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Corrigans' Pool
ELLA CORRIGAN'S despair at being jilted pales in light of what follows after she makes the hasty decision to marry a man she has long avoided. Unaware that a friend's secret act of jealousy is responsible for her bitter heartache, she enters an existence never imagined during sweeter days as Mistress of her father's Savannah River plantation - where a mystery is building around the family's phenomenal natural spring, Corrigans' Pool. . . . The South is embroiled in a bloody Civil War by the time Ella discovers that Corrigans' Pool, on her family's property, is much more than the exquisite pond she had thought it to be all her life, but by the time she learns its dangerous secret, she is trapped by a secret of her own, blackmailed, and powerless against one man's unspeakable evil. Haunted by the threat of scandal, she struggles against the horrors of her new existence, an existence she must keep private even from the very people who could help her. Her life comes full circle when the past she has long blamed for her wretchedness steps unexpectedly out of the darkness to face her . . . FIVE STAR FOREWORD CLARION REVIEW (EXCERPT): Ryan's storytelling ability and masterful use of setting, dialogue, and characterization, adds up to an exquisite piece of historical fiction. Corrigans' Pool manages to blend romance, mystery, humor, and tragedy with flawless precision. The romance is moving but subtle, the mystery is suspenseful, and the story flows smoothly to a dramatic and satisfying conclusion. Readers are sure to be enthralled with this exceptional novel. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED
- GenresCivil War
436 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 24, 2009
3 people are currently reading
18 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
January 27, 2010
Title: Corrigans Pool
Author: Dot Ryan
Genre: Historical Fiction
Challenges: 101 Books in 1001 Days Challenge, Book Around the States Challenge, Winter Holiday Reading Challenge #2, Monthly Mixer Mele, Four Month Challenge Part 2, Read and Review Challenge 2010, Read Your Own Books 2010, TBR Challenge 2010, Reading From My Shelves Project 2010, 100 + Reading Challenge, Pages Read 2010, American Civil War Challenge,
Rating: 3/5
No. of Pages: 424
Published: April 24th 2009
Back Cover: Ella Corrigan has the weight of four generations laid solely on her shoulders. After her mother's accident, her father drifted to alcohol, leaving Ella to manage Greenpoole. She runs the plantation efficiently and treats her slaves with dignity. But marriage, expected for a belle of her standing, eludes her.
When Gentry Garland rides into Savannah from Texas, Ella's life brightens. Despite a contentiuus start, he and Ella fall in love. When Gentry exits her life as abruptly as he had entered it, Ella, brokenhearted, and with feelings of shame for having loved him, hastily marries Victor Faircloth-a man whose proposals she has long avoided.
At Faircloth's plantation, Ella witnesses depravities of the human spirit that stun her. Her own gentle family has owned slaves for generations but now she questions that institution for the first time, feeling a strange kinship with Victor's empty-eyed servants who are beginning to escape his cruelty one by one. Thrust upon her heart is the knowledge of how they disappear without a trace . . . when the mystery of Corrigan's Pool on her family's neighboring property is finally revealed.
Struggling against her husband's dictates and blackmail, worsened by bitter memories of Gentry Garland, Ella must bargain not only for her own survival but that of her family and the slaves she has come to pity. As Sherman's Union troops burn their way across Georgia and swarm onto her property and then into Savannah, Ella musters strength that she believed she no longer possessed. Can she save herself and those who depend on her? What will she do when the past she has long blamed for her wretchedness steps unexpectedly out of the darkness to face her?
Mine: I had never heard of the book or author, so was intrigued to read this book. It was a little slow to start and did drag some during the middle. I did like the fact that Ella tried to treat everyone with respect. It’s story that takes place during Civil War time and after. The story is about what love and family can really mean.
I believe this might be a good book for a book group to read, since there is a lot to discuss about the period of time and the tragedies of war and how it affect all involve (slaves, plantation owners). The romance is wonderful and strongly written.
