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The Golden City #5
Josephine's Daughter
What's worse than a mother like Josephine? Turning out to be just like her.
In the late nineteenth century, wealthy and headstrong Kit Firestone chafes under the strictures of the Golden City's high society, especially the interference of her charming but overbearing mother, Josephine. Kit's secret rebellion leads to potentially catastrophic results and keeps her from finding true happiness.
When her brother nearly dies from a dangerous infection, Kit defies convention and becomes a working nurse. Through her troubled romance with a young doctor and a series of dramatic events, including a natural disaster and her mother's own critical illness, Kit begins to understand who her mother truly is and what their relationship is all about. She may not get the chance to appreciate their bond, however, because, through no fault of her own, a madman has Kit in his crosshairs.
"...the novel's fast-paced narrative and engaging dialogue will draw readers in from the start. It's full of intriguing details about San Francisco near the turn of the last century, and it also provides engaging information about the evolution of medicine-and women's health care, in particular... A solidly entertaining, feminist tale that's also well-suited for medical-history buffs." Kirkus Reviews
Josephine's Daughter is Book Five in A.B. Michaels' historical fiction series "The Golden City." Other titles in the series include The Art of Love, The Depth of Beauty, The Promise, and The Price of Compassion. All novels in the series are stand-alone reads.
For more information, please visit abmichaels.com.
In the late nineteenth century, wealthy and headstrong Kit Firestone chafes under the strictures of the Golden City's high society, especially the interference of her charming but overbearing mother, Josephine. Kit's secret rebellion leads to potentially catastrophic results and keeps her from finding true happiness.
When her brother nearly dies from a dangerous infection, Kit defies convention and becomes a working nurse. Through her troubled romance with a young doctor and a series of dramatic events, including a natural disaster and her mother's own critical illness, Kit begins to understand who her mother truly is and what their relationship is all about. She may not get the chance to appreciate their bond, however, because, through no fault of her own, a madman has Kit in his crosshairs.
"...the novel's fast-paced narrative and engaging dialogue will draw readers in from the start. It's full of intriguing details about San Francisco near the turn of the last century, and it also provides engaging information about the evolution of medicine-and women's health care, in particular... A solidly entertaining, feminist tale that's also well-suited for medical-history buffs." Kirkus Reviews
Josephine's Daughter is Book Five in A.B. Michaels' historical fiction series "The Golden City." Other titles in the series include The Art of Love, The Depth of Beauty, The Promise, and The Price of Compassion. All novels in the series are stand-alone reads.
For more information, please visit abmichaels.com.
522 pages, Paperback
Published March 10, 2019
About the author
A.B. Michaels
13 books402 followersA native of northern California, A.B. Michaels earned masters' degrees in history and broadcasting, and worked for many years in public relations and marketing. Now that she's an empty nester, she has time to write the kinds of stories she loves to read. Her historical series, "The Golden City," follows characters who make their way in turn of the twentieth century San Francisco. "I love creating flawed characters I can relate to, who have to make difficult choices, and who long for happiness like the rest of us. So much was happening in the early 1900's that help shape my novels. Once I tear myself away from the underlying research, they are fascinating stories to write."
Currently Ms. Michaels lives in Boise, Idaho with her husband and two furry creatures who are unclear on the concept that they are just dogs. In addition to writing, she loves to read and travel. A dabbler in fabric art, she also plays bocce in a summer league. Her latest stand-alone novel, "The Price of Compassion," is Book Four of the "Golden City" series. It's scheduled for release this summer and will be followed by Book Five, "Josephine's Daughter."
Currently Ms. Michaels lives in Boise, Idaho with her husband and two furry creatures who are unclear on the concept that they are just dogs. In addition to writing, she loves to read and travel. A dabbler in fabric art, she also plays bocce in a summer league. Her latest stand-alone novel, "The Price of Compassion," is Book Four of the "Golden City" series. It's scheduled for release this summer and will be followed by Book Five, "Josephine's Daughter."
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
March 8, 2019
Alternating between the experiences of Josephine in 1860s Philadelphia and those of her daughter, Katherine, in 1890s San Francisco, the book explores the inferior position and powerlessness of women in all aspects of society, even those born in to well-to-do families. It reveals the ways in which women can fall prey to the whims and desires of men, at times in quite shocking fashion and with long-lasting consequences.
