The interlacing of individual lives in day to day life appear to be random and without special purpose until those lives are viewed in retrospect. Several collections of personal letters and journals (circa !860-1910)confirmed that premise to inspire Divine Compass. In this condensed saga, the characters are neither good nor bad but merely human as they negotiate their circumstances within the limits of inherent strengths and weaknesses. During the aftermath of the American Civil War, many were lured to the western territories in search of independence and prosperity. A diverse mix of persons crossed paths to form connections that ultimately affected their lives. The tale explores family influence, personal ambition, luck and disilllusionment with dedicated accuracy of the era's language and attitudes.The final outcome balances gratitude and regret in the inevitable compromise of each life.
After the funeral, Hattie pondered the irony of fate that had required her father to linger so many weeks in a sickbed. He had presumed to be the type to drop in his tracks, expiring hastily but it was his cherished spouse who passed in that manner a decade before.
Delphin1a had bid him a sweet good night, climbed the stairs to the first landing where she sat down and crumpled against the wall without a murmur, forever spared the anguish she expected in widowhood.
Apparently, there was purpose in the slow crossing of Effriam Linderhol for it accomplished the reunion of his granddaughter with her father, inadvertently through the very one who had wedged them apart. The justice of it did not escape Hattie's notice. However, to imply that Effriam bore sole responsibility for all those years of separation was not entirely true, as Hattie had come to acknowledge in the years since. In retrospect, she knew herself to be just as guilty.
Excerpt
" In any telling of us and what was done in the past ain't easy. We all want to look like we done the right thing. All I can say is when you'rereal young and all alone, ain't but little time spent on what's right and what's wrong, you just do what will make it better for you quick as possible."
Professional Reviews
GHS Readers Group
A good read with memorable characters speaking in true voices. The tale moves swiftlt without sacrifice of description or character details.The reader is left with an empathy and understanding of the characters as real persons.Most profound is the authors ability to accurately portray male and female speech, attitudes and behavior in keeping with their time and place.
Snowbirds Literary Club
Divine Compass is a fascinating tale of diverse lives connected in surprising ways but even more engaging is the substance of the characters. The novel lives up to its title, leaving the reader to wonder about coincidence and destiny. This comfortable read appeals to readers of both genders.
A delightfully rare Historical Novel. 85% a biography of a spy, musician, mother and her neice trapped behind German lines in World War I. This background led to a diplomatic post in World War II. Aged 92, Vera disclosed her past life one year before
