Ashes on the Moor by Sarah M. Eden ~ Review

Lucie's Review:

After the death of the rest of their family, sisters Evangeline and Lucy are torn apart, Lucy is sent to a boarding school, while Evangeline is to be the new teacher in Smeatly, Yorkshire, a small factory town.

Dermot McCormick is a brick mason overseeing a crew for the Bartons, and not an errand boy, but his is given the task of escorting her to and from the schoolhouse, and showing her what's what in town.

Evangeline is determined to prove herself, and get her sister back, but she has a daunting task ahead of her, with the schoolhouse in disrepair, she has never taught before, nor cooked, or lived alone, and she has no money as her grandfather controls her funds. Evangeline strikes a deal with Dermot, he will teach her to cook and she will tutor his son. Evangeline is very clever and cares for the children, she works to find ways to overcomes the barriers of language and learning levels. She is a natural mentor, and encourages the children to follow their dreams.

Ronan is a special boy who reminds her of her own brother, he is quietly withdrawn, he doesn't like strangers, change, and his senses can be overwhelmed. He is very clever, and warms up when he trusts someone.

Dermot is a good man with a great work ethic, he expects his men to work as hard as he does, he a fantastic father and loves his son so much.

Overall I really liked this story and how the characters grew over the course of the book. I especially like Ronan, as it isn't often in historical fiction that you see characters who learn differently. There is great interaction between Evangeline and Dermot, they both help each other and make the other a more well-rounded person. Fantastic read from beginning to end!


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