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Eyes of a Stranger: A Novel
Book by Warburton, Carol
272 pages, Paperback
First published January 28, 2005
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 38 reviews
August 9, 2011
Being from the LDS Colonies in Mexico I was interested in reading Warburton's history of The Colonies. I was disappointed in that many of the historical details were either lacking or wrong. That being said, however, she did a very accurate job of describing the frustrating attitudes of racism and prejudice that unfortunatly infect my area of birth.
The attitudes, the justifications for these unchristlike attitudes and the exact words that people use to try to explain themseves were more accurate than any I have found in any other book.
Congratulations to Warburton for having the courage and valor to cover such a difficult and touchy topic. I have always been amazed as to how to those of my heritage can have such intense faith, sacrifice, service and christlike love in so, so many aspects of life, yet fall so short when it comes to our interactions with those of another race or nationality.
The attitudes, the justifications for these unchristlike attitudes and the exact words that people use to try to explain themseves were more accurate than any I have found in any other book.
Congratulations to Warburton for having the courage and valor to cover such a difficult and touchy topic. I have always been amazed as to how to those of my heritage can have such intense faith, sacrifice, service and christlike love in so, so many aspects of life, yet fall so short when it comes to our interactions with those of another race or nationality.
September 28, 2022
Eyes of a Stranger
By Carol Warburton
⭐️⭐️⭐️
Pages: 272
PROS:
◇Fast Paced
◇Great 🎧 📖
◇Historical Story
◇Closed Door Romance
◇Loved the Spanish in this one.
CONS:
◇The Drama 😅
Always enjoy this authors books, this one isn't my personal favorite but still a good read.👌🏽
⚠️Content:
~Racism
~Cheating
Book Synopsis: 📖
"The year is 1907, and Matthew Cameron has questions no one in his small Mormon settlement can answer. But answers come fast and furious when a man who looks eerily like Matthew saves him from a deadly attack. Rafael, the rescuer, may be charming, but he is also a ruthless exploiter. When Matthew refuses to cross a moral line, Rafael begins to destroy all that Matthew holds dear. Angry and alone—armed only with his unfailing belief in God—Matthew struggles to start a new life. Faced with a disturbing past, along with bitter racism in his new community, Matthew is surprised to find his sole defender is a beautiful, spirited young woman. Against the wishes of everyone around them, Matthew and Sabra begin to fall in love. When Sabra’s life is jeopardized, Matthew must make some final choices: between love and hate, between right and wrong, and between life and death."
By Carol Warburton
⭐️⭐️⭐️
Pages: 272
PROS:
◇Fast Paced
◇Great 🎧 📖
◇Historical Story
◇Closed Door Romance
◇Loved the Spanish in this one.
CONS:
◇The Drama 😅
Always enjoy this authors books, this one isn't my personal favorite but still a good read.👌🏽
⚠️Content:
~Racism
~Cheating
Book Synopsis: 📖
"The year is 1907, and Matthew Cameron has questions no one in his small Mormon settlement can answer. But answers come fast and furious when a man who looks eerily like Matthew saves him from a deadly attack. Rafael, the rescuer, may be charming, but he is also a ruthless exploiter. When Matthew refuses to cross a moral line, Rafael begins to destroy all that Matthew holds dear. Angry and alone—armed only with his unfailing belief in God—Matthew struggles to start a new life. Faced with a disturbing past, along with bitter racism in his new community, Matthew is surprised to find his sole defender is a beautiful, spirited young woman. Against the wishes of everyone around them, Matthew and Sabra begin to fall in love. When Sabra’s life is jeopardized, Matthew must make some final choices: between love and hate, between right and wrong, and between life and death."
February 4, 2017
I didn't really love this book. It took a while to get into the story and wasn't hard to put down to go do something else for a while. But I did stay up late to finish it so perhaps the end was more enthralling to me than the rest.
The story dealt with prejudice, in this case against Mexicans. I kept wondering how it would resolve in the story. I have heard people in my life say the kinds of things that were said in the book so the racism rang true for me. The author gives a happily ever after kind of ending but I had to wonder if it could possible end that well in real life. If a mixed race marriage was a difficult thing in my lifetime, then how much worse might it have been during the time period of the book? I can't imagine that the prejudice would just stop. I think their children would continue to feel the pain of it as their father had. But the story ends before getting to that part so it can end at a happy point.
