In the Library Reviews - Feather Schwartz Foster Reviews



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Reviewed Titles Garfield's Train	Feather Schwartz Foster Reviews Added January 19, 2006 Garfield's Train Author: Feather Schwartz Foster Publisher: PublishAmerica Available At: Bookstores Everywhere Publishing Date: July 2005 Genre: Fiction: Historical Format: Trade Paperback Price: $16.95 ISBN: 1-4137-6915-2 Author Email/Website: www.featherfoster.com Reviewer: Joyce Handzo Rating: 9 Gargoyles Garfield's Train is scenic storytelling at its best! Based around actual events occurring at the New Jersey shore in the late nineteenth century, the fictional Dunbar family shares some family secrets as they mingle with the rich and famous. Train rides figure prominently in this book, as Kate accompanies her grandmother, Louise Dunbar Stanfield, across the country to visit a dying friend. The year is 1947, but time rolls back as Louise reminisces about growing up at the Jersey shore, in a city called Long Branch. It was an era when the very wealthy built homes along the seacoast to better enjoy the casinos, racetracks and the good life. As the story continues, it becomes clear that the dying friend, Mollie Brown, was the daughter of President James Garfield. In a superb blend of fiction and facts, Louise's tale intertwines with history to form a fascinating account. The author is to be commended for the meticulous research that gives this book such a vibrant appeal. Famous people, like General Grant and Susan B. Anthony, walk in and out of this story with a delightful sense of familiarity. Yet, the main emphasis is on Mollie and her father. President Garfield was shot by an assassin and never fully recovered. He was brought to Long Branch, where he later died. In a perfect circle of completeness, the book ends with the funeral train bearing the body of the President to his final resting place. Readers will leave this story knowing they had been on an amazing journey of history. The author has taken a real slice of life and touched it with a bit of fiction. The friendship between Louise and Mollie serves as a sensitive framework for the rest of the book. This is storytelling at its best! Return to top of page. This page was last updated on January 1, 2008 This page and all its contents are Copyright© 2002-2008 In the Library Reviews and the individual reviewers. Except where noted, all graphics are Copyright© Eos Development and are used with permission. All book covers are Copyright© their respective publishers and are used with permission. The In the Library Reviews logo is Copyright© 2002 by In the Library Reviews/Sharyn McGinty. Site maintained by In the Library Reviews.