The Least of These by Scott Zachary: A Book Review

The Least of These
Author: Scott Zachary
Genre: Historical Fiction
Publisher: Mahalas Press
Release Date: November 15th, 2013
Pages: 70
Source: This book was given to me by the author in exchange for an honest review.
Synopsis: Molly Gregor was not a temperate woman.

The daughter of a murdered Catholic nobleman, and the wife of a Protestant
landowner, she imagines herself a stranger in her own land. Rash, proud, and
headstrong, she has carved her way through life with a bold determination that often
places her at odds with those closest to her.

When a band of Irish Travellers come to her small town, Molly finds herself torn
between helping the wayfaring strangers and the cruel prejudices of her neighbors.
Will she find the courage to defend these, the least of all people?

Set in the turbulent spring of 1709, The Least of These is a haunting, yet inspiring
story of questioned faith, restored hope, and the true price of charity.

My Review: Set in Ireland in the spring of 1709, this novellette explores the character and faith of an emotionally damaged woman who tries to find peace, happiness, and the good things in life during her sad times. Molly is a Catholic woman whose father was murdered in her youth, and she became a public outcast when she married a Protestant Scottish nobleman and a drunkard. One day, she meets a group of poverty-stricken, passing travelers. However, the travelers are met with great hostility by the villagers’ who form a mob to try to cast them out. Molly is driven by faith that as a Christian woman she must try to help these travelers. Molly must fight against her fellow villager’s rage in order to defend these strangers.

Molly’s character is very human. She is a very broken woman and very sad. She often seeks faith and questions her relationship with God. She often wonders why God lets bad things happen to her. Sometimes, she gets angry and blames God. She tries to do what is right, and tries to help others as much as she can. She is also very loving and generous. She has an interesting relationship with the priest Father Roark. Father Roark is Molly’s spiritual mentor, and he tries to preach to her that even though there is a lot of evil in the world, there is still some good in the world. Sometimes, Father Roark struggles with doing what he preaches, but with Molly reminding him of the scriptures, he, in the end, practices what he preaches. Molly also has a loving relationship with her husband. Their love is unwavering and devoted to each other. Molly’s husband supports and helps her even when the village is against her. Despite his flaws, it is obvious that he wants to be his best self with Molly.

Overall, this novelette is about love, hope, charity, and choices. It is also about a woman who is seeking peace, happiness, and contentment within herself. This is a beautiful and well-told story. The writing is lyrical, and the characters are well-developed and realistic. We can relate to Molly’s emotions and thoughts as she tries to cope with her situations. I would recommend this book to anyone interested in Irish history, Christianity in general, or any fan of strong heroines.

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Guest Post by Aleksey Linetskiy: The Women Behind the Klondike Story

Today's guest writer is Aleksey Linetskiy. He is the co-author of Finch and Hawk: The Klondike Letters , which is a unique yearly subscription in which the reader reads a story by mail. In this guest post, he introduces us to a few historical women of the Klondike era. Some of these women are Alice Freeman, Flora Shaw, and Helen Dare. Thank you, Mr. Linetskiy! The Women Behind the Klondike Story Before we began writing Finch and Hawk: The Klondike Letters , my partner, Alona Umansky, and I spent a great deal of time researching the Klondike Gold Rush. We were interested in finding the stories of people who maybe didn’t become rich and famous but still went through the experience of a great stampede. As we were reading the newspapers of the time and firsthand accounts, it became very clear to us that we wanted to tell at least part of the story through the women’s eyes. There were so many incredible women who underto...

No Stone Unturned (Lucy Lawrence Mystery #1) by Pam Lecky: A Book Review

No Stone Unturned (Lucy Lawrence Mystery #1) Author: Pam Lecky Genre: Historical Fiction, Mystery & Suspense Publisher: Storm Publishing Book Release Date: 2024 Pages: 356 Source: Netgalley/Publisher in exchange for an honest review. Synopsis: Lucy Lawrence stared down at her husband, his once handsome face now a twisted mask of death. She shivered and pulled her shawl tighter around her shoulders. His life had held so many secrets, and now his sins were hers to bear… England, 1886. In the flickering gaslights of Victorian London, 28-year-old Lucy Lawrence's future hangs in the balance. Her husband's murder has left her reputation in tatters, and the theft of her mother's priceless heirloom pearls has only added to her woes. But when the handsome investigator Phineas Stone enters her life, Lucy finds herself drawn into a web of deceit that leads right back to her marriage and a deadly conspiracy that could undo them all. ...

Interview With Carolyn Marie Wilkins

Today, I have the pleasure of interviewing, Ms. Carolyn Marie Wilkins. She is the author of the Psychics and Soul Food Mystery series. Her first novel, The Murder at the Wham Bam Club , features a psychic named Nola Jackson as an amateur sleuth. Her sequel, Let the Murderer Say Amen , has just recently been released. In this interview, we discussed her inspiration that led her to writing Let the Murderer Say Amen . We also discussed why she decided for Nola to have psychic abilities as well as her love for the mystery genre. Thank you, Ms. Wilkins! (Photo Credit: Sally Cooper) What inspired you to write the Psychics and Soul Food Mystery series? I am a practicing psychic medium. I talk to the dead, read Tarot cards and attend seances, so this book was a natural for me. I also love reading and writing about African American history. And of course, I love Soul Food. Writing this series gives me the chance to combine several of my ...

History from a Woman's Perspective- A Book Blog

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