In the end this was a wonderful book to have gotten and read. Thank you to Pump It Up
Author: Dot Ryan
Genre: Historical Fiction
Challenges: 101 Books in 1001 Days Challenge, Book Around the States Challenge, Winter Holiday Reading Challenge #2, Monthly Mixer Mele, Four Month Challenge Part 2, Read and Review Challenge 2010, Read Your Own Books 2010, TBR Challenge 2010, Reading From My Shelves Project 2010, 100 + Reading Challenge, Pages Read 2010, American Civil War Challenge,
Rating: 3/5
No. of Pages: 424
Published: April 24th 2009
Back Cover: Ella Corrigan has the weight of four generations laid solely on her shoulders. After her mother's accident, her father drifted to alcohol, leaving Ella to manage Greenpoole. She runs the plantation efficiently and treats her slaves with dignity. But marriage, expected for a belle of her standing, eludes her.
When Gentry Garland rides into Savannah from Texas, Ella's life brightens. Despite a contentiuus start, he and Ella fall in love. When Gentry exits her life as abruptly as he had entered it, Ella, brokenhearted, and with feelings of shame for having loved him, hastily marries Victor Faircloth-a man whose proposals she has long avoided.
At Faircloth's plantation, Ella witnesses depravities of the human spirit that stun her. Her own gentle family has owned slaves for generations but now she questions that institution for the first time, feeling a strange kinship with Victor's empty-eyed servants who are beginning to escape his cruelty one by one. Thrust upon her heart is the knowledge of how they disappear without a trace . . . when the mystery of Corrigan's Pool on her family's neighboring property is finally revealed.
Struggling against her husband's dictates and blackmail, worsened by bitter memories of Gentry Garland, Ella must bargain not only for her own survival but that of her family and the slaves she has come to pity. As Sherman's Union troops burn their way across Georgia and swarm onto her property and then into Savannah, Ella musters strength that she believed she no longer possessed. Can she save herself and those who depend on her? What will she do when the past she has long blamed for her wretchedness steps unexpectedly out of the darkness to face her?
Mine: I had never heard of the book or author, so was intrigued to read this book. It was a little slow to start and did drag some during the middle. I did like the fact that Ella tried to treat everyone with respect. It’s story that takes place during Civil War time and after. The story is about what love and family can really mean.
I believe this might be a good book for a book group to read, since there is a lot to discuss about the period of time and the tragedies of war and how it affect all involve (slaves, plantation owners). The romance is wonderful and strongly written.
In the end this was a wonderful book to have gotten and read. Thank you to Pump It Up
Want to read
February 15, 2016430p ELLA CORRIGAN'S despair at being jilted pales in light of what follows after she makes the hasty decision to marry a man she has long avoided. Unaware that a friend's secret act of jealousy is responsible for her bitter heartache, she enters an existence never imagined during sweeter days as Mistress of her father's Savannah River plantation - where a mystery is building around the family's phenomenal natural spring, Corrigans' Pool. . . . The South is embroiled in a bloody Civil War by the time Ella discovers that Corrigans' Pool, on her family's property, is much more than the exquisite pond she had thought it to be all her life, but by the time she learns its dangerous secret, she is trapped by a secret of her own, blackmailed, and powerless against one man's unspeakable evil. Haunted by the threat of scandal, she struggles against the horrors of her new existence, an existence she must keep private even from the very people who could help her. Her life comes full circle when the past she has long blamed for her wretchedness steps unexpectedly out of the darkness to face her . . . FIVE STAR FOREWORD CLARION
January 13, 2010
An absolute must-read. I do not know what took me so long to find this book, I am just glad I did.
January 10, 2012
An absolute must read! I am pleased to have found this author. Corrigan's Pool will transport the reader to 1800s Georgia as the Civil War is viewed through non-military eyes.
January 13, 2010
The synopsis on the back of Corrigan's Pool is brilliantly written and hooked me right away. Could the novel live up to its promise, I wondered? I had to find out. I'm a native Virginian, also known as a Southerner, and have a natural interest in tales of the Old South. This historical novel, set in Savannah, Georgia during the years 1861 - 1864 promised to be as vivid and entertaining as Gone With The Wind. Who could resist?
