Receive Me Falling [Paperback]

Erika Robuck (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 5, 2009

Every slave story is a ghost story. The haunting words of an historian and former cane worker on the Caribbean island of Nevis launch Meghan Owen on her quest to unlock the secrets of an abandoned sugar plantation and its ghosts. After Meg's parents die in a car accident on the night of her engagement party, she calls off her wedding, takes leave of her job in Annapolis, and travels to land she's inherited on Nevis. A series of discoveries in an old plantation house on the property, Eden, set her on a search for the truth surrounding the shameful past of her ancestors, their slaves, and the tragedy that resulted in the fall of the plantation and its inhabitants. Through a crushing phone call with her lawyer, Meg learns that her father's estate was built on stolen money, and is being sued by multiple sources. She is faced with having to sell the land and plantation home, and deal with the betrayal she feels from her deceased father. In alternating chapters, the historical drama of the Dall family unfolds. Upon the arrival of British abolitionists to the hedonistic 19th century plantation society, Catherine Dall is forced to choose between her lifestyle and the scandal of deserting her family. An angry confrontation with Catherine's slave, Leah, results in the girl's death, but was it murder or suicide? Hidden texts, scandalous diaries, antique paintings, and confessional letters help Meghan Owen uncover the secrets of Eden and put the ghosts to rest.

Product Details

• Paperback: 280 pages
• Publisher: Elysian Fields Press (January 5, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0982229801
• ISBN-13: 978-0982229804
• Product Dimensions: 5 x 8 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (52 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #106,726 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Erika Robuck self-published her first novel, RECEIVE ME FALLING. NAL/Penguin published her second novel, HEMINGWAY'S GIRL, and will release her forthcoming title, CALL ME ZELDA on May 7, 2013. Erika has an historical fiction book blog, and is a member of the Historical Novel Society and the Hemingway Society.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Receive Me Falling October 20, 2009

By Anna Lemkau

Format:Paperback

Meg's parents die on the night of her engagement party. Afterward she learns she now owns an old plantation in the Caribbean called Eden. Soon after learning this leaves for Nevis. Once there she finds out that the land and plantation is shrouded in ghost stories and dark secrets... The story moves back an forth between present day and the 1800's.

Receive Me Falling is an enthralling read, that captivates the reader from page one. I very much enjoyed this story. Both Meg & Catherine take the reader on journey of love, friendship, heartbreak and freedom. For me, the story was very moving. It was beautifully written and a pure joy to read. I enjoyed it alot more than I thought I would. I highly recommend checking this book out.

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars Not a bad first attempt August 24, 2009

By lawliss

Format:Paperback

I've been on an historical fiction reading kick lately, and this one continued the trend. Ericka Robuck had a pretty decent first attempt with this novel set on the tropical island of Nevis. We are introduced to two women - one living in the present day (Meg) and one who lives during the 1800's on a sugar plantation (Catherine). Meg, a somewhat high powered public relations professional for the Governor of Maryland, loses her parents suddenly in a car accident and, in the wake of their loss, realizes that her father not only has come to his wealth deceptively but also owns a massive amount of land in Nevis. That land was the plantation named Eden, owned by Catherine and her father Cecile in the 19th century. As Meg begins to explore her family's history on the Island, we are also treated to Catherine's perspectives in alternating chapters.

I enjoyed this book. Both women were pretty strong characters that were similar in the sense that they were striving to gain absolution from the sins that their fathers had committed. As they both went along their journeys, though, I felt that only Catherine really grew and changed. Meg seemed to remain the same throughout the novel. I enjoyed the alternating chapters and the book moved at a fairly rapid pace. The prose was somewhat simplistic and was nothing special - it was jerky in places, but never downright atrocious. There were glimmers that showed Robuck's promise. The plotlines were somewhat predictable with maybe, one or two surprises.

This book was a good first attempt at an historical novel. Hopefully in the next novel, there will be more character development.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Great book May 10, 2013

By Wendy Freeman

Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase

I will be sharing this book with my daughter. I enjoyed how the story unfolded. I like the way the author told the story in present time as well as the past.