This book was so much fun! An entirely different view of the 1893 Chicago Fair than several that I have recently read. But I expected characters from those books to bump into Violet!
Violet is a true romantic with wild scenarios scrambling in her head. “ My imagination is a gift, but I had to live in the real world.” She does learn to grow up. “ Everything would change. That was the lesson I had learned this summer. Life was all about change.”
Her life is a study in contrasts: What she has been told her life should look like and new possibilities that present themselves when she visits her grandmother and three aunts in Chicago. Her grandmother the widow of a minister, one aunt is an avowed Suffragette, another a rich society wife and my favorite, Aunt Birdie who lost her husband in the Civil War. Although her mind tells her he is still fighting that war, she gives wisdom to Violet. She urges her to seek love in a marriage partner. Thus Violet is faced with conflicting opinions on which of four suitors she should accept.
Her grandmother’s advice: “Don’t make choices in life to please somebody else. The only One you ever need to please is God.”
One of the funniest quotes is about the symptoms of wearing a corset: “ heart palpitations, difficulty breathing and light headedness. The symptoms sounded suspiciously like a romance novels description of love. Could it be that thousands of women had married their husbands in the mistaken belief that they were in love, when all along their corsets had been too tight? How disappointing to watch their love mysteriously vanish once their corsets were unlaced.”
Lynn Austin is fast becoming my go-to author for a lighthearted story with real substance and life and spiritual lessons.
* I borrowed this ebook from Prime Reading. All opinions are my own.* ( )

Book description: "It seems a perfect backdrop for what Violet Hayes longs to experience: a little mystery, a little romance. To be honest, it is more than a little mystery. She schemed her way to Chicago to discover the mother she barely remembered. As for romance well, with the help of her grandmother and three great aunts, that is coming along nicely as well perhaps too well. Each of her relatives including her saintly grandmother seems to have a separate agenda for her. In the course of a summer, Violet's world will open wide before her eyes. But in the wake of discovery, she must find a way to determine which path and which man will ultimately be the right lifetime choice for her."

This was quite a story. It took me a little while to get into the book, but once I did, it was hard to put down. I liked the differences the 4 men that were pursuing Violet had in their personalities. I also liked her one aunt's advice, 'marry for love'. In an age when that didn't always happen, I am glad Violet was holding out for love. I also appreciated the story taking place during the 'World's Fair" and learning a little bit about it. Makes me want to do more research on this event. It was time well spent watching Violet pursue a proper proposal. ( )

First of all, let me just say that I would love to see this novel as a movie! It just begs to be played out on screen - complete with narration so as not to lose the delightful voice in which Ms. Austin writes. Which leads me to my second point - normally, I don't like novels written in first person. I would always make an exception to that opinion if they were all written like this one. So entertaining and captivating, right from the first chapter. Very Anne-of-Green-Gables like but with very much her own twist and personality. I have read two books now by Lynn Austin and they were very different, one light-hearted and airy, the other woven with much deeper and more thought-provoking and heart-wrenching conflicts. Both have been given the rare classification of 'favorite' in my book list, a testament to Ms. Austin's talent and diversity of imagination. Highly recommend this book and any others that she has written! ( )

Lynn Austin always tells a good story, and A Proper Pursuit is no exception. The novel follows Violet Hayes as she travels to Chicago, ostensibly to visit the World's Fair, but in reality in search of her mother and a way to stop her father's remarriage. Violet's fascination with mysteries spurs on her investigations while her aunts introduce her to Chicago society. The element of mystery is relatively light and focuses mostly on the mystery of her family's past which no one seems willing to talk about. A young woman of twenty, Violet struggles to find her place in the world and decide which of her suitors, if any, to accept. Her spirited imagination and humorous narration make Violet a vibrant character. Her aunts too, with all their quirks and eccentricities add to the novel's appeal. I thoroughly enjoyed this humorous yet thought-provoking look at life, family, and love in 19th century Chicago. ( )

This was a good book. It was a light-hearted, easy read. Everyone who is related to the heroine thinks they have the perfect man for her. She wants to find her own man and wants some adventure as well. Funny. ( )