Although she wrote a number of Westerns as Maggie Osborne, I always liked Margaret St. George’s series romances. (I have a soft spot for the one that managed to combine a royal princess and bat guano.)
American Pie by Margaret St. George
(1990, Nineteenth Century New York) 6/28/12
Grade: 3
When Polish immigrant Lucie Kolska arrives in New York, she is determined to find her part of the American dream. But she can’t stop thinking about Irishman Jamie Kelly, who’s also struggling as a new immigrant. Can Lucie and Jamie find a place in the new world, and can they set aside the old attitudes to make a new life?
This was a really interesting story in an unusual setting (1890’s New York) but the romance really lacked drama. The hero and heroine fell in love at first sight in the first chapter of the book, and there really wasn’t any conflict between them up until nearly the end. (Her brother’s disapproval seemed like a forced reason to keep them apart.) The more interesting part of the book was the vivid description of immigrant life in New York, and the sometimes brutal environment that didn’t work out for everyone. (Greta’s death of what seems to have been arsenic poisoning was quite affecting and unfortunately realistic.) The heroine’s success with her face cream was a typical St. George touch. Overall, it was an educational read but not quite a great romance.
This was part of an entire series of books set from the 1890’s to the 1990’s. Unfortunately I couldn’t find a cover image of the original edition, which is the one I have. I read most of them but unfortunately they weren’t all that exciting. (Although I’d like to reread the 1990’s one now – I remember it featured the “futuristic” background of internet chatting.)
Karen Wheless
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