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13th out of 383 books
—
153 voters
Sentence of Marriage (Promises to Keep #1)
by
Shayne Parkinson (Goodreads Author)
In nineteenth century New Zealand, there are few choices for a farm girl like Amy. Her life seems mapped out for her by the time she is twelve. Amy dreams of an exciting life in the world beyond her narrow boundaries. But it is the two people who come to the farm from outside the valley who change her life forever, and Amy learns the high cost of making the wrong choice.
ebook, 414 pages
Published
2009
by Smashwords
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I LOVED this book! Shayne Parkinson has done a fantastic job of painting a picture of the life of a 19th century New Zealand farm girl. I found myself absolutely enchanted with the comings and goings of Amy's family within minutes of starting to read this book.
It's effectively a historical family saga, so there are highs, lows, surprises, romances, betrayals and more. Added to all of this, there are interesting insights into farm life at that time, something that I knew little about. The charac...more
It's effectively a historical family saga, so there are highs, lows, surprises, romances, betrayals and more. Added to all of this, there are interesting insights into farm life at that time, something that I knew little about. The charac...more
I have to admit that I was a little hesitant to read this book, but I LOVED it! I downloaded it FREE at Barnes and Noble for my Nook. It is a wonderful story that focuses on the life of a young girl named Amy growing up in the late 1800's. We see glimpses of farm life back then and how families lived, plus we get the pleasure of interacting with Amy and her family, including a new stepmother (who is quite the character you love to hate) and her first love.
I had no idea it was a trilogy but I im...more
I had no idea it was a trilogy but I im...more
I HATED this book. I will never read this book again as long as I live. I am sorry that I found it and read it.
Why will I never read this book again? Why did I hate it and give it four stars? Two very good questions.
I gave this book four stars because the author created characters and wrote a powerfully emotional tale that impacted me so much that it pissed me off. A book that evokes so many emotions deserves four stars, or more.
If you are looking for a book that is light and fluffy or a cute c...more
Why will I never read this book again? Why did I hate it and give it four stars? Two very good questions.
I gave this book four stars because the author created characters and wrote a powerfully emotional tale that impacted me so much that it pissed me off. A book that evokes so many emotions deserves four stars, or more.
If you are looking for a book that is light and fluffy or a cute c...more
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Sentence of Marriage is one of those books that is full of *real* life. If you're looking for a happy historical romance that brushes over the realities of life in the eighteenth century, this book is not for you. Yes, it's a sad book and the end is a bit of a depressing cliff-hangar. I have not read the four books that follow this one yet, however I want to! Despite the fact that this book is full of unhappy events, the author writes VERY well. The multitude of details she wrote into Amy, her f...more
A sad story about a young girl living a happy life with her widowed father and brothers until her father brings home a new 'mother' to help him raise the kids. The new wife is a vindictive jealous woman who never loses her bitterness over having to marry beneath her in order to escape spinsterhood. She makes everyone miserable. but takes most of her venom out on the daughter, who was the apple of her father's eye. Cut off from the support of her father, the innocent girl is seduced by the evil s...more
I got this book for free from Amazon and decided to download it because my brother lived in New Zealand for 2 years and I came to love the country seeing it through his eyes.
This book while lengthy takes you on a journey through 19th century New Zealand through the experiences of a young girl and her family. The series follows the life of Amy who at the beginning of this book is a 12 year old farm girl. Amy's father after being a widower for several years decides to suprise his family by bringi...more
This book while lengthy takes you on a journey through 19th century New Zealand through the experiences of a young girl and her family. The series follows the life of Amy who at the beginning of this book is a 12 year old farm girl. Amy's father after being a widower for several years decides to suprise his family by bringi...more
I have to say I was really quite pleased and surprised at how much I enjoyed reading this book... I say that because it's this authors first book and it was a free download on Smashwords. Free books are often times questionable. The following 3 books are not free but are only $2.99 each.
Anyway... this series is set in rural New Zealand beginning in 1881 and going through the early 1900's. It more or less follows two sets of families although those families are basically family too. I don't want...more
Anyway... this series is set in rural New Zealand beginning in 1881 and going through the early 1900's. It more or less follows two sets of families although those families are basically family too. I don't want...more
This book was no fairytale ending. I laughed and cried. I think this book was one of the most depressing books I read in a long time. I couldn't even talk about the book to my husband without crying. I felt so sorry for Amy and all the struggles she endured. She is a much stronger person than I am. I don't want to give away to much of the book, so I wont go into detail. But I can't stand how naive Amy's father is and common sense seems to be out the window with that man. The frustrating part is...more
I got this free from Amazon, and it was not the light historical romance I was expecting. In fact, it was not at all the kind of book I would have read if I had known more about it. I like my comfort reading with a tidy happily-ever-after for all involved, which did not happen here.
