Rising Tides by Emilie Richards

About the Book:

"Nine people have gathered for the reading of Aurore Gerritsen's will. Some are family, others are strangers. But all will have their futures changed forever when a lifetime of secrets is finally revealed.

Aurore Gerritsen left clear instructions: her will is to be read over a four-day period at her summer cottage on a small Louisiana island. Those who don't stay will forfeit their inheritance. With the vast fortune of Gulf Coast Shipping at stake, no one will take that risk.

Tensions rise as Aurore's lawyer dispenses small bequests, each designed to expose the matriarch's well-kept secrets. Longtime loyalties are jeopardized and shocking new alliances are formed as the family feels the sands of belief shifting beneath their feet.

As a hurricane approaches and survival itself is threatened, the fourth day dawns and everyone waits for the final truth to be revealed."

(from Goodreads)

My thoughts:

Having just completed Iron Lace which left me wondering about the loose threads, I just had to move on to the sequel, Rising Tides to find out the fate of the Gerritsen heirs.

Not quite as compelling as the first installment, it was still very intriguing the way the author structured the story of the reading of the will.....gradually, over a period of four days with an approaching hurricane, the tempestuous lives, loves and secrets of those gathered to hear the reading of the will are exposed for all to see, some with devastating results (the evil you send out into the world will come back to you), while a few experience healing and hope. The downside is that I found it to be overlong in some areas and a bit far-fetched at some of the coincidences and chance meetings that happened halfway across the globe.

Richards once again wove very accurate and interesting historical details of southeastern Louisiana during the civil rights movement and the tensions during desegregation efforts into the plot and created very sensitive and deeply moving storylines involving the issue of race, relationships, and love.

3/5 stars

kindle
Author: Emilie Richards
Title: Rising Tides
genre: southern fiction

Iron Lace by Emilie Richards

About the Book:

"When Aurore Gerritsen watched her lover kill her father, it was just one act of violence in a long chain of dramatic events.Years later, behind the iron lace gates of wealthy New Orleans, beneath the veneer of her society name, linger secrets that Aurore Gerritsen has hidden for a lifetime, and truths that threaten to change forever the lives of her unsuspecting family. Now, as Aurore faces her own mortality, she needs to reveal those secrets that have haunted her for so many years.

Aurore seeks out Phillip Benedict and asks him to tell her story. He's intrigued, but wonders why the matriarch of a prominent white family would choose to confess her sins to an outspoken black journalist.

Finally Phillip agrees, but though he thinks he's ready for anything she might say, the truth is that nothing can prepare him for the impact of Aurore's shocking revelations."(from Goodreads)


My Thoughts:

Iron Lace is a gripping, heartbreaking story of a forbidden love from the past in Old Louisiana.

As the story begins in New Orleans in the racially turbulent 1960's, an ailing matriarch of an aristocratic family wishes to have her memoirs written, and her unusual choice for a journalist to write her life story will come as a surprise.  As Aurore begins recounting the memories of her life, old secrets unfold, tragedies and prejudices of the past are revealed, and the destruction of long-held hate and revenge play out across generations.  From the 1890's to the 1960's, Aurore's life story and the choices she made changed the course of many of her family's lives, and the revelation of these past secrets will have shocking repercussions.  It is a very emotional and intense read.

Great storytelling with spot-on historical accuracy wins high marks from me. The author captured the authentic colors, flavors, and essence of the history of southern Louisiana without being cliche. 

 My only minor quibble with the book is that there is not complete closure at the book's end...there are obvious loose threads that will be picked up in the sequel, Rising Tides, which I have already added to my kindle. I must find out more about the unforgettable characters in Iron Lace (a reference to the beautiful decorative ironwork on the balconies of southern mansions).


***A note about book covers: The cover pictured above is the new cover for the rereleased paperback version and the kindle edition. I'm not a fan of the cover as when I look at it, I think "women's fiction" or a contemporary romance.

The older covers do a better job of conveying an "old south" feel which is the heart of this story:

My paperback cover:

The hardback cover:

My rating:

4/5 stars

Title: Iron Lace
Author: Emilie Richards
1996
genre: southern historical fiction/romance