Friday, September 30, 2022

VICTORIA’S QUEST by Nancy Hagen Patchen - Review

 


            In this totally absorbing historical-fiction novel we meet Victoria, a young woman in the 1800’s, at various stages of her life. First as a child, living in a lighthouse, we are privy to the hardship she endures. Her parents are finely drawn – the strict, over-bearing, religious father, the effervescent but stifled mother whose only escape is in light-heartedly playing the piano.

            The author seems to have great knowledge of the functioning of an ancient lighthouse, with details that illuminate us as well as the cliff-crashing ocean below. In fact, this period in Victoria’s childhood has many dramatic shifts that keeps the reader involved in this young girl’s development.

            However, there is a parallel story that brings another aspect of her life into focus. Time has passed, and, now a young woman, we find her captive in a convent shelter for pregnant unmarried girls. There is an engrossing description of the harsh atmosphere in such a place and every detail rings true. There is a mystery regarding the identity of the man who is father to Victoria’s child that is only revealed later. Meanwhile, there are heartbreaking scenes when we meet the other young mothers and realize their plight in this unsympathetic and judgmental world.

            As this is historical-fiction, and the era is mid 1800’s, the sudden vivid introduction of the Civil War adds a blazing focus on ordinary life at the time. This comes close to breaking our hearts as the losses and the numbers so coolly add up. As experienced by this particular young woman, it brings tragedy that threatens to shatter her life and the future of those she loves.

            For my usually non-fiction aficionado husband, Ralph, this turned out to be a 3 a.m. read which, when I worked at Dell Publishing, was the key mark of a great book. His comment was that “It reads as if it’s true… it’s fiction that reads like non-fiction!”

            Plaudits to author Patchen for taking us on this journey into a past world where unknown people, such as Victoria, lived and loved so bravely.

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