Wednesday, April 1, 2015

On To Richmond by Ginny Dye





Historical fiction is my passion. I so love bringing history to life - the reason I dedicate most of my time to writing historical fiction books! 

On To Richmond is the second in the ongoing Bregdan Chronicles historical novel series. It's readers like you who have turned it into a world-wide best-seller. Thank you! 


Book Description: Burdened with the responsibility of running an entire plantation, Carrie Cromwell fights to understand the forces tearing her beloved country apart. As battles rage around her, she watches as her life slowly unravels and she discovers truths she would never have imagined. 

Will her actions and decisions push her even further from those she loves? When the danger she dreads becomes reality, will she find the courage and strength to escape? 
Robert is pulled into battle, facing things he would never have imagined. Moses and Rose face a great loss, and then make a decision that could claim their lives. 

Everyone struggles to survive and live in a country that has exploded into Civil War. 


Published & Release Date: A Voice in the World Publishing, June 11, 2010

Time and setting: 1861-1862 Virginia

Genre: Historical Romance

Length: 707 pages

Heat Level: Sweet

Rating: 5 Gold Crowns

Vikki’s Musings

The saga began in Storm Clouds Rolling In and continues with On To Richmond. I am so glad I found these excellent books. This second story in this amazing series is a fantastic addition, and I thoroughly enjoyed it from the first sentence to the last. What I particularly like about these books is that even though each story is a continuation of the last one, Ms. Dye leaves the tale on a positive note, no cliffhangers!

Carrie Cromwell is determined to help her father’s slaves make their way to freedom when they so choose. Her lifelong friend, Rose and her husband continue to help her run Cromwell Plantation, and her father is still in the dark that the overseer, Ike Adams is no longer in charge.

When Rose’s mother, Sarah, dies, it is now time for Rose and Moses to travel on the Underground Railroad to freedom. As much as they hate to leave Carrie, when her father writes to say he wants Moses in Richmond, the time is upon them.

After a journey fraught with peril, Rose and Moses find their way to Carrie’s dear friend, Aunt Abby, in Philadelphia. She takes them in, and Rose finds a Quaker school to attend, and Moses finds work, although Moses burns to do his part to help the union in the War Between the States. When he gets the opportunity to spy for General McClellan, he takes it, leaving Rose with Aunt Abby.

Back at the plantation, Carrie carries on with her work, raising produce for the confederacy, even though she is still opposed to slavery. It has become increasingly more difficult to keep her secrets from her father. She now has had to lie to her father to protect what is happening on the plantation. It grieves her heart, knowing how hurt her father will be when he learns what she has done, but her convictions will not allow her to do anything else.

As the north takes a path to Richmond that leads the Union army to Cromwell Plantation, Carrie is saved by the help of Moses who is with the northern army. He helps Carrie escape through a hidden passage. Carrie is shot as she makes a mad dash on her steady stead, Granite. Along the way, she meets Warren Hobbs, the young man her father and Robert Borden had sent to bring her to Richmond.

What a whirlwind of emotions this book has been. On several occasions I had tears rolling down my face, at the loss of  Rose’s mother, the conductor that helps Rose and Moses in their bid for freedom and Opal’s relative, Fannie and her husband, leaving their four children orphaned.

This story is steeped in historical detail of the Battle of Bull Run and the winter operations of 1862. Ms. Dye brings to life the fears and emotions of the people, black and white, that are living through these events in history.


I can’t wait to continue this amazing journey in the next story. If you are looking for a well-written historical fiction with strong romantic elements then you will want to read this epic saga of the south torn asunder and the north fighting to restore the union. I do want to mention, these books are not stand alone. You do need to read them in order to fully enjoy this rich reading experience. Happy reading!

4 comments:

  1. So the series is about Carrie primarily? Is there a love story throughout?

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    1. I just answered your question, but as another comments. Oops!

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  2. This series follows several characters and is told from several POVs, but yes, it is primarily Carrie's story. And yes, there is a wonderful love story. There's a great cast of characters, all of them fascinating. While this book is not preachy, there is an inspirational thread running through it. I just started book 4, and there are 7 books in the series.

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