Carolina Gold by Dorothy Love

From the publisher:

The war is over, but at Fairhaven Plantation, Charlotte's struggle has just begun.

Following her father’s death, Charlotte Fraser returns to Fairhaven, her family’s rice plantation in the South Carolina Lowcountry. With no one else to rely upon, smart, independent Charlotte is determined to resume cultivating the superior strain of rice called Carolina Gold.  But the war has left the plantation in ruins, her father’s former bondsmen are free, and workers and equipment are in short supply.

To make ends meet, Charlotte reluctantly agrees to tutor the two young daughters of her widowed neighbor and heir to Willowood Plantation, Nicholas Betancourt.  Just as her friendship with Nick deepens, he embarks upon a quest to prove his claim to Willowood and sends Charlotte on a dangerous journey that uncovers a long-held family secret, and threatens everything she holds dear.

Inspired by the life of a 19^th-century woman rice farmer, Carolina Gold pays tribute to the hauntingly beautiful Lowcountry and weaves together  mystery, romance, and historical detail, bringing to life the story of one young woman’s struggle to restore her ruined world.

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I was interested to learn more about the reconstruction time after the Civil War, especially from a former plantation owners’ point of view.  This book will give readers one glimpse into the struggles and victories of that time period.

As far as a Christian fiction book, I did not feel that the character’s had any relationship or time where they connected to God.  Charlotte, the main character has her doubts about God, but there doesn't seem to be any resolution or any real struggle. 

I struggled with the character development aspect of the book, as Charlotte and Nicholas were growing feeling for each other, but it was more of a “tell” and not a “show”.  Even the ending left me feeling like I wished more had been said.  This was also the case with other secondary characters.  They were introduced and taken away and then reintroduced without it seeming very important or building up their characters.

There were some interesting facts about yellow fever, rice planting, and differing opinions after the end of the Civil War.

I received this book free from Booksneeze in exchange for my honest review.