Lady In The Mist by Laurie Alice Eakes
Product Description
By virtue of her profession as a midwife, Tabitha Eckles is the keeper of many secrets: the names of fathers of illegitimate children, the level of love and harmony within many a marriage, and now the identity of a man who may have caused his wife’s death. Dominick Cherrett is a man with his own secret to keep: namely, what he, a British nobleman, is doing on American soil working as a bondsman in the home of Mayor Kendall, a Southern gentleman with his eye on a higher office.
By chance one morning before the dawn has broken, Tabitha and Dominick cross paths on a misty beachhead, leading them on a twisted path through kidnappings, death threats, public disgrace, and . . . love? Can Tabitha trust Dominick? What might he be hiding? And can either of them find true love in a world that seems set against them?
With stirring writing that puts readers directly into the story, Lady in the Mist expertly explores themes of identity, misperception, and love’s discovery.
This book was a real treat for me to read! The setting and the characters were so wonderful. The romance between Dominick and Tabitha will tug at your heart. The attraction, the kisses, the love they had for one another will carry you back in time, perhaps, making you recall the first time you fell in love.
Tabitha is a mid-wife. What I found interesting about her job is that not only did she deliver babies, but, she also was a healer. She had medical knowledge and she could assist those in the town suffering from physical ailments. Her profession has been passed down within her family, however, Tabitha is in a bit of a quandary – she doesn’t have a daughter on which to pass on her mid-wivery profession. What will she do? Single and jilted, she finds herself smitten with Dominick Cherrett, a local indentured servant who lives in the mayor’s home. But he’s British and a lot of the townfolk are suspicious of Dominick, especially when their men start disappearing from the beachy shore.
Dominick does have some secrets of his own. He’s ashamed about some of his past experiences, and he needs to accept God’s grace for the sins that he’s committed. Estranged from his family and full of guilt, he fulfills the role of indentured servant for a reason – a reason he’s initially reluctant to share with Tabitha. He’s suffered from a great deal of pain, and he’s hoping his current actions will help him to ease some of his suffering and make things right in his life again.
The setting for this novel was just wonderful. I felt like I was really there! The salty brine of the beach, the smell of the ocean, the sun shining down, warming your skin.
I also found other aspects of the story interesting, like, the food! If you’ve been reading this blog long enough, you’ll notice that I will talk about food on occasion. On a warm, sunny day, Dominick and Tabitha go crabbing. They then cook and eat the crabs. Also, you’ll find some of the secondary characters making strawberry jam and Tabitha’s fettish is candied rose petals. I found myself wondering what a candied rose petal tastes like?
This book got me to thinking about childbirth and being a mid-wife. Can you imagine, back then, going through childbirth without epidurals? I think the screams and suffering from the expectant mothers would’ve been too much for me to bear. I doubt I could be a mid-wife. Tabitha was also the keeper of secrets. Before she assisted in a birthing, the mother had to tell her the name of the biological father of her baby. She knew about affairs and indiscretions, making some of the townspeople leery about her.
I highly recommend this book and I look forward to reading the other two books in the series.
Many thanks to Baker/Revell in providing me with a free review copy.