SUNRISE by Jacquelyn Cook

Read : July 27-29
Category : Books I found I want to read
Pages : 293

History tells us that in 1849 William Butler Johnston, an elder railroad baron/banker, married Anne Tracy in Macon GA. SUNRISE brings their romance to life. The author has taken the journals and letters of this family and woven a tale of their lifelong love affair which started on their European Grand Tour honeymoon, endured the death of numerous children, family and friends, and survived the suffering of deprivation during the Civil War.

Johnston adored his Miss Annie so much that he built her "fairy castle" - the historical Johnston-Felton-Hay Mansion that still stands in Macon. The characters that the author has created in this book reflect not just the times but the spirit of the people. The characters were actually living breathing people who Ms Cook has given personality and feelings through extensive research.

This book read rather quickly, due to the fact that there were no long sweeping passages that you would expect from this genre bt read more like a journal telling the actually history of the time. There are a few times when it started to drag, but soon recovered and is well worth the time taken to read.
It's no Gone With the Wind, but since I enjoyed the historical information that was wound into the story so much, I rank it in good/great read category.