Customer Reviews

Galveston 1900: Swept Away

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From hopelessness to hopefulness and filled with as much love as there is hate, Galveston 1900: Swept Away by Linda Crist has what it takes to be a great historical love story.

Set in the months preceding the tropical cyclone that devastated Galveston in 1900, Rachel Travis works on the docks of the second busiest port in the U.S. while she moonlights as a bartender. Rachel has known she was different from other women ever since she ran away from home 8 years previously at age 15. She dresses like a man, works in traditionally male jobs and even secretly visits a prostitute named Lillie. While Rachel struggles with the implications of her uncommon behavior especially as viewed by the Church, she knows deep within that this is her true self.

Mattie Crockett is the opposite of Rachel in everything. While she is "allowed" by her physically abusive husband, Adam, to work in a tailor's shop, she must not go anywhere else without him. She is captive in her own house and subject to Adam's fists when he is not "pleased" with her. Mattie's only hope is when Adam frequently goes out of town to Houston on business. It was one of those times when she decides to take a walk on the beach behind her house. And that is where she meets Rachel for the first time. Both are lonely and in need of a friend, and because of this, they form an unlikely friendship that is pursued whenever Adam is away on business.

Crist has written a historically strong novel. She has taken much care in presenting an accurate portrayal of the mannerisms, language and dress of the period and location. Her descriptions of the physical settings are genuine, and the tropical cyclone and the weather leading up to it is so chilling that it made this reader tense. I felt like I was right there. The depictions of how men view their wives and women in general, are meticulously precise. While Adam's behavior is excessive even for 1900, he knows he can get away with the abuse because wives are property, and Crist explains this exceptionally well.

Rachel's character succeeds in this time period because she acts like a man and therefore is treated like one for the most part. And this is where Mattie's and Rachel's romance rings the truest. It survives because of the traditional male-female roles the two exhibit with each other, but it flourishes because of the tenderness and uniquely feminine qualities that Rachel bestows on Mattie, especially with their lovemaking. Crist showcases this lovemaking with subtle references and actions to keep it authentic to the period. In Galveston 1900: Swept Away the reader is constantly reminded that it is 1900. Both women struggle with their relationship and how the Church and God may view it. Their choices are not easily accepted by them or others. The story also deals with the reality of Mattie leaving her husband, and Crist resolves this the only way she can for that time period.

Crist evenly paces the story throughout, and while Adam's brutality is difficult to read at times, it fits right in. As I have written in other reviews, I delight in historical fiction especially a novel like Galveston 1900 that is well written and sincere. Linda Crist has a bona fide hit with this outstanding story.

To be different from the 'norm' makes things very difficult for anyone. All manner of unexpected hardships can occur, most of which the rest of the community, large or small, can easily turn a blind eye to. Now place the difference in a historical context where there is even less as a chance that there would be a chance for people willing to come together and help those different.

But in Linda Crist's novel, Galveston 1900: Swept Away, we find that there are people who do care and refuse to allow the status quo to continue. There is an evidence that even within the outcasts of a whore, lesbians, orphans, and an abused woman, that a community is formed inside of the town of Galveston see what is happening and is willing to change to protect the social outcasts simply because there is no one else able to do so. That topic in itself is heartwarming.

Crist begins with the first love of a woman who has the fortune of being over looked as a woman as she goes about doing her job on the port. As the author weaves in the other layers of the story, the parts never feel extraneous or confusing.

The theme of community helping is strung through the entire book and never seems contrived. It gives a reader a sense of hope. I have found myself re-reading portions of this book often, definitely not a book I regret buying at all.

I enjoyed the story of the two gals meeting, falling in love and weathering the cyclone. The book, however, is long and sometimes tedious with requent repetitions in the thoughts and words of the charactors. The slowness of the action is very much like a daily soap opera. I found myself wishing the book would move a little faster.

There are stories you just want to see go on and on and on and you hate to reach the last page of the book. For me these are stories like ,Tiopa KI Lakota' from D. Jordan Redhawk, the `Gun'-series from Lori L. Lake and the latest one now: `Galveston 1900' from Linda Crist.

Linda Crist's book ,The bluest eyes in Texas' was an enjoyable read but ,Galveston 1900' is not just a good book but an outstanding historic novel with a fascinating love story between two women.

I just love the way the author takes her time and draws the relationship between these two woman without getting too mushy. Beside that Linda Crist manages to put the reader into a time machine. She does a great job in describing the society and the fixed behavior in that society, which gives the novel even more authenticity.

On top of all of this there is still the story about the hurricane which nearly destroys all of Galveston and makes escaping for our two heroines a really tough thing.

This is definitely one of the best books I've read so far. Since I am from Germany and have a lot of friends which find it hard to read English books I would love to see that book published in Germany and would hope for a really good translator for this job.

Linda Crist writes long books. For some authors, writing long books just means they add a lot of fluff and too many details (i.e., they're not talented enough to write a good story). For others, the story is so good the author just can't bring it to an end. For Crist, this reader believes it's because the story is so multi-dimensional and the characters are so complete the length is necessary.

Here, she brings us a woman who lives a very `manly' existence. She loves women, but doesn't have much opportunity in early 20th century Galveston to act on that. The reader can't help but love Rachel. She left home after her father caught her in the barn with another girl. He had immediately made plans to marry her off to a man his own age... either that or send her to the local convent. Rachel couldn't imagine life in either of those situations and decided to guide her own destiny, regardless of the consequences.

Also introduced is the prim and proper, unhappily married Mattie. Mattie's husband Adam is abusive and has a secretive business life he doesn't share with his wife. Forced to move to Galveston, away from her family, Mattie has no friends until she meets Rachel. The two women forge a fast friendship that eventually leads to more. Together they struggle to deal with the destructive marriage, their plans for the future, the devastating hurricane and a surprise blessing that no one could have predicted.

Bottom Line - Absolutely wonderful. Rachel and Mattie are such fully-developed characters, one could imagine them living next door. The abuse, the town, the supporting cast, the devastation of the hurricane... all are described in great (but not too much) detail. This reader could almost smell the salt air and feel the wind. Oh yeah, parts of the book are historically accurate too.

This story is awe-inspiring in its rich description & emotionally turbulent scenes. I've read it several times & plan on reading it again & again until it falls apart.

Crist has written another keeper.

Again, there were some sluggish spots. But this book was historical in nature as well as telling the life of lesbians in the 1900s.

This book had me laughing in places, disliking characters in places, and crying in others. I enjoyed Betsy and Angel and their heroics.

It had everything a person could ask for: humor, sex, mystery, subplots, etc.

Crist's book have some girth to them. I can't sit down and get thru them in a few hours.

I'm looking forward to her next one.

By the way, I'm not sure I've ever seen a bibliography completed in a lesbian novel. :o)