Category: Historical Fiction Publisher: American Book Publishing
ISBN-10: 158982427X
Type: Fiction
Pages: 256
Copyright: 2008
ISBN-13: 9781589824270
Nicolina is a young girl raised in a too large family in the Southern Missouri border town of Neelyville. She has to start grown up life at the tender age of thirteen when forced to marry an abusive man she despises. Thoughout her life she sees images of a dark-haired, man-boy with the most beautiful clear blue eyes she has ever seen. This vision saves her from many tragic incidents that plague her throughout her travels.
Nicolina is forced by a mother who is set on emptying the nest of all the female offspring of a family that is overflowing the tiny ramshackle house that they are forced to live in. The boys are allowed to stay home much longer as they are needed to help their father on the farm.
Nicolina is forced to marry the dispicable Jack Swaney, who wants a slave and not a wife. Jack takes Nicolina away from the only home she has ever known and moves her to the busseling city of 1939 St. Louis, Missouri. Though all her trials and tribulations, Nicolina see visions of a young man who seems to appear and disappear when she is in need someone to help her.
As her live seems to go from bad to worse, she finally breaks away to start a new life of her own and she is soon able to return to Missouri and Arkansas in search of her lost family.
Excerpt
The pain in Nicky's arm cloaked her mind in a foggy haze that lifted and cleared slowly as the pain ebbed away. She looked around the hospital room and wondered how long she had been asleep. Some of the children had been here beside her bed a few minutes ago--or was it hours. Then she had remembered that her doctor had been there too. What was it he had said? Her head began to ache and she strained to remember.
Professional Reviews
Nicolina--review by The Megaphone Magazine
This beautifully crafted tale vividly portrays southern life for a young girl in the 1930s and beyond...Sandra E. Graham's talent for storytelling makes writing look deceptively simple as she weaves together the threads of Nicolina's life and times in this novel. Certainly a book to curl up with on a cold fall evening. By he end of it, Nicolina feels like she's a part of your family...such is the place where she carves a niche in the reader's mind and heart.
Nicolina--review by author Christine Cordaire
A wonderful, well-written story of real people who come alive to live in your memory and heart.
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