The Bride Wore Blue: Intriguing Historical Fiction

The Bride Wore Blue is a charming story set in the historical 1890's western boom town of Cripple Creek.  (You can read about the town's actual history in Cripple Creek Days.)  While this book is a fictional love story, it loosely features real life events and people like Pearl DeVere, "soiled dove of crippled creek", who plays an important roll in this story.  It also features Susan Anderson, one of the first woman doctors in the old west.

The main character, Vivian, is spunky though sometimes self-pitying, sweet though tough, and quite loveable in spite of her (what she believes to be) glaring flaw.  She's made a mistake and feels bound to let it affect the rest of her life, though God's plans are often different from our own.  In the end, she learns about grace through a handsome lawman and changes into a strong woman who can, indeed, be everything and more than anything she ever dreamed.  I liked the character and enjoyed the western setting of the book. Very charming on all fronts, a quick and easy read.  Something nice to read after "Anna Karenina" and before "A Tale of Two Cities", I'd say. 

Now, if you're the kind of person who'd like to step back in time to the 1890s era and visit the gold rush days outside of a book, you can still visit Cripple Creek.  I'd never heard of it before.  Contrary to what my hubby keeps telling me, historical fiction can be more than just a good story!  I highly suggest you read this book before taking any road trips!

Read the first chapter of the book here, if you feel so inclined, and have a lovely rest of the day!

Special thanks to the wonderful people at Waterbrook Press for providing me with this book for review.