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Monday 20 February 2012

Book Review - Acts of Courage: Laura Secord and the War of 1812


I strongly believe that you have to give every book genre a chance. Historical fiction has always been one of those genres that I've shied away from, but this novel took me completely by surprise.
Before she was Laura Secord, she was young Laura Ingersoll. Her family is surrounded by war with the rebels and her father is a ranking member of the military. He is rarely home and Laura longs to see him more. In his absence she finds herself making the acquaintance of one of the rebels. Her kindness towards this boy begins a longstanding relationship that she will never forget. As Laura grows older, her family relocates to Queenston in Upper Canada where they want to start a new life. Her family is greeted by a helpful young man named James Secord who helps them to adjust to this new world. He also takes quite a fancy to Laura. Times grow progressively more dangerous and Laura finds herself all grown up with a family to look after. With war fast approaching between Canada and the States, her family is in danger. With her husband on the front lines, Laura lives a life of constant worry. How will she fare when war descends on Upper Canada?
Follow the life of Laura Secord from her childhood through to her historic journey to warn Lieutenant FitzGibbon of the invading American army. Her courage shines like a beacon that we can all admire.
One of the things I really loved about historical fiction is that even though the story is based on fact the author has the ability to put their own spin on the story. A moment in history that may not have even caught my attention was able to draw me in and capture my interest. I was surprised by this book and I sincerely enjoyed it. For anyone who has reservations about trying a new genre, this was the first time I've stepped out of my comfort zone when it came to reading books and I really enjoyed it. If you don't try anything new you may be missing out on something special. My goal for you is to go out and try something new! This was a very interesting book and it's a good read if you're looking to step out of your regular genre.

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