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Refiner's Fire
Lizzie Hamilton, the pampered daughter of a prominent nineteenth-century South Carolina cotton planter, has lost everything—her home, her social status, her financial security. Spurned by the Charleston society she once dominated and dependent on the largesse of her extended family, she is an easy mark for handsome professional gambler Jack O’Rourke, who convinces her to run away with him to New Orleans, the possibility of marriage held out as an enticement.
She soon realizes she has been duped. Not only will there by no marriage, but Jack will support her only if she agrees to act as his gambling accomplice. She has no choice but to make the best of a bad situation until Jack’s shady past catches up with him and they are forced to move their operation to a Mississippi riverboat. Held in virtual servitude, Lizzie decides to escape and make her way to the gold fields of California.
Determined to be independent of any man, she manages to attach herself to a wagon train led by a free black man, a situation that comes into direct conflict with her inbred prejudices. Her trip across the prairie is dogged by danger and misfortune as well as a tantalizing new possibility for love. By the time she reaches California, her entire view of life has changed and she is faced with a stark continue on her lonely, self-sufficient course or seize a risky but potentially life-changing alternative. How she decides will determine her own happiness as well as that of those whose welfare she has pledged herself to protect.
She soon realizes she has been duped. Not only will there by no marriage, but Jack will support her only if she agrees to act as his gambling accomplice. She has no choice but to make the best of a bad situation until Jack’s shady past catches up with him and they are forced to move their operation to a Mississippi riverboat. Held in virtual servitude, Lizzie decides to escape and make her way to the gold fields of California.
Determined to be independent of any man, she manages to attach herself to a wagon train led by a free black man, a situation that comes into direct conflict with her inbred prejudices. Her trip across the prairie is dogged by danger and misfortune as well as a tantalizing new possibility for love. By the time she reaches California, her entire view of life has changed and she is faced with a stark continue on her lonely, self-sufficient course or seize a risky but potentially life-changing alternative. How she decides will determine her own happiness as well as that of those whose welfare she has pledged herself to protect.
391 pages, Kindle Edition
Published October 2, 2016
1 person want to read
About the author
Ann Nolder Heinz
12 books5 followersAnn Nolder Heinz is the award-winning author of Last Stop Freedom, a powerful historical novel inspired by her visit to an Underground Railroad site in Jackson, Illinois. Captivated by the stories she heard there, she spent two years immersed in research, studying nineteenth-century culture, slavery, women’s roles, and the courage of those who risked everything for liberty.
A lifelong lover of books, Ann grew up in Waterloo, Iowa, where reading was a cherished family tradition. She holds a B.A. in sociology from the University of Washington and now lives in East Dundee, Illinois -- a region once home to several stations on the Underground Railroad.
Her writing combines meticulous historical research with emotional depth, exploring themes of endurance, faith, and the human will to be free.
When she isn’t writing, Ann enjoys exploring American history and sharing stories that shed light on the people and moments that continue to shape the nation’s identity.
Readers can learn more about Ann and her work at https://www.fictionbookmates.com
Explore her books at https://books2read.com/ap/nBqEp7/Ann-...
Or connect with her on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/writingismyjoy/ and on X (Twitter) at https://x.com/writeranh.
A lifelong lover of books, Ann grew up in Waterloo, Iowa, where reading was a cherished family tradition. She holds a B.A. in sociology from the University of Washington and now lives in East Dundee, Illinois -- a region once home to several stations on the Underground Railroad.
Her writing combines meticulous historical research with emotional depth, exploring themes of endurance, faith, and the human will to be free.
When she isn’t writing, Ann enjoys exploring American history and sharing stories that shed light on the people and moments that continue to shape the nation’s identity.
Readers can learn more about Ann and her work at https://www.fictionbookmates.com
Explore her books at https://books2read.com/ap/nBqEp7/Ann-...
Or connect with her on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/writingismyjoy/ and on X (Twitter) at https://x.com/writeranh.
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
June 16, 2017
Another stunning period piece by the author.
