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Wednesday, August 9, 2017

Book Review of A Name Unknown by Roseanna M. White

 
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From goodreads.com

A Name Unknown (Shadows Over England #1)

by
 
 
Edwardian Romance and History Gains a Twist of Suspense

Rosemary Gresham has no family beyond the band of former urchins that helped her survive as a girl in the mean streets of London. Grown now, they concentrate on stealing high-value items and have learned how to blend into upper-class society. But when Rosemary must determine whether a certain wealthy gentleman is loyal to Britain or to Germany, she is in for the challenge of a lifetime. How does one steal a family's history, their very name?

Peter Holstein, given his family's German blood, writes his popular series of adventure novels under a pen name. With European politics boiling and his own neighbors suspicious of him, Peter debates whether it might be best to change his name for good. When Rosemary shows up at his door pretending to be a historian and offering to help him trace his family history, his question might be answered.

But as the two work together and Rosemary sees his gracious reaction to his neighbors' scornful attacks, she wonders if her assignment is going down the wrong path. Is it too late to help him prove that he's more than his name?
 
Leona's Review:
 
I have enjoyed Roseanna White's books and A Name Unknown was no exception.
 
When Rosemary is offered a lot of money from Mr. V to find information that Peter Holstein is not loyal to England. She knows this amount of money could help her "family" of street thieves find a real home and a place the young children could go to school. Peter's family is German and this is the beginning of talk of a war with Germany in 1914.
 
She pretends to be a librarian that will organize Peter's vast collection of books and is hired for the job.
 
Unknown to her, Peter is an author under another name. She wonders what he is doing daily at his typewriter.
 
The author has named a number of books in Peter's collection which includes Melville's Moby Dick. Rosemary was not impressed about a book which is about a whale so she chose a book that was written by Peter in his pen name not knowing he was the author.
 
A young girl in Rosemary's "family" was badly injured when she is pushed into the road and a horse drawn carriage hits and seriously injures her.
Peter is very religious and throughout the book the reader will see references to God and Jesus. Rosemary asks Peter if he will pray for Olivia as she said "Perhaps God will listen to you" and the meaning being "because he never listens to me."
 
Historical names such as Queen Victoria, King George, Prince Edward, Winston Churchill, Conan Doyle and Martin Luther are in the book. This book had many historical facts and for those who want to learn something of the hardships of the poor, the problem with having a German name in pre-war times and friendship this is a good read that is full of mystery and a lot of history.
 
It is a clean Christian book.
I received a complimentary copy of A Name Unknown from Bethany House. The opinions are my own.
It gets a 5 star rating.
 
The reader may find Roseanna M. White at www.roseannawhite.com
 
Leona Olson

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