Some might say that it's too familiar, stories of the Old South filled with beautiful plantations, idle rich supported by slaves, fancy dresses, and summer romances. What could give such stories new life? What I immediately noticed was the way the story flowed smoothly, the attention to telling details in both scenery and characterization. Mrs. Ryan drew me into her fictional world quickly, effortlessly, and I had difficulty putting the book down.
The story centers around Ella Corrigan, the eldest daughter of a plantation owner who is overwhelmed with guilt over an accident he believes he caused to his wife. Driven to drink as his wife lies in bed with brain damage, Adam Corrigan leaves Ella to run the plantation and care for her younger sister, Honor. Granted, Ella has help in the form of loyal family slaves but it's a lot of responsibility for a young woman. For the most part, Ella is resigned to her lot, has put aside the usual preoccupations with love and marriage and has shouldered her responsibilities with grace. Ryan creates a fine portrait of her as a young woman who has moved beyond the frivolous life so many of her cohorts are leading. She's strong, brave, kind, and has a mind of her own. As family matters continue to deteriorate and war is immanent, Ella's father suggests she marry Victor Faircloth, an older man, a neighbor who has been trying to win her hand for some time. Mr. Corrigan is hoping that marriage to Faircloth will insure his daughter is taken care of and the plantation retained. Even though Ella does not expect to fall in love and marry, she is adamant that she will not marry for convenience. Besides, she finds something chilling about Faircloth.
Someone should have warned Ella never to say never. Unexpectedly, she has a chance meeting, at the beautiful pond on her property, with a rough looking frontiersman, Gentry Garland. Garland seems the antithesis of everything Ella would want in a man, so she is ashamed by her instant attraction to him and covers it with a strong dislike for him. The handling of the developing relationship between Garland and Ella is well done. When Garland abruptly disappears after pledging his love for Ella, the reader's heart is sure to break with hers.
Ella is not a stagnant character and the loss of her lover compounded by other family issues and war negatively affect her. The beautiful twist is that out of her own pain, Ella, marrying Faircloth in desperation, becomes more observant of pain in the lives of others. In particular, living on Faircloth's plantation, Ella learns why his slaves keep disappearing and how this is connected to the beautiful pond on her own plantation. Much as she regrets the loss of the beautiful life in Savannah pre war, Ella learns to question the foundation of that life. Ella's heartbreak has as reward a growth of her character and a willingness to risk her own safety to help others.
Carefully woven together, in Corrigan's Pool, the reader will find the romance of Ella and Gentry Garland, a tale of Georgians dealing with war on their doorsteps, a mystery involving the beautiful Corrigan's Pond, tales of human vice and treachery, and issues of human slavery. Ryan's attention to historical detail, lyrical flow of words, and understanding of matters of the human heart make this a must read. I've bookmarked her blog: http://www.dotryanbooks.com/ and look forward to her sequel.
Some might say that it's too familiar, stories of the Old South filled with beautiful plantations, idle rich supported by slaves, fancy dresses, and summer romances. What could give such stories new life? What I immediately noticed was the way the story flowed smoothly, the attention to telling details in both scenery and characterization. Mrs. Ryan drew me into her fictional world quickly, effortlessly, and I had difficulty putting the book down.
The story centers around Ella Corrigan, the eldest daughter of a plantation owner who is overwhelmed with guilt over an accident he believes he caused to his wife. Driven to drink as his wife lies in bed with brain damage, Adam Corrigan leaves Ella to run the plantation and care for her younger sister, Honor. Granted, Ella has help in the form of loyal family slaves but it's a lot of responsibility for a young woman. For the most part, Ella is resigned to her lot, has put aside the usual preoccupations with love and marriage and has shouldered her responsibilities with grace. Ryan creates a fine portrait of her as a young woman who has moved beyond the frivolous life so many of her cohorts are leading. She's strong, brave, kind, and has a mind of her own. As family matters continue to deteriorate and war is immanent, Ella's father suggests she marry Victor Faircloth, an older man, a neighbor who has been trying to win her hand for some time. Mr. Corrigan is hoping that marriage to Faircloth will insure his daughter is taken care of and the plantation retained. Even though Ella does not expect to fall in love and marry, she is adamant that she will not marry for convenience. Besides, she finds something chilling about Faircloth.