Although Katherine and Josephine struggle with their relationship and often come into conflict with each other, in fact they are more similar than they might like to think. Both are independent-minded, intelligent and ambitious and seek ways to take back control of their lives in any way they can and to use the power of reputation to punish men guilty of wrongdoing. The book is packed full of fascinating historical detail.
What the book description doesn’t reveal but, to be fair, the author did make clear in her email to advance readers, is that Josephine’s Daughter is in part the ‘She Said’ version of events involving two of the main characters – Tom and Katherine – from the previous book in the series, The Price of Compassion. This explains the strong sense of déjà vu I felt when reading the last third of Josephine’s Daughter as scenes and conversations from The Price of Compassion are repeated (in the case of conversations, verbatim) albeit from a different point of view. I’m afraid for me, having read The Price of Compassion, this change of perspective added relatively little.
However, on the plus side, it means Josephine’s Daughter is perfect as a standalone novel for those who have not read The Price of Compassion (and I have reflected this in my rating here). As essentially a prequel to The Price of Compassion, Josephine’s Daughter didn’t completely work for me because of the amount of overlap and repetition between the two books. However, I enjoyed the earlier parts of the book.
Although Katherine and Josephine struggle with their relationship and often come into conflict with each other, in fact they are more similar than they might like to think. Both are independent-minded, intelligent and ambitious and seek ways to take back control of their lives in any way they can and to use the power of reputation to punish men guilty of wrongdoing. The book is packed full of fascinating historical detail.
What the book description doesn’t reveal but, to be fair, the author did make clear in her email to advance readers, is that Josephine’s Daughter is in part the ‘She Said’ version of events involving two of the main characters – Tom and Katherine – from the previous book in the series, The Price of Compassion. This explains the strong sense of déjà vu I felt when reading the last third of Josephine’s Daughter as scenes and conversations from The Price of Compassion are repeated (in the case of conversations, verbatim) albeit from a different point of view. I’m afraid for me, having read The Price of Compassion, this change of perspective added relatively little.
However, on the plus side, it means Josephine’s Daughter is perfect as a standalone novel for those who have not read The Price of Compassion (and I have reflected this in my rating here). As essentially a prequel to The Price of Compassion, Josephine’s Daughter didn’t completely work for me because of the amount of overlap and repetition between the two books. However, I enjoyed the earlier parts of the book.
March 16, 2019
Riveting Historical Biodrama
This final book in A.B.Michaels' The Golden City series was my favorite, by far, of the five novels that comprise it. Being an R.N., I was fascinating by the historical info of women's health issues like pregnancy, abortion and sexual transmitted diseases along with their treatment after San Francisco's great earthquake, fire & subsequent rebuilding in the early 1900's. Michaels will imperceptibly draw you into her characters' lives, challenges and relationships as she frames their stories with the appealing geography and development of coastal California. If a sign of a good author is that you wish the book would never end, then Ms. Michaels is one of the best! I can't wait to begin her Sinner's Grove series to follow the descendants of the characters I've come to know & love as the result of her skillful pen.
This final book in A.B.Michaels' The Golden City series was my favorite, by far, of the five novels that comprise it. Being an R.N., I was fascinating by the historical info of women's health issues like pregnancy, abortion and sexual transmitted diseases along with their treatment after San Francisco's great earthquake, fire & subsequent rebuilding in the early 1900's. Michaels will imperceptibly draw you into her characters' lives, challenges and relationships as she frames their stories with the appealing geography and development of coastal California. If a sign of a good author is that you wish the book would never end, then Ms. Michaels is one of the best! I can't wait to begin her Sinner's Grove series to follow the descendants of the characters I've come to know & love as the result of her skillful pen.
April 15, 2019
This was just a stunningly beautiful book. The characters are just... they are so well layered, so well crafted. Each time you think you have one figured out, they grow, and they show an unexpected strength. Kit has to be one of my favorite historical characters ever. And Cecily... oh my heart. And then Josephine is discussed, and her past... Just. Gorgeous.
