Great story of a overlooked period of North American hisoty (1760s)

It takes a particular skill to write a dual time period novel and make it work seamlessly. It is something Susanna Kearsley does very well. Too often in such novels the switches between times seem jarring to me, but with Kearsley this is seldom the case. I suppose you could say her books are somewhat formulaic, but she researches her historical era well and includes some actual figures from the time, which adds authenticity.

In Bellewether, the setting is the Wilde House, a New York colonial home that is being turned into a museum because it was once the home of a famous Revolutionary War pirate, Benjamin Wilde. Charlotte (Charley) Van Hoek has been hired to curate the museum, and she becomes interested in a local tale about Benjamin’s sister, Lydia, and a love affair she had with a French prisoner of war who was housed in her home and murdered during the French and Indian Wars. I enjoyed that the time she selected is not one that is often covered and that her characters behaved in ways that would have been appropriate to the time.

When I read this kind of novel, I generally enjoy the historical elements more than the present-time ones. It is evident that this is a well-researched history, with every element ringing true, but I found the modern-day story held my interest as well.

Of course, if you are expecting to close the book and come away with something profound or life-changing, this isn’t the book to read, but if you are just looking for a book that is fun, holds your interest and takes you out of the everyday world for a while, this would be just the right choice.
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"It’s 1759, war is raging, and families are torn apart by divided loyalties and deadly secrets.

In this complex and dangerous time, a young French Canadian lieutenant is captured and billeted with a Long Island family, an unwilling and unwelcome guest. As he begins to pitch in with the never-ending household tasks and farm chores, Jean-Philippe de Sabran finds himself drawn to the daughter of the house. Slowly, Lydia Wilde comes to lean on Jean-Philippe, true soldier and gentleman, until their lives become inextricably intertwined." ( )

Charley Van Hoek has come to Long Island to offer support to her niece after the sudden death of her father, Charley's brother Niels. Van Hoek is a famous name in the area. Her grandmother still lives there though Charley has never met her. Charley's father was opposed to the Vietnam War and left to live in Canada which caused a major rift in the family.

Charley has taken a job as a museum curator at Wilde House, most famous for being the home of Benjamin Wilde a patriot during the Revolutionary War. But Charley becomes more fascinated with a ghost story she is told by one of the board, himself a descendent of the Wildes. It seems that during the French and Indian War the Wildes took in a couple of French officers who had given their paroles. Legend says that the daughter of the house Lydia fell in love with one of them who was murdered by Lydia's brother. Then Lydia herself died at age twenty-one. It is said that the French soldier wanders the woods lighting the way for Lydia to follow so that they could run away together. Charley would like to try to prove the story and add it to the story that the museum is to tell, but a few of the board members are quite opposed.

The story is told from three points of view. Charley has the present time and we watch her investigate the mystery, deal with her grief and her niece's, and fall in love with the contractor restoring the house.

The second point of view is Lydia's. She tells of her life at the end of the French and Indian War as she deals with grief at the loss of her fiancé and tries to help her brother Joseph heal from the mental damage done to him by being caught in one of the battles. She also finds herself dealing with the growing unrest in the colonies rising from the British Empire's unfair treatment.

The final point of view is that of Jean-Philippe who is one of the two French lieutenants quartered with the Wildes. Jean-Baptiste is French-Canadian. He is an officer in the Troupes de la Marine and spent a year with the Seneca when he was ten. He is loyal to his King, brave, and kind. He also speaks no English and the Wildes no French. While the second officer there with him does speak English and can translate, Jean-Philippe gets most of his clues about his situation by observation.

The story is filled with wonderful characters both in the past and in the present. It also shines a light on some things the history books often miss. I wasn't really aware that slavery was a fact in both the Northern United States and in Canada. And while I had heard about the Acadians, I didn't know that any of them went to New York. I knew little about the French and Indian War and little about the build-up to the American Revolution. While being completely engaged in the stories in the present and the past, I still learned a lot about history while reading this story.

I loved the romances and the parallels between the two time periods as Lydia gradually comes to love Jean-Philippe while Charley falls in love with Sam.

This was another excellent story by Kearsley and it was well-narrated by Tim Campbell, Megan Tusing and Sarah Mollo-Christensen. ( )

The author offers an extremely well-researched novel with prose that flows beautifully. She weaves the two storylines well and keeps the plot moving steadily. This was a lovely character-driven novel – both primary and secondary characters are well developed.

The pace of this story is slow (at times, there is a great amount of detail on the curating process). While on reflection this plot was not packed with action, it still managed to keep me turning pages.

This is a story about relationships, grief, and what we do for those we love.

I appreciate it when an author introduces me to a piece of history of which I little knowledge beyond the basic facts taught in school. (Yes, this is fiction, but it piqued my interest to learn more.) Bellewether was an engaging read with the right blend of history and drama.

Many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book. ( )