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Sunfire #23
Heather
She is brave enough for life in the new world - but is she brave enough for love? Two men love her - but one of them might be plotting to kill her.
Formal balls and hired thugs, excitement and danger and love are all part of life in New York in 1665. And 16-year-old Heather Lawson is part of it, too. She and her father have settled on Willow Acres, a land grant along the Hudson River from King Charles of England.
But someone doesn't want them there. Is it their mysterious neighbor, Lord Downing, whose handsome, arrogant son Michael is painting Heather's portrait? Is it laughing, blond Jan Van Ryswyk, a Dutch riverboatman who says he loves Heather and wants to marry her?
On the night Lord Downing holds a formal ball, Willow Acres' crops are destroyed by fire. All the evidence seems to point to Jan and the Dutch, but Heather is not so sure. If she is wrong, it could cost her the one she loves. If she is right, it could cost her her life!
Formal balls and hired thugs, excitement and danger and love are all part of life in New York in 1665. And 16-year-old Heather Lawson is part of it, too. She and her father have settled on Willow Acres, a land grant along the Hudson River from King Charles of England.
But someone doesn't want them there. Is it their mysterious neighbor, Lord Downing, whose handsome, arrogant son Michael is painting Heather's portrait? Is it laughing, blond Jan Van Ryswyk, a Dutch riverboatman who says he loves Heather and wants to marry her?
On the night Lord Downing holds a formal ball, Willow Acres' crops are destroyed by fire. All the evidence seems to point to Jan and the Dutch, but Heather is not so sure. If she is wrong, it could cost her the one she loves. If she is right, it could cost her her life!
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First published April 1, 1987
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
July 29, 2008
(See my review of Amanda for my general thoughts on the series as a whole.)
As soon as I picked up this book during the Sunfire Re-Read, I remembered my history with it. This is the only Sunfire that I started and didn't finish. In fact, I gave it back to my friend the next day, and said, "no thanks, this one's boring."
I still found it fairly boring during the re-read, and I also found myself wanting to fling it against a wall.
How many Schurfranz books start off with the heroine taking an unauthorized swim in a river in order to demonstrate her feisty rebelliousness? Heather is at least the *third.* Unfortunately, Heather Lawson doesn't drown, but instead saves an Indian boy from drowning, only to need saving herself by a handsome Dutch sailor, Jan van Ryswyk, and they visit the Indians, who hail Heather as the most greatest thing on the face of the earth, and also the most beautiful. End Chapter One. Begin Danielle flashbacks.
Then Heather flounces back home to find her father in a tense discussion with their neighbor, Lord Downing, who claims that the Lawsons have no right to their land, and that it really belongs to the Downings. His body language and expressions all scream "slimy snake," so we know he's lying.
So there's a land dispute, and Heather is confined to the house due to threats against the Lawsons, but she rides off anyway to meet Jan, and gets attacked by thugs, at whom she waves pistols. Heather's father hates the Dutch. (It's 1665, and New Amsterdam has just become New York.) She can't see Jan anymore.
And at some point, Heather meets Lord Downing's son, Michael, an artist who paints her portrait and tells her she's beautiful a whole lot. Then Heather's dad randomly decides Lord Downing is a nice guy after all! Gee, Heather ought to marry Michael and forget that Dutch guy!
Then someone sets the Lawsons' crops afire, and there is much kidnapping of people, and Heather acting recklessly and stupidly, and even some rescuing of Dutch guys and cats from the bowels of prison ships. (HOW did they JUMP from a SHIP into a RIVER and swim for shore with a CAT?)
And then all of a sudden, Jan wants Heather to stay at home and be a traditional wife and mother, even though *nothing in his character up until this point* hinted that he felt this way about women? So the Dutch guy is bad after all! Heather ought to run off and marry Michael, who *gave up his art for her* after his father threatened him with not being able to see Heather again! Because *everyone* would give up their vocation for the specialness that is Heather!
I honestly didn't think *either* guy was all that fantastic or compelling, and their respective affections for Heather develop overnight and come off as very superficial. The ultimate union with Michael is ... oh, did that happen? I guess it had to happen for the book to end. Huh.
I guess Schurfranz tries to make this one exciting (and there actually *is* a plot under all of the crap... I think?) but I can't get over... well, Heather. Schurfranz spends half the novel trying to convince us she's oh-so-special and beautiful and inspiring to people, when she's fairly full of lifeless cliche. Thankfully there are no random celebrity appearances, but there is plenty to be had of another fatal Schurfranz flaw. Yes, Heather's hair is black like the raven, and her eyes are blue like the sky, and her cheeks are rosy like one who has the consumption. And her boyfriends *will* remind you. A lot.
