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From Publishers Weekly
Loyalty, trust and friendship are the themes of Dallas's (The Persian Pickle Club) cozy, suspense-driven epistolary novel, set during the Civil War. When her husband enlists as a Union soldier, teenage newlywed Alice Keeler Bullock must live on his family's Bramble Farm on the outskirts of Slatyfork, Iowa, with only her stern mother-in-law, Mother (Serena) Bullock, for company. Alice is lonely without the constant companionship of her sister, Lizzie, and their six younger brothers. She passes the time writing long, gossip-filled letters to Lizzie in Galena, Ill., and growing passionate about her quilting. Newly pregnant, Alice hopes that the baby will win over her fault-finding mother-in-law, but Alice doesn't make things easy for herself. She regularly boasts about her superior sewing skills, yearns aloud for fashionable clothing and speaks before she thinks. In other words, she is young and ignorant of the ways of the world, which leads to trouble with a Confederate sympathizer, Samuel Smead, who, encouraged by Alice's innocent flirtations, pursues her with an intensity that tarnishes her reputation. Meanwhile, Alice slowly makes friends with girls her own age, including Samuel's sister-in-law, Nealie, and a runaway mother, Annie, seeking shelter for herself and her blind daughter. As the story unfolds, secrets and mysteries abound, and Alice shares every joy and sorrow with her sister by letter, a credible narrative form except when Alice reproduces extended dialogue. The last third of the novel is a delicate balance between sentiment and tragedy; in some instances, the secrets spilled go over the top, with no adequate motives for why characters are so cruel. Alice is a feisty Northern counterpart to Scarlett O'Hara, however, and her irreverent humor and precise expression will keep readers entertained. First serial to Good Housekeeping; author tour. (Oct.)
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
From School Library Journal
Adult/High School-The significance of a planting of yellow tulips in an Iowa garden becomes evident at the end of this beguiling novel of the Civil War home front. Immature, overconfident, congenial, and flirtatious, newly wed 18-year-old Alice is left with her stern, repressive mother-in-law on a small farmstead when her husband Charlie "goes for a soldier." The book is comprised of the letters Alice writes to her sister over a period of three years to relieve her frustrations and to offer advice on fashion, love, and society. Alice is an outstanding quilter and each chapter is prefaced with a paragraph of information on quilting details. The letters take readers through wartime difficulties of isolation, food shortages, cruel gossip, loss of reputation, and the complexities of a small, closed community. Through the occasional letter from Charlie as he enters into Army life on the Union side, readers see the rigors of camp life, horrors of battle, and imprisonment in the notorious Andersonville prison camp. Alice's growth, brought about by these circumstances, is natural and understandable, as is the slowly emerging bond of affection between the young woman and her formidable mother-in-law. This unfolding maturity of insights lends realism to the light concerns of fashion, sociability, and other trivialities that engage interest in the opening pages.-Frances Reiher, Fairfax County Public Library, VA
Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Inside This Book
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First Sentence
Are you surprised to hear that Charlie has gone for a soldier? Read the first page
Front Cover | Copyright | Excerpt | Back Cover
Are you surprised to hear that Charlie has gone for a soldier? Read the first page
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Concordance
Browse Sample PagesConcordance
Front Cover | Copyright | Excerpt | Back Cover
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Most helpful customer reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great book!!!!,
By
This review is from: Alice's Tulips: A Novel (Paperback)
Wow!! What a great book. I was rooting for Alice all the way! The book consists of letters Alice is writing to her sister during a 2 1/2 year time period that her husband Charlie is away fighting for the union in the civil war. It's amazing to see just how much young Alice grows up in those 2 1/2 years. Living with her mother-in-law, Alice starts out very prideful, wasteful, and immature, but by the end of the book she has grown so much, for the years were not easy on her. I highly recommend this book. A great read.
5.0 out of 5 stars
Don't hesitate, read this book now!,
By GG "howzerdo" (Castleton, NY USA) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Alice's Tulips: A Novel (Paperback)
What a page turner, nothing else got accomplished for a couple of days because I couldn't put it down! Set on the homefront in the Civil War, and written as a series of letters, you will enjoy it, especially if you favor historical fiction and like old time crafts. This was the first of Sandra Dallas' books that I read, and I have liked everything she has written, but Alice's Tulips remains my favorite. Do you know how sometimes you read something, and afterwards think to yourself, "how could I have not discovered this author, and this wonderful book, before?" Well, Dallas and Alice's Tulips are in that category. In fact, I wish I hadn't read this book yet, so that I could re-live the pleasure of that delightful very first read. I have lent this book to several people, and they have all loved it too. Don't deny yourself, get a copy of this book and read it now!
5.0 out of 5 stars
Can't wait to read more books by this author!,
By Tonya Speelman "Hoarder of books" (Goldendale WA) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Alice's Tulips: A Novel (Paperback)
I loved this book! Wasn't sure about the format in the beginning but wow.. the book just took off! I loved and cheered for Alice. What do you know Sandra Dallas is from Colorado!! My hometown. I loved how much time she was able to cover using the letter format. I can't give this book enough praise! Def a book to be read and passed on!!!
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