Tag: blizzard

What’s Ashley Reading?: A Murder at Balmoral

A Murder at Balmoral by Chris McGeorge

First line: Whenever one desires the attention of those beyond a door, one cannot go wrong with three sharp knocks.

Summary: The royal family of England have gathered at their home of Balmoral in Scotland for a family Christmas. The staff have been dismissed for the day except for the chef and the head of security. The day starts as any other with the chef, Jonathan, delivering breakfast to the king. However, a blizzard is moving into the Balmoral estate as the king welcomes his family with a traditional Christmas speech. But as he takes the first drink of whiskey, he suddenly drops dead. Someone has killed the king and it appears to be a member of the royal family. Jonathan is given the task of trying to deduce who could have poisoned the monarch and do it before anyone else ends up dead!

My Thoughts: I don’t normally pick up something like this. Cozy Christmas mysteries are not what I gravitate towards but I liked the cover and the plot sounded interesting. Plus I wanted something a little different for the last month of the year. I am glad I gave this a chance. It was quick, fun and perfect for the holiday season.

I liked that the royal family is a fictionalized one based on the idea that Edward VIII did not abdicate and married as the government wanted. These are his descendants. I enjoyed the story with its little twists and secrets. Each member of the family has something they are hiding or having held against them. Life is not perfect, nor is this family.

Nothing in the book was incredibly shocking but it was a cozy little read that kept me interested. I cannot say that I liked many of the royal family but that was probably intentional. The main character was the only one who had more of a backstory than anyone but he still felt a little flat. But rather than letting this bother me I just enjoyed the story and feeling of a Christmas murder mystery. The only thing that would have made this more enjoyable would have been a cold and wintery day to read it on.

What’s Ashley Reading?: The Children’s Blizzard

The Children’s Blizzard by Melanie Benjamin

First line: The air was on fire.

Summary: On January 12, 1888 a blizzard swept across the Plains so suddenly it caught many settlers unawares. Over 200 people died during and as a result of the storm but a majority of them were children, which gave this storm its name, The Children’s Blizzard.

Young schoolteachers, Gerda and Raina, were teaching in their one room schoolhouses when the storm appeared. Unsure what to do with the frightened children they had to make a decision, stay in the cold building or brave the storm to find their ways home. The decisions of these young women lead to consequences they never even imagined.

My Thoughts: This book was more intense than I was ready for. I felt the tension and fear of the settlers as the storm swept over them. We are lucky to have weather forecasts that gives us some warning on what is coming. These people had nothing. And the amount of snow, temperatures and the white out conditions are terrifying.

I loved the different viewpoints that gave a look at the storm from several angles such as a young girl in the storm, the teachers, a newspaper man and a father who braved the storm to rescue his children. I cannot imagine the choices that these young girls had to make and the fear they would have felt. What sixteen year old with very little schooling could make a decision this big? That is a lot of pressure. Then the author spent time after the storm to see the aftermath on the land and the people. Many lives were lost due to carelessness or bad luck. People died just feet from their homes because they could not see where they were going through the snow.

From the Omaha Daily Bee on January 13, 1888.

After finishing the novel I visited www.newspapers.com, a library database with historical newspapers from all over the country. My ancestors spent years living on the Nebraska prairie. I wondered if there was any coverage of the storm near their hometown. I found nothing directly connected to them or their town but I read numerous stories in other papers that told the story of this tragic event.

FYI: The aftermath can be harsh for some readers especially hearing about the frostbite and amputations.