ELEPHANT DREAMS, by MARTHA DEERINGER, *REVIEW* Lone Star Book Blog Tour
ELEPHANT DREAMS
by
MARTHA DEERINGER
Genre: Young Adult / Historical Fiction / Sweet Romance
Publisher: Melange Books
Date of Publication: September 2, 2017
Number of Pages: 224
Scroll down for the giveaway!
Desperate to escape her squalid
life on the streets of New York City, sixteen-year-old Fiona Finn seeks help at
the magnificent Church of the Ascension where Charles Loring Brace, a social
reformer horrified by the plight of New York City’s street children, arranges
for her to go west aboard an Orphan Train.
Fiona’s homeless, alcoholic father has other plans, however. He wants Fiona to “work” the streets to support his drinking and pursues her across the midwest until she is forced to abandon the train in Houston to avoid a sheriff bent on returning her to her
father.
Alone in the dark on the Texas
prairie, Fiona’s terrifying experience with a circus elephant, Bolivar, sets
the stage for a future she could never have imagined.
PRAISE FOR ELEPHANT DREAMS:
Elephant Dreams will be featured in
the January, 2018 issue of the Historical Novel Society
magazine.
“What a story! With scenes to be likened to any Charles Dickens
novel, the author, Martha Deeringer, carries the reader on a breathtaking
journey through despair and hope that changes as often as the wind changes
direction. Great characters, a believable story, an insight into another world,
and an empathy for a character that a reader would have to have a heart of
stone not to sympathise with. Although billed as a young adult story, this will
readily appeal to an adult reader. Very visual writing and the makings of a
classic.” -- Jane Finch for Readers’ Favorite
“I absolutely adored this novel; I
couldn't find a single thing to dislike about it, other than of course the
characters we are meant to dislike. The secondary characters were just as well
rounded as the primary characters, leaving the reader with a feeling of
contentment at the end of the novel. Each character brought his or her own
three-dimensional personality to the novel, giving me a reason to either love
or hate them passionately.” -- Acwoolet for Online Book Club
“I thoroughly enjoyed Elephant Dreams. It is a captivating story
with a spunky heroine who is determined to turn her life around. I loved the
unique settings that covered New York City slums, an orphan train and a Texas
Circus. I would recommend it for teens through adults.” – 5 Stars, Kindle
Edition | Verified Purchase
CLICK TO PURCHASE:
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I fell in love with Elephant Dreams, by Martha Deeringer. This little book is something of a mixture of Orphan Train and Water for Elephants and yet it is wholly its Texas own. In other words, its about a runaway who takes a train from New York, and finds herself in a circus in the early days of Texas, and it is magical. Fiona and the people in her world are well formed, from a terrorizing father, to a handsome Texas Ranger, to a circus with a grand Madame, a strong man cook, an endearing Elephant trainer, an injured show dog, and even the oh-so enchanting Bolivar, the Elephant. Ms. Deeringer immerses you in both the orphan world of New York and in the traveling circus, full of work and showmanship, where you see the terror, smell the straw, hear the calls of the circus master, and yearn for poor Fiona to find the love and family she deserves. Worth the read for both adults and youths, Elephant Dreams reminded me of the magic of the circus days, and made me long to find a child to take to the circus. Bravo, Ms. Deeringer, that's a lovely thing to do.
Thank you for a review copy in exchange for an honest review.
I fell in love with Elephant Dreams, by Martha Deeringer. This little book is something of a mixture of Orphan Train and Water for Elephants and yet it is wholly its Texas own. In other words, its about a runaway who takes a train from New York, and finds herself in a circus in the early days of Texas, and it is magical. Fiona and the people in her world are well formed, from a terrorizing father, to a handsome Texas Ranger, to a circus with a grand Madame, a strong man cook, an endearing Elephant trainer, an injured show dog, and even the oh-so enchanting Bolivar, the Elephant. Ms. Deeringer immerses you in both the orphan world of New York and in the traveling circus, full of work and showmanship, where you see the terror, smell the straw, hear the calls of the circus master, and yearn for poor Fiona to find the love and family she deserves. Worth the read for both adults and youths, Elephant Dreams reminded me of the magic of the circus days, and made me long to find a child to take to the circus. Bravo, Ms. Deeringer, that's a lovely thing to do.
Thank you for a review copy in exchange for an honest review.
Martha Deeringer lives with her husband and their large, extended
family on a central Texas cattle ranch. She writes magazine articles, often
about history, for children and adults and is a frequent contributor to
regional and national magazines.
Martha also writes Young Adult
fiction, occasionally inspired by her teaching experiences or the antics of her
children and grandchildren. She loves ranch life and sometimes abandons her
writing to cope with assorted issues involving kids, dogs, cats, horses, orphan
calves, and occasionally armadillos, coyotes and rattlesnakes.
GIVEAWAY! GIVEAWAY! GIVEAWAY!
THREE SIGNED COPIES!
JANUARY 15-24, 2018
(U.S. Only)
1/15/18
|
Excerpt
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1/15/18
|
Bonus Promo!
| |
1/16/18
|
Review
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1/17/18
|
Guest Post
| |
1/18/18
|
Author Interview
| |
1/19/18
|
Review
| |
1/20/18
|
Promo
| |
1/21/18
|
Excerpt
| |
1/22/18
|
Review
| |
1/23/18
|
Scrapbook Page
| |
1/24/18
|
Review
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