Someone should have warned Ella never to say never. Unexpectedly, she has a chance meeting, at the beautiful pond on her property, with a rough looking frontiersman, Gentry Garland. Garland seems the antithesis of everything Ella would want in a man, so she is ashamed by her instant attraction to him and covers it with a strong dislike for him. The handling of the developing relationship between Garland and Ella is well done. When Garland abruptly disappears after pledging his love for Ella, the reader's heart is sure to break with hers.
Ella is not a stagnant character and the loss of her lover compounded by other family issues and war negatively affect her. The beautiful twist is that out of her own pain, Ella, marrying Faircloth in desperation, becomes more observant of pain in the lives of others. In particular, living on Faircloth's plantation, Ella learns why his slaves keep disappearing and how this is connected to the beautiful pond on her own plantation. Much as she regrets the loss of the beautiful life in Savannah pre war, Ella learns to question the foundation of that life. Ella's heartbreak has as reward a growth of her character and a willingness to risk her own safety to help others.
Carefully woven together, in Corrigan's Pool, the reader will find the romance of Ella and Gentry Garland, a tale of Georgians dealing with war on their doorsteps, a mystery involving the beautiful Corrigan's Pond, tales of human vice and treachery, and issues of human slavery. Ryan's attention to historical detail, lyrical flow of words, and understanding of matters of the human heart make this a must read. I've bookmarked her blog: http://www.dotryanbooks.com/ and look forward to her sequel.
May 15, 2010
Ella Corrigan has long carried great responsibility. After her mother's horrific accident, her father turned to alcohol, leaving Ella to manage Greenpole, the family's Savannah plantation. While a good and fair mistress, romance has eluded her, and at twenty-four, she is on the verge of becoming a spinster.
When Gentry Garland, with eyes black as night, rides into Savannah from Texas, Ella's life brightens. Ella falls in love with the dashing horse rancher, but is brokenhearted when Gentry disappears without a trace. Chiding herself for her foolishness, Ella hastily marries Victor Faircloth, a man many years her senior, whose proposals she swore she would never accept.
Life at Faircloth plantation is hard on Ella and the many servants who sullenly work for Victor. While Ella's family has owned slaves for generations, for the first time, Ella begins to question the institution that is placed in jeopardy by the growing rumblings of civil war. As Victor's servants began to escape and mysteriously disappear through Corrigans' Pool, his anger rises.
As the years pass, Ella is forced to endure the deep sadness brought on by her hasty decision to marry Victor. Struggling against her husband's dictates and blackmail, and with memories of Gentry still taunting her, the war is just another reason to feel despondent over the future.
When Sherman's Union troops burn their way across Georgia and swarm onto her property, Ella musters her strength in the hopes of saving herself and those who depend on her. But what will she do when the past she has long blamed for her fate steps unexpectedly out of the darkness to face her?
An excellent debut release from Dot Ryan, Corrigans' Pool will leave you breathless and begging for a sequel. Ryan has created a story that perfectly mixes history and romance. The strength of this novel is certainly found in its many captivating characters: Ella, her sister Honor, her grandmother Beatrice Corrigan, Ella's father Adam, Gentry Garland, and the many servants whose names and stories will capture you.
While admittedly it took me a few chapters to be totally immersed in this story, once that happened, I never wanted to stop reading. So involved was I in Ella's story, and those of the people around her, that it took me only a few days to make my way to the final page. That one woman had to deal with so much responsibility, so much heartache, so much pain, made Ella a sympathetic character from the start. But that inner strength in Ella shines through all of it, and once she pulls herself together to do what must be done to save her family, there isn't any stopping her.
The last few chapters were superb, and the ending, out of this world.
According to the biography of Ryan featured on the back cover, she is hard at work on her next two books. I can't wait!
When Gentry Garland, with eyes black as night, rides into Savannah from Texas, Ella's life brightens. Ella falls in love with the dashing horse rancher, but is brokenhearted when Gentry disappears without a trace. Chiding herself for her foolishness, Ella hastily marries Victor Faircloth, a man many years her senior, whose proposals she swore she would never accept.
