Maggie Quinn thinks she has room in her head for only the helpless orphans in her care -- until Gordon Kincaid walks into St. Columba's. A proud Southern gentleman damaged by the Civil War, he has come to Baltimore to find the daughter he never knew -- a beautiful child who is one of Maggie's favorites -- and bring her home to Virginia. And when he asks Maggie to accompany them, all she can say is "yes."Widowed and wounded inside, Gordon turns to the emerald-eyed Irish beauty to help him pick up the pieces. Though he senses her distrust he is drawn to Maggie's angelic voice, her sensuality and passion...and to a tenderness that compels him to share with her his soul. But the scars of war go deep. And it will take uncommon strength for two people who stood on opposite sides to find redemption and a new life in love.
Book Description
Editorial Reviews
From Publishers Weekly
Against the evocatively drawn backdrop of Baltimore and Virginia 10 years after the Civil War, first-time author Eschenburg spins a gentle romance rich with emotion and vivid detail. Haunted by his inadequacies as a father, Dr. Gordon Kincaid, a hardened war veteran and widower from the South, is determined to find a mother for his son, Gordy, and his recently discovered illegitimate daughter, Clara. Gordon has his sights set on a frivolous, high society miss, but when he meets Maggie Quinn, Clara's Irish schoolteacher at St. Columba's orphanage, he begins to believe in second chances. Maggie soon finds herself torn between the safety of a future in a convent and the terrifying exhilaration of her attraction to Gordon. At the same time, Maggie's socially unacceptable Irish-Catholic heritage and Gordon's hardheaded search for an instant mother threaten to tear the two apart. Brimming with tangible historical details, sensitive prose and a wealth of poignant scenes, Eschenburg's love story easily escapes the sometimes confining predictability of the romance genre and breathes a fuller life into it. (Nov. 6)Forecast: The novel's bland cover won't boost sales any, but strong word-of-mouth will motivate those who are tired of gorging on light romantic bonbons to seek out this stirring story.
Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.
Review
A deeply-appealing story of struggle and sacrifice that shows how deep the roots of love can go. -- Diana Gabaldon
A heartbreaking, heartpounding, heartwinning story where love triumphs. -- Judith Ivory
A soul-stirring and deeply moving tale. -- Julia Quinn
Wow! and Wow again! Kathleen Eschenburg has what it takes to make a fan out of me! -- LaVyrle Spencer
A heartbreaking, heartpounding, heartwinning story where love triumphs. -- Judith Ivory
A soul-stirring and deeply moving tale. -- Julia Quinn
Wow! and Wow again! Kathleen Eschenburg has what it takes to make a fan out of me! -- LaVyrle Spencer
Product Details
Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
|
Customer Reviews
|
Share your thoughts with other customers:
|
||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Truly Wonderful Historical,
By
This review is from: The Nightingale's Song (Mass Market Paperback)
New author Kathleen Eschenburg has penned a novel that is proof positive that her work is a superb addition to the romance genre. Ripe with emotion, complex characters, and a poignant love story, Ms. Eschenburg `s debut is a read to be savored. In 1874 Baltimore, Maggie Quinn is a twenty-six-year-old teacher at St Columba's Orphanage. Orphaned at the age of twelve, when her mother died on board a ship from Ireland to America, Maggie found shelter with Father Fitzhugh at the Orphanage. Gordon Kincaid, a Virginia southern gentleman, visits St. Columba's to claim the child he never knew that he had. Five-year-old Clara is a special favorite with Maggie, who has nurtured the young girl since she was an infant. And Maggie is an enigma to Gordon, a man hardened by the brutalities of war, who sees a unique combination of naiveté and Irish backbone in Maggie. When Gordon asks Maggie to marry him and accompany him and his daughter to his Virginia estate, Maggie is completely unprepared for what she must face. There is Gordon's difficult twelve-year-old son from his first marriage, bigoted neighboring landowners, and their prejudiced society wives. While adjusting to her new life, Maggie is forced to face her past . Remembering that her real father never married her mother, ostensibly because of class differences, Maggie wonders if she can ever fit into Gordon's world without hurting him in the process. The complex pasts of the hero and heroine add depth to their many-layered personalities. And the vitality of supporting characters such as Sister Bernadette and Father Fitz add the finishing touches to this incredible read. For an emotional read that is certain to keep the reader glued to the pages into the wee hours of the morning, this novel is a sure-fire winner.
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Perfection from first page to last!,
By
This review is from: The Nightingale's Song (Mass Market Paperback)
Baltimore, Maryland - 1874Orphaned at twelve while immigrating to America with her mother, Maggie Quinn is whisked away to St. Columba's orphanage in Baltimore, Maryland. Fourteen years later, Maggie is mentor and teacher to the orphans there, contemplating becoming a nun -- until the day Dr. Gordon Kincaid comes to St. Columba's and turns Maggie's world upside down. One look at the debonair Dr. Kincaid confirms the parentage of Maggie's favorite orphan, five year-old Clara. Gordon Kincaid arrives at St. Columba's with a bequest from his late father only to find out that he fathered a child five years previously while involved in a brief affair. Gordon has been in limbo for ten years since losing his wife and receiving a severe injury in the Civil War. His body has healed, but not his soul. Then, he meets Maggie Quinn. Her gentle spirit, deep and abiding faith, angelic singing voice, and innocent sensuality call to him. As Gordon acquaints himself with his daughter, so, too, does he re-acquaint himself with his heart and soul. Maggie and Gordon are two melancholy people as different in class as any two people can be in that trying time of restoration after the Civil War. How they meet may be by chance, but the reader feels that fate definitely has a strong hand in bringing these two together. Clara is a delightful five year-old sprite who somehow knows she belongs with Gordon, but is not willing to give up "her" Maggie. Due to the evil gossip of a jealous suitor for Gordon's attentions, Gordon and Maggie marry and move to his estate in Virginia, where a whole new set of problems arises. However, these characters weather the storms, and their relationship develops to a whole new level. Secondary characters, from Father Fitzhugh, Maggie's rescuer all those years ago, to Gordon's twelve-year-old son from his previous marriage, all come together to enhance this intense love story. Dialogue and interactions between all of the characters quite simply sing, as do the narrative and descriptive prose. THE NIGHTINGALE'S SONG is perfection from first page to last. Debut author Kathleen Eschenburg delivers a heart-warming, tender, enthralling story rich in flawless characterization and the history of THE post-Civil War ERA. Tantalizing all of the senses and engaging your every emotion, THE NIGHTINGALE'S SONG will leave you eagerly anticipating Ms. Eschenburg's next book!
6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Are you looking for a wonderful read?,
By
Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)
This review is from: The Nightingale's Song (Mass Market Paperback)
If you're looking for a beautifully written story with characters who pull you in from the start and make you care about them, this is the book for you. Tasteful, sensual, and not the typical Romance. This is the kind of book that makes you want to remember the author's name so you can start a collection of her work.
Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review
|
|
Tags Customers Associate with This Product(What's this?)Click on a tag to find related items, discussions, and people.
|
Sell a Digital Version of This Book in the Kindle Store
If you are a publisher or author and hold the digital rights to a book, you can sell a digital version of it in our Kindle Store.
Learn more
Customer Discussions
|
This product's forum
Active discussions in related forums
Search Customer Discussions
|
Related forums
|
