The Springsweet [Hardcover]

Saundra Mitchell (Author)

Book Description

Release date: April 17, 2012

Heartbroken over the tragic death of her fiancé, seventeen-year-old Zora Stewart leaves
Baltimore for the frontier town of West Glory, Oklahoma, to help her young widowed
aunt keep her homestead going. There she discovers that she possesses the astonishing
ability to sense water under the parched earth. When her aunt hires her out as a
“springsweet” to advise other settlers where to dig their wells, Zora feels the burden of
holding the key to something so essential to survival in this unforgiving land.
Even more, she finds herself longing for love the way the prairie thirsts for water.
Maybe, in the wildness of the territories, Zora can finally move beyond simply surviving
and start living.

Editorial Reviews

Review

Praise for The Springsweet:

"A lovely historical romance. . . . The author conjures a convincing picture of life on the Oklahoma prairie, painting an absorbing portrait of the landscape and of the people there. . . . A high-quality, absorbing drama."
—Kirkus Reviews

"The Springsweet will steal your heart. Zora is a wounded heroine who had me cheering as she rediscovers the strength she thought she'd lost. Blend in a smoldering, yet refreshingly subtle hero, and add a twist of magic and you have a perfect romance in the Old West with another of Saundra Mitchell's signature rich and nuanced historic settings!"
—Aprilynne Pike, #1 NYT best-selling author of the Wings series

"I didn't think YA historicals could get better than The Vespertine. The Springsweet proved me wrong. This is a gorgeous, unputdownable book that will stay with you long after it's through. Saundra Mitchell just gets better and better."
—Sarah MacLean, NYT and USA Today Bestselling Author of Nine Rules to Break When Romancing a Rake and Ten Ways to Be Adored When Landing a Lord

"With Saundra Mitchell’s trademark evocative and gorgeous language, The Springsweet takes us across the plains, where the people thirst for love just as the land thirsts for water. I never wanted this book to end!"
—Carrie Ryan, NYT best-selling author of The Forest of Hands and Teeth series

 

 

Praise for The Vespertine:

"[A] richly conceived historical romance. . . . Fans of Libba Bray’s A Great and Terrible Beauty will find themselves enchanted by this atmospheric tale."
—Bulletin

"Equal parts vivid period detail, gothic melodrama, and foreboding premonitions coming true . . . an absorbing tale."
—Booklist

"Written in a passionate, inviting voice, The Vespertine is a rich, historical novel of otherworldly power, forbidden romance, and questionable motives."
—Aprilynne Pike, #1 New York Times Bestselling Author of Wings and Spells

"Sheer pleasure from beginning to end."
—TeenReads.com

"I savored every word of The Vespertine; I knew it was an amazing book from the first page and I was entranced until the very last."
—Carrie Ryan, New York Times Bestselling Author of the critically-acclaimed The Forest of Hands and Teeth and The Dead-Tossed Waves

 

 

Praise for The Elementals:

"In The Elementals the worlds of The Vespertine and The Springsweet collide with glass-brittle hopes and devastating consequences. The children of the supernatural must learn what their parents have long known, that even the most innocent magic demands a cost. A sumptuous read, as bittersweet as it is beautiful."
—#1 NYT Bestselling Author Aprilynne Pike

"Saundra Mitchell pulls off a thrilling conclusion to a mesmerizing series! She just gets better and better!"
—NYT Bestselling Author Carrie Ryan

"Mitchell convincingly portrays the glittering, raucous L.A. of the burgeoning movie industry and the oppressive unease of looming war."
—Booklist

About the Author

Saundra Mitchell is a screenwriter and author. Her companion novels The Vespertine, The Springsweet, and The Elementals have been praised for their rich historical settings, evocative language, and heart-pounding romance. Her debut novel, Shadowed Summer, was a 2010 Edgar Award Nominee, a Junior Library Guild selection, and an ALAN Pick. She lives in Indianapolis, Indiana with her husband and her two children. Visit her website at www.saundramitchell.com.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Age Range: 12 and up
  
