BOOK REVIEW | A Lady of High Regard
By lworley416 on Nov 29, 2007 in Historical
A Lady of High Regard
by Tracie Peterson
This book is under the heading of “Ladies of Liberty” so I’m assuming that this is the first book in a series dedicated to special women.
This book is set in Philadelphia in 1852. The “Lady of Liberty” is Mia Stanley. She was born into wealth but isn’t your typical “debutante.” When we first meet her, she’s in her room getting ready to sneak out on a special mission. Her parents had given her permission to write for “Godey’s Lady’s Book” magazine. What they didn’t know was she writing an article about the conditions down on the docks where the seamen’s wives lived. The conditions were horrible and touched Mia’s heart deeply. The situation was also extremely dangerous. As she sneaks out of her room this night she’s followed by a neighbor, Garrett Wilson. Although much older than Mia, the two have always had a special bond. But Mia knows that Garrett would not only never approve of what she’s doing, but would probably tell her parents who would be appalled with her behavior and would make her quit immediately.
When she’s not writing, Mia uses her gift of matchmaking to help her friends find suitable husbands. Her gift seems to only work for others, however as Mia remains unmarried.
The author uses Mia’s research for her story to disclose the real life conditions of the time, in particular what seamen’s wives dealt with. While their husbands were out at sea, or worse, had died at sea, the wives left behind dealt with horrible conditions. Some who owned the apartments where they lived did such things as raising the rent, claiming the husbands owed them large sums of money, etc. To collect on the debts they’d go so far as to make the women give them “special favors” and those who refused could even face watching as their children were taken and sold into slavery. These women and their children worked in dangerous factories to eek out what little money they could make. Although Mia had no idea what it was like to live under such conditions her heart ached for these families. As time goes on she puts herself in extreme danger, taking no thought for her own safety to try to change these conditions.
The author tempers the peril that Mia’s in with romance. As she tries to play matchmaker for a certain gentleman in her life she begins to realize that she just might have feelings for him herself.
This book was very well written. The author has a good balance between Mia as an investigative writer and Mia the young woman with needs of her own. This is a good book for young people to see what the conditions were like at that time. But it’s also got enough action and romance to keep older readers happy as well. I highly recommend this book.
Reviewed by Lynn Worley
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