⚔️🛡️ “Clara in a Time of War” (2022) 🛡️⚔️– Book Review

 

MY REVIEW

 

 

Paperback: 378 pages

Publisher: Atmosphere Press (September 18, 2022)

Language: English

ISBN: 1639884319

ISBN-13: 978-1639884315

⬅️ Click Photo for Purchase Information

 

“In a terrible time of war, one woman must fight for what she holds dear...

 

Pennsylvania, 1777: As war rages in the American colonies, Clara Fletcher struggles to make do on her Chester County farm while her husband is off in the fight. Lonely in the woods, with no hope of returning to her beloved Philadelphia, she has no other wish than to survive. Then, one morning her son finds a wounded man in the carriage house and her life takes an unexpected turn.

 

The man is Declan O'Reilly, and as Clara nurses him back to life, she finds in this mysterious stranger a kindred spirit and the welcome spark of love. But day by day the war is moving closer to her door as the British Army embarks on its Philadelphia Campaign. And once Declan O'Reilly moves on, an even bigger threat will loom: a secret Clara hopes to keep hidden as long as she can, a secret that could ruin her.”

 

Thank you in advance to the author, CJ McGroarty; and Kate Rock Book Tours for providing a complimentary review copy. A positive review was not required nor requested, and all words are my own.

Over the last few years, I’m embraced historical fiction as a favorite genre. Like any genre – even with favorite authors – the story has to grab me.

 

Where I like WWII fiction, I don’t care much for WWI. There’s a weird vibe there for me. I do like Civil War fiction though. But, Revolutionary War fiction is a new one for me, yet my mother likes the John Jakes “Kent Family”/“American Bicentennial Series”. She’s read all eight (8) books and seen both movies. Despite having the original books available to me, I’ve yet to read it.

 

This had that same vibe to it. Yet, the cover had an OUTLANDER vibe to it. The two names – Clara (Claire) and Jamie (Jamie) also added to it. As of note, I do have five books from the series, but have never read nor seen the series. This is not like that series a split or dual time book.

 

McGroarty is a new author and she shows a lot of promise with this book. Given the blurb of the book – I really wanted to read this.

 

While told entirely from Clara’s POV in first person, there are other characters that are woven into this. The main ones in addition to Clara and her son Jamie:

 

🔎 Declan O’Reilly (Irishman spying for the Continental Army)

🩺 Naomi (Bogdana) (Clara’s “salvation”; her friend; midwife, and “household help”)

 🏠 Josiah & Mary Taylor (dear family friends)

 🐎 Jeremiah Tasker (a Tory sympathizer)

🌾 George & Louisa Parsons (wheat farmer)

🏠 Peter & Miranda (Clara’s brother and sister-in-law)

⚔️ Malachi (Clara’s husband, fighting against the British; he only appears in about less than 5% of the book)

 

There are other support and minor characters which bogged it down a bit for me. A list of characters and their relation to the story and other characters would have greatly helped. Some readers might have an issue with the myriad of characters.

 

Moving on …

 

The style is very unique. It has some Christian elements (prayer, mentions of God, going to church), but there are some “steamy” scenes. While not graphic, they were descriptive enough that I felt like a voyeur due to “seeing” the action in my mind, and had to speed read through them. Thankfully, the short chapters assisted in that aspect, as well as keeping the story moving.

 

I don’t mind some “scenes” so long as I know that content is in the story. I do mention it because there are some who like “cleaner” reads, especially fans of Christian fiction.

 

There is a reference to Declan’s “escapades” with a particularly “crude” line about asking Clara if she preferred someone who’d never “run his goods”. Declan is unapologetic about learning how to please a woman and thinks her husband could’ve used some education there.

 

There is also use of some crude language – p!$$ being one of the words. There are no “f-bombs” or “s-bombs”.

 

Usually, I put certain warnings toward the end of a review, but felt as though the content deserved an early warning for potential readers.

 

Other questionable content for some readers: a cancer death, mention of possible abortion methods, infidelity, mention of slavery, outdated ethnic terms (though authentic to the time period), offensive (yet authentic) tones towards the black community, mention of domestic violence, attempted sexual assault, and indentured service for freedom (referring to the Irish serving the English).

 

Those sensitive to the topics might want to take caution when reading this.

