Rising Tides

Iron Lace #2

by Emilie Richards

Rising Tides by Emilie Richards released on Apr 26, 2005 is available now for purchase.

Genres: Fiction, Historical Fiction, Romance, Mystery, Southern, Book Club, Family

544 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 1997

About the author

I'm the author of seventy-something novels, including romance, women's fiction and mystery. When We Were Sisters debuted in June 2016, a stand alone novel about two foster sisters traveling back into their past together. I loved writing it and love the cover my publisher chose.

I'm also excited about my recent series, Goddesses Anonymous, which started with One Mountain Away and was followed by Somewhere Between Luck and Trust. The third book in the series, A River Too Wide, came out in July 2014. The Color of Light debuted in August 2015. Will there be more? We'll see.

I'm also putting up my newly edited romance backlist and love re-reading and updating them a bit.

Last year my husband and I moved from Virginia, to Osprey, Florida, the state where both of us were raised, met, and married. In the summer we live in Chautauqua, New York. I'm a quilter, knitter, kayaker, and the mother of four children, whom I regard as my greatest creative endeavors. And now there are four wonderful grandchildren to spoil.

Visit me at my web site, emilierichards.com, and my blog, www.emilierichards.com/blog. You can also find me at Twitter and on my Facebook reader page.

Reviews

[Colleen Mertens · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an excellent book. It had well-written characters that interested you in their lives. I loved how it moved between the present time and flashbacks to tell the story. I like historical fiction, and this gave me glimpses into the recent past which I never really studied before. The setting and the storm played well with the other plot tensions to make for a read that hooks you into staying up way past bedtime to finish. I also didn't realize this was a sequel to another book, but it was easy to follow, even without reading the other book.

[Kathryn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Complicated family totally, with racism, tension violence and huge secrets. I don't know that I like this family that much! But they do get surprises and that's for sure and maybe some answers.

[Jan · Rating 3 out of 5]

The family matriarch, Aurore Gerritsen, dies and her will is to be read over a 4 day period at her summer cottage on a small Louisiana island. Those who don't stay forfeit their inheritance. Suspicions rise when Aurore's lawyer dispenses small bequests, each designed to expose the matriarch's well-kept secrets. Family loyalties are jeopardized and shocking new alliances are former. With a savage hurricane approaching, tensions reach a dangerous climax. And the very survival of Aurore's heirs is threatened. This was a complex telling of the tangled race relations and the complex history of Louisiana. The author's most compelling characters were those who fought the hardest for what they believed.

[Joan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a 500 page novel that takes place in the 60's but the storyline hearkens back to generations before and gives it historical status. Aunt Aurore passes away and leaves a will that stipulates all those in the will must come to the reading and must stay on the Island for a few days or they lose their part of her inheritence. The family is very wealthy, and some have corrupt political leanings, some are cruel bigots, and some are plagued with family secrets that will affect them all. There are many characters and I found myself having to write them all down to remember who they were and what their part in the story was. I think I wrote down 25 names in the first couple of chapters. None of the characters were particularly endearing nor were they admirable in their morals or characters but they were all interesting. Ms. Richards is a good story teller. I was turned off by some vulgar language, low morals and disturbing stories of how the blacks were treated during this time but the history was good and I would still call it a good read.

[Alisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed the “relationship” aspect to this book. Though in some aspects it read like a soap opera, I did like the author’s attempt at how challenged families were with the civil rights movement and how Dawn had to face her feelings that differed from her family. I found it a unique twist that Aurore couldn’t explain herself in life for fear of hurting her family posterity, but then in the end did hurt them. I also, sad but true, was glad that Ferris passed away the way that he did, in the hurricane away from everyone else. The relationship between the two brothers Ferris and Father Hugh was also very interesting to me in that they could be brothers but stand for so many different things. I really liked the character of Father Hugh and how he truly was willing to stand for what he believed in. I also, though it was challenging, liked how the author weaved the past with the present, so the storyline always kept moving.

[Sarah Messenger · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was long but a great sequel regarding segregation in Louisiana. Great plot and many characters to tell the story. Glad I read Iron Lace first as it explained the story so much better. Great book!

[Katy Lovejoy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This author intrigues me. I'm willing to find more by her

[jill crotty · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rising Tides is the sequel to Iron Lace which I read a few years ago. I want to say right off when I read the 1st in the series, I was taken in to another world. Emilie Richards writing is beautiful and captivating. I remember I searched for the sequel in local bookstores and did not find it. I was able to get it at an online used bookstore and gave it to my mom first.(she was addicted too!) It is probably one of the few books that has stuck with me. The plot, the characters and the description of New Orleans were unforgettable. The sequel did not disappoint! It is just as seductive. As I was reading it, I realized if readers do not read the original, there is enough explanation to be drawn in without repetitive nonsense for those of us who read Iron Lace. There are multilayers to the plot and characters you come to love and hate...The story starts off with the Matriarch, Aurore Gerritsen, dying and leaving a demand that 9 People gather for 4 days to reveal secrets that have snowballed over the generations. The book takes you into the past alternating with the present. I found it quite easy to follow and loved the creative plot and twists the author guides the reader through.

