Set in Tennessee during the war, the Union army is approaching and ultimately attacking the city of Chattanooga. The citizens of this Confederate city are justifiably afraid of the encroaching Union army.
The bank owners - Peter Chandler a young man who inherits half portion from his deceased father, and Mr. Roper who lies on his death bed and whose daughter Mary Beth stands to inherit - become aware of counterfeit paper dollars in their town which were seemingly drafts on their bank. They need to find the source of this counterfeit operation and stop it, fast.
The author's character drawing skills are good as they are well developed. I found Mary Beth pretty shallow at times, but she did mature as the story progressed. To my way of thinking, her feeling that she was soon to be "orphaned" rather childish because she was an adult and adults are not "orphaned" when a parent dies. They simply lose the parent.
As the story progressed and Mary Beth began to nurse the wounded soldiers, the pace quickened. I loved the old Colonel in the hospital and wish he had played an earlier and more visible role in the story.
I believe this is my first read of Cynthia Simmons' work and look forward to more. Perhaps the sequel to this story will be Ruth's story. We'll see. I would suggest an additional sweep through the editorial process as there were some errors that could use editing in Pursuing Gold.
About the book: With his father dead and his business partner incapacitated, Peter Chandler inherits the leadership of a bank in economic crisis. With only a newly minted college degree and little experience, Peter joins his partner's daughter, Mary Beth Roper, in a struggle to keep C&R Bank afloat while the Civil War rages around Chattanooga. Political pressure for unsecured loans of gold to the government stirs up trouble as tempers and prices rise. Their problems multiply when Mary Beth discovers counterfeit money with Peter's forged signature. Can they find the forger before the bank fails? The two friends must pursue gold on behalf of their business, as they learn to pursue their heavenly Father to find hope and peace.
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DISCLOSURE: I received a complimentary copy from the Litfuse Publicity Group on behalf of the publisher and author to facilitate a review of my honest opinion which is freely given.
This book sounds interesting. Thank you for linking up this post at Booknificent Thursday on Mommynificent.com!
ReplyDeleteTina