Title: Fields of Gold Beneath Prairie Skies
Author: Suzanne deMontigny
Genre: Historical Romance
Rating: 4,5 stars
Purchase: Amazon
Review copy provided by Enchanted Book Promotions in exchange for an honest review.
French-Canadian soldier, Napoleon, proposes to Lea during WWI, promising golden fields of wheat as far as the eye can see. After the armistice, he sends money for her passage, and she journeys far from her family and the conveniences of a modern country to join him on a homestead in Saskatchewan. There, she works hard to build their dream of a prospering farm, clearing fields alongside her husband through several pregnancies and even after suffering a terrible loss. When the stock market crashes in ’29, the prairies are stricken by a long and abysmal drought. Thrown into poverty, she struggles to survive in a world where work is scarce, death is abundant, and hope dwindles. Will she and her family survive the Great Depression?
Fields of Gold Beneath Prairie Skies tells the story of the author’s grandparents and their struggles during the grand depression. Frnech-Canadian soldier Napoleon proposes to the love of his life, Lea, during World War I. He promises her fields of gold (wheat) beneath the prairie skies – hence the title of the book. Lea believes him and journeys away from her family, away from modern conveniences, to join Napoleon on a homestead in Saskatchewan. Prairie life is not what Lea imagined it would be and although she works hard to build her dream of a prospering farm, life is far from fairytale-perfect. When the stock market crashes in ’29, the prairies are hit by a long, terrible drought, and Lea and her family are thrown into poverty. Can they survive the Great Depressoin?
God, life on the prairie put me through a rollercoaster of emotions. Sometimes I felt joy for the small victories Lea and her family had, and for the loving, caring moments they cherished. Sometimes I had to hold in my tears as I saw how tough life was for them, how impossible the odds seemed, how they had to deal with tragedy and loss.
The writing was excellent, and made the setting and characters come alive on the pages. I really felt as if I was transported back in time, as if this family became my own family during the duration of the book. Fans of historical novels should definitely pick up this book.
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What a lovely review! Thank you.