The story dealt with prejudice, in this case against Mexicans. I kept wondering how it would resolve in the story. I have heard people in my life say the kinds of things that were said in the book so the racism rang true for me. The author gives a happily ever after kind of ending but I had to wonder if it could possible end that well in real life. If a mixed race marriage was a difficult thing in my lifetime, then how much worse might it have been during the time period of the book? I can't imagine that the prejudice would just stop. I think their children would continue to feel the pain of it as their father had. But the story ends before getting to that part so it can end at a happy point.
May 27, 2017
Romantic and exciting story set during the time of Pancho Villa, in a fictitious polygamous town near Colonia Juarez, Mexico.
October 7, 2017
LDS story of their settlements in the Mormon colonies across the border of Texas in Mexico. Nice light reading.
June 12, 2021
This was an entertaining story which I enjoyed. Much better than most books published by Covenant Books even though the overall Good Reads rating doesn’t reflect that.
October 9, 2021
Great multicultural read!
August 25, 2010
I like books that can bring history into a story without making me feel like I'm back in school. Takes place during the Mexican revolution, Mexican bandits are on the rampage, puligamy is practiced by the Mormon settlement in Mexico. Don de Vega comes from an old rich family with traditions and expectations to follow...falling in love with the house servant was not part of this, but it happened. Teresa and his son, Ricardo were secretly married, but before she could tell him of her pregnancy, he admits to having to leave and marry another, but in "name only" he says. Teresa doesn't accept this and thinking it better to leave she does. Don looked for her on his return to mexico, but without any luck. Teresa went to live with her poor brother and had twin boys, unable to feed them both she tells her brother to bring one to the church and have another woman feed him till she can regain her strength. The boys were named Ricardo and Rafael. Pedro decides to bring the baby (Ricardo) to the Mormon settlement instead. Teresa dies leaving Pedro to try to raise Rafael, but they are poor.
Ricardo is adopted by Helen and Joseph and renamed Matthew. They move to Colonia Cortez to farm and raise cattle. Matthew is accepted by the settlement until he tries to court their white daughters and then prejudice comes into play. Also when Rafael meets up with Matthew, he saves his life, but Matt keeps his brother's identity a secret. Then when trouble start and Matthew is accused he tells of his twin brother but isn't believed. There is one who believes him and that is Sabra Lindsey. The girl with more spunk and spit fire than what her parents know what to do with. Matt and her want to marry, but their request is denied. Matt feels rejected again because of his brown skin. He sets out to find his brother to prove his innocence. He looks up his birth father and learns of his step brothers existence and sickness. He works to earn a living and save for the future ranch. He marries Sabra when her mother sends her to her uncle giving her permission to see matt again. Their ranch gets raided. Sam Lindsey learns to accept Matt as his son-in-law after he goes after the bandits and finds Rafael dead after saving his kidnapped step brother. Sabra has a daughter of her own and Cortez accepts the marriage of the two and matt after the word is spread about the truth to his twin.
Ricardo is adopted by Helen and Joseph and renamed Matthew. They move to Colonia Cortez to farm and raise cattle. Matthew is accepted by the settlement until he tries to court their white daughters and then prejudice comes into play. Also when Rafael meets up with Matthew, he saves his life, but Matt keeps his brother's identity a secret. Then when trouble start and Matthew is accused he tells of his twin brother but isn't believed. There is one who believes him and that is Sabra Lindsey. The girl with more spunk and spit fire than what her parents know what to do with. Matt and her want to marry, but their request is denied. Matt feels rejected again because of his brown skin. He sets out to find his brother to prove his innocence. He looks up his birth father and learns of his step brothers existence and sickness. He works to earn a living and save for the future ranch. He marries Sabra when her mother sends her to her uncle giving her permission to see matt again. Their ranch gets raided. Sam Lindsey learns to accept Matt as his son-in-law after he goes after the bandits and finds Rafael dead after saving his kidnapped step brother. Sabra has a daughter of her own and Cortez accepts the marriage of the two and matt after the word is spread about the truth to his twin.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 24, 2011
Set in the Mormon colonoies in Mexico, early 20th century. Matt is Mexican, a foundling raised by a Mormon family. He finds out in a dramatic way that he has an identical twin brother, when he's rescued from a cougar attack by a man who looks exactly like him. Unfortunately for Matt, he doesn't tell anyone about his twin at the time, so later when his twin gets in with the wrong crowd, those in Matt's community and even his family start to doubt him. Except for the girl he nicknamed "Nutmeg" for her many freckles. As the Revolution starts to sweep through Mexico, there is more and more riding on Matt's true identity--including the lives of those he loves.
