Customer Reviews

The Train to Estelline (Lucinda Richards Trilogy)

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

 

 

Open the cover of this book and slip into the early part of the past century. A lively 18 year old has adventures no one could quite imagine when she leaves behind her sheltered existence to teach school out in the dust, wind, and sun parched plains of West Texas. For every step taken forward, Lucinda Eliza Richards becomes aware of the detours the must take to get there. Nature and humanity are ruthless and capricious and the plethora of obstacles and hardship is occasionally overwhelming. A very frank and fair look into these lives and times. Well written and honest.

This first book in the trilogy is the only one written in "letters home" form. I found Lucy's character to be real and believable. I could actually picture West Texas in the early 1900's. If you're looking for an action-packed suspense novel, this isn't the book for you. If, however, your goal is simply to spend a Sunday afternoon with a friend, grab this book and a glass of iced tea.

Lucinda Richards has accepted the job of teaching in Estelline, Texas though not even 18 years old. She leaves all that is familiar and comfortable and begins a new life in West Texas. The story is conveyed in letters to loved ones back home and diary entries. It details the life of a young woman in 1911, facing the changes that come both in her life, and to the lives of the people she comes to care for and love. It is the details that ring true, the differences in stations in society, the hardships faced by families, and the expectations on a young , single woman. I think this would be a great book for a mother-daughter bookclub to read.

TRAIN TO ESTELLINE is the second Jane Roberts Wood book I read, after A PLACE CALLED SWEET SHRUB. Both are delightful. The letter/diary style of TRAIN chronicles the life of a young woman leaving home to begin her teaching career at the turn of the century. The reader feels like something of a voyeur following events while being privy to the private thoughts of the young woman. It is a charming book which leaves one a little envious of the innocence, the naiveté of Americans living in that period.

In this first book of a trilogy, we are introduced to Lucy Richards, a young girl of 17. Her first job takes her away from her family and friends to a town where she will meet some endearing characters. Written from the point of view of letters home, the book is filled with comedy, tragedy and romance. All in all a very sweet book that reminds one of the Mitford series, but this one's set in the early 1900s in Texas.

Lucy is a lovable, believable main character that you feel you want to know personally. It reads like an autobiography.

I have found all the books by this author to be a fair representation of the styles,opinions and prejudices of this era and location in Texas history. Being a native of west Texas, I can assure you that the characters, both good and bad,ring true as stereotypes of rugged Texans at the century's turn. The plot is somewhat simplistic, but the study demonstrated in the delineation of the individual characters is what makes this book such a rich portrait of the Texas experience.

After reading the reviews on all three books in this series I bought all three. The Train to Estelline is a bit chopped up and doesn't really flow very well. Not my favorite type of read. They story is an enjoyable one with many things to learn about life on a ranch in West Texas. A very hard life, and strong people. I can only tell you to read this but don't stop here.... the best is yet to come. A Place Called Sweet Shrub is the best in the series.

The book was highly recommended to my twelve year old daughter. Because Annie dislike fantasy and science fiction, I purchased the trilogy based on a brief overview. Annie likes adventure, problem solving, and "chick flicks" She adored Legally Blonde and I hoped that <The train to Estelline would be a story about a career girl. What we had instead, was a series of thefts, double dealing, prostitution, murder, child abuse, and manipulative people. I don't need a book for this. Our newspapers and country lyrics are filled with the disappointment, heartache, and lowlife depicted in the book. It is a page turner, but for the wrong reason. I read the book to see how the author would write her way back to anything resembling good story telling. It was also very odd the way the typesetter consistently wrote al1 with the numeral one at the end. I classify the book as a less well written Cold Mountain.