That being said, this was an extremely compelling book. It was well-written, hard to put down or stop thinking about, and very easy to get lost in. I loved the descriptions of late 19th, early 20th century farm life,...more
That being said, this was an extremely compelling book. It was well-written, hard to put down or stop thinking about, and very easy to get lost in. I loved the descriptions of late 19th, early 20th century farm life,...more
This book really got me hooked, I love those "coming of age" books, and this one got my attention especially because it's set in New Zealand during the Victorian period, and I'm a sucker for books set in this period of time and to top it off its a family saga, so once I started reading I just couldn't put it down.
One of the most enjoyable things about reading this book was not knowing what was going to happen next although some things are quite predictable, basically it's the story of Amy a farm...more
One of the most enjoyable things about reading this book was not knowing what was going to happen next although some things are quite predictable, basically it's the story of Amy a farm...more
To be honest I don't really understand why this book has so many good reviews. On the one hand, it is extremely well written, very easy to read and Shayne Parkinson paints an engaging (and historically accurate) portrait of colonial New Zealand. The characters are for the most part complex and interesting. BUT it is possibly one of the most predictable books I have ever read. I mean really. (view spoiler)...more
Can you love and loathe a book at the same time? Can you want to throw it across the room but want to keep reading it at the same time? That's how I felt about Shayne Parkinson's Sentence of Marriage. Her writing style is engaging, but the characters infuriated me.
The story is set in a small farming community in New Zealand in the 1880s. The main character, Amy, is a young teenager and is responsible for running the house for her widowed father. When her father remarries, Amy is constantly bera...more
The story is set in a small farming community in New Zealand in the 1880s. The main character, Amy, is a young teenager and is responsible for running the house for her widowed father. When her father remarries, Amy is constantly bera...more
Although relatively well-written, this book desperately needed editing for content. I found myself skipping over various passages that droned on and on about the landscape or the difficulty of being a woman in 19th century New Zealand. Description is necessary, but Parkinson went overboard. Amy is an engaging character, but the majority of characters acted predictably. Consequently, the story is rather predictable. The one time Amy thinks for herself, everything goes to hell in a handbasket. She...more
Stayed up until 5am reading and the link at the end of the book was to Smashwords rather than Amazon, otherwise I'd probably have bought the sequel to it immediately and kept reading until the kids were up. I haven't had a book keep me up so late I woke up with a headache the next morning (by which I actually mean "a few hours later") in awhile. Well done!
There are four books after this - the remaining two in the trilogy (Mud and Gold and Settling the Accounts), a "sequel to the trilogy" (A Seco...more
There are four books after this - the remaining two in the trilogy (Mud and Gold and Settling the Accounts), a "sequel to the trilogy" (A Seco...more
Update - Finished the novel and really enjoyed it. Many previous reviews have talked about violence or abuse toward women, well toward Amy in the story particularly. I felt the dialog in these instances was fairly mild, yet still got the point across. And let's face it, women were not treated fairly during that time period. Husband, or parents, could do whatever they wanted to their families and there was no law against it. With that in mind, the things that happen to Amy make a lot of sense and...more
I love this sort of book. Grim, gritty books where nothing happens but everything happens. When I tried to explain this sort of book to the child, he said "well, what's the plot?" and I said "well, there really *is* no plot, it's just life!" and that's what it is. Historical life in New Zealand in the early 1800s. So, figure you're going to be reading about farming, about washing clothes in a tub (and hauling water from the creek to do so), about birthing at home and losing babies (and blood) wh...more
The author did a superb job of portraying farm life in 19th century New Zealand. From the description of the rivers and valleys, to the docking wharf and people's way of life in Ruatane. This book was a page turner from page one. I could not put it down and it's the first book to keep me up after 3AM in the morning. Though an excellent read, this was easily the most sad and depressing book I've ever read. I was so crushed for Amy being just a child and having to deal with such grown up issues wi...more
Very nicely done coming of age and having your dreams crushed story set in nineteenth century New Zealand. At times it's easy to get frustrated with the naivete of the main character, but then you remember being a young girl yourself, and imagine what being a young girl in that time must have been like, and then are just filled with sadness and pity.
May 30, 2012
Diane
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
2012-read,
kindle-download
I would give this book 4.5 stars if possible. It was recommended by a friend who had downloaded it for free, and was pleasantly surprised at what a great book it was. I have to say, i totally agree. This book had me up until 2:00 last night, until I just couldn't stay awake any more, and I finished it today. I think the author did an excellent job of telling a story about life in 19th c New Zealand farm country, giving the reader a sense of what life on a farm was like, and particularly the way...more
This is the first free Kindle book (out of dozens) to which I have purchased the sequels. I couldn’t stop reading them. The Promises to Keep series is extremely well-written. The historical content is well-researched, the characters are very well-developed and even though the books are long and detailed, I found every detail interesting.
The main downside, as others have mentioned, is that there is no happy ending. The first three books in this series run together. They each end at a natural stop...more
The main downside, as others have mentioned, is that there is no happy ending. The first three books in this series run together. They each end at a natural stop...more
This came up as a free book to read on Amazon and since I like history/fiction I thought I'd try it. I was down with bronchitis and had plenty of time to devote to this book.