Also, I only read this three days ago and I can already barely remember it. So it really must be boring.
Verdict: Unless you like cliched claptrap, this one is only for the most diehard of collectors. Eurgh.
As soon as I picked up this book during the Sunfire Re-Read, I remembered my history with it. This is the only Sunfire that I started and didn't finish. In fact, I gave it back to my friend the next day, and said, "no thanks, this one's boring."
I still found it fairly boring during the re-read, and I also found myself wanting to fling it against a wall.
How many Schurfranz books start off with the heroine taking an unauthorized swim in a river in order to demonstrate her feisty rebelliousness? Heather is at least the *third.* Unfortunately, Heather Lawson doesn't drown, but instead saves an Indian boy from drowning, only to need saving herself by a handsome Dutch sailor, Jan van Ryswyk, and they visit the Indians, who hail Heather as the most greatest thing on the face of the earth, and also the most beautiful. End Chapter One. Begin Danielle flashbacks.
Then Heather flounces back home to find her father in a tense discussion with their neighbor, Lord Downing, who claims that the Lawsons have no right to their land, and that it really belongs to the Downings. His body language and expressions all scream "slimy snake," so we know he's lying.
So there's a land dispute, and Heather is confined to the house due to threats against the Lawsons, but she rides off anyway to meet Jan, and gets attacked by thugs, at whom she waves pistols. Heather's father hates the Dutch. (It's 1665, and New Amsterdam has just become New York.) She can't see Jan anymore.
And at some point, Heather meets Lord Downing's son, Michael, an artist who paints her portrait and tells her she's beautiful a whole lot. Then Heather's dad randomly decides Lord Downing is a nice guy after all! Gee, Heather ought to marry Michael and forget that Dutch guy!
Then someone sets the Lawsons' crops afire, and there is much kidnapping of people, and Heather acting recklessly and stupidly, and even some rescuing of Dutch guys and cats from the bowels of prison ships. (HOW did they JUMP from a SHIP into a RIVER and swim for shore with a CAT?)
And then all of a sudden, Jan wants Heather to stay at home and be a traditional wife and mother, even though *nothing in his character up until this point* hinted that he felt this way about women? So the Dutch guy is bad after all! Heather ought to run off and marry Michael, who *gave up his art for her* after his father threatened him with not being able to see Heather again! Because *everyone* would give up their vocation for the specialness that is Heather!
I honestly didn't think *either* guy was all that fantastic or compelling, and their respective affections for Heather develop overnight and come off as very superficial. The ultimate union with Michael is ... oh, did that happen? I guess it had to happen for the book to end. Huh.
I guess Schurfranz tries to make this one exciting (and there actually *is* a plot under all of the crap... I think?) but I can't get over... well, Heather. Schurfranz spends half the novel trying to convince us she's oh-so-special and beautiful and inspiring to people, when she's fairly full of lifeless cliche. Thankfully there are no random celebrity appearances, but there is plenty to be had of another fatal Schurfranz flaw. Yes, Heather's hair is black like the raven, and her eyes are blue like the sky, and her cheeks are rosy like one who has the consumption. And her boyfriends *will* remind you. A lot.
Also, I only read this three days ago and I can already barely remember it. So it really must be boring.
Verdict: Unless you like cliched claptrap, this one is only for the most diehard of collectors. Eurgh.
August 31, 2014
Not looking forward to this one.
And it turns out I was dreading it for a good reason. Amazingly, it was boring *and* annoying.
We open with our feisty heroine swimming in the river. Because... well, because she's a Schurfranz heroine, of course (She also rides! And shoots!) We're treated to an example of Heather's feistiness when she (tries) to save a young Native boy from drowning. There's just one problem. Heather sucks at rescuing people and soon both of them are half-drowned. Enter Suitor #1, Dutchman Jan, who saves them both. Soon we have the appearance of Suitor #2, the son of the eeeeevil Lord Downing, Michael. Heather is independent and feisty (and TSTL) many, many times. And do you know that Heather has emerald green eyes and raven black hair? Don't worry Jan and Michael will remind you of it over, and over, and over again!
So, who does Heather end up with? All I'll say is that one of our lovely suitors expects independent, feisty Heather to be a housewife (like there were many other choices for pre-Revolutionary War women) and one gives up his passion to be with her. Stupid ending. Stupid Heather. Stupid book. This one just made me mad.
