How the Women/ Widows Survived After the Civil War
This is a book about second chances. Grayson Rhodes, a ne?er-do-well from Scotland, is looking for a second chance to establish himself as a success in his own and his father?s eyes.
This takes place in 1865; the Civil War has ended and Confederate men are going home to find what is left of their homes and lives.
Widow Abbie Westland has a second chance to keep her children fed by hiring men from Scotland who will help her with the back-breaking work on her farm.
Grayson and some friends have been conned into ?finding their fortune? by being sent to cotton fields to pick cotton! A clever entrepreneur has gotten Scottish parents to pay 500 pounds to help the young men ?find their fortune.? At the same time, he has talked dirt-poor Confederate widows into paying $300 to get able-bodied men to help them pick their cash-crop ? cotton.
This is an interesting insight into the difficult life widows had after the Civil War. Without the men of their families, these women struggled to survive.
There are lots of plot twists; it is an emotional story about wrestling with great difficulties against terrible odds. It is a great history lesson, told in human terms.
I loved the book!
Rogues in Texas Series:
1. A Rogue in Texas (1999)
2. Never Love a Cowboy (2000)
3. Never Marry a Cowboy (2001)