Family saga of a Texas cotton plantation. Story starts in the early 1900’s and finishes today. There were many twists and turns and devastating results on the three families involved in this story. ( )

Let me preface this by saying that I had never read a historical novel before. Not ever. All the required reading in high school was passed up by me. I was never interested in historical books as I thought them to be boring. Roses may have opened me up to an entire new genre. I picked this book up at the library on a whim. It was meant to offset my checking out of crime books. The cover captivated me with its use of rose petals surrounding the title and a rather elegant font. There is a quote on the cover comparing it to Gone with the Wind. It just so happens that I am obsessed with Gone with the Wind. I was sold hook, line, and sinker.

Characters: Mary Toliver
Miles Toliver
Rachel Toliver
Amos Hines
Percy Warwick
Ollie DuMont
Matthew Warwick

The novel starts off with an elderly Mary Toliver delivering Amos Hines revisions to her will. Right off the bat with disagreements being mentioned about the revisions, you know that there is going to be drama. It is vague as to what the revisions are. Mary holds some stipulations about her decision but concludes that it is for the best. However, she wishes to tell her great-niece about the history prior to her death. Before she can do that, Mary is lead down a path of memories and heartache.
The relationship between the characters is fluid and runs smoothly. With all the consequences of Mary’s decisions, you can feel the anguish each of the characters go through. I developed a strong connection for each of them, especially Percy. He makes some rough choices of his own that make you want to grab him and shake some sense into him. Oh gosh, Percy and his love for Mary. That was something else.

I feared for Rachel and how the will would affect her life. As I saw it unfold, I wanted to take her in my arms and shake some sense into her. I know why she felt the way she did and don’t blame her for it. Just the way Rachel went about it was very frustrating. Then again, she is related to Mary. Tolivers and stubbornness go hand in hand.

Location: Howbutker, Texas (various time periods)

Even though the years changed, the location remained the same. The way it was described in the book, I had a clear vision of what I believed the town to look like. I transported myself there a few times whilst reading it. Coming from a Texas town myself, I found the location to be highly realistic. The characters also meshed well with the location ( )

9/27/11:
Just couldn't hang with this one.
7/18/13: I picked up the book - let's trying READING rather than LISTENING to this one this time. :)
7/29/13: i...can't....put...this...down! ( )

This was a fun summer read. Nothing too challenging, just a good soapy story that spans several generations. There are plenty of secrets and their consequences, and a strong female protagonist. I have seen some reviews complaining that this book is not as good as "Gone With the Wind" but I didn't expect it to be. ( )

A sprawling Texas family saga reminiscent of “Gone with the Wind.”