Amazon Barnes & Noble Category:  Historical Fiction Publisher: Samhain Publishing ISBN-10:  1599982625 Type: Fiction Copyright: 2006 My Victorian historical mainstream, Kitty McKenzie is set in the beautiful city York, Yorkshire England, 1864. Suddenly left as the head of the family, Kitty McKenzie must find her inner strength to keep her family together against the odds. Evicted from their resplendent home in the fashionable part of York after her parents' deaths, Kitty must fight the legacy of bankruptcy and homelessness to secure a home for her and her siblings. Through sheer willpower and determination she grabs opportunities with both hands from working on a clothes and rag stall in the market to creating a teashop for the wealthy. Her road to happiness is fraught with obstacles of hardship and despair, but she refuses to let her dream of a better life for her family die. She soon learns that love and loyalty brings its own reward.

A Heartwarming Story
Kitty McKenzie is a delightful, heartwarming story which begins in the year 1864. Kitty, as well as her brothers and sisters are left penniless and homeless when their parents die. The family situation, going from servants and large house to hunger and fending for themselves is poignantly portrayed by the author as Kitty takes on the responsibility of caring for all. York, England is the locale--the poor area which is where Kitty and her siblings must now live. *** How Kitty manages to survive, keeping her family together, being parent and breadwinner engages the reader from the beginning. The author’s knowledge of the era and her skill with words made me feel their cold, hunger, and disgust at their surroundings. I kept thinking about Dickens. ***What I liked most about the story was Kitty’s spirit, how she chose to improve her situation, time and time again, instead of whining and crying against fate. She also reacted realistically to events, family disappointments, love and tragedy. *** Anne Whitfield has written a very good story, one I highly recommend. I look forward to the sequel, Kitty McKenzie’s Land.