Customer Reviews

Foxfire (Coronet Books)

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

however, as usual, I was suspended in time (early 1900's) and read this book in a matter of hours ! ! A young society miss has never found the fellows her age of much interest, in her NY city society circle. Then she meets and falls in love with a young man with 1/4 Apache heritage. Her life takes an abrupt turn when all the comforts of life are gone and she finds herself on a crazy wild-goose chase in the deserts of Arizona ! It's a shame Anya Seton's books are so hard to come by... she's a master author!

Foxfire is set in early 1930's depression era as slightly spoiled Amanda Lawrence meets the dark and brooding Jonathan Dartland (Dart) while returning on cruise from Europe. Despite Dart's poor prospects as a mining engineer, sparks fly and they are married and return to Lodestar, a mining operation in the remote back country of Arizona. Unused to the rougher aspects of life, Amanda has a difficult time settling in to her new life as well as mixing in with the mining community peopled with unusual characters -- from the alcoholic doctor Hugh hiding from his troubled past, the very mysterious Mrs. Cunningham, widow of the original 1880's boom town mine owner, who never leaves her huge mansion on the hill in the adjacent ghost town and more.

When Dart's half Apache mother dies, Amanda finds papers detailing a legend about two priests who discovered an ancient Anasazi cliff dwelling in the high country of Arizona with a glittering wall of gold in the cave behind it. Tensions between Amanda and Dart continue to grow as a miner whose scheme to murder Dart and take his job goes awry but ultimately disgraces Dart. With no career to look forward to, Hugh and Amanda convince Dart to lead them through treacherous back country to the lost city in search of the wall of gold - but Amanda and Dart eventually find a treasure in the valley much richer than gold.

Some readers might find the first half of this novel to be a bit slow paced as Seton sets up her storyline and details in the day to day life of a mining operation, but I enjoyed it very much. I have traveled quite a bit in the desert southwest and have always enjoyed taking the occasional mine tour or two and soaking in the history of those aging ghost towns. I very much enjoyed how Seton set up her scenes, especially the sights and sounds of the Sonoran Desert and the high country approaching the Mogollon (mug-e-yon) Rim. She must have spent a fair amount of time traveling through the region doing her research, I didn't catch a single gaffe in either her descriptions of the local towns, the geography of the region and the flora and fauna. I thought I was going to catch her if she kept describing the saguaros once her characters got into the higher elevations, but she was spot on. As stated previously, I enjoyed this book very much, but probably only for die hard Seton fans (and I am one) or for those interested in mining history and legends of lost gold. I see this book is due out in September '08 in a brand new edition and a beautiful new cover. Four stars.

Seton's story of life in a mining town is more than descriptive. It is an essay in human failings and awakenings. She poses contrasting elements between wealthy and poor, east and west, selfish and kind folks in a way that anyone can understand the difficulties the main character experiences in adjusting to a life quite different than what was previously known to her. I would have made many of the same choices, said many of the same things, and reacted in the same ways as she does in a hot dry mining town. While the story is a story, it is believable too.

I picked up this book with eyes for the golden southwest and found a treasure trove of characters that remind me of the cruelties of exclusion, presumption, and malice. At times the reader will hate all the characters in the book and, at other times will want to embrace them. Most of all they show us the complexities of relationship, of trusting and opening up to others and being oneself in the face of social opposition. People are cruel to each other - usually in response to some hurting of their own. The men are horrible and so are many of the women in this book. But the end shows that kindness stems from small efforts made and goodness prevails when one doesn't hold on to it so tightly. I am glad I read this book as I received a lot more from it than just entertainment.

This is my summer of Anya Seton -- re-reading those books of hers that I read and loved years ago, plus reading all the ones that I've never read before. I kicked it off with Foxfire, which was one I hadn't read before. As in all of Seton's works, her re-creation of the time and place is wonderful. Also, her characterization is excellent; although this isn't a long book, she manages to develop all of the main players enough to make them more than just two-dimensional. You can feel the emotions and conflicts that each battles within themselves, as well as amongst each other.

Although the plot was good and the story well-done, I don't consider it one of Seton's best works. It just didn't draw me in to the same degree as some of her other works. Admittedly, perhaps this is simply because I am less drawn to the setting of this story (Depression-era American Southwest).

Written by master storyteller Anya Seton, this book tells the story of Amanda Lawrence, a young, well educated woman, whose family lost their fortune in the stock market crash of 1929. Pursued by the wealthy and cosmopolitan Tim Merrill, a member of the smart set of young people with whom she associates, she throws him over, to his and everyone's surprise, for Jonathan Dartland. Known as "Dart", he is a young mining engineer who straddles two worlds, that of his half-breed Apache mother, and that of his Harvard educated father, scion of a prominent New England family.

Dart and Amanda marry and move to a rough, depression era mining town called Lodestone. There, she meets a motley cast of characters and discovers what roughing it really means. Both she and Dart have issues that they must overcome or with which they must come to grips before either can find happiness in their marriage. The hardships of living in poverty in a depression era mining town take their toll on the relationship. Moreover, hidden jealousies at the mine impact on Dart's career.

These two lovers then find themselves torn apart by feelings about which neither of them speak. Together, they join with the mine's doctor, the bitter and always drunk Doctor Slater, and go off on an expedition to find a hidden mine. These intrepid explorers seek gold in hopes of attaining their individual dreams. Instead, they are be brought to the brink of death and despair. Yet, Amanda and Dart would find something that they thought had been beyond their grasp.

This novel is not one of Ms. Seton's better efforts. Though some of it is interesting, in terms of depression era life in a mining town, this book did not age particularly well, having a faint anachronistic feel to it. Still, fans of Ms. Seton may find a modicum of enjoyment in reading it.

I received the book in a timely manner and the condition of the book was better than expected.