Skip to main content

Review: "The Loyalist's Luck" by Elaine Cougler

Synopsis:  When the Revolutionary War turns in favor of the Americans, John and Lucy flee across the Niagara River with almost nothing. They begin again in Butlersburg, a badly supplied British outpost surrounded by endless trees and rivers, and the mighty roar of the giant falls nearby. He is off on a secret mission for Colonel Butler and she is left behind with her young son and pregnant once again. In the camp full of distrust, hunger, and poverty, word has seeped out that John has gone over to the American side and only two people will associate with Lucy—her friend, Nellie, who delights in telling her all the current gossip, and Sergeant Crawford, who refuses to set the record straight and clear John’s name. To make matters worse, the sergeant has made improper advances toward Lucy.

With vivid scenes of heartbreak and betrayal, heroism and shattered hopes, Elaine Cougler takes us into the hearts and homes of Loyalists still fighting for their beliefs, and draws poignant scenes of families split by political borders. The Loyalist’s Luck shows us the courage of ordinary people who, in perilous times, become extraordinary.

My Thoughts:  The Loyalist's Luck is a wonderful sequel!  It's one of the best I've read in a long time. It picks up right where The Loyalist's Wife left off and takes the reader to Canada with a group of loyalists escaping the American Revolution. 

Lucy continues to be an amazing character.  She is hit with even more hard times in this book and still manages to be the picture of grace under pressure.  She dealt with a lot of good times and a lot of bad times but she still managed to keep it together.  I just love her!  We saw her husband John a lot more in this book but I felt like he played second fiddle to Lucy.  He was missing from chunks of the story again and it didn't seem like the reader ever really got to know him.  There was a point where I was almost hoping he wouldn't come back so that Lucy could get on with her life.  It's not that I didn't like him; it just seemed like I didn't know enough about him early on to care much about him.  I will say that I did really like Sergeant Crawford and I felt so bad for him.  He was such a kind person but he never got to have a chance to be happy (I'm not going to go into detail here for fear of spoiling things!).

The Loyalist's Luck portrays a life of constant struggle.  I liked that Ms. Cougler didn't sugar-coat the events that affected her characters' lives.  It was a very difficult time for people on both sides of the war and I liked that The Loyalist's Luck was an honest portrayal of what was really happening during the American Revolution.  I also love seeing the Revolution from the losing side. These books are actually my first encounter with what was going on with the other side and I definitely want to read more about it.


At its heart, The Loyalist's Luck is the story of a family sticking together through good times and bad.  It is a well-written, engaging story and I really look forward to its sequel.  4 stars.

About the Author:


A lifelong reader and high school teacher, Elaine found her passion for writing once her family was grown. She loves to read history for the stories of real people reacting to their world. Bringing to life the tales of Loyalists in the American Revolutionary War and the War of 1812 is very natural as Elaine’s personal roots are in those struggles, out of which arose both Canada and the United States.
For more information please visit Elaine Cougler’s website. You can also find her on Facebook, Twitter, Google+, and Goodreads.

Comments

  1. Hi Denise
    Thanks so much for your well-considered comments about The Loyalist's Luck. Writing about the American Revolutionary War and then the War of 1812 has been most rewarding for me as I have learned a lot along the way. I'm glad my readers can do the same. I hoped that John redeemed himself in the latter parts of the book but he does have a checkered past, doesn't he? Makes him more interesting!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Hi Denise
    Today I mentioned you on my blog and thought you'd like to take part. Here's the link:
    https://elainecougler (dot) wordpress (dot) com/2015/02/23/today-im-versatile/

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Review and Giveaway: "Distant Signs" by Anne Richter

Synopsis: Distant Signs is an intimate portrait of two families spanning three generations amidst turbulent political change, behind and beyond the Berlin Wall. In 1960s East Germany, Margret, a professor’s daughter from the city, meets and marries Hans, from a small village in Thuringia. The couple struggle to contend with their different backgrounds, and the emotional scars they bear from childhood in the aftermath of war. As East German history gradually unravels, with collision of the personal and political, their two families’ hidden truths are quietly revealed. An exquisitely written novel with strongly etched characters that stay with you long after the book is finished and an authentic portrayal of family life behind the iron curtain based on personal experience of the author who is East German and was 16 years old at the fall of the Berlin Wall. Why do families repeat destructive patterns of behaviour across generations? Should the personal take precedence over

Top Ten Books I Recommend The Most

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish . This week's topic:  Top Ten Books I Recommend the Most 1.) The Bronze Horseman by Paullina Simons   2.) Outlander by Diana Gabaldon           If you read my blog at all, you know I love these two books so much!  I am not afraid to suggest them to anyone who I think might enjoy them. 3.) The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins - I was definitely recommending this book left and right when the first movie came out. 4.) The Fault in Our Stars by John Green 5.) A Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin           These are two books that I just recently started recommending but they are books that can appeal to anyone so they are easy picks when someone asks for a recommendation. 6.) Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead  - I get a little embarrassed when I recommend this book to people but seriously, just because it has vampires does not mean it is like Twilight. 7.) The Giver by Lois

Book Blog Hop (11)

The Book Blogger Hop is a weekly meme hosted by Jen at Crazy for Books .  It's a way to meet other bloggers and check out some cool new blogs. This week's question is:  "Highlight one book you have received this week that you can't wait to dig into!" Okay, I have a confession to make.  I have been so busy this week that I have not had time to get any new books.  I have several waiting for me at the library but I won't be able to pick them up until this weekend.  : ( Did you all get any exciting new books this week?