 

The beginning was definitely dramatic and drew me in – Jamie and Clara finding Declan and wondering who he is, what happened to bring him there, and is trouble going to come to their door as a result.

 

She’s also worried about her husband – where he is, and what is going on. He can’t or won’t tell her. She also finds his horse, and a book of verse (bible) in a different language – different from English, Scots, Dutch, Prussian, French, and the occasional Spanish (all those who fought in the war). She will come to learn it is Irish (I’m thinking it was Gaelic).

 

When he awakes it is clear that he isn’t from London as he states. He finally tells her about his origins. Right off, Jamie takes an interest and liking to him. Clara figures it is because the boy misses his father.

 

After learning he is Irish, Clara doesn’t see the crime in it until he brutally tells her that the English view his ethnicity as a crime. He reveals to her that the English have taken their language, religion, ways of learning away from them.

 

She then notices a mysterious rider lurking about as she harbors Declan.

 

Declan and Clara grow closer knowing that when he leaves they will not see each other again – it will definitely be worse when her husband comes home.

 

They also get reports of the war progress – some good, some not so good.

 

As her days grow and wane with Declan, Clara also realizes he has made her become alive again – and even her closest friends see it with one remarking he is the better man for her.

 

It is during the last 35% of the book that becomes action packed and page-turning. I had to keep reading to see how McGroarty was going to end this with the Declan/Clara/Malachi triangle. And, without spoiling it – the end is pretty predictable. Though, it is a nail-biter and definitely a “not-so-cliché” way of ending it.

 

That isn’t to say this was a bad read. It was an interesting one, and one that should propel some to seek out the history mentioned if only for educational purposes.

 

It can be be described as a daring and bold read – full of tragedy, mystery, brutally realistic, and dramatic. Definitely an interesting perspective during a tumultuous and critical part of our nation’s formative years and history.

 

It is inspiring to see how the everyday soldier, like Malachi, was able to fend off and defeat the British to establish our independence. However, it highlights the fact that some soldiers who’ve seen battle cannot adjust back home in a civilian or family setting.

 

I appreciated the author’s inclusion of the Irish/British history and the discrimination. One good book to read is Jennifer Deibel’s The Lady of Galway Manor. That goes into detail about the British/Irish, issue that still plagues the UK today.  

 

There were a few elements of humor, one was in reference to Declan’s “odor”. He stated something about smelling like a dead dog and Clara replies with something about “two of them”.

 

There were some interesting notations about the prevalence of poppy as a pain relief medication. Clara even grew her own. There is also a mention of a plant that can cause an abortion – a choice some women had made.

 

Unfortunately, as satisfying as the “rush to the end” was, the epilogue was so short and brief, that I felt as though it was too abrupt. There was a story arc with Jack and Theresa (two supporting characters) that didn’t get resolved or mentioned, and there were other unresolved story arcs as well.

 

I felt with as much attention to detail that went into the story, there should’ve been an epilogue longer than half (½) a page.

 

Those who enjoy a steamy side to their historical fiction and aren’t bothered by Christian content, are sure to enjoy this read.

 

 

 

NOTE: The Revolutionary War went from 1775-1783.

 

Fighting began on April 19, 1775, followed by the Lee Resolution on July 2, 1776, and the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776. The American Patriots were supported by the Kingdom of France and to a lesser extent the Spanish Empire.

 

 

RATING:

 

4 (3.8) ⭐⭐⭐⭐ /5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ – Goodreads

 

Book not listed on BookBub

 

4 (3.8)  ⭐⭐⭐⭐ /5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ – Personal Rating (see rating explanation in this blog: https://readingexcursions.blogspot.com/2020/01/rating-system-2020-changes.html;update https://readingexcursions.blogspot.com/2022/07/what-goes-into-my-reviews-2022-edition.html)

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

 

C.J. McGroarty is a former reporter for The Philadelphia Inquirer with an MFA in Creative Writing. Her fiction has appeared in a variety of literary journals. Her short story, “The Dying Season”, published in Toasted Cheese, was nominated for a Pushcart Prize and a Story South Million Writers Award. She is at work on a second novel, a ghost story set in suburban Philadelphia. She lives in Chester County with her husband and cat. Find out more at https://cjmauthor.com/.

 

She is also on Instagram at: https://www.instagram.com/cynthiamcgroarty4/

 

 

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