Book Recommendation - The Reckoning at Gossamer Pond

I was first introduced to author Jaime Jo Wright last fall when her debut novel "The House on Foster Hill" was released. Her name showed up in several author newsletters and her book was lauded by no fewer than 3 authors that I follow and trust. And so, I did something that was rather rare for me. I BOUGHT a book by an author I'd never heard of before. Typically with new authors, I download a freebie or check them out at the library. I will very seldom spend money on a book where I don't already know the author. But because of the recommendations by other authors, I gave this one a try, and was very glad I did. Her debut novel was nothing short of spectacular. So, when she sent out applications to help launch her sophomore novel, I jumped at the chance.

The Reckoning at Gossamer Pond takes place in the small town of Gossamer Grove, WI,  during 2 timelines a century apart. We start out meeting Libby Sheffield in 1907 as she comes across a dead body. She had received his obituary at the newspaper office and had stopped to check in. The obituary referenced (and altered) some lines from Edgar Allen Poe, which only added to the mystery of the death of the Deacon. Other strange happenings occur in the 1907 timeline that seemed to coincide with the arrival of twin revivalists who seem set on flushing out the hidden sins of the small town and raise a good bit of controversy.

In the other timeline, Annalise Forsythe, in modern times, finds herself approached by police after the body of Eugene Hayes (one of the poor and broken down of Gossamer Grove) is found dead, with a picture of Annalise clutched in his hand. As she attempts to connect the dots, her home is broken into and her deepest secret is brought to light. As she seeks answers, she finds her past is connected to the happenings of Gossamer Grove in 1907.

Ms. Wright has an immense talent for these dual timeline novels that take two times in one place and bring them together. After I was through reading this book, I wanted to look into my own past and see what mysteries might reside in my own family tree. I love seeing how both stories intertwine into one and find the redemption that comes to both timelines' characters. I love dual timelines because they encompass a lot of different genres in one. There is always an element of mystery (how the 2 timelines will come together, if nothing else), historical fiction, contemporary fiction, and often an element of romance. While this book did not have the "edge of your seat" intensity that "The House on Foster Hill" did, it still kept me fully engaged and wondering what was going to happen next!

A few extras about this book and author:

1. Jaime Jo Wright is enamored with Edgar Allen Poe. That is why she included his writing in this book.
2. The twin evangelists Jacobus and Jedidiah Corbin were loosely based off the real ministry of a set of twins who evangelized the Midwest region. They were controversial in their approaches and not timid in their response to death threats, attacks, and even skunk attacks. See pictures of them here: https://www.findagrave.com/…/52311114/horace-b-morrill/photo
3. The real-life twin evangelists that the Corbins of the book were based off of, visited the author's hometown in the early 20th century. The baptist church that Ms. Wright calls home today had dwindling attendance at the time. But, after the Morrill twins came to town with their controversial revival methods, attendance surged and the church has never been the same since.
4. Obituaries in the Victorian era were often quite wordy and elaborate. Into the turn-of-the-century, they continued the habit, but grew progressively less detailed until they became what we see more often today, a simple declaration of one’s passing. It wasn’t uncommon for the obituary to go into detail about the cause of death, the person’s last moments, etc. Jaime read one that described a young woman in the chicken coop feeding her chickens when lightning struck from the sky and hit her in the head, having been attracted to the metal in her hairpin. Unfortunate and odd circumstances such as these, were almost sensationalized for news. (Or so it feels today when one reads them.)

5. While writing The Reckoning at Gossamer Pond, Jaime consumed approximately 4 pounds of coffee beans, ground and turned into liquid form. Some was eventually poured down the drain, as she can only consume so much, but her cupboard definitely decreased the stock of beans.

Coming up next from this author is "The Curse of Misty Wayfair" - another dual timeline novel that I can't wait to read! Release date for that is set for January 2019!