• Hardcover: 288 pages
• Publisher: Harcourt Children's Books; 1 edition (April 17, 2012)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 054760842X
• ISBN-13: 978-0547608426
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 5.8 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (34 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #677,954 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Saundra Mitchell has been a phone psychic, a car salesperson, a denture-deliverer and a layout waxer. She's dodged trains, endured basic training, and hitchhiked from Montana to California. She teaches herself languages, raises children, and makes paper for fun. She's the author of Shadowed Summer, The Vespertine, The Springsweet, and the forthcoming The Elementals and Mistwalker. She's also the editor of the forthcoming YA anthology Defy the Dark. She always picks truth; dares are too easy.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Unexpectedly Delightful Historical Romance February 15, 2012

By Silmarwen VINE™ VOICE

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Vine™ Review (What's this?)

I did not realize that this book was the second in a series until I finished it so I can assure you that you can read this book out of sequence and still enjoy it just as much. The only thing that you will be a little bit in the dark about is stories from Zora's past as she mentions a beloved cousin and her deceased fiance, which are discussed in more depth in the first book. I felt like I should know these people, but I clearly understood what was going on so it was not a big deal to read this book first. The setting was lovely, but a bit peculiar. It was interesting to see how a society lady would react to living on the prairie, what was then the very edge of civilization, in the Oklahoma Territories. Zora struggled to perform everyday, ordinary tasks, such as drawing water and hoeing weeds, with her corset on. And yet Zora felt so vulnerable without the undergarments on that it required quite a bit of adjustment for her to try and adapt to life on the frontier. Zora was not at all ready for the life that she unknowingly chose, but she was a trooper and tried to help her aunt and her little niece as much as possible. It was interesting to read about what a normal day would be like in the 1800s as a new settler and how little surprises made such a difference in your day. Finding a nest of eggs means a hearty breakfast instead of a small bowl of porridge. Helping a neighbor raise a barn is a good excuse to visit and to do a different kind of work for a day. Settlers may turn a blind eye to local villains knowing that there is worse out there that could replace them. Old prejudices die hard, but there was some freedom for different races and colors in the new territories.

Zora Stewart was an interesting character. She was so certain her life was over that she has no idea how young she truly is until she was given another chance at love and life. I wish I could say that her special ability made her more interesting, but she used her abilities a handful of times in the book, mostly towards the end, so it really was not as integral a part of the plot as I had assumed based on the book's description. Towards the end of the story, Zora and her aunt decide to advertise her ability and to charge a fee for it so that they can try and save enough money to buy some livestock and improve their own lives. These scenes were some of the most touching in the book for me. One family is given the gift of life when Zora finds a spring of sweet, clear water on their dying property; another wants to drain his neighbor's pond and use their water as his own; the last is given the bitter news that there is no water on his claim and that he has sunk all of his money into a barren wasteland. Even though Zora's talent was not the focal point of the book, it did dictate some of her decisions and made her a less-than-typical society miss of the time period.

As with most young adult books, the author of The Springsweet falls into the trap of creating a love triangle where there really isn't one to try and give the story more depth. Zora must choose between a handsome, young gentleman who follows her from Boston and a local settler who is reviled by Zora's aunt and others. Hmmm, let me think. Who will she choose? The tall, dark, handsome, charming and well educated Theo or the brash, confident, golden Emerson. Zora's choice is so obvious that it is fairly laughable that the author event presents the other as an option, but whatever, I guess it is normal to have two amazing men chasing after the heroine in books these days. That said, I did enjoy the sweet little romance between Zora and her Romeo. I wish that there could be another book to tell us more about their lives and how they get on as they are just barely getting started when the book ends rather abruptly. It will be interesting to see where the author goes with her series from here...

The Springsweet has some gothic overtones, but they are subtle and this is not what I would deem a gothic romance. Theo and Zora meet in a graveyard with none other than Edgar Allen Poe. The lovelorn, grieving young woman and supernatural aspects also would lead you to think this is a more traditional, gothic romance, but the setting itself does not lend to a traditional gothic romance. You do not have the strictures of society or the brooding villain to make this a true gothic romance, but it was an interesting little romance with gothic touches. It was not at all what I was expecting when I picked it up, but I enjoyed reading it and will definitely check out other books by this author. I loved her writing style and think that she could make just about any topic appear interesting and important.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Just lovely! August 17, 2012

By Julia VINE™ VOICE

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Vine™ Review (What's this?)

