The McCarron's Daughter - Book Review

The McCarron's Daughter

Author: Sharon K. Middleton
Genre: Romance - Historical
Publisher: Black Rose Writing
Date Published: February 28, 2019
ISBN-10: 1684332486
ISBN-13: 978-1684332489


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GoodReads Rating:
4.23

Book Review of :  The McCarron's Daughter



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Set during the American Revolutionary War with the British, the McCarron’s Daughter, by Sharon K. Middleton, is a historical fantasy or time travel romance that involves characters from the late 1700s, and the 21st century.

The plot is told in the voice of Fancy, a girl of color raised as the adopted daughter of Irish nobility in Virginia in the 1780s. Light, bright, and “almost white” Fancy passes as the legitimate heir until her father dies and she becomes a sex slave under the estate manager. She was the victim of horrible abuse, including rape, whippings, and total degradation. During this horrible period of her life, she becomes pregnant, making her life that much more complicated. Fate intervenes when an old friend visits the estate and is shocked by her predicament; he spirits her away from this hell she has endured.  Her life is a contrast of violence, kidnapping, abuse, and even murder offset with periods of being treated as a Duchess.

Fancy is a friend of Sassy, the main character of the Middleton’s series. Sassy is a visitor of the 1700s who literally stumbled into the century while taking a hike in the 21st century.  She has adapted to her new environment and uses her knowledge of 1700 century history to give her a roadmap of how to navigate the new world she inhabits.

The story weaves itself into the actual happenings of the American Revolution era. Middleton writes in vignettes that have some of the historic founding fathers and their adversaries playing cameo roles beside her cast of characters; individuals such as George Washington, Banastre Tarleton, Jefferson, Cornwallis, and more.  Major battles of the war are the backdrop to much of the story.
After her tumultuous existence of being treated as a sex slave, Fancy is married to Calvin Hobbs, a wealthy older man. The author’s descriptive style of her wedding ensemble is a historical fashion flashback: “pale celadon green quilted, silk petticoat, over panniers…full starched petticoats… topped with a white robe a la polonaise covered with pink embroidered flowers”. Her robe, which laced up the front, was over a matching stomacher that had sleeves edged with Irish bobbin lace “engageants”. The neckline had a pale pink, silk fichu. An extravagant jade and diamond necklace, earrings and bracelet set matched her wedding band.
Richard arrives from Beyond through a time portal in the same fashion as had Sassy. He falls in love with Fancy, which complicates the interaction between members of the dysfunctional, complicated family. Richard, also known as Rick, wonders if he has arrived at the wrong time. He states that he’ll never get used to chamber pots and outhouses. And he’ll miss “air conditioning, bathtubs, showers, refrigerators,… not to mention mosquito repellant.”

Genetics vs relationships are further complicated by the intrigue surrounding the Revolutionary War. The author’s well-researched examination of history is evident in Fancy’s journal of the events leading up to the battle of Yorktown. The fall of Yorktown from the view of citizens is especially interesting to historians. “The town reeked of rotting bodies…left behind to rot where they fell…hideous conditions…” making the camp susceptible to camp fever or epidemic typhus. “The caws of crows as they pecked at the corpses of the dead… overwhelming stench of death…” Fancy concentrates on survival through unexpected turns of events and violence.
The plot involves many characters from two previous books in this series. Fancy's, and other characters', involvement with George Washington, Alexander Hamilton and General Clinton, the British commander-in-Chief, lend historical credibility to this fiction. 
Through conversations and memories intricately woven into the story as the various characters interact, Fancy answers questions and digs deeper into their backstories.

Readers will anticipate a fourth book in the series.

Reviewed by:  Dr. Carol V. Weishampel 


Reviewed by: Carole W

Latest Author Interview

Beyond McCarron's Corner: Sassy's Story

A fascinating interview with Sharon K. Middleton about her latest book, "Beyond McCarron's Corner: Sassy's Story," a fictional tale about a woman who is transported back in time to the Revolutionary War era.

About Sharon K. Middleton


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I am a fourth-generation Texan who grew up in San Antonio. My first relative was a boy who came to the Colonies in 1747 as a Scottish indentured servant at age 12. My great-grandmother immigrated from Mexico in the 1890s.

I am a semi-retired attorney with a family practice near Houston, Texas. I write, quilt, and raise and show Skye terriers. I love North Georgia and we hope to retire there next year. We finally bought our land overlooking the Cohutta Wilderness I love so much!

The McCarron's Daughter is not a typical romance. Fancy has been seriously abused both while growing up by her older brother by adoption, Tom Selk, and is later abused as a young woman during the Revolutionary War. War is never kind to women and children. Fancy must learn to love herself despite the abuse she has suffered and to allow herself to move beyond her youthful abuse to be able to find the love of her life. Although not a typical romance, the McCarron's Daughter won two awards for literary excellence, the Pencraft Award for Historical Romance in 2019, and the Texas Best Book Awards in Historical Romance in 2020. She finds her happy-ever-after in Diary of the Reluctant Duchess.

Path of the Guiding Light was released on 12-20. It is about Baylie Smith, the Cherokee woman who goes back in time to help fulfill part of the prophecy only to be sent back to the future to resolve a problem. Once returned to the future, she learns she is expecting a 'differently-abled child. Will she be able to return to the past and help her people avoid the Trail of Tears? Will she be reunited with Shadow Wolf, the love of her life? How will her 'differently abled' baby fit into the prophecy?

My next book, The McCarron'a Destiny, is about Charlie, who will be going back in time to assume his duties as Duke Ranscome. Didn't you wonder how on earth Fancy could be a Duchess? Charlie love with, Kelly Nguyen, a Vietnamese-American girl. Will she go back in time, too? What problems will a mixed-race couple face in Regency England? The McCarron's Destiny comes out 10-14, and Charlie's cover will be quite different from earlier covers!

I enjoy writing about children as they are growing up. This is the first book of the next generation as we move closer to helping the Cohutta Cherokees move westward to Oklahoma before the infamous Trail of Tears.

The next book deals with Elizabeth, who falls in love with Dr. Ari Hotep. After Elizabeth will come Sara, with an unexpected mystery. Check back to see what is coming next!

I hope you enjoy the books. If you do, be sure to leave positive feedback. You can reach me at sharonmiddleton359@gmail.com if you have ideas about future plots or other constructive suggestions.





Other Books:


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