Let me preface this by saying that I had never read a
historical novel before. Not ever. All the required reading in high school was
passed up by me. I was never interested in historical books as I thought them
to be boring. Roses may have opened me up to an entire new genre. I picked this
book up at the library on a whim. It was meant to offset my checking out of
crime books. The cover captivated me with its use of rose petals surrounding
the title and a rather elegant font. There is a quote on the cover comparing it
to Gone with the Wind. It just so happens that I am obsessed with Gone with the
Wind. I was sold hook, line, and sinker.
Characters: Mary Toliver Miles Toliver Rachel Toliver
Amos Hines
Percy
Warwick Ollie
DuMont Matthew Warwick
The novel starts off with an elderly Mary Toliver delivering
Amos Hines revisions to her will. Right off the bat with disagreements being mentioned
about the revisions, you know that there is going to be drama. It is vague as
to what the revisions are. Mary holds some stipulations about her decision but concludes
that it is for the best. However, she wishes to tell her great-niece about the
history prior to her death. Before she can do that, Mary is lead down a path of
memories and heartache.
The relationship between the characters is fluid and runs
smoothly. With all the consequences of Mary’s decisions, you can feel the anguish
each of the characters go through. I developed a strong connection for each of
them, especially Percy. He makes some rough choices of his own that make you
want to grab him and shake some sense into him. Oh gosh, Percy and his love for
Mary. That was something else.
I feared for Rachel and how the will would affect her life.
As I saw it unfold, I wanted to take her in my arms and shake some sense into
her. I know why she felt the way she did and don’t blame her for it. Just the
way Rachel went about it was very frustrating. Then again, she is related to
Mary. Tolivers and stubbornness go hand in hand.
Location: Howbutker, Texas (various time periods)
Even though the years changed, the location remained the
same. The way it was described in the book, I had a clear vision of what I
believed the town to look like. I transported myself there a few times whilst
reading it. Coming from a Texas town myself, I found the location to be highly realistic.
The characters also meshed well with the location.
I give this book 5/5 stars. A more in-depth review will be
going up on my YouTube channel soon.
