The Burning of Rachel Hayes by Doug Allyn Buy book: $17.40
Dr. David Westbrook goes to northern Michigan to start over. He wants to open a small country clinic where he can heal injured animals. But when the remains of a Michigan farmwoman named Rachel Hayes, who vanished in 1871 in one of the Great Fires that ravaged the Midwest, are recovered from a long-lost well, fires and violence begin to erupt all around. David becomes entangled in an investigation into the circumstances surrounding Rachel Hayes' death. And as the people around him are placed in more jeopardy, David realizes the he must find out who - or what - is behind all of this.
Since I live in the Southeast corner of Michigan and have ventured north on occasion, I think I'll enjoy this book. This first read was interesting and definitely grabbed my attention (a definite prerequisite for me to enjoy any book).
I look forward to the rest of this week's reads.
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"What wild desires, what restless torments seize
The hapless man, who feels the book-disease..."
- Dr. John Ferriar (from the poem Bibliomania, 1863)
Each day I read, it just gets better and better!! The visualizations and just feeling like I'm there.
Wow.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"What wild desires, what restless torments seize
The hapless man, who feels the book-disease..."
- Dr. John Ferriar (from the poem Bibliomania, 1863)
Got my attention right from the start. I'm a newcomer to this website and think it is going to become one of my favorites. I have to go through Bentonville because Fayetteville's Blair Library was not listed on the choice list. Strange because it is such a beautiful, new, modern library. Can't wait for tomorrow's edition.
Todays read was definitely a grabber. The story is very interesting and I'm looking forward to tomorrow. Something about a lady and a shotgun next to her bed just kills me. lol
Yeah, I agree as well. The first read really grabs me! Looks like a good story.
Historical fiction and a bit of mystery has the makings of a good book. I'm a bit late this week, so on to Tuesday's read!!
Ooh todays read had me on the edge of my computer. What is going to happen to this poor girl. Don't think I can wait untill tomorrow. Great beginning I'm hooked.
I grabbed this one from the library and am already far ahead of the daily posts. Intriguing! The mystery deepens with every page. I hope to spend a good part of tomorrow basking in the sun on my deck and reading. Hope you all stay with it. And thanks again, Suzanne. Seems like I say that every week.
The story is attention-grabbing, but it was disturbing to read about the fire and especially the poor animals who couldn't escape. I'm sure this part is just background and the story will move past it, but without me - I will delete the rest of this one.
I'm looking forward to finding this at the library. It grabbed me from the very beginning.
Rachel is an interesting character and I hope the author let's us get to know her better. I love the idea of having "tenacity" as a personal motto - I need more of it in certain areas of my life.
GIVE ME MORE!!! My library only has large print copies! Help I hate LP. I might have to buy this one. Book-disease. Have a good holiday weekend everybody. Give a vet a hug...
Just finished this book - in one day/night. It was a most fine read. Yes, the description of the fire was not the best reading but, living out west where large fires are an annual occurance, it is reality. And the rest of the book is worth it.
common thread with another book on the fiction list
May 31 2005, 1:53 AM
It is interesting to notice that this book as well as "Black Wind" both have been recent titles on Suzanne's Fiction list and both books are action adventure stories dealing with modern day impacts from leftovers from WWII chemical warfare.
Just got this book from library and read just a bit - but looks to be a very informative (historically) and mysterious (?) book - very vivid picture of the barn situation with animals - tragic - do also like her mantra word - Tenacity -
Well - he certainly threw everything into this one, didn't he? - I did indeed enjoy all of it - tho' there was a time I thought "oh no - is this a sci-fi? - which I don't like at all - but but by that time was completely drawn into the book and thought - okay, maybe there is a "logical" explanation to all this - so I resumed my reading - and I really did enjoy his writing and his depiction of all the characters - and felt I was already in the mind and spirit of David, the vet. - and liked what I found there -
If you asked me what stands out in my mind of all this book - I would say the picture of him running with all his dogs - felt his flying and free sensation and actually felt I "saw" the beauty of it - alas, then there was the tragedy or tragedies that followed - which were very brutal and sad but did not keep me from continuing as did one reader -
And am glad to say all the happenings did turn out to have a logical explanation - the ones that were perhaps questionable to some, I can live with -after all I "saw" the running of the dogs, didn't I? -
All in all a most beautiful book - odd to say due to all the violence - but that's my opinion - also found a website which lists all his books - one of short stories of David, but my library doesn't have it - will have to check more on that one -
Any other comments from you all? - would love to hear them -
Well - he certainly threw everything into this one, didn't he? - I did indeed enjoy all of it - tho' there was a time I thought "oh no - is this a sci-fi? - which I don't like at all - but but by that time was completely drawn into the book and thought - okay, maybe there is a "logical" explanation to all this - so I resumed my reading - and I really did enjoy his writing and his depiction of all the characters - and felt I was already in the mind and spirit of David, the vet. - and liked what I found there -
If you asked me what stands out in my mind of all this book - I would say the picture of him running with all his dogs - felt his flying and free sensation and actually felt I "saw" the beauty of it - alas, then there was the tragedy or tragedies that followed - which were very brutal and sad but did not keep me from continuing as did one reader -
And am glad to say all the happenings did turn out to have a logical explanation - the ones that were perhaps questionable to some, I can live with -after all I "saw" the running of the dogs, didn't I? -
All in all a most beautiful book - odd to say due to all the violence - but that's my opinion - also found a website which lists all his books - one of short stories of David, but my library doesn't have it - will have to check more on that one -
Any other comments from you all? - would love to hear them -
Hi Doris - I too loved the running of the dogs. I liked the older woman romance aspect of it, a nice change. Good story, good characters. BUT I felt that all of the otherworldliness could easily have been left out and not affected the story a bit. The cut on the arm that didn't heal and calmed the dogs...the fact that he couldn't have heard Brenda calling for help (another good character, too bad she couldn't have been the love interest!)....Tenacity bleeding through...I think the story could have stood firmly without all these things that seemed almost beside the point.
I just received a copy of this book from my library and WOW!!!!
It's even better than the installments lead me to believe. It seemed mildy interesting but once I started reading I couldn't put it down. I think I read the first 9 chapters before I went to bed last night.
I enjoyed this book, but the science fiction part almost scared me off. They explain it all in the end, but it seems a little far fetched to me. I was suprised to see how distrubed I was when the dogs started dying off. You can really bond with the dogs through the authors discriptions and such.
