Through Tempest Forged (Paperback)

by Barbara Passaris (Author)
Key Phrases: great willow tree, poor humor, splendid wife, Willow Bend, Paul Rogers, Sarah Jane (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
What happens when a family is enmeshed in the birth pangs of a newly emerging entity soon to be known as The United States? Will they succumb to the uncertainty of their time, or will they be resilient, indeed, triumphant? The year is 1775, and the world is on fire with the seeds of rebellion firmly taking root in America. Paul Rogers has everything that a man could possibly want: a beautiful wife, and wonderful family, and a prosperous farm in prestigious colonial Virginia. But his comfortable life is about to be interrupted by a tempest so fierce that the foundations of his life will be shaken to the bone. One of his sons is involved with the Patriot resistance, and the other son's passions tend toward dark and unsavory oddities that are seldom spoken about. To complicate matters, an unscrupulous and cruel lieutenant of the Crown has targeted Paul's family with what could be devastation and ruin for them. As patriarch of his family, Paul is forced to choose sides, and the stakes are high, for both sides of this political coin could expose Paul's sons, wreak havoc on his family, and hurt his wife and daughters. A stirring tale of love, lust, honor, and dishonor, treachery, deceit, and political intrigue, with shocking twists and unsettling turns, where life and death are constant companions, where nothing and no one will ever be the same.

Product Details

• Paperback: 644 pages
• Publisher: Community Press (January 1, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0979087856
• ISBN-13: 978-0979087851
• Product Dimensions: 9.5 x 6.6 x 1.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #709,536 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Through Tempest Forged: A fabulous read!, March 9, 2007

By	historical lover - See all my reviews

Wow! Did I get swept away! The characters in this book are so real, so engaging...I honestly felt that I was there in colonial Virginia. This is a wonderful story that will keep you wanting more. This work is extremely well researched, and has the perfect combination of suspense, romance, and history. I did not want to put it down. As a historian, I appreciated the accuaracy coupled, with the pure entertainment factor-a very fine effort in literature!

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Moving Family Saga Set in Colonial Virginia, March 4, 2008

By	Susan Higginbotham "boswellbaxter" - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Through Tempest Forged, set in Virginia in 1775, is the story of the Rogers family and how they cope with their changing world as they and their neighbors must choose between the crown and the patriot resistance. Passaris portrays the rancor caused by these dueling loyalties, and the brutality that sometimes erupts, vividly and sometimes terrifyingly.

This novel, however, is as much as a story of the personal as the political. Paul and Elizabeth's sons and daughters are of marriageable age, and the book follows their heartaches, joys, and tragedies as they mature. The characters, particularly the male ones, are complex and flawed, and Passaris brings them to life deftly. The dialogue is lively and realistic, and appropriately coarse at times. (And lines like "Virginia is what North Carolina would like to be" shows that some things haven't changed over the years!)

Though this novel isn't a romance novel, there are plenty of love stories here, including a very moving, unconventional one between John Peter Rogers and the prostitute's daughter he befriends.

At times, I did think that the novel could have used a little more tightening. Sometimes, for instance, Passaris unnecessarily comments on what the characters are thinking and feeling when it's readily apparent from their dialogue and their actions. This, however, is a decidedly minor flaw in an excellent first novel. I'm looking forward to the sequel.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Revisiting the Past, March 10, 2007

By	Phyllis Johnson "words at play" (Virginia) - See all my reviews

Living in an area rich with history, I love a book that draws you into the past with its settings and characters. As a romance writer myself, this has opened my eyes to a whole new possibility in settings. If you like this kind of romantic read, then Through Tempest Forged is a good book for you. Rich with description and imagery!