September 21, 2019
A well-paced HF about an independent young woman from a wealthy San Francisco family who goes against convention by becoming a trained nurse. Katherine"Kit" Firestone was a strong character who I admired;though I felt she was a bit "too" perfect at times. However,she was intelligent & resourceful;from helping a friend who contracts syphilis from her n'er-do-well husband, dealing with the aftermath of the "Golden City's" infamous 1906 Earthquake to fighting to clear the name of the man she loves,a gifted surgeon accused of killing his own cousin. Filled with interesting facts about San Francisco during the "Gilded Age",I also liked the backstory of Kit's mother,who deserves a book of her own.😉👍
February 27, 2021
The saga continues
What a great story of San Francisco post 1906 quake.there are invention and progress abound. But there is reconciliation to resulting from the massive destruction.growing up listening to stories of the great quake. All those memories came back through this incredible story of San Francisco.until the next-generation I can hardly wait.
What a great story of San Francisco post 1906 quake.there are invention and progress abound. But there is reconciliation to resulting from the massive destruction.growing up listening to stories of the great quake. All those memories came back through this incredible story of San Francisco.until the next-generation I can hardly wait.
August 10, 2022
Very disappointing. Whole sections of the previous book were just repeated. The story of Josephine before she got to San Francisco could have been expanded.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 8, 2019
This story covers the life of a young girl, Josephien's Daughter, from birth to late early adult hood. Her encounters with a doctor that goes from the San Francisco earthquake, to a freezing storm in New York,
to a train wreck in Texas and back to San Francisco.
You have love, adventure, crime, and mistry , all in one book. There is something there for every one.
It even covers a lot of how China town was in the early stages.and how they survived.
There are tears and smiles all through this book.
I would consider this story a must read.
to a train wreck in Texas and back to San Francisco.
You have love, adventure, crime, and mistry , all in one book. There is something there for every one.
It even covers a lot of how China town was in the early stages.and how they survived.
There are tears and smiles all through this book.
I would consider this story a must read.
March 20, 2019
We reach beyond our limits, test our abilities... to forge new paths...
It’s always a joy to be able to step back into the past and see if, with present perspective...
* What has lead us to be where we are today
* Who were the people that took chances to change the way women are perceived in society?
* Have we really learnt from the past? Or do we continue to make the same mistakes?
A.B. Michaels always weaves such beautiful and yet informative stories. Josephine’s Daughter - The Golden City Bk 5 delivers. “We cannot change what we are NOT aware of, and once we are AWARE, we cannot help but CHANGE”
~ Sheryl Sandberg
I believe this quote fits the premise of the book…to emerge - it’s going to take strength, grit and utter determination, to not only make changes where we find a need but also to challenge roles that seen as traditionally male dominated. To learn more about who we essentially are as individuals. This is Katherine's (Kit's) journey. Those very aspects also test the bonds of familial love. It’s very person, her mother, who instills strength and grit, that also causes the most conflict.
While I love history, I don’t traditionally read historical novels, however, A.B Michael’s always manages to draw and capture you, by the very words that make up JOSEPHINE’S DAUGHTER. It’s thought-provoking, more a sense of how we adapt to changes, pushing boundaries under trying circumstances. That sometimes we need to reach beyond our limits, test our abilities to forge new paths. Often times, this causes clashes and disharmony with those we love and hold dear, pushing them away. Nothing worth having comes without sacrifice. Sometimes the sacrifices made are worth the end result… to hold the foundations of our compassion to help others and be true to yourself.
This was pure delight to step back into the past, to an event, a time period that I have not heard of before… to learn more about Katherine (Kit) and her mother, Josephine. History, while steeped in fact, can be written in a most engaging, fictional sense.
AB Michael’s has written this accurately, with and beautifully in all of its twists and turns. It is always a joy to read and to learn more about events that take place no matter what time or location. To see how far we’ve come and had we learned from the past, to live in our present and how our future is to be shaped. Long... but so worth reading every word. This is a full length novel but worth turning each and every page. To fully appreciate this story… and how life emerges, the entire Golden City series needs to be read, particularly… THE PRICE OF COMPASSION (BK 4)
It’s always a joy to be able to step back into the past and see if, with present perspective...
