her grandmother and great-aunts. Although she's recently graduated from a genteel school for young ladies, it's in Chicago that Violet's real education begins. One great-aunt tries to persuade her to join the suffrage movement, while another introduces Violet to elite society and urges her to catch a wealthy husband. Her grandmother, who takes her cues from Jane Addams, introduces Violet to the world of revivalist Christianity and inner-city good works, prompting Violet to re-examine her own faith. Two questions drive the plot: will Violet find her mother, and will she encounter true love? Readers will enjoy accompanying Violet as she discovers the answers, her calling and her adult self.

Reviews

Rating: 5 / 5
Date: 2010-09-02
Summary: "Fun, Historical Adventure,Held Me Captive Till The End!"

I LOVED, Lynn Austen's "A Proper Pursuit"! Violet is one of my favorite heroines. She was Sweet, Spunky and FUN!
I very much enjoyed the historical info about the 1893 Chicago World's Fair,and this book has caused me to seek out more info about it. There was much humor in this book,and some mystery,and I never lost interest,at all. I appreciated how well we got to know all the characters,and was excited to see how things played out for each of them. Even though I guessed the twist concerning Violet's true love,I am still happy with this book.

A very nice feel-good,fun book to read,that is also interesting.

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Rating: 4 / 5
Date: 2010-08-24
Summary: "Really enjoyed it."

I really liked Violet Hayes! She is spunky and genuine despite the oppressive, uptight environment she grows up in. She has 3 aunts who are so different from each other. They all play their part in teaching Violet something about herself. It was neat to see the growing up process that was caused by all the new experiences she had. Sometimes the author did get a little preachy but it didny annoy me enough to turn me off of the book. I am a sucker for any decent historical fiction though.

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Rating: 5 / 5
Date: 2010-08-21
Summary: "A great read"

Lynn Austin books are usually more somber than this one. I found myself laughing so hard it hurt while reading this one. I highly recommend it just for the laughter.. the plot is a bit odd... and really does not mean much to the entirety of the novel. This was just a really enjoyable read. I do get a little tired of all her books containing the same things about women's rights etc. I still really liked this one. So many different characters. The main character is extremely loveable and human. No perfect heroine in this book. I enjoyed reading her triumphs and her disasters. In short, a must read for Lynn Austin fans or anyone who enjoys a good novel.

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Rating: 4 / 5
Date: 2010-08-11
Summary: "Had no idea it was Christian Fiction"

I downloaded this on my Kindle when it was offered for free a month or two ago. I'd never heard of the book or the author, but the story seemed interesting.

I started it on the beach yesterday and finished it today, I'm glad I didn't read any of the reviews beforehand or I wouldn't have read it if I knew it was a "Christian" book. Not because I have anything against Christians, I just figured it would be preachy and smug. I really did enjoy it though; it wasn't until the end that I figured out that there may be a Christian angle to it, only when Violet asked Silas if he was a believer. What? To me that came out of nowhere, that's when the light bulb went off, duh. Honestly though I still wasn't totally sure if it was Christian fiction or not, but just based on that one exchange between the two lead characters I had a feeling it might be so I came on the Amazon site to "research". Base on the reviews apparently my hunch was right :-)

There were parts of the books that were religious, but they were perfectly relevant to the plot. In no way does the author try and jam it down your throat. She goes into the same about of detail when she talks about Women's Rights, the Chicago Worlds Fair, Chicago Fire or immigrant slums and sweat shops. Religion is just ONE aspect of the book, a lot of themes are covered.

Great book for the beach. If you like Christian fiction I really have no idea how "A Proper Pursuit" stacks up, but if you like light Historical fiction with likable characters pick this one up.

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Rating: 4 / 5
Date: 2010-07-30
Summary: "Ending is missing"

I loved the story line. But the ending is missing! It stops where they are talking about butterflies and moths. Where can I go to get the whole book?