May actually be worse than the truly horrid "Danielle".
And it turns out I was dreading it for a good reason. Amazingly, it was boring *and* annoying.
We open with our feisty heroine swimming in the river. Because... well, because she's a Schurfranz heroine, of course (She also rides! And shoots!) We're treated to an example of Heather's feistiness when she (tries) to save a young Native boy from drowning. There's just one problem. Heather sucks at rescuing people and soon both of them are half-drowned. Enter Suitor #1, Dutchman Jan, who saves them both. Soon we have the appearance of Suitor #2, the son of the eeeeevil Lord Downing, Michael. Heather is independent and feisty (and TSTL) many, many times. And do you know that Heather has emerald green eyes and raven black hair? Don't worry Jan and Michael will remind you of it over, and over, and over again!
So, who does Heather end up with? All I'll say is that one of our lovely suitors expects independent, feisty Heather to be a housewife (like there were many other choices for pre-Revolutionary War women) and one gives up his passion to be with her. Stupid ending. Stupid Heather. Stupid book. This one just made me mad.
May actually be worse than the truly horrid "Danielle".
December 1, 2021
Spoiler Alert: Michael has gray eyes.
Also, how many young women were named Heather in 1666? I am going to go with none. Instead, let's name her something more era appropriate: Pleasance, Phyllis, Prudence, Hester. Probably wouldn't have appealed to the tween in 1987 when this book came out.
Also, how many young women were named Heather in 1666? I am going to go with none. Instead, let's name her something more era appropriate: Pleasance, Phyllis, Prudence, Hester. Probably wouldn't have appealed to the tween in 1987 when this book came out.
August 9, 2012
I haven't read all the books in the SUNFIRE series, but I really think this one is the best.
The first thing that grabbed me was the cover. All SUNFIRES have a pretty girl in the front and two cute guys standing in the back, but Heather really jumps off the cover! She looks so alluring and vibrant, carefree and confident, and when the story begins she really lives up to that image.
I loved the way the two boys were so totally symbolic of their clashing communities. Michael, the English lordling, was such a high-strung, nervous, commanding and yet really helpless figure. I loved how his father wouldn't let him continue his painting and tried to own him like an animal! It's nice how Heather has to protect him instead of the other way around. She's so strong!
Jan the Dutch boy on the other hand, was so warm, rugged, and down to earth. I just loved how his whole family was portrayed as taking to Heather right away -- even though she's English and New York has just been stolen from them by English people.
None of these SUNFIRE books are great literature, but this was a fun read. And of course I grew up in upstate New York, not far from where this history played out, so I really enjoyed it!
The first thing that grabbed me was the cover. All SUNFIRES have a pretty girl in the front and two cute guys standing in the back, but Heather really jumps off the cover! She looks so alluring and vibrant, carefree and confident, and when the story begins she really lives up to that image.
I loved the way the two boys were so totally symbolic of their clashing communities. Michael, the English lordling, was such a high-strung, nervous, commanding and yet really helpless figure. I loved how his father wouldn't let him continue his painting and tried to own him like an animal! It's nice how Heather has to protect him instead of the other way around. She's so strong!
Jan the Dutch boy on the other hand, was so warm, rugged, and down to earth. I just loved how his whole family was portrayed as taking to Heather right away -- even though she's English and New York has just been stolen from them by English people.
None of these SUNFIRE books are great literature, but this was a fun read. And of course I grew up in upstate New York, not far from where this history played out, so I really enjoyed it!
October 26, 2010
I was surprised at the ending of this book; I was not expecting the Heather to make the choice she made. I also have a hard time thinking that the people in this book would be so stupid...they believed that Dutch people burned their crops just because they saw a Dutch boat, and people in Dutch clothes, that just isn't realistic. Also, I don't think that Heather's Father would have been so naive to think that the neighbor who is trying to steal their land could be his friend. I am happy with Heather's choice, but there were parts of this book that bothered me. I also didn't think it was ladylike to swim...was that a historical discrepancy?
October 19, 2015
Waxing Nostalgic #13- I don't love the way Schurfranz paints her heroines to be fickle. They kiss the boy, feel that he is taking liberties so they get mad, then he is sweet and hugs her and she forgives him. I do not love the message that she is telling young impressionable girls. She is my least favorite author of this series and unfortunately, she has more books than the other authors. I did not feel that the boy of choice was very obvious in this one though so that was good. The land of New York sounded beautiful and it was interesting to read about the land deals that started there.