* What has lead us to be where we are today
* Who were the people that took chances to change the way women are perceived in society?
* Have we really learnt from the past? Or do we continue to make the same mistakes?
A.B. Michaels always weaves such beautiful and yet informative stories. Josephine’s Daughter - The Golden City Bk 5 delivers. “We cannot change what we are NOT aware of, and once we are AWARE, we cannot help but CHANGE”
~ Sheryl Sandberg
I believe this quote fits the premise of the book…to emerge - it’s going to take strength, grit and utter determination, to not only make changes where we find a need but also to challenge roles that seen as traditionally male dominated. To learn more about who we essentially are as individuals. This is Katherine's (Kit's) journey. Those very aspects also test the bonds of familial love. It’s very person, her mother, who instills strength and grit, that also causes the most conflict.
While I love history, I don’t traditionally read historical novels, however, A.B Michael’s always manages to draw and capture you, by the very words that make up JOSEPHINE’S DAUGHTER. It’s thought-provoking, more a sense of how we adapt to changes, pushing boundaries under trying circumstances. That sometimes we need to reach beyond our limits, test our abilities to forge new paths. Often times, this causes clashes and disharmony with those we love and hold dear, pushing them away. Nothing worth having comes without sacrifice. Sometimes the sacrifices made are worth the end result… to hold the foundations of our compassion to help others and be true to yourself.
This was pure delight to step back into the past, to an event, a time period that I have not heard of before… to learn more about Katherine (Kit) and her mother, Josephine. History, while steeped in fact, can be written in a most engaging, fictional sense.
AB Michael’s has written this accurately, with and beautifully in all of its twists and turns. It is always a joy to read and to learn more about events that take place no matter what time or location. To see how far we’ve come and had we learned from the past, to live in our present and how our future is to be shaped. Long... but so worth reading every word. This is a full length novel but worth turning each and every page. To fully appreciate this story… and how life emerges, the entire Golden City series needs to be read, particularly… THE PRICE OF COMPASSION (BK 4)
March 11, 2019
“Above all, Kit’s was a life pre-ordained. Like her best friends, she was expected to uphold the dignity of her family name by marrying well and maintaining the status quo. If she chafed a bit under the strictures necessary to her station in life, so be it. But she had to admit, alcohol had the potential to make it all so much ... easier.”
This is a story of (a)romance(s), of women’s changing roles at the turn of the 20th century, of intelligence, intrigue, mysterious goings on, and defending those you love. On top of it all, it’s the historical romance of a people for their city: San Francisco California as seen through they eyes of Josephine Drummond Firestone and her daughter Katherine Madeline Mariah Firestone. Both women are spitfires. Both changed their worlds. Both made their ways against the mores of society. Both were loved and loved in return. Both fought because they were Firestones and that’s what Firestones did.
Josephine didn’t like her own small world and set about fighting injustice as she saw it. Kit as well but more on the frontlines. The way A.B.Michaels portrays these women is commendable. The historical love story wrapped in a changing world is a constant page turner. If this is the type of story this author writes, I will gladly recommend her to readers. I just wish I had found her before this. 5/5
[disclaimer: I received this book from the author and voluntarily reviewed it]
This is a story of (a)romance(s), of women’s changing roles at the turn of the 20th century, of intelligence, intrigue, mysterious goings on, and defending those you love. On top of it all, it’s the historical romance of a people for their city: San Francisco California as seen through they eyes of Josephine Drummond Firestone and her daughter Katherine Madeline Mariah Firestone. Both women are spitfires. Both changed their worlds. Both made their ways against the mores of society. Both were loved and loved in return. Both fought because they were Firestones and that’s what Firestones did.
Josephine didn’t like her own small world and set about fighting injustice as she saw it. Kit as well but more on the frontlines. The way A.B.Michaels portrays these women is commendable. The historical love story wrapped in a changing world is a constant page turner. If this is the type of story this author writes, I will gladly recommend her to readers. I just wish I had found her before this. 5/5
[disclaimer: I received this book from the author and voluntarily reviewed it]
April 23, 2019
I really enjoyed this book start to finish. Fast paced and it talked about medical breakthroughs of the time. As a nurse I found this very interesting.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews