SUNDAY BOOK REVIEW-"THE PURSUIT OF LUCY BANNING" by OLIVIA NEWPORT

Riveting Story of Love, Wealth & Secrets as Historic Chicago Prepares for 1893 World’s Fair

Set on Prairie Avenue, The Pursuit of Lucy Banning gives an inside look to the rich and powerful on the eve of the 1893 World’s Fair in the Windy City. Olivia Newport transports readers to a time of opulence in the first installment in the Avenue of Dreams series. 

Lucy Banning may live among Chicago's rich and famous, but her heart lies elsewhere. Expected to marry an up-and-coming banker from a respected family, Lucy fears she will be forced to abandon her charity work--and the classes she is secretly taking at the newly opened University of Chicago. When she meets an unconventional young architect who is working on plans for the upcoming 1893 World's Fair, Lucy imagines a life lived on her own terms. Can she break away from her family's expectations? And will she ever be loved for who she truly is?

From lavish upper-class homes to the well-worn rooms of an orphanage, Newport breathes life and romance into the pages of history--and everyone is invited.  Olivia Newport's novels twist through time to discover where faith and passions meet. Her husband and two twenty-something children provide welcome distraction from the people stomping through her head on their way into her books. She chases joy in stunning Colorado at the foot of the Rockies, where day lilies grow as tall as she is.

Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group, offers practical books for everyday life.  For more information, visit www.RevellBooks.com

READER REVIEW

Olivia Newport's latest novel, "The Pursuit of Lucy Banning", is set in Chicago during the preparations for the 1893 Chicago World's Fair.  Lucy has been expected since childhood to marry Daniel Jules, a Chicago banker whose family has been friends with the Banning family for many years.  As the family puts more pressure on the couple to set the date, Lucy realizes that marriage to Daniel may not be what she wants.  She realizes that Daniel's expectations of a wife conform to those of society at that time.  When her brother Leo brings home an architect friend, her feelings become even more confused.

Historic fiction is always enjoyable for me if the author has done their research and the setting and references are correct.  I particularly enjoyed the references to the World's Fair, with the doubts before the fair regarding Mr. Ferris and his Wheel.  Ms. Newport has used other references to the place and era, bringing a sense of realism to the novel.  It was a nice, light read that would be great for the beach or for travel.


4 stars

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the Baker Publishing Group  <http://www.bakerpublishinggroup.com> book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 <http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html> : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”    

----------------------------------------------------------

MUSIC TO READ BY

---------------------------------------------------------

Until next time, Happy Reading!  : )

“There is only one pretty child in the world, and every mother has it.” - Chinese proverb

 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------