The Gathering

Light & Truth #2

by Darryl W. Harris Sr.

This second volume of a continuing saga takes the reader on a perilous journey across the Atlantic Ocean in the dead of winter. You will vicariously live what it was like to board a Mormon immigrant vessel in Liverpool, England, and place your life in the hands of a captain of unknown skills and a crew partly made up of sailors pressed into service. If you make it to New Orleans, then you face an equally perilous journey up the Mississippi on a steamboat. Peace awaits in Nauvoo, the Mormon Zion. Or does it? Immigrants arrive only to find continuing oppression from vicious anti-Mormon enemies on all sides, and traitors within.

455 pages, Hardcover

First published November 1, 2004

About the author

Darryl W. Harris Sr., born and raised in Youngstown, Ohio officially began his working career shortly after high school by joining the United States Airforce as a dental assistant/dental x-ray tech. After completing his commitment he returned to the private sector pursing a career in the music industry and serving as a promoter and road manager for several national recording artists. For the past 26 years Mr. Harris has enjoyed a career in the hotel industry while serving as the National Diversity Sales Manager for the Peabody Little Rock Hotel and is presently the doorman for the Little Rock Marriott Hotel. A certified scuba diver, he also is the father of four boys with nine grandchildren to date.

Reviews

[Janell · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is the last book in this series for me. The author's mix of truth and fiction was just too uncomfortable. It is not uncommon in historical fiction for regular characters to be written around actual prominent historical figures but even many of the regulars in this book were real people and you had to rely on footnotes to let you know which was which.

Plus, other facts were mixed as well. For example, a child sadly drowns while traveling on the riverboat. A footnote tells you there are actual records for this child in England but not in Nauvoo with no records of his death; he could have died in England, on the ship voyage or anywhere along the way. It was the author's choice to drown him on the riverboat to illustrate the dangers of riverboat travel at the time! Because this was a REAL child, I found it irresponsible to "make up" his death!

On a different note, this book was also like reading a glorified encyclopedia! The characters were constantly asking about ships, navigation, weather, etc. and then there would be detailed explanations while the character "listened in fascination". After arriving in New Orleans it was observations or conversations between characters leading to lengthy descriptions of the countryside or anything else the author wanted to describe. Obviously the author was trying to give a description of life at this time but I found myself definitely doing a lot of skimming.

During one of these lengthy descriptions, several men were gathered "raptly" around Robert (a real farmer/butcher) while he gave a long list of farm animals, how to care for them and the pros and cons of each animal. I was rolling my eyes because this "animal list" was sandwiched between the controversy that was beginning in the church about polygamy and the death of a fictional character in a collapsed well who, although fictional, was a "cousin" to an actual person?!? (sigh)

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

For some reason this book touched me a bit more than the first volume. Again, it is historical fiction written about my great great grandparents and their journey from England to Nauvoo. It helped me appreciate much more the decisions and sacrifices of my ancestors. While the writing was commendable in it's detailed attention to historical facts (like how the ship worked), I found some to be a bit mundane, and was much more interested in the thoughts and feelings of the characters.

[Nancy Beard · Rating 5 out of 5]

The second book in this series it takes these family members after having joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints,on a perilous journey across the Atlantic Ocean. All the things that happen aboard the ship were bad enough,now in America they have a journey on a steamship up the Mississippi, that's just as perilous . Plus still trouble ahead of them.

[Bea · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a great book because I really did not know that much about Wilford Woodruff and his mission in England.