A riches to ruin tale of an upperclass southern belle. Lizzie Hamilton's life gets real exciting, real fast. As she undertakes the journey far from the comforts of her Charleston plantation, she finds herself barraged with a myriad of life lessons. Most of which are learned the hard way, but that's where all her development comes from.
I like how the author made a story about growth, but didn't make being rich the end result. For everyday Joes, being a millionaire is something of a wild concept. So the fact that Lizzie hits many of the hardships that the working class endures, it's not about the money and status. It started that way, sure. Definitely did not end that way. The level of personal development for such a sheltered, proper young lady was massive.
Writing style, again, was well-suited for the tone of the novel. Highbrow and proper at the beginning. Narration and dialogue changed with the actions of the story. The farther Lizzie delved into the working class, the more her speech reflected that. Knowledge of the time period was obvious and consistent throughout. There were, of course, several stereotypes. However, they felt useful for the end game of the novel.
Description was quite good. Given the saturation of the Wild West in the media, things were easy to picture. The author took a definitive step away from the classic themes of the West. No gun-slinging deputies or damsels in distress there. In fact, all the women were capable. There were the obvious allowances for the time, but the author took creative license and elevated the women. It never felt like there was an actual villain, or antagonist. There were people with which conflict occurred, but the actual antagonist ended up being her situation rather than a person.
I did have some questions left at the end. Things that I don't feel were quite as wrapped up as they could be. There was an allusion to one of the authors' other novels, A Light Within. One of the characters makes an appearance, and we get a nifty little backstory to them. I like the continuity between the novels.
Another excellent novel from this author. Bring the olden days back to life in a tasteful way. They always manage to construct such excellent settings and characters. An author to keep an eye on for sure.
A riches to ruin tale of an upperclass southern belle. Lizzie Hamilton's life gets real exciting, real fast. As she undertakes the journey far from the comforts of her Charleston plantation, she finds herself barraged with a myriad of life lessons. Most of which are learned the hard way, but that's where all her development comes from.
I like how the author made a story about growth, but didn't make being rich the end result. For everyday Joes, being a millionaire is something of a wild concept. So the fact that Lizzie hits many of the hardships that the working class endures, it's not about the money and status. It started that way, sure. Definitely did not end that way. The level of personal development for such a sheltered, proper young lady was massive.
Writing style, again, was well-suited for the tone of the novel. Highbrow and proper at the beginning. Narration and dialogue changed with the actions of the story. The farther Lizzie delved into the working class, the more her speech reflected that. Knowledge of the time period was obvious and consistent throughout. There were, of course, several stereotypes. However, they felt useful for the end game of the novel.
Description was quite good. Given the saturation of the Wild West in the media, things were easy to picture. The author took a definitive step away from the classic themes of the West. No gun-slinging deputies or damsels in distress there. In fact, all the women were capable. There were the obvious allowances for the time, but the author took creative license and elevated the women. It never felt like there was an actual villain, or antagonist. There were people with which conflict occurred, but the actual antagonist ended up being her situation rather than a person.
I did have some questions left at the end. Things that I don't feel were quite as wrapped up as they could be. There was an allusion to one of the authors' other novels, A Light Within. One of the characters makes an appearance, and we get a nifty little backstory to them. I like the continuity between the novels.
Another excellent novel from this author. Bring the olden days back to life in a tasteful way. They always manage to construct such excellent settings and characters. An author to keep an eye on for sure.
August 25, 2016
Reviewed on behalf of The Review Board by Harmony Kent.
I received a free PDF copy of this book, in exchange for an honest review.
First of all, I have to say that the book cover does not do this book justice, and it doesn’t reflect the story content. Given that this is set in America in the 1850s, the picture of the woman donned in trousers just doesn’t fit. Yes, the breaking chains have relevance, but not much else does. Had I seen this on a book shelf, or while browsing a list of books online, I wouldn’t have given it a second look, let alone picked it up. Okay, mini-gripe over, and on with the review.
Pampered southern belle, Lizzie Hamilton, has her life turned topsy-turvy when multiple tragedies strike her family. Strong willed and hot-headed, she runs away one night with a barely-known acquaintance, who proves to be a no-good scoundrel. A series of chance encounters along her travels both aid and hinder Lizzie, and her shame about her past actions haunts her out of what happiness she might find.
On the whole, I found this an interesting and entertaining enough read. The pace felt as if it lagged in a few places, and I felt that the whole wagon train journey could have been trimmed down quite a lot without the plot losing anything for it. The narrative suffers from repetitiveness in places, as well as Point of View impossibilities; for example, we are in Lizzie’s head, and are told something that she cannot know yet, as it hasn’t happened.
Lizzie’s character shows quite a lot of change and development as the tale progresses, and I grew to like her once she shed some of her spoilt arrogance. The story arc is well laid out, and by the close, all the lose threads are tied up nicely. For the most part, the language used reflects the timeframe, except for the odd interjection of modern North Americanisms (such as ‘off of’, which I’m sure you wouldn’t find back in the 1850s). The writer has obviously done a lot of research on dress and conduct, etc. I found the scene setting and world building vivid and realistic. The writing style tends toward the passive, but the text contains very few mistakes.
If you like a good historical romance with a sprinkling of drama and suspense, then you are likely to enjoy this read. It gets a solid 8 out of 10 TRB stars from me, which equates to 4 out of 5 on other rating scales. On the TRB ratings, this means that it’s an all right read with few flaws present. So, if you like the look of the book, go ahead and give it a chance.
I received a free PDF copy of this book, in exchange for an honest review.
First of all, I have to say that the book cover does not do this book justice, and it doesn’t reflect the story content. Given that this is set in America in the 1850s, the picture of the woman donned in trousers just doesn’t fit. Yes, the breaking chains have relevance, but not much else does. Had I seen this on a book shelf, or while browsing a list of books online, I wouldn’t have given it a second look, let alone picked it up. Okay, mini-gripe over, and on with the review.
Pampered southern belle, Lizzie Hamilton, has her life turned topsy-turvy when multiple tragedies strike her family. Strong willed and hot-headed, she runs away one night with a barely-known acquaintance, who proves to be a no-good scoundrel. A series of chance encounters along her travels both aid and hinder Lizzie, and her shame about her past actions haunts her out of what happiness she might find.
On the whole, I found this an interesting and entertaining enough read. The pace felt as if it lagged in a few places, and I felt that the whole wagon train journey could have been trimmed down quite a lot without the plot losing anything for it. The narrative suffers from repetitiveness in places, as well as Point of View impossibilities; for example, we are in Lizzie’s head, and are told something that she cannot know yet, as it hasn’t happened.
Lizzie’s character shows quite a lot of change and development as the tale progresses, and I grew to like her once she shed some of her spoilt arrogance. The story arc is well laid out, and by the close, all the lose threads are tied up nicely. For the most part, the language used reflects the timeframe, except for the odd interjection of modern North Americanisms (such as ‘off of’, which I’m sure you wouldn’t find back in the 1850s). The writer has obviously done a lot of research on dress and conduct, etc. I found the scene setting and world building vivid and realistic. The writing style tends toward the passive, but the text contains very few mistakes.
If you like a good historical romance with a sprinkling of drama and suspense, then you are likely to enjoy this read. It gets a solid 8 out of 10 TRB stars from me, which equates to 4 out of 5 on other rating scales. On the TRB ratings, this means that it’s an all right read with few flaws present. So, if you like the look of the book, go ahead and give it a chance.
August 29, 2016
“Refiner’s Fire” is a pretty straight-forward historical Southern American tale about a quintessential Southern Bell who has her life flipped upside down.
Lizzie Hamilton is the youngest sister of Nathaniel Hamilton, from book one, “Last Stop Freedom”. After having suffered the embarrassment of what Nathaniel did to the family, thereof stymieing the family name, Lizzie now finds herself living with her martyr of a sister.
