The lives of Mary and Franklin "Iron" Barrett and their extended family are about to implode. Their roots are deep in the land of western Kansas, and they are well-known for their crops and livestock. But the farming crisis of the 1980s means that disaster comes knocking at their door. Overproduction, debt, falling prices, rural bank restructuring, and even internal family disputes test each one of them to the limits of their endurance.
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I am well-acquainted with Charlotte Hinger through her Lottie Albright mysteries which are also set in western Kansas. This author has a talent for giving readers a strong sense of place, a compelling story, and fully fleshed characters. When I saw Mary's Place, I knew I had to read it, and I'm certainly glad I did.
Although this book is listed as historical fiction, it reads like a thriller. I immediately found myself in farm country and felt as though I'd known Mary and Iron Barrett my whole life. When the bank they'd always done business with is restructured, their lives are turned upside down, and the two soon learn that the government doesn't seem to care what happens to them as long as the bureaucrats get their pound of flesh.
I worried about Mary and Iron when I wasn't reading the book. Members of their own family couldn't be trusted. Some of the bureaucrats were secretly trying to feather their own nests. Every step Mary and Iron took was treacherous, and I needed to know-- I had to know-- if, and how, they were going to survive.
If you like being fully invested in a book to the point where you worry about the fate of its characters, Mary's Place is the book for you. It's a perfect slice of history that reads like a first-class thriller. I loved it.
Mary's Place by Charlotte Hinger
eISBN: 9781496239884
University of Nebraska Press © 2024
eBook, 306 pages
Historical Fiction, Standalone
Rating: A+
Source: Net Galley
This sounds really compelling, Cathy. And I do love a story with a strong sense of place. It's interesting you mention caring about the characters (and worrying about them when you're not reading). I've read books that were like that, too, and those characters just won't let go. I'm glad you liked this so much!
ReplyDeleteCharlotte Hinger is a gifted storyteller.
DeleteI love when you get caught up in a book like that where you're so worried for the characters you can't stop reading. And a historical fiction novel that reads like a thriller? Count me in! It reminds me a little of what I felt when I read Winter's Bone by Daniel Woodrell.
ReplyDeleteI don't feel this way about most of the books I read.
DeleteAn A+ read? Wow! I'll have to consider this one as another addition to my read list.
ReplyDeleteI think you'd like it, Dorothy.
DeleteSounds good to me (sigh). I'll check this out.
ReplyDeleteIt's a good one, Kathy.
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