A Proper Pursuit

This book was so much fun! An entirely different view of the 1893 Chicago Fair than several that I have recently read. But I expected characters from those books to bump into Violet!
Violet is a true romantic with wild scenarios scrambling in her head. “ My imagination is a gift, but I had to live in the real world.” She does learn to grow up. “ Everything would change. That was the lesson I had learned this summer. Life was all about change.”
Her life is a study in contrasts: What she has been told her life should look like and new possibilities that present themselves when she visits her grandmother and three aunts in Chicago. Her grandmother the widow of a minister, one aunt is an avowed Suffragette, another a rich society show more wife and my favorite, Aunt Birdie who lost her husband in the Civil War. Although her mind tells her he is still fighting that war, she gives wisdom to Violet. She urges her to seek love in a marriage partner. Thus Violet is faced with conflicting opinions on which of four suitors she should accept.
Her grandmother’s advice: “Don’t make choices in life to please somebody else. The only One you ever need to please is God.”
One of the funniest quotes is about the symptoms of wearing a corset: “ heart palpitations, difficulty breathing and light headedness. The symptoms sounded suspiciously like a romance novels description of love. Could it be that thousands of women had married their husbands in the mistaken belief that they were in love, when all along their corsets had been too tight? How disappointing to watch their love mysteriously vanish once their corsets were unlaced.”
Lynn Austin is fast becoming my go-to author for a lighthearted story with real substance and life and spiritual lessons.
* I borrowed this ebook from Prime Reading. All opinions are my own.* show less

Lynn Austin always tells a good story, and A Proper Pursuit is no exception. The novel follows Violet Hayes as she travels to Chicago, ostensibly to visit the World's Fair, but in reality in search of her mother and a way to stop her father's remarriage. Violet's fascination with mysteries spurs on her investigations while her aunts introduce her to Chicago society. The element of mystery is relatively light and focuses mostly on the mystery of her family's past which no one seems willing to talk about. A young woman of twenty, Violet struggles to find her place in the world and decide which of her suitors, if any, to accept. Her spirited imagination and humorous narration make Violet a vibrant character. Her aunts too, with all their show more quirks and eccentricities add to the novel's appeal. I thoroughly enjoyed this humorous yet thought-provoking look at life, family, and love in 19th century Chicago. show less

Book description: "It seems a perfect backdrop for what Violet Hayes longs to experience: a little mystery, a little romance. To be honest, it is more than a little mystery. She schemed her way to Chicago to discover the mother she barely remembered. As for romance well, with the help of her grandmother and three great aunts, that is coming along nicely as well perhaps too well. Each of her relatives including her saintly grandmother seems to have a separate agenda for her. In the course of a summer, Violet's world will open wide before her eyes. But in the wake of discovery, she must find a way to determine which path and which man will ultimately be the right lifetime choice for her."

This was quite a story. It took me a little while show more to get into the book, but once I did, it was hard to put down. I liked the differences the 4 men that were pursuing Violet had in their personalities. I also liked her one aunt's advice, 'marry for love'. In an age when that didn't always happen, I am glad Violet was holding out for love. I also appreciated the story taking place during the 'World's Fair" and learning a little bit about it. Makes me want to do more research on this event. It was time well spent watching Violet pursue a proper proposal. show less

First of all, let me just say that I would love to see this novel as a movie! It just begs to be played out on screen - complete with narration so as not to lose the delightful voice in which Ms. Austin writes. Which leads me to my second point - normally, I don't like novels written in first person. I would always make an exception to that opinion if they were all written like this one. So entertaining and captivating, right from the first chapter. Very Anne-of-Green-Gables like but with very much her own twist and personality. I have read two books now by Lynn Austin and they were very different, one light-hearted and airy, the other woven with much deeper and more thought-provoking and heart-wrenching conflicts. Both have been given show more the rare classification of 'favorite' in my book list, a testament to Ms. Austin's talent and diversity of imagination. Highly recommend this book and any others that she has written! show less

It was a bit long, but I liked it enough to wish there was more - i.e. what happened to the rest of Violet's life.
I learned a lot about that time in history that I didn't know before. Also, I like that it was Christian, but not overly preachy and allowed you to see someone who was looking at other sides of life before coming to faith.

Violet is shocked to learn of her father's engagement, and that he has been lying to her about the whereabouts of her mother. She is determined to go to Chicago to get away from him, his pressure for her to get married, and to see the World's Fair But it just isn't proper for Violet to travel by herself and her father is unsure about the influence of her grandmother and her sisters. But Violet is resolute and so she is soon off to Chicago, where she encounters many different sides of the city. There is the high class world of her aunt and her socialite friends, the world of the destitute that her grandmother ministers too, following in the example of Jane Addams, and their is the world of the suffrage movement, which her great-aunt show more would love for her to join. Voilet feels torn between so many possibilities, and between so many young men who are presented to her as possible suitors. And all along she wonders what really happened to her mother, who might be somewhere in Chicago for Violet to find.
The historical details sprinkled into the story where nice, and Violet has a fun personality and it was fun to follow her adventures. I could definitely predict how things were going to turn out in spots, but still this is a fun read for fans of historical romance. show less

Twenty-year old Violet has never been outside of her home town of Lockport, Illinois. She longs to see new things and to experience true love. However, it's the 1890s and proper women don't do such things. When Violet discovers her mother isn't sick as Violet thought she was, Violet asks to go visit her grandmother in Chicago.

She plans to look for her mother and to see the World's Exposition which is in Chicago. Along the way she acquires a number of suitors and discovers what she wants out of life. More importantly she begins to discover what God wants her to be.

Lynne Austin incorporates a great deal of detail that truly brings the story to life, from vivid descriptions of the World's Fair to chilling accounts of the Great Chicago show more Fire. She creates, in Violet, a character with who readers can relate. Other characters are also well rounded - some likeable, others not so likeable.Through all these elements, Austin creates a world that draws readers in and doesn't let them leave until they've turned the last page. It's easy to see why this one won a Christy Award for 2008.

I recommend this to fans of gentle romances and historical fiction. Also to those who like an element of mystery to their stories. show less