This story gives the reader a different outlook on the Civil War; one I never thought about. A family torn apart due to having to be sent away to fight some members killed, some missing and the women all wondering about them. All the while the oldest daughter has to do what she has promised her dieing father she'd save the Thoroughbred horses that has made their ranch. So after the war they can start over. She has sent her two younger sisters to live in a different town to be protected from the war again dividing what family is left. She goes against all her mother taught her to be and dressed in britches and cut her hair to live life as a man. She frees her slaves and a handful of them go with her as she crosses over in to the mist of the war with what few horses she has left to rescue them from the war; and her now freed slaves that are more family to her than her 'old slaves' trying to keep them alive from being hanged or beaten up if found. All the while finding people in need in the mist of her own worries of survival. She begins to loose Faith and starts to believe that God doesn't exists anymore. But the main gentleman she took with her his Faith is strong and that is how he survives with daily prayers and thanksgiving among all the strife they have to deal with. She turns to him on many occasions; when she feels she can no longer manage on her own. And when the group band together they do survive through...to do what they need to do next...Also in the book (about a quarter of the way in the book every other chapter talks about Jesse and their travels and ever other takes you back to the town of her younger sisters and their survival with their aunt.) Again because of the war Louisa has to say a few lies to be able to go and volunteer at the hospital where "ladies" aren't allowed. Seeing things they shouldn't see of the men coming in and needing treatment. But widowed ladies are allowed. So she lives a lie to be able to do what she feels her heart is telling her to do and making a difference in many of the men's lives and helping the doctors all she can. In the meantime happiness does come to her in forms she never would imagine. At the end of this book you WILL want to have book #2 on hand; as when it ends you want to read on to see about the various lives within this book. Will all the families get reunited? Or will the war continue beyond Spring when everyone is hoping it will end? This book for me started out slow and I wasn't real sure I liked it at first but by a quarter of the way in I was rating it 3 stars but about half way in I couldn't hardly put the story down and looked forward to having time to be able to read more about what was happening. Thus the four star rating. If you would like something 'different' and something to remind you that people do have to endure trials and it's okay to doubt your Faith as that is when God is carrying and protecting you. And He will bring the people in your life that you need at the time
Daughter of Twin Oaks by Lauraine Snelling is the first book in her Secret Refuge Series that I enjoyed. It is at the time of the Civil War and Jesselynn is the daughter left to run the family's tobacco plantation called Twin Oaks. Her brother is off at war, her parents are both dead and her two sisters are living with an Aunt in Virginia. Twin Oakes is in Kentucky and she is trying to keep her few horses from being taken for use in the war. After giving all her slaves their freedom, they decide to stay and keep working at Twin Oaks anyhow. She proceeds to take the horses to her Uncle's farm in Missouri until the war is over, thinking they will be safe there. She takes a few of her former slaves along, a wagon, a mule and her little brother Thaddeus. Dressing like man, she and her group start their trek, trying to keep from soldiers seeing them along the way. The other story line was about Jesselynn's sister in Virginia who volunteered at the wounded soldiers hospital. The faith of the daughters is challenged by all the bad things that happen.This book is full of action and adventure. I was beginning to wonder if they ever would make it. It is a quick read and left me wanting more. Interesting characters and it made me more aware of the obstacles families in the south had to deal with during the Civil War. I look forward to reading the next book in this series.(Karen's review)
Daughter of Twin Oaks was excellent. I'm not much for reading Civil War books but this one was great. Jesselynn Highwood was a well-bred gentlewoman with a tendency to do things her way. She loved her fathers Thoroughbred's like she loved life and farming was just an added bonus. Then the War hit and her father and brother's go off to fight leaving Jesselynn and her sibling at home to work the farm. Well, one of her brother's dies and her father gets injured and returns home with a severe injury. Upon his deathbed he tells Jesselynn to take the horses and hid them. So off this girl trucks dressed as a male (which causes all kinds of problems later). She and some of her people have to make their way to Missouri through the enemy lines and over dangers areas. Some much death and destructions starts wearing Jesse down so she blames God for her problems and not the idiots who that war was the answer to their problems. Excellent book!!!
—Tasha
Until the end, I found this to be a captivating story. The characters were realistic, it had great Civil War depictions and the heroine was a decent person and could stand on her own two feet. Some of the parts I found a little unbelievable or predictable, but nothing crazy.Then I got to the end. Oh, wait. There was no ending. The book stopped. Two things that drive me to not read an author again are ridiculous grammar/spelling issues and forcing a reader to get another book to finish a story. I enjoy series books but don't want to have to purchase another book to know how the story ends. Individual books should be stand alone or at least it should be clearly indicated you have to buy subsequent books in the series to see how things end.I typically enjoy Ms. Snelling's books and writing style but this one didn't do it for me.
—Lisa C.
I hate having to say that I did not care for another one of Lauraine Snelling's books. There were some things I just did not understand. She gives freedom papers to her slaves in the beginning; but the whole story she still treats them like slaves, and even calls them "her people". In all honesty my least favorite historical books are the ones where servants are waiting on other people. I tend to lean more towards the pioneer; poverty level book; I relate more to those. They seem more down to earth to me. I almost found some parts of this book silly and hard to believe. So in all this book with the many children appearing and the constant slave involvement ruined this book for me.
—Christy