Wow. I don't know what I was expecting, but thank you Saundra Mitchell for The Springsweet! It is an incredibly lovely, satisfying read. The world she creates is extremely vivid and beautifully written.

Zora is a brilliant character. She is selfish and everything about her character felt right. I really felt like I knew her, and her actions/reactions weren't shocking, but stayed true to her character. She isn't the only brilliant character either, I really enjoyed Emerson and some of the other secondary characters as well.

Though The Springsweet is rather predictable, I found myself engrossed enough in the story to want to continue on. This book very much felt like filler- I am crossing my fingers for more action and conflict in the next installment.

I definitely recommend this book to those that read the first one, The Vespertine. It is very similar.

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars Almost a repeat of The Vespertine January 26, 2012

By Ashleigh VINE™ VOICE

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Vine™ Review (What's this?)

Also appears on The Screaming Nitpicker.

After the death of her fiance Thomas and her cousin Amelia, Zora Stewart is ready to get away from Baltimore. All it takes is one unexpected kiss at a party and she's off for the Oklahoma Territory to live with her aunt Birdie and younger cousin Louella until she "comes to her senses." While she is there, she discovers she has the power to sense the location of water, a useful power in such dry lands. In addition to her new gift, two men trouble her. Emerson Birch is regarded by West Glory as bad news, but Zora doesn't see what's wrong with him. Meanwhile, Theo de la Croix has made his way out to West Glory to court Zora, but she isn't interested like everyone wants her to be.

I didn't always like the choices Zora made (surely there was another way to convince her mother to let her go elsewhere), but she wasn't bad as far as YA heroines go. At the very least, she didn't make me want to choke her on a regular basis like some other heroines I've encountered did. Zora's easy adaptation to the constant work in the country after growing up in the city of Baltimore was a little strange; she never struck me in this book or its prequel The Vespertine as the type to easily adapt.

The Springsweet is short and sweet at 288 pages (well, it's short for me) and that challenges it to characterize everyone and get the plot moving more quickly than other novels while still making it feel natural. Does this book meet that challenge? It felt a little bit rushed, like it could have used another fifty pages or so to develop everything. Aunt Birdie's quiet characterization was a high point; my inability to understand what Zora sees in Emerson is on the lower end of the spectrum.

Now then, a quick summary of the novel: A girl leaves home, temporarily moving to another city and taking residence with her aunt and cousin. One of her relatives, who isn't much older than herself, causes the heroine to experience some personal growth, but she discovers something: she has a magical power. The people all love her and her gift at first, but they threaten to turn on her when her gift no longer gives them good fortune. Meanwhile, our heroine is trapped in a love triangle. One man is a good, upstanding man proper society is pushing her toward; the other is a bad boy everyone disapproves of, but she can't stay away from him--and he has a power just like she does.

What I just wrote is an adequate summary of both The Vespertine and The Springsweet. It feels like I've read the same book twice with the names and settings changed and I don't like feeling that way. I expected Zora's narrative voice to be unlike Amelia's because they were such different characters, but I can't tell the difference between them.

The writing remains one of my favorite qualities of the novel. There's something about the way it tosses around metaphors and orders its syntax that makes me have an especially nerdy moment. I wish I had more to say there because of how much I like it, but that suffices and I'm not going to drag it out. Two climactic scenes one after another at the end off the novel ended up having two very different effects on me. One of them had me reading like it would have killed me not to. The other garnered this reaction from me: "Oh. Okay then." Considering that second climax involved someone getting murdered, this is not a good reaction for it to bring out of me.

Fans of The Vespertine will enjoy the return of the lyrical prose and the development of Zora's personal story (not to mention where it looks like the next book might take both her and Amelia), but fans of The Vespertine who do not want to read almost the exact same story with new packaging may not love it as much.