Innocents at home by Linda Ulleseit

 A five-month voyage to the Holy Land in 1867 led Mark Twain to write his novel Innocents

Abroad. But what happened to those innocents after they returned to New York? Innocents at Home tells the tale of Nina Larrowe and Emma Beach, two of Twain's shipmates.

Nina Larrowe anticipates resuming her place in New York society, but Twain's careless remarks about her behavior ostracize her and force her to reevaluate everything she thought she knew. Nina becomes an actress and embarks on a life she never could have imagined. After a series of disappointments, Nina must rise from the ashes once again to craft a life she can take pride in.

The daughter of a newspaper magnate, Emma Beach falls head-long in love with the flirtatious Sam on her trip to the Holy Land. Her dreams are proven to be fantasies when Sam marries another. She is content to spend her days painting and taking care of others...until she realizes there could be more to the life she's been living and reaches for a chance at her own happiness.

Inspired by Nina's autobiography and Emma's letters to Mark Twain, Innocents at Home explores how these two women inspire each other to overcome devastation and discover the courage to live life on their own terms.

Pick up your copy here...                                                                                                                                     Amazon.com: Innocents at Home: 9798218421724: Ulleseit, Linda: Books

I have always loved to write stories. Somewhere I have a story written in crayon on lined newsprint paper from elementary school. It's about a pig. I know that because there's a pink circle with a curly pink tail. My stories have evolved quite a bit since then!

I wrote secretly for many years, through middle school, high school, and college. I became a teacher and remember telling my sixth graders, "Everyone has a story. Of COURSE you can write it! You need perseverance first, to finish it. Then we'll talk about making it better." Hmmm, I thought. Maybe I should practice what I preached. So I finished On a Wing and a Dare, which I'd been working on for five years. I was very proud of it. Beta readers ripped it apart. It took two more years of polishing before I published it.

Now I can say I write stories empowering unknown women in history. Bringing these voices to life is my passion. UNDER THE ALMOND TREES does this, as well as THE ALOHA SPIRIT and THE RIVER REMEMBERS.

Linda Ulleseit was born and raised in Saratoga, California, and is a retired elementary school teacher. She has an MFA in writing from Lindenwood University, is Marketing Chair of Women Writing the West, and a founding member of Paper Lantern Writers. She enjoys cooking, cross-stitching, reading, and spending time with her family.

My Thoughts...

Historical fiction fans who love the Victorian age are sure to enjoy this one. Strong women characters that have common struggles make this one worth reading. Very well written.
Mary Reader received this book from the publisher for review. A favorable review was not required, and all views expressed are our own.