Customer Reviews

Rising Tides

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

In 1965 Louisiana, the last will of Aurore Gerritsen is to be read to a select group of relatives and friends. However, this is no ordinary reading as the deceased, being of sound mind, left very lucid and specific instructions. Her will is to be read over four days at Aurore's summer cottage on a remote bayou island to nine people. Anyone who leaves before the full reading forfeits their portion of the inheritance which could be sizable since Aurore owned Gulf Coast Shipping. ...... Over the next few days, Aurore's secrets become known in small bites. The family begins to take sides against each other and then there is the outsiders, a black family whose son is the only person who knows the entire story since he heard it from Aurore (in the prequel). As a hurricane approaches the island, everyone knows a segment of the full tale. To survive the hurricane and to share the inheritance, Aurore's potential heirs need to start working together rather than continue to tear one another to pieces. If they fail to stop their bickering and reduce the tension, they may find they have more than a nasty storm to survive. ...... RISING TIDES is an exciting, extremely explosive period piece that makes the turbulent sixties seem dramatically potent and alive. The realistic but different personas of the characters and the brutal issues they confront make Emilie Richards' novel a great southern heater that will remind fans of Faulkner. This book and her previous tale that included Aurore (IRON LACE) are great and are highly recommended reads. ......Harriet Klausner

Emilie Richards is a very talented writer; her books, including this one, are worth the money. I was addicted to reading this book and stayed up late every night for a week to find out what happened next. The plot twists kept me pleasantly surprised, and the book is full of little denouments rather than one slam-bang ending. I recommend reading the prequel to this first, Iron Lace, since this book probably won't make much sense unless you know some background.

This book is a great read. I would recommend reading the first book "Iron Lace", in this series of two, or you won't get as much out of "Rising Tides". I really liked the way this fills in information about other's lives rather than just Aurore's. Emilie Richards is a great author, I've loved all her books that I've read.

Rising Tides, the sequel to Iron Lace,wasn't as interesting as I thought it was going to be. I read Iron Lace first and couldn't wait to read Rising Tides to find out what happened. It seemed like the author got writer's block a couple of times. This book seemed to me like it was the story of Hugh, Aurore's oldest son. The parts where Hugh was overseas during the war were boring and very drawn out. The characters didn't seem to be as well developed for this second novel. Iron Lace seemed very interesting with all of the flashbacks but to me the author found a good thing (the flashbacks) and ran it into the ground. The book did seem to get good towards the end. I would recommend this book if you've read Iron Lace only so you can find out the rest of the story. Borrow it from the library though, it's not worth buying.

I'm a BIG FAN of Emilie Richards but I have to disagree with many of the reviewers here. I did not like this book. I felt that too many characters were introduced too fast. I found myself getting lost many times trying to remember who was who and having to page back over and over again. I never had to do that with her other books.
I've read about 8 of her books and loved every one of them so I was looking forward to this one but I cannot recommend it to anyone unless you have a memory that is much better than average to keep track of everything.
Jackie from Calif.

I love Emilie Richards and have read many of her books.

If I had not known better, I would felt that this must have been a very early book, written by an inexperienced writer. It was not as tightly plotted as her others, and certain sections, Hugh in Europe, for example, seemed loose and wandering.

Unfortunately, I read it before Iron Lace (which I am waiting for), and had a hard time dealing with the number of characters. Too many secrets made for too many seemingly unconnected people. I would have appreciated a family tree to guide me. I strongly suggest that you read these two books in order!

All of that said, I did finish the book (I do not always finish books) and did generally enjoy it. I just know that Richards can do much better.

Loved this book -the 2nd in a series. The author's descriptions of New Orleans has made me want to visit the state of Illinois and explore the culture. Emilie's writing takes me easily into another world, where I can completely imagine the characters lives and feel what it would be like to be them. I will buy more of her books -they are a refreshing escape from daily life!

Good story with great characters. Can relate to my own friends and family characters. Couldn't wait to read the next book to see what happened to everyone.

This is the sequel to Iron Lace. It is set in the 1960's in Louisiana. The novel begins with the death of Aurore Gerritsen. Her lawyer brings together her family, both known and secret as well as some close friends to her home on the barrier islands. They must all stay for the full 4 days of the reading of the will or they will forfeit their inheritance. Included are her son bent on a political career and his wife, their daughter, a photographer, as well as her secret daughter and her son. As each part of the will is read, we learn more about the convoluted and sometimes tragic history of the family and find out if the truth will bring them together or drive them apart. Adding to the drama is the impending storm bearing down on them. I enjoyed seeing some of the characters from the prior book in greater detail and saw some in a different light after finishing the book. It is a fitting and satisfying conclusion to the story.

This is the second Emilie Richards book I have read. She is a wonderful author. I plan to read all her books.