Book Review: "A Lady of High Regard" by Tracie Peterson

Girl Power - 1800s style

Mia Stanley comes from an upper class society who would greatly look down upon her greatest ambition. Mia writes for Godey's Lady Book, focusing on issues that many women would avoid. She's now turned her attentions on the plight of the sea men's wives down by the docks. What she finds there horrifies her and makes her more determined to tell the world. However, Mia also finds that with her social standing comes responsibility to marry. She worries that the man she loves, her best friend Garrett might love someone else. Will her passion for saving lives overpower her yearning for love?

I had always thought that Godey's Lady Book was just a fashion magazine, a precursor to Vogue. At least that's how it was always portrayed in Little House on the Prairie, with talks about hoop skirts and corsets. This book, however, portrayed it as a precursor to women's lib, giving women the opportunity to showcase their talents and try to make a mark in the world. I thought the storyline was well written. You don't read a lot about issues and circumstances that the sea men's wives faced in Christian fiction. They were horrifying to read and worse to know that people would actually do nothing because they didn't want to mix with the different classes. Lower class women were powerless in that time period and severly taken advantage of. Mia was very strong in her beliefs about getting the word out but at the same time respected her parents wishes and obeyed them. I found this much more satisfying to read than her completely rebelling or giving up everything. The relationship between Mia and Garrett reminded me about Jane Austen's Emma, with the best friends being in love but not realizing it and the matchmaking. I did like their relationship, although at some points I was like "AHHHHHHH, just tell her!!" Even though the story is set in Philadelphia, I kept picturing the setting as being in England. Maybe it's because I'm in a regency mood and the cover through me off. Either way I really enjoyed this story with an excellent heroine. Looking forward to more books in the series! Tracie Peterson has written another winner!

A Lady of High Regard by Tracie Peterson is published by Bethany House (2007)