Book Blurb:
When Ananias Case boards a ship in Fowey, England in 1826 bound for Carbonear, Newfoundland, he’s not looking for adventure; he’s a man on the run. The strictures of class division are left in the wake, while a fractured society in the throes of rapid evolution awaits beyond the sea. An historical novel based on real events, Ananias is the story of a man seeking a new life while struggling with the ghosts of his past. This sweeping adventure of discovery, connection and heartache is also a moving tribute to a rugged island place and its people.
I finished reading this book less then a half an hour ago. Part of me wants to sit and let it all soak in, but the impatient part of me wants to get this down and share this with you. As a writer, I’m expected to always have the perfect words for any situation. But right now words can not express just how much I loved this story. I’m sitting here emotional, if I am to be honest.
Ananias Case is not only the main character of this tale, but he was my fourth great grandfather. And thanks to research compiled by the author James Case (whom is my newly discovered cousin) as well as others in his family, James penned an amazing tale of our ancestor and his life.
I read this with not just the eyes of a reader, but with the eyes of someone learning more about her roots and her family. Of someone learning what her ancestors went through. And not just Ananias. Many of my ancestors left England and migrated to Newfoundland. In the places that is mentioned in the story, I had other ancestors who lived in these places as well. In the last year, I have become slightly obsessed with learning my history. Every so often I would pause and put down the book to take in what I’d just read. My ancestors are long gone, but for awhile, James has brought them back. So, maybe I’m a bit biased in this. But this really is a fantastic story. It’s well written and James makes you feel like you are back in the past, next to Ananias.
*Spoiler Alert*
When Ananias was a teenager, he learned that his youngest sister was being beaten by their stepmother, Mary. Ananias ended up beating Mary, left her for dead, and fled England. He ended up in Newfoundland. He was left to start over, with his guilt and his thoughts, in a new land. It dawned on me one day that had he not done so, I wouldn’t exist today. He met my fourth great grandmother while creating his new life in Newfoundland.
James took all of the research he and his family compiled and wrote the story of Ananias using these real events and people, and in between he wove in fiction to create this wonderful story. It’s a story of second chances, love, heartbreak, hope, family, and lessons learned. This story had me laughing at times, while at others the words became fuzzy with tear filled eyes. Even though I knew the events in this story, I still found myself rooting for Ananias.
If you have a love of historical stories (both fiction and otherwise), you can find the book in several places including Nevermore Press. I can’t wait to read James’s next novel. I will be sure to be posting updates and a review when the time comes!
The Geeky Book Lady 