Life at Faircloth plantation is hard on Ella and the many servants who sullenly work for Victor. While Ella's family has owned slaves for generations, for the first time, Ella begins to question the institution that is placed in jeopardy by the growing rumblings of civil war. As Victor's servants began to escape and mysteriously disappear through Corrigans' Pool, his anger rises.
As the years pass, Ella is forced to endure the deep sadness brought on by her hasty decision to marry Victor. Struggling against her husband's dictates and blackmail, and with memories of Gentry still taunting her, the war is just another reason to feel despondent over the future.
When Sherman's Union troops burn their way across Georgia and swarm onto her property, Ella musters her strength in the hopes of saving herself and those who depend on her. But what will she do when the past she has long blamed for her fate steps unexpectedly out of the darkness to face her?
An excellent debut release from Dot Ryan, Corrigans' Pool will leave you breathless and begging for a sequel. Ryan has created a story that perfectly mixes history and romance. The strength of this novel is certainly found in its many captivating characters: Ella, her sister Honor, her grandmother Beatrice Corrigan, Ella's father Adam, Gentry Garland, and the many servants whose names and stories will capture you.
While admittedly it took me a few chapters to be totally immersed in this story, once that happened, I never wanted to stop reading. So involved was I in Ella's story, and those of the people around her, that it took me only a few days to make my way to the final page. That one woman had to deal with so much responsibility, so much heartache, so much pain, made Ella a sympathetic character from the start. But that inner strength in Ella shines through all of it, and once she pulls herself together to do what must be done to save her family, there isn't any stopping her.
The last few chapters were superb, and the ending, out of this world.
According to the biography of Ryan featured on the back cover, she is hard at work on her next two books. I can't wait!
January 15, 2010
A fourth generation Southern belle manages her family’s plantation while dreaming of marriage that eludes her.
Ella Corrigan has plenty of suitors including Victor Faircloth, her father’s friend and the neighboring plantation owner. Yet, Ella dreams of marrying for love not to expand her family’s holdings.
After her mother suffers a head injury which drives her father to bouts of drunkenness, Ella takes charge of Greenpoole, the family plantation. She manages it well, along with treating their slaves with dignity, caring for her younger sister, and running interference between her father and her grandmother.
Ella has thoughts of being a spinster rather than marry Victor. Then she has an encounter with a stranger on the road from Greenpoole. Thoughts of the stranger plaque Ella until she meets him again. The stranger, Texan Gentry Garland, is a friend of her grandmother. Ella and Gentry have a rough start to their relationship but soon can’t deny they are in love and agree to marry.
One moment all of Ella’s dreams are coming true and the next her world is shattered.
The Civil War breaks out and Gentry suddenly disappears without a word. Ella is devastated and shamed she gave herself to Gentry.
To everyone’s surprise, Ella agrees to marry Victor. Moving to Mossy Oaks, Ella’s world continues to crumble as she witnesses her husband’s cruel side and his harsh treatment of his slaves.
Ella endures Victor’s barbaric ways while nursing her hatred for Gentry’s betrayal. She soon learns her family plantation has secrets she never knew that could danger them all. Struggling with her sadness, Ella draws on the Corrigan strength to overcome the tragedies. She must prevail to save those she loves and the land she treasurers. But what will she do when Gentry returns?
You don’t have to be a history buff to enjoy “Corrigans’ Pool.” Author Dot Ryan draws the reader to Southern Georgia just prior to the Civil War and through years of what destruction the war caused. She depicts life in the South, as well as the people of the era. Her descriptions of the area are so vivid that the reader can almost smell the magnolia blossoms.
The only thing that could enhance “Corrigans’ Pool” is to be able to read it while sitting on the veranda sipping ice tea. A “must read” for those who enjoy “Gone With the Wind” and “Jezebel.”
Ella Corrigan has plenty of suitors including Victor Faircloth, her father’s friend and the neighboring plantation owner. Yet, Ella dreams of marrying for love not to expand her family’s holdings.
