Book Blurb:
Boston, 1763 the Seven Year war is ending, but what Eliza doesn’t know is a new war is coming, a conflict that could threaten everything and everyone she loves. Come on this journey with her as she tries to find her way in this rapidly changing world of war and intrigue which tests her loyalty and love. Can she protect her family while also saving the land and home she loves, or is she destined to lose it all?
“Till I Come Home” is borne out of my extensive work in genealogy and pays homage to our ancestors, especially the ordinary women whose accomplishments were anything but ordinary. Our ancestors live on through stories like these. Also, discover “On the Wings of the Red-Tailed Hawk,” the story of Eliza’s great-great grandmother and her journey to Colonial America, available now on Amazon.
Book Buy Link: https://geni.us/CrZi
Editorial Review:
My tears have been spent and I have no more. My grief now hides away inside me where it will simmer like a low boiling pot, occasionally bubbling to the surface, for the rest of my life. We sit quietly in front of the fire, watching the flames die down till there is nothing left but the red glowing remnants, a metaphor I suppose for our dear son who had burned so brightly in our lives. But there is nothing more to be done, he is gone, I am weary beyond calculation.
Grief is never easy and for Eliza Parkman is a difficult stepping stone especially since her heartache comes from losing her son, Simon William, in the battle between the British and the French during the revolutionary war. As the war and societal norms of colonial Boston don’t allow the time for such pain, Eliza must put her emotions aside to support and encourage family bonds. Her interest in the details of her son’s death will bring to the reader’s attention the topic of sacrifice and the permanent trauma and impact the war’s complications bring on families.
“Time my dearest, she just needs time, she will recover as we all will,” he said as he looked at me from the other end of the table. Recover? I did not think I should ever recover from the loss of my child. It is not something you recover from; it is something you simply get through as best you can. […] I wonder how many more mothers have cried over sons who will never sit at their table again.
Time doesn’t always heal everything, especially not the death of a child. Instead it dulls the pain and shifts the spotlight to surrounding social events and the changing dynamics in the Parkman household as children grow up and move on with their lives. The narrative is skilfully detailing the portrait of a family living in a city on the brink of change. With well-paced descriptions, Oglesby unfolds layer after layer of the colonial Boston and how the fight for freedom becomes vital for the colonists.
“Come mother, Amelia, everyone come, we need to go to the Commons.”
We dropped our sewing and scurried out the door, not sure what was the source of his excitement. […] The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen united States of America, When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature’s God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness.
The narrative progresses to explore the mixed atmosphere of joy and relief as people welcome General George Washington into Boston. Despite struggling with continuous loss, Eliza cannot miss an historic event: the reading of the Declaration of Independence in the Commons, marking the official start of the war with England. Her heart is divided, not understanding herself where her stand is — is she truly English or has become a loyal colonist?
I received a letter today from Antoinette to tell me that John had been killed fighting in New York. The paper felt as though it weighed several stone, the same as the weight now on my heart.
As like attracts like, the conflicts seem endless, and once again Eliza receives the terrible news that one of her sons has passed during the turbulent conflicts. As the other children are also actively engaged in the war, she cannot find comfort in what was once a united family. Grief is not easy, especially since the social struggles add to the pressure on Eliza’s broken heart.
The storyline delves into the horrendous impact the war has on family bonds and dynamics due to conflicting loyalties and surprising ideological differences mirroring, on a smaller scale, the broader struggle the country is going through.
Gail Combs Oglesby’s writing style seamlessly blends historical details with Eliza Parkman's personal reflections and emotions, detailing the life of a woman during the American Revolutionary War. The colloquial tone adds a familiar touch, making the reader step into Eliza’s intimacy as important events in her life unfold one after another. Till I Come Home is a sensible book giving a glimpse of the twists of life during the times when the colonies were taking matters in their own hands. The theme exploration of love, loss, and tireless quest for home, will captivate the reader from the first page to the last one.
*****
“Till I Come Home” by Gail Combs Oglesby receives four stars from The Historical Fiction Company
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