[Ruth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rising Tides was an interesting book to be reading this weekend, the fifth anniversary of Hurricane Katrina. Set in South Louisiana in 1965, much of the action takes place in the days just before Hurricane Betsy, New Orleans' previous worst hurricane ever. Rising Tides is the sequel to Iron Lace which I reviewed not long ago. Aurore is now dead, and has summoned family and some friends to her summer home in Grand Isle for the reading of her will. She declared that anyone who did not stay for the whole four days would forfeit his/her share of the estate. The first three days small bequests are made, bequests it quickly becomes apparent are meant to shed light on family secrets--on her secrets. On the fourth day the big bequests are given, and with them, one of the biggest secrets. The storm brewing in the Gulf is no worse than the one hitting this family, and like the way Katrina's destruction of New Orleans has allowed some things to be rebuilt in a better way, so Aurore hoped that by making her family face the storm caused by the truth, she'd allow them to rebuild their lives on a firm, elevated foundation. Grade: B+

[Denise · Rating 4 out of 5]

This definetly cleaned up all the lose ends from Iron Lace. It wasn't until the end that my question of why bother telling the truth was answered.

By not telling the truth while she was alive, she did not have to suffer the obvious consequences... but in her efforts to save her children, she ended up losing all 3 anyway.... a consequence more severe.

So the sins of previous generations not only affect the future but also keep getting repeated until the full truth is known. So by taking the "cowards" way out, she didn't save herself any grief... or did societys culture really make any other choice obsolete.

This book was very deep, and will cause me to think about it for some time. Iron Lace taught me to think a lot more deeply about racial tensions and history, while this book continued on with those lessons, but it focussed me on the people's story. Not sure why the difference, it just did.

[Mary McDonald · Rating 3 out of 5]

I did not read the first book, Iron Lace, but I don't feel it took anything away from this book. There were many characters and subplots so I did end up making a chart of everyone on my bookmark so I could keep them straight. Got a glance of the civil rights movement in the south and wealthy southern family life as well as those in pure poverty. Book covered several time periods. A lot going on in this one.

[Megan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this novel in two days. It was pretty good- some flavor in the deep South. Will my actions today really affect people years down the line? If so, am I making the right ones? What if I don't? This novel concentrates on those questions and may also encourage the reader to ask the same of themselves.

[Sharon A. · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was the follow-up to Iron Lace, which I loved. I really wanted to love this one just as much but I didn't. I kept going because I wanted to know how it all wrapped up, but it was a struggle. I just couldn't get too excited about Ben and Dawn; for whatever reason, and Phillip was relegated to a sparse supporting role. I'm glad I finished.

[Caroline Abbott · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have enjoyed many books by this author. This one felt sluggish, like a car with a bad engine. Also, the author used so many flashbacks I got confused what happened to which generation. I did enjoy learning more about segregation in Louisiana though.

[Ami · Rating 2 out of 5]

I couldn’t finish it. I’m disappointed because I really loved the first book, Iron Lace. This book took the sexual descriptions up a notch and I just couldn’t get through it. I’ll have to google the ending.

[Eileen Gaston · Rating 4 out of 5]

Although not as compelling as "Iron Lace," the sequel revisits the fascinating characters of 20th century Louisiana. Richards does a wonderful job in describing New Orleans and Grand Isle.

[Marcia Haskell · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have mixed feelings abolitionist this book. I got a copy from the library because Emelie Richards' novels are usually favorites of mine. That wasn't true of this book for a number of reasons. First, and most annoying, the proof reader did not fix the large number of places where a word had a arbitrary space in the middle of a word. Sounds trivial, but, for me it disrupted the flow because it took me out of the story at the wrong time. This copy was a kindle version, not hard copy - maybe that is why - the breaks created real words, just the wrong ones. The story jumps from one period of time to another so I found it hard to get invested - might be my age, probably is but my preference is to follow characters as they age and change.

Having said all the things that I didn't like - the characters became real people struggling. The writing and character development was superb. A really great thing about this book is the range of attitudes, beliefs and loves of all it's characters. Some are people who are unlivable and you get an honest sense of who they are and what motivates them After reading this book, I came away with a much greater understanding of the south and how hard it is fix the problems of contacts between people of different colors, backgrounds and expectations. For anyone interested in the history and politics of Louisiana this would be a great read.

