Book Review and Giveaway – The Island of Doves By Kelly O’Connor McNees

THE ISLAND OF DOVES

By: Kelly O’Connor McNees

Published: April 1, 2014

Fiction

This giveaway is now closed. Thanks to all who entered . 

THE ISLAND OF DOVES has already received praise from author Kristina Riggle who states it was “unforgettable” and author Susan Gregg Gilmore states, “It was simply gorgeous.”  I will have to agree with them and include words like captivating and impassioned.  

THE ISLAND OF DOVES shares the story of two women in the early 1800’s.  Magdelaine Fonteneau defies all ideas of what a woman should be by doing the job of a fur trader after her husband died much too soon. After suffering the loss of her husband and then both of her sisters, she sets off to make sure she and her son can survive.  Now as a wealthy and powerful woman, she wants to somehow redeem the loss of her sisters by opening her home on Mackinac Island to those who need protection and a new life.  

Susannah Fraser lives the life every woman dreams in Buffalo.  She resides in the finest mansion and is married to one of the wealthiest and most powerful of men.  What those on the outside don’t know is that her husband, Edward, is a monster and her home is a prison.  Susannah is completely cut off from the outside world with no family left and no friends to talk to.  One day she meets a nun who offers her an escape from the world of abuse and she takes the chance at freedom on Mackinac Island.

Even though I found THE ISLAND OF DOVES to be a bit predictable, the vivid characters and scenery depictions held my interest.  McNees certainly knows how to plant you in the time and place of her novel and make the reader feel a part of the character’s lives.  You feel the physical pain and debilitating fear of Susannah, the determination of Magdelaine, and the kindness of each of the strangers in Susannah path to freedom.  The descriptions of the remote Mackinac Island make me want to visit and hide away there myself.

Magdelaine and Susannah ended up really helping each other.  Susannah saw ways to encourage Magdelaine and Magdelaine had to remind Susannah of her own strength. I loved this quote from Magdelaine:

My review is part of a series of blogs offering reviews and giveaways of THE ISLAND OF DOVES.  To read other reviews and sign up to win at other sites, see the tour list below.  Scroll to the bottom of the post to enter my giveaway of a copy of THE ISLAND OF DOVES.

April 1

Kelly O’Connor McNees – Photo by Kate Emerson, source

Kelly O’Connor McNees grew up in Lansing, Michigan, and holds a bachelor’s degree in English Literature from the University of Michigan and a master’s in English education from DePaul University. A former seventh-grade teacher and editorial assistant, Kelly runs a busy editorial business called Word Bird Editorial Services, through which she helps authors of all stripes improve their craft and prepare their writing for publication. She is the author of three novels: THE ISLAND OF DOVES, THE LOST SUMMER OF LOUISA MAY ALCOTT, and IN NEED OF A GOOD WIFE, which was a finalist for the 2012 Willa Award. Kelly lives in Chicago with her husband and daughter. For more on Kelly, you can visit her website at http://kellyoconnormcnees.com/ or find her on Twitter, HERE and Facebook, HERE.