Blog Tour & Review: Children of Liberty by Paullina Simons

Children of Liberty by Paullina Simons

William Morrow Paperbacks

February 2013

Format: ARC paperback, 432 pages

First line: There had been a fire at Ellis Island the year before Gina came to America with her mother and brother in 1899, and so instead of arriving at the Port of New York, they had set sail into the Port of Boston.

Synopsis: Before Tatiana and Alexander . . . before Leningrad and Lazarevo . . .
before everything, there was Gina Attaviano, who came from Belpasso to
Boston’s Freedom Docks seeking a new and better life. There she meets
Harry Barrington. Their bond is instantaneous, urgent . . . but so are
the forces against them.

At the turn of the century and the
dawning of the modern world, the fortunes and future of the Barringtons
and Attavianos become intertwined, on a collision course between the old
and the new, between what is expected and what is desired, what is
chosen and what is bestowed, what is given and what is taken away. As
America races headlong into the future, much will be lost and much will
be gained for Gina and Harry, and for a nation and a people that have
the blessing and the curse of unrivaled opportunity . . . and unlimited
potential.

My thoughts:  Paullina Simons is a new author to me and her latest book is actually a prequel to her well-known Bronze Horseman series. I admit that I had not heard of this series, but was intrigued by the premise of the book. I love stories involving immigrants coming to America.

Children of Liberty is set in Boston at the beginning of the 1900s when Gina Attaviano and her mother and brother come to America from Italy. After docking in Boston, they meet Harry Barrington and his friend Ben, who are trying to find immigrants to rent the apartments they have. Almost from the first meeting, there is something between Gina and Harry, but due to circumstances out of their control – her age (she’s only 15 to his 20), and their class and status in the community (she was lower class immigrant and he was Boston’s wealthy), among others – they are for all intents and purposes kept apart. As the story progresses, we see what lengths each will go to to see the other, and even though Harry is resistant to his feelings for Gina at first, his actions often betray those feelings. Gina is smitten from the start and some of her plans to see him really showed her age and innocence.

Not knowing much about Boston’s politics or history during this time, I found myself a bit lost at all the references made. I did, though, enjoy all the historical details about society in Boston at this time and I thought Paullina Simons did a great job in giving us a clear picture of what life was like in the early 1900s. I did get a little tired of the whole banana/Panama Canal storyline, though. It seemed that it was brought up at every possible chance.

All in all, I enjoyed this book and am curious to read Paullina Simons’ Horseman Series, especially since I hear they are set in Russia. Have you read any books by Paullina Simons? 

I received a complimentary copy of Children of Liberty by Paullina Simons from Trish at TLC Book Tours.

 About the author: Paullina Simons is the author of the acclaimed novels Tully, Red Leaves, and Eleven Hours.
Born and raised in St. Petersburg, Russia, she graduated from Kansas
University in Lawrence, Kansas, and has lived in Rome, London, and
Dallas. She currently lives near New York City with her husband and
three children.

Find out more about Paullina at her website, follow her on Twitter, and connect with her on Facebook.

To see who else is participating in Paullina Simon’s Children of Liberty tour, click here.