[Dory Peeters · Rating 4 out of 5]

Zowel het eerste boek (Smeedijzeren tralies) als dit vervolg waren indrukwekkend.
Ze geven ons, naast familie intriges en geheimen, een kijkje in de rassenscheiding die veel te veel jaren heeft plaatsgevonden in (o.a.) Louisiana. En in de mensen die zowel dit in stand hielden als de mensen die dit probeerden af te schaffen, om een inclusievere samenleving mogelijk te maken, zonder racisme.
De huidige tijd van het boek is 1965, maar wordt ook verteld vanuit dat verleden, teruggaand tot 1893 in het eerste boek.
Hoewel dit romans zijn, leer je heel veel over de gebeurtenissen in die tijdspanne. Niet alleen in de USA, maar er wordt ook een beetje gesproken over de gebeurtenissen in bijv. Casablanca tijdens de 2e wereld oorlog.
Zeker de moeite waard. Ik kon beide boeken niet goed wegleggen.

[Claire A · Rating 5 out of 5]

LOVED this book! Even though I haven’t yet read the first in series (Iron Lace). The historical part set during the Civil Rights movement in 1960s in the Deep South, with all the character types, is beautiful & tragic. But the best part is when the Grand Lady gathers everyone on Grand Isle years later. The book was brilliant, poignant, maddening, tragic and gratifying all at the same time. I don’t often get to read something that teaches me about myself and history simultaneously. LOVED it and it will stick with me.

[Amie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just closed this book and I realize I don't have words to describe it. I truly love the way Richards weaves this story together and she the way in which she writes about New Orleans had me walking the streets right along with the characters. I always worry with a sequel that the ending won't do justice to the characters or the story as a whole but this ending just felt perfect which made me love it even more. I absolutely recommend these books and will definitely reread them in the years to come.

[Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really liked this book and the book that came first, Iron Lace. What is amazing is the book was written years before Hurricane Katrina yet the Ninth Ward is so nearly destroyed by a hurricane in this novel.

Two brothers, one a crooked politician, one a priest involved in civil rights and voter's registration, and an older unknown sister, who had been given up for adoption, are brought together for the reading of their mother's will. Well, the priest isn't there, he had been murdered. There was no shortage of secrets, which are about to be revealed.

[Maggie Shanley · Rating 2 out of 5]

Be careful don't judge this book by its cover! This looks like it will be a peaceful beach read, instead a hurricane is pounding towards the coast. This is the sequel to Iron Lace, I loved the parts in Iron Lace about Phillip and Brenda his wife, I never like Aurore and her choices and her family. This book continues with the same characters, adds a few new ones and makes Phillip just a blip in the story. Aurore is back and waits until she is dead to make amends and resolution to her family crimes.

[Mandy Phillips · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought the story was finished with Iron Lace, but I was wrong. I went into this one thinking there was not much left to tell of the story and the author had tied up Iron Lace pretty well. I was pleasantly surprised that Richards Brough even more mystery to the story and fleshed out characters that played small roles in the first book. Again, I love the gothic south and this book hit that note.

[Ashley Bohman · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved Iron Lace, my mom read it and suggested it to me and we had fun discussions on it while I was reading it! This led me to buying us both a copy of the sequel, and we read together! Such a great book with well developed characters and description of the time and what was happening. I would recommend to anyone going on a holiday and wanting a cozy, interesting, quality read ❤️ I also recommend for a book club or to read with a friend to have fun discussions along the way

[Linda O. · Rating 5 out of 5]

A marvelous writer.

Any book by Emilie Richards is terrific. This one portrays the civil rights problems of long ago, but it also reflects some of today's problems. I did have trouble keeping all the characters and their relationships as well as the timing straight, but it was a fascinating story. I recommend it.

[Audrey Patton · Rating 4 out of 5]

Split words

I enjoyed Iron Lace a great deal. I was taken aback In Rising Tides by the poor editing, or proof reading, that let through so many frustrating split words. Do you know what awest ruck means? Awestruck. There were split words like this on almost every page in 2\3of the book. tie diest, for example. It ruined the reading tempo drea dfully.

[Kathy Dean · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent historical fiction novel that takes place in Louisiana. It is a great mix of family history mixed with the tension of a hurricane. Placed in a different period in history when the rules of love were very different.

[Joan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Following Aurore's death, individuals are summoned to her island cottage for the reading of the will. However, everyone must stay 4 days for it to be complete. Each day, an individual or individuals receive something that begin to unravel all the secrets of Aurore's life.

[Dzintra aka Ingrid · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very good read regarding segregation in America amidst a family coming together to a Reading of a Will. Lots of characters to get to know and so much going on I had to put the book down occasionally to absorb it all!

[Terry · Rating 5 out of 5]

The is the 2nd of this series. Very good book and author. Her characters are complex and she deals with major social issues. This book encompassed some of the horrors of the civil rights movement. Will definitely read more of her books.