Customer Reviews

The Yukon Queen (The House of Winslow #17)

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This book shows a very accurate description of the Klondike gold rush, it's amazing how well it's done. Cass and Serena, also accompanied by Cass's cousins Aaron and Jubal Winslow, set out together at the start, but after Jubal is killed in an avalanche after he pushes Aaron out of the way, Aaron is promptly discouraged and returns home (see Book #18 to see what happens to Aaron after that). It's great that they reintroduced Joe Winslow, their grandfather Sky's oldest son, introduced in Book #7, and virtually forgotten since then. Parts of the story tend to drag out, but everything comes right in the end, as usually happens in all "House of Winslow" books.

The book centers on Cassidy Winslow and Serena Stevens. After a Winslow family reunion of sorts Cassidy's Uncle Mark gets him in New York City. Cassidy seems to have the restless spirit like a lot of the Winslow men and soon leaves the big city for the west. He lives with a friend, Fletcher Stevens, who gets sick and passes away, but before he dies he has Cassidy promise that he will take care of his daughter who is in a convent.

When Cassidy arrives to pick up Serena he finds out that she's not the little girl he's expecting but a seventeen year old young lady. He gives her the option to stay at the convent or to come with him and she chooses to go. So Serena, Cassidy, and his two cousins set out for the gold fields of the Yukon.

I loved this addition to the House of Winslow series. You soon love Serena's faith and how much she relies on it, especially in the depths of the Yukon. Serena loves and cares openly, while Cassidy struggles with himself.

i enjoyed this book enormously. the main charachter, cass has promised to care for the daughter of a man who had befriended him. this friend gave him the money to go to the yukon, with the promise he would take care of her. the daughter, serena, insisted cass take her with him. cass's one desire is to strike it rich, because a girl he thought he loved, turned him away because he was not of her social status. while hunting for gold, he starts to have feelings for serena. while serena cares for him deeply she starts to see the mounted policeman, sam steele. steele falls in love with her. serena cares for him, but really loves cass.
the young couple have a series of adventures including serena learning how to drive dogs and sled. she saves his life when he falls through the ice, and he gets shot, but is not hurt because of a sack of gold dust in his pocket. sam is very graceful about letting serena go.
i found the gentleness of the main charachters very nice.

I had a difficult time finishing this novel. The dialog was especially problematic -- everybody said exactly what he or she wanted to say (no subtext; no subtlety). I also found many of the characters to be clichéd (note especially the Mounted Police officer Steele). The story also became quite preachy at times.

I wouldn't recommend this series.