Interesting historical context. I had a hard time understanding why even some of his family members could disbelieve him or come to doubt his goodness. Hadn't anyone heard of identical twins back then? They said it seemed like a convenient story to cover for bad behavior, but if they knew him his whole life wouldn't his "story" make more sense than him suddenly going off the deep end for no reason? Anyway, also delved into racism and prejudice issues.
Interesting historical context. I had a hard time understanding why even some of his family members could disbelieve him or come to doubt his goodness. Hadn't anyone heard of identical twins back then? They said it seemed like a convenient story to cover for bad behavior, but if they knew him his whole life wouldn't his "story" make more sense than him suddenly going off the deep end for no reason? Anyway, also delved into racism and prejudice issues.
May 25, 2011
I thought it was interesting to read the different perspectives of a couple who struggled to be together. They didn't have normal struggles like we do today. They dealt with ideas of racism and bigotry. For some, these challenges would have ended any future but not for this couple. They overcame the obstacles that faced them and they were happy with each other for who they were. A great eye-opening experience for me about the influence of bigotry and the affect that it had/has on people's lives.
May 2, 2010
Quite the love story! Takes place in the colonies settled by early members of the Church in Mexico, and about the time the revolution begins. Matthew, an orphan, is taken to the Mormones to be raised. His twin brother, Rafael, is raised in poverty and chooses to become a thief and bandit. When they meet each other and realize who their real father is, both will confront him and be disowned. The story revolves around the challenges faced and life choices these two brothers make.
July 30, 2012
I was interested to read this because I have ancestors from the Mormon colonies in Mexico. It's fun, but predictable. It does include some insight into what it might have been like in Mexico in the early 1900's. It was a little sad that a young man can spend his entire life among a people and experience so much prejudice.
May 1, 2009
I had enjoyed a couple of other books by this author, and so was disappointed with this effort. It has a very slow start and I found myself skipping over complete paragraphs trying to avoid the superfluous descriptions. The story line had potential, but it was dragged out at a snail's pace.
November 18, 2010
I really liked this book. The only reason I gave it 4 stars instead of 5 was because it was a little bit slow at first and it took me a while to get into it. After about 5 chapters was I really enthralled. I would recommend it to my friend if they enjoy historical LDS fiction.
May 14, 2012
One twin was kept by the uncle and the other twin given to the Mormons. It's a story of good twin/bad twin with a twist since it takes place in the early 1900's in Mexico. There is prejudice on both sides, but love triumps over all--as it should.
May 1, 2009
Fun quick read.
May 1, 2009
A little slower starting, but really got into it after a bit. I'd recommend any of her books and will look for more from her.
May 14, 2009
I would call this typical Mormon Fiction. Totally predictable. But I enjoy Mormon Fiction so I enjoyed this book.
May 1, 2009
Good book! But I thought it was a little cheesy, and very predictable.
December 9, 2010
I have really loved Carol's other books, but I just wasn't as drawn into this one. It was still good, though.
May 1, 2009
Althought this book isn't my most favorite from Carol Warburton, I still enjoyed reading it. I like the way Carol writes and brings out the romance in each of her novels.
June 17, 2009
I loved this book. It was sooooooo good.
August 15, 2009
this book i was so excited to read, its about my great great grandfather that i have heard so much about. He was a bishop for the mormon colonies in mexico!
August 25, 2009
I liked "Nutmeg"'s ability to look at past what Matt looked like and see that it didn't make a difference. I loved that Matt was able to reconcile with his family.
September 27, 2009
Interesting. Typical lds literature.
February 1, 2010
This book was a very good book. It gave you some idea about what happened to a Mormon settlement in Mexico back in Pancho Villa's time. My daughter and I both liked it.
December 10, 2010
By the same author as Midnight Whispers, I liked this one more than the last. It has a little adventure and is written around a historical era. The love story is very predictable, but cute.
January 7, 2011
I thought she did a nice job of using historical fiction to bring to light prejudices and difficulties in the Mexican Mormon colonies during a volatile time in Mexican history
January 23, 2011
I liked this book okay but didn't enjoy the polygamy aspect. Also, the cover art made it so I couldn't ever find her true love cute - I mean come on. :)
May 20, 2011
I Love Carol Warburtons books, this is my least favorite though of them all. It just didn't work for me.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 38 reviews