After her mother suffers a head injury which drives her father to bouts of drunkenness, Ella takes charge of Greenpoole, the family plantation. She manages it well, along with treating their slaves with dignity, caring for her younger sister, and running interference between her father and her grandmother.
Ella has thoughts of being a spinster rather than marry Victor. Then she has an encounter with a stranger on the road from Greenpoole. Thoughts of the stranger plaque Ella until she meets him again. The stranger, Texan Gentry Garland, is a friend of her grandmother. Ella and Gentry have a rough start to their relationship but soon can’t deny they are in love and agree to marry.
One moment all of Ella’s dreams are coming true and the next her world is shattered.
The Civil War breaks out and Gentry suddenly disappears without a word. Ella is devastated and shamed she gave herself to Gentry.
To everyone’s surprise, Ella agrees to marry Victor. Moving to Mossy Oaks, Ella’s world continues to crumble as she witnesses her husband’s cruel side and his harsh treatment of his slaves.
Ella endures Victor’s barbaric ways while nursing her hatred for Gentry’s betrayal. She soon learns her family plantation has secrets she never knew that could danger them all. Struggling with her sadness, Ella draws on the Corrigan strength to overcome the tragedies. She must prevail to save those she loves and the land she treasurers. But what will she do when Gentry returns?
You don’t have to be a history buff to enjoy “Corrigans’ Pool.” Author Dot Ryan draws the reader to Southern Georgia just prior to the Civil War and through years of what destruction the war caused. She depicts life in the South, as well as the people of the era. Her descriptions of the area are so vivid that the reader can almost smell the magnolia blossoms.
The only thing that could enhance “Corrigans’ Pool” is to be able to read it while sitting on the veranda sipping ice tea. A “must read” for those who enjoy “Gone With the Wind” and “Jezebel.”
July 3, 2013
2011 Book of the Year Award Finalists Announced UPDATE: DOT RYAN'S CORRIGANS' POOL WON "BOOK OF THE YEAR" historical romance category.
ForeWord Reviews is pleased to announce the 2011 Book of the Year Awards list of finalists. Representing more than 700 publishers, the finalists were selected from 1200 entries in 60 genre categories. These books are examples of independent publishing at its finest.
Corrigans’ Pool is a finalist for the 2011 Book of the Year Awards in the Romance category.
The nominated book is a second, revised, printing of Corrigans’ Pool, the original of which was published in 2009. This new edition was published in 2011 by Checkered Swan Publishing, under a new ISBN, with an additional chapter, plus other minor revisions that the author, Dot Ryan, was compelled to make.
Dot is a native of Beeville, Texas, and lives there with her husband of 28 years, Sam.
ForeWord Reviews' Book of the Year Awards program was established to help publishers shine an additional spotlight on their best titles and bring increased attention to librarians and booksellers of the literary and graphic achievements of independent publishers and their authors. Award winners are chosen by librarians and booksellers who are on the front lines, working everyday with patrons and customers.
ForeWord is the only review trade journal devoted exclusively to books from independent houses
ForeWord Reviews is pleased to announce the 2011 Book of the Year Awards list of finalists. Representing more than 700 publishers, the finalists were selected from 1200 entries in 60 genre categories. These books are examples of independent publishing at its finest.
Corrigans’ Pool is a finalist for the 2011 Book of the Year Awards in the Romance category.
The nominated book is a second, revised, printing of Corrigans’ Pool, the original of which was published in 2009. This new edition was published in 2011 by Checkered Swan Publishing, under a new ISBN, with an additional chapter, plus other minor revisions that the author, Dot Ryan, was compelled to make.
Dot is a native of Beeville, Texas, and lives there with her husband of 28 years, Sam.
ForeWord Reviews' Book of the Year Awards program was established to help publishers shine an additional spotlight on their best titles and bring increased attention to librarians and booksellers of the literary and graphic achievements of independent publishers and their authors. Award winners are chosen by librarians and booksellers who are on the front lines, working everyday with patrons and customers.
ForeWord is the only review trade journal devoted exclusively to books from independent houses
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