Laura Rose White is more at home on a steamboat than she
will ever be on land. She is a gifted steamboat pilot, but
she's a woman. In society's view no woman can be a
licensed pilot. Author Stephanie Grace Whitson's writing
really highlights how aggravating it must have been to be a
woman in the nineteenth century. Laura bites her tongue so
often, I'm surprised its still attached.
Finn MacKnight was a dissolute man and a bad influence on
Laura's brother, Joseph, but has since cleaned up his act,
which Laura refuses to believe. Finn is hired by Joe to be
the second pilot of the Laura Rose, above Laura to her
chagrin. When tragedy strikes Finn is the only man Laura
can turn to to save her home, to save the Laura Rose.
A CAPTAIN FOR LAURA ROSE is an inspirational novel by
national bestselling author Stephanie Grace Whitson. A
CAPTAIN FOR LAURA ROSE is set in 1867 on the Missouri River
and the steamboat Laura Rose.
I was hesitant to read A CAPTAIN FOR LAURA ROSE because of
its genre even though I found its description intriguing.
This is my first inspirational novel, and my worries were
completely unfounded. Once I started reading I found A
CAPTAIN FOR LAURA ROSE hard to put down. Stephanie Grace
Whitson's characters are compelling and I want to know all
about what makes them tick. The steamboat Laura Rose is a
character unto itself. The steamboat is so lovingly
described through the eyes of the protagonist that I am
transported to its decks.
A CAPTAIN FOR LAURA ROSE is a captivating read, and I plan
on checking out more books by Stephanie Grace Whitson.
Laura Rose White's late father taught her everything he knew
about piloting a Missouri River steamboat. He even named
their boat after her. Despite that, it seems that Laura will
forever be a "cub pilot" to her brother Joe, because in
1867, a female riverboat captain is unheard of. That is,
until tragedy strikes and Laura must make the two month
journey from St. Louis to Fort Benton and back in order to
save her family's legacy, her home, and the only life she's
ever known.
The only way for her to overcome the nearly insurmountable
odds is with the help of her brother's disreputable friend
Finn MacKnight, a skilled pilot with a terrible reputation.
Laura loathes having to accept MacKnight as her co-pilot,
especially when she learns she must also provide passage for
his two sisters. Straight-laced Fiona has a fear of water,
and unpredictable Adele seems much too comfortable with the
idea of life in the rough and tumble environment of the
untamed river and the men who ply it. Though they are thrown
together by necessity, this historic journey may lead Laura
and the MacKnights to far more than they ever expected.