I found it throughly enjoyable and hard to put down. It is about a family in new Zealand in the late 1800's and although an easy read kept you on on the edge of your seat. It is not a story of happy endings but struggles and the raw truth that life is subsequently about. No prince to ride off with the poor girl to make her l...more
I found it throughly enjoyable and hard to put down. It is about a family in new Zealand in the late 1800's and although an easy read kept you on on the edge of your seat. It is not a story of happy endings but struggles and the raw truth that life is subsequently about. No prince to ride off with the poor girl to make her l...more
I gave this book 5* It was unputdownable!
This was a free e-book, downloaded as a recommend. It is the story of a young girl living on a farm in New Zealand in the 1800s. Having lost her mother and then her grandmother, who taught all she knew, she takes care of her father and two brothers and runs the house as if it is her own. It is a hard life for all of them, but they seem happy. Her life changes for the worse when her father remarries and brings home his young fashionable wife, who dislikes...more
This was a free e-book, downloaded as a recommend. It is the story of a young girl living on a farm in New Zealand in the 1800s. Having lost her mother and then her grandmother, who taught all she knew, she takes care of her father and two brothers and runs the house as if it is her own. It is a hard life for all of them, but they seem happy. Her life changes for the worse when her father remarries and brings home his young fashionable wife, who dislikes...more
If you like to read books with a feel-good happy ending, you will not want to read this one. However, this story gives insights into late 19th century farm life in New Zealand. I enjoyed the book very much and found it difficult to put down. In this story we are introduced to young Amy Leith, who is just entering puberty. Her mother and grandmother have both died leaving her to care for the women's chores on her father's 500-acre farm. Besides Amy and her father, her two older brothers also live...more
This book is set in 19th century New Zealand. Amy is a happy, hard-working, adventurous and energetic farm girl. When her father comes back from a trip to town with a new wife, her life changes for the worse. Her step-mother is like Cinderella’s—a hag that is jealous of everything about Amy and won’t give her a minute’s reprieve from harping. When Amy meets her step-mother’s younger brother, life suddenly becomes interesting and the future looks bright. Amy was an amazing character. She's so hap...more
This book is awful. Not in its style or poor story construction, but in making you empathize and perhaps even identify with the main character and then forcing you to watch her and her life fade into sadness and hopelessness. The title of the book on first glance sounds like a romantic comedy about a couple sentenced to marry in court through some hilarious misunderstanding. But when you finish this book, the heavy weight of the "sentence" will strike you. I didn't expect a simple story about a...more
There really isn't too many shelves for me to tag this book in. This isn't really a romance at all,at least not this first book. I guess it's more of a family saga.
Amy is 13 when the story starts. She lives on a farm with her father and two brothers in New Zeland and in the 1800's there really isn't much for a girl to do other than help take care of her family until she gets married. When her father returns from a trip to Auckland he brings home a new wife.......a nasty piece of work that goes...more
Amy is 13 when the story starts. She lives on a farm with her father and two brothers in New Zeland and in the 1800's there really isn't much for a girl to do other than help take care of her family until she gets married. When her father returns from a trip to Auckland he brings home a new wife.......a nasty piece of work that goes...more
This was a wonderful book, it really pulled you into the life and times of the story.
There are some real life events and places documented in the book, but it is a fictional story, yet it plays off the life and times of the era and could have easily been a true story.
As it begins, I thought we would be following one family, father Jack, sons John and Harry and daughter Amy, but soon we are introduced to other relatives and friends, and it ends up being a story that tells the story of the whole c...more
There are some real life events and places documented in the book, but it is a fictional story, yet it plays off the life and times of the era and could have easily been a true story.
As it begins, I thought we would be following one family, father Jack, sons John and Harry and daughter Amy, but soon we are introduced to other relatives and friends, and it ends up being a story that tells the story of the whole c...more
I got this book because it was free on my Nook. I zoomed through it. I read a lot of reviews about it and there were so many that said they didn't like it because they couldn't understand why Amy would allow things to happen to herself. That was not the way I perceived it at all. This is how things were in that time period! Women were treated differently and the way of life was much different back then. I think all 4 of the books in this series were great. I hate history, but I read all the book...more
This is a beautifully written family saga based in New Zealand in the nineteenth century. I really enjoyed reading this. The narrative was exemplary and it was very easy to lose yourself in the scenery of farm life, in the Victorian age, in New Zealand. The story is well paced and interesting and the characters charming. Even though the protagonist, Amy, seems perched a little high on the heroine pedestal it is balanced by the choices she makes. I recommend delving into this world of simplicity,...more
I have nothing but complaints about this book and yet I'm enthralled by it. The dialog can be eye-rolling. The characters are mostly cardboard. Our heroine is that meek, butter won't melt in her mouth kind of girl I can't stand. The plot unfurls with complete predictability.
And yet...and yet... it is compulsively readable. I got attached to these characters and their world. The details are lovely. The themes are meaningful. I will read the next book and maybe even the next one after that. Whate...more
And yet...and yet... it is compulsively readable. I got attached to these characters and their world. The details are lovely. The themes are meaningful. I will read the next book and maybe even the next one after that. Whate...more
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