April 23, 2009
What the hell? Seriously. What. The. Hell?! I can't even begin to guess where the end of this book came from. Not that the beginning or middle were all that great, either, but at least they might make sense with a little creative filling-in-the-blanks. But the end? Nope. There were so many things wrong with the end that to enumerate them would just make me angrier. What a complete waste of time....
July 12, 2011
I read some of these books as a teenager and loved them. Reading it now I think it is more of a teenager book. I thought it was pretty cheesey now but its a good book for a teenager that wants a clean romantic book with a little history thrown in.
December 20, 2013
I read this as a teenager and then reread it when I pulled it out for my daughter. It is so funny to see how writing styles have changed over the years. Decent story that keeps you guessing about the love triangle.
July 8, 2016
Two and a half stars, the plot is pretty generic but I did enjoy the occasional burst of Historical content
March 29, 2023
B. fiction, historical fiction, YA; New York, early colonial; from stash, keep
December 23, 2023
2.75 the villain gets the girl?
May 17, 2019
*Rereading my way through the Sunfire series, in publication order*
Heather has all the hallmarks of a Vivian Schurfranz Sunfire heroine. Swimming in her underthings to prove how rebellious she is? Check. Riding with a pair of pistols to prove how independent she is? Check. Sneaking out of the house to prove how brave she is? Check. Not even two chapters in and I knew Heather was going to be insufferable. And she proved herself to be.
It's 1665 and Heather and her father live on Willow Acres, an estate along the Hudson River. Heather meets Jan--a fun-loving Dutchman, who her bigoted father hates on sight--when she unsuccessfully attempts to rescue a Native American boy swept away by the river. She also meets Michael Downing, a wealthy, arrogant Englishman on the neighboring estate, whose father schemes to take Willow Acres away. Heather is smitten by Jan, but intrigued by Michael, who hides his art hobby and collection from his father but insists on painting Heather. Because an invitation to his secret art cave isn't creepy at all. There's a Downing-family plot to set fire to Willow Acres and blame it on the Dutch, who Heather's dad already hates, but, thanks to Heather and Jan, the plot is foiled, leading to her dad grudgingly giving his blessing. Heather joyfully goes off with Jan...only to realize that he intends to darn his socks and make his porridge like a good Dutch housewife. Heather--who clearly had plans for...what? A career?--is horrified and, in the last few pages, runs into the arms of Plan B...I mean, Michael...who we are told is the one she really loved all along.
Annoying heroine and sketchy plot aside, HEATHER wasn't even good as romance. Take a pass on this one.
Heather has all the hallmarks of a Vivian Schurfranz Sunfire heroine. Swimming in her underthings to prove how rebellious she is? Check. Riding with a pair of pistols to prove how independent she is? Check. Sneaking out of the house to prove how brave she is? Check. Not even two chapters in and I knew Heather was going to be insufferable. And she proved herself to be.
It's 1665 and Heather and her father live on Willow Acres, an estate along the Hudson River. Heather meets Jan--a fun-loving Dutchman, who her bigoted father hates on sight--when she unsuccessfully attempts to rescue a Native American boy swept away by the river. She also meets Michael Downing, a wealthy, arrogant Englishman on the neighboring estate, whose father schemes to take Willow Acres away. Heather is smitten by Jan, but intrigued by Michael, who hides his art hobby and collection from his father but insists on painting Heather. Because an invitation to his secret art cave isn't creepy at all. There's a Downing-family plot to set fire to Willow Acres and blame it on the Dutch, who Heather's dad already hates, but, thanks to Heather and Jan, the plot is foiled, leading to her dad grudgingly giving his blessing. Heather joyfully goes off with Jan...only to realize that he intends to darn his socks and make his porridge like a good Dutch housewife. Heather--who clearly had plans for...what? A career?--is horrified and, in the last few pages, runs into the arms of Plan B...I mean, Michael...who we are told is the one she really loved all along.
Annoying heroine and sketchy plot aside, HEATHER wasn't even good as romance. Take a pass on this one.
January 27, 2024
Heather would have been better off not choosing either man and instead focusing on cultivating her newfound female friendship. One of the men was okay, with attitudes common for the time. The other man was completely toxic. Possessive of her practically from the start, and clearly did not have her welfare in mind.
July 3, 2017
I originally read this series back in the 80s, checking them out from my elementary school library. Having re-read them as an adult I think they stand the test of time and are still relevant as far as historical fiction is concerned.
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews