The Seekers [Hardcover]

John Jakes (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: 1978

With the end of the colonies' fight for indeependence begins a new and even more glorious battle to build a nation. Two generations of Kents struggle to find their place in the new land. Phillip's young son, Abraham, falls in love with his stepsister, Amanda, a girl-clild with the heart of a woman who is sold into bondage, brutalized and voilated by Sioux warriors.

Product Details

• Hardcover
• ASIN: B001SUD1HU
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars could not finish it, October 24, 2009

By 

Stephanie Burgess "tigerfanfrv" (Erie PA USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Seekers (Kent Family Chronicles) (Mass Market Paperback)

The first two books in the series were good. What I noticed about this, one is that Phillip's character has changed dramatically. To the point where I don't recognize him anymore. The scenes of intimate nature in the previous books in the series were not very detailed which I prefer. In this one, however, he not only goes into detail but most of the encounters he spends pages on are horrible! I have never read so many rape scenes in my life!! (one is too many) one of these victims is only 10, the poor girl. It seems to ramble through the early 1800s with no real point in mind. There are places he will stop at and jump forward in time then flashback to where we just left off. I like to read to end my stressful day and go to sleep. This book near the end has done neither.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Ouch, the series killer for me..., March 12, 2011

By 

Brandon Cooper "BC" (The Somewhat Cleaner South) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Seekers (Kent Family Chronicles) (Mass Market Paperback)

I was in the mood to pick up on a series and I wasn't expecting too much. Heck, I read the first two and I was satisfied. The characters tend to be a bit two dimensional and the "history" he integrates is often laughable (how many famous people can someone accidentally run into?) I don't expect perfection though, so not a big deal. In fact, I was riveted by the naval fight aboard the USS Constitution that Jared gets to experience. By far it is the most exciting portion of the novel.

But seriously, as others have mentioned: the rape scenes. There are more attempted rape (and successful) in this book than I have ever read. There's one about every 75 pages it feels like, including a ten year old girl, told in graphic detail. I understand Jakes wanting to tell it like it was, but when the rape scenes outnumber all other scenes, you're taking a step in the wrong direction. It gets to be where every male Jakes character is a lecherous drunken moron who has no regard for women. I get that women might have been particularly helpless in the late 1700s and early 1800s, but I got that point two books ago. Seriously I just don't see finding this as "entertaining" when there are so many of these scenes chucked in for no apparent reason. It's not that I feel they should never be in any book, just that this book seems to revel in including them.

I had the intent to read this whole series. I'll move on. It's what America should have done in the 70s to this guy.

6 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The saga continues., March 29, 2003

By 

Beverley Strong (Australia) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Seekers (Paperback)

Book 3 of The Kent Family Chronicles covers the period following the War of Independence.Jared Kent,son of Abraham Kent, the main protagonist of Book 2 "The Rebel",is left in Boston in the care of his uncle,Gilbert Kent, younger half-brother of Abraham and Gilbert's wife Harriet, a mean minded woman who resents Gilbert's affection for his nephew.Jared's only friend is his cousin Amanda who is several years his junior.After Gilbert's death, Harriet marries a fortune hunting gambler who not only gambles away all the family's money but who make improper advances to the 10 year old Amanda.Jared is forced to protect Amanda and wrongly believes that he has killed a man in self defence.On the same night Harriet is killed under the wheels of a carriage forcing Jared and Amanda to run away and begin an incredible journey-by foot-across country to Tennessee.They fall victim to a bogus preacher who kidnaps Amanda and sells her to an Indian tribe.Jared at once begins the near impossible task of finding and rescuing her.