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BOOK REVIEW: Hurricane
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by Vickie McDonough Dancing Word Reviewer
Title: Hurricane Author: Janice A. Thompson Publisher: River Oak ISBN: 1-58919-020-3 Genre: Inspirational/Historical Fiction Journalist Brent Murphy is finally returning home to peaceful Galveston Island after working a hectic stint at a New York City newspaper. During the years he was away, Brent grew from an idealistic boy into a pragmatic man. Now all he needs is the courage to face his father-a man Brent has always disappointed. Sister Henrietta Mullins thought she was where God wanted her, but she desperately longs for her family and home back in Virginia. Working at St. Mary's Orphan's Asylum in hot, humid Galveston is much harder than she expected. The longer she works in Galveston, the more she wants to return home. Had taking her vows to become a nun been a terrible mistake? After years of studying, Emma Sanders is finally a nurse. She is happy she'd made her parents proud, and is the envy of her little sister, Sadie. But the long hours and facing so many sick and hurting people daily takes its toll. Does Emma have it within herself to continue or will she give up the career she worked so hard to attain? Hurricane is the candid story of the monster hurricane that nearly wiped out Galveston Island in 1900. Over 6,000 people died and countless of homes and businesses were destroyed when the ocean surged over the beach and into town. Brent Murphy thought he was returning home to face the demons of his past, but when the storm hits, he finds his future instead. His character is very realistic and believable--the familiar story of the prodigal son returning home, wanting so much to find favor in his father's eye. Hurricane tells Brent's story and the story of those he encounters during his struggle to stay alive and to report what is happening during the terrible storm. People are thrown together and must rely on each other to survive the aftermath.
Hurricane started a bit slow for me as author Janice Thompson set up the various characters' storylines, but once the storm hit, the pace escalated into a page-turning frenzy. Readers will be stunned to learn how much damage the hurricane, the most catastrophic natural disaster in U.S. history, did to the island. Ms. Thompson does an excellent job recounting the destruction and showing the emotions of the people as they realize their loved ones may not have survived. Fiction mixes with reality in an exciting tale of survival and growing up in Hurricane. |
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