Lizzie takes issue with the way her sister live; married, with 3 small children, subservient and docile. Mostly, due to the fact that, at heart, Lizzie is too much of a rebel.
Side Note:
There is something about Lizzie that truly reminds me of Scarlett O’Hara from “Gone With The Wind”.
Now that I think of it, a lot of elements in this book remind me of “Gone With The Wind”, although not all. It does have quite a few authentic elements, to be sure.
Back to what I was saying.
Through serendipity, Lizzie meets miscreant of a man, who claims to be innocent of a crime that his is being tried for. Lizzie, consequently falls smitten with him, and attempting to flee from what she considers a fate worse than death—to be like her sister—Lizzie pursues a life with him. And, as things would have it, life was not what she’d expected.
Though enjoyable, I did find some similarities with this book, as I did in the first one. So, in order to effectively portray my thoughts, I will break them down into Pros and Cons.
I will start with the Cons, as they are few.
1. My biggest plight with this book is the cover. God, do I wish it had a better cover. Because, in many ways, this book, as well as the first are worth reading. So, a better cover is pivotal.
2. There were moments when the story fell flat. This was mostly due to unnecessary extending of scenes.
3. Lastly, like with the first book, in some areas this story washed out in the realm of emotions. There were times when I wished that I could REALLY FEEL what Lizzie was feeling whenever something crucial happened to her. But, as it were, at times I didn’t.
On to the Pros.
1. As a whole, “Refiner’s Fire” is a great story. It’s very well written and impressively depicted.
2. The key to knowing when a story is well written is when the characters come to life. When you love them, hate them, feel for them, and get wrapped up in their story. “Refiner’s Fire” did a grand job in this aspect.
With all of that said, I give “Refiner’s Fire” 4 Stars. I liked this one just a bit more than the last one. Well done, Ms. Heinz. Thumbs up.
Lizzie Hamilton is the youngest sister of Nathaniel Hamilton, from book one, “Last Stop Freedom”. After having suffered the embarrassment of what Nathaniel did to the family, thereof stymieing the family name, Lizzie now finds herself living with her martyr of a sister.
Lizzie takes issue with the way her sister live; married, with 3 small children, subservient and docile. Mostly, due to the fact that, at heart, Lizzie is too much of a rebel.
Side Note:
There is something about Lizzie that truly reminds me of Scarlett O’Hara from “Gone With The Wind”.
Now that I think of it, a lot of elements in this book remind me of “Gone With The Wind”, although not all. It does have quite a few authentic elements, to be sure.
Back to what I was saying.
Through serendipity, Lizzie meets miscreant of a man, who claims to be innocent of a crime that his is being tried for. Lizzie, consequently falls smitten with him, and attempting to flee from what she considers a fate worse than death—to be like her sister—Lizzie pursues a life with him. And, as things would have it, life was not what she’d expected.
Though enjoyable, I did find some similarities with this book, as I did in the first one. So, in order to effectively portray my thoughts, I will break them down into Pros and Cons.
I will start with the Cons, as they are few.
1. My biggest plight with this book is the cover. God, do I wish it had a better cover. Because, in many ways, this book, as well as the first are worth reading. So, a better cover is pivotal.
2. There were moments when the story fell flat. This was mostly due to unnecessary extending of scenes.
3. Lastly, like with the first book, in some areas this story washed out in the realm of emotions. There were times when I wished that I could REALLY FEEL what Lizzie was feeling whenever something crucial happened to her. But, as it were, at times I didn’t.
On to the Pros.
1. As a whole, “Refiner’s Fire” is a great story. It’s very well written and impressively depicted.
2. The key to knowing when a story is well written is when the characters come to life. When you love them, hate them, feel for them, and get wrapped up in their story. “Refiner’s Fire” did a grand job in this aspect.
With all of that said, I give “Refiner’s Fire” 4 Stars. I liked this one just a bit more than the last one. Well done, Ms. Heinz. Thumbs up.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews