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Loggerhead: A Mary Fisher Novel
As the world prepares for a second Great War, a woman imprisoned in Europe puts pencil to paper to record a time in her youth, forty years earlier, when she bore witness to similar happenings in a distant land . . .
Florida. 1896.
When Mary and Abigail find themselves in the small town of Loggerhead, they believe they've discovered an ideal paradise in which to have a three day holiday featuring good food, relaxation, and indoor plumbing. The idyll is shattered, however, when Abigail falls victim to a jewellery thief. After quickly capturing the bumbling larcenist, and recovering the stolen jewellery, the young lovers attempt to resume their vacation, only to find themselves embroiled in an ever-escalating, interrelated series of crimes that include rape, robbery, murder, and a political conspiracy reaching to the highest government office in the state.
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As a young woman suddenly exposed to a multitude of conflicting philosophies, Mary could easily become lost in her personal struggle to discover who she truly is. Fortunately she has the beautiful, impulsive Abigail not only to help guide her but steady her as she finds herself encompassed by evil at every step of her journey of self-discovery.
Florida. 1896.
When Mary and Abigail find themselves in the small town of Loggerhead, they believe they've discovered an ideal paradise in which to have a three day holiday featuring good food, relaxation, and indoor plumbing. The idyll is shattered, however, when Abigail falls victim to a jewellery thief. After quickly capturing the bumbling larcenist, and recovering the stolen jewellery, the young lovers attempt to resume their vacation, only to find themselves embroiled in an ever-escalating, interrelated series of crimes that include rape, robbery, murder, and a political conspiracy reaching to the highest government office in the state.
----------
As a young woman suddenly exposed to a multitude of conflicting philosophies, Mary could easily become lost in her personal struggle to discover who she truly is. Fortunately she has the beautiful, impulsive Abigail not only to help guide her but steady her as she finds herself encompassed by evil at every step of her journey of self-discovery.
336 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 20, 2015
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
August 20, 2016
As Mr. Peters says himself, one should turn to Loggerhead when looking for a “different” kind of historical novel. Tired of reading the overdone rewrites about a prince who falls in love with a peasant? Want something meatier? Want something that actually stimulates your intellect?
Then read Loggerhead.
To sum it up briefly, this is a story about seventeen-year-old Mary Fisher, who is long, lean, and very “unco” (a Scottish adjective meaning unusual or remarkable). Her oddly-shaped face and lack of feminine attributes have always led people to view her as a queer sort of young woman.
And yet, she has found a faithful lover in the beautiful Abigail Greene, two years and two months her senior, but somehow infinitely more wise and philosophical than Mary.
Despite such a lack of ability to philosophize, however, Mary is blessed with keen powers bordering on clairvoyance. She’s like a biblical prophetess come to 1896 Florida.
After escaping a series of disastrous events that are only vaguely outlined in this particular novel (but which can be divined in the books of Mr. Peters’s Green Flourish Pentalogy), Mary and Abigail arrive in Loggerhead for a little honeymoon. True enough, they start off with a respite of “good food and good love” (as Abigail says), but soon the calamities ensue. Included among them are robbery, alleged rape, and the clamoring of a small Southern town to hang a young black man.
But this is only the thinnest slice of the entire Loggerhead pie.
Above all, T.A. Peters should be commended on his ability to combine the ugly with the beautiful, the wicked with the pure, and still come out on top with an overall, heartwarming sense of righteousness and belonging. He doesn’t shy from showing what is tarnished and imperfect – but he directs us to the beauty in the midst of all that, like a spotlight shining down on a messy stage.
In conclusion, I give my commendations to the triumph that is Loggerhead, the first of the Mary Fisher novels – and I highly recommend it to anyone looking for a stimulating, extremely well-written historical read.
Then read Loggerhead.
To sum it up briefly, this is a story about seventeen-year-old Mary Fisher, who is long, lean, and very “unco” (a Scottish adjective meaning unusual or remarkable). Her oddly-shaped face and lack of feminine attributes have always led people to view her as a queer sort of young woman.
And yet, she has found a faithful lover in the beautiful Abigail Greene, two years and two months her senior, but somehow infinitely more wise and philosophical than Mary.
Despite such a lack of ability to philosophize, however, Mary is blessed with keen powers bordering on clairvoyance. She’s like a biblical prophetess come to 1896 Florida.
After escaping a series of disastrous events that are only vaguely outlined in this particular novel (but which can be divined in the books of Mr. Peters’s Green Flourish Pentalogy), Mary and Abigail arrive in Loggerhead for a little honeymoon. True enough, they start off with a respite of “good food and good love” (as Abigail says), but soon the calamities ensue. Included among them are robbery, alleged rape, and the clamoring of a small Southern town to hang a young black man.
But this is only the thinnest slice of the entire Loggerhead pie.
Above all, T.A. Peters should be commended on his ability to combine the ugly with the beautiful, the wicked with the pure, and still come out on top with an overall, heartwarming sense of righteousness and belonging. He doesn’t shy from showing what is tarnished and imperfect – but he directs us to the beauty in the midst of all that, like a spotlight shining down on a messy stage.
In conclusion, I give my commendations to the triumph that is Loggerhead, the first of the Mary Fisher novels – and I highly recommend it to anyone looking for a stimulating, extremely well-written historical read.
May 6, 2016
This remarkably good historical fiction reads as if it were written in 1896, instead of merely set there. From the first page I was transported into the past, into a world of old-fashioned norms and beliefs, of dialects my ancestors spoke, of danger and pseudoscience, and some inexplicable mysteries too. Reading it, I felt the same was as if I was reading Robinson Crusoe, or Fanny Hill: a true period piece.
The story itself is rich and suspenseful, set in a small Florida town still reeling from the fallout of the Civil War. Mary, the protagonist with mysterious psychic (and super strength) abilities, is an interested observer, so we visit the setting through her eyes. She is also a fascinating character, with a backstory revealed in glimpses - some appealing, others horrifying. Her 'lass,; Abigail, is the yin to her yang. Together they make a believable and daring lesbian couple.
Oh yes, did I mention the story is also a romance? And an especially thoughtful one, given the mores of the time. Abigail and Mary stay strong in the midst of societal pushback, nevertheless, and I took almost as much pleasure in their company as they took in each other's.
The author's use of language is faultless. When writing in a Scottish accent, it must be done perfectly. Throughout the book it is so fluid, after a while I began to start thinking in those unusual words and speech patterns myself. That alone makes it worth the read for any history fan.
The story itself is rich and suspenseful, set in a small Florida town still reeling from the fallout of the Civil War. Mary, the protagonist with mysterious psychic (and super strength) abilities, is an interested observer, so we visit the setting through her eyes. She is also a fascinating character, with a backstory revealed in glimpses - some appealing, others horrifying. Her 'lass,; Abigail, is the yin to her yang. Together they make a believable and daring lesbian couple.
Oh yes, did I mention the story is also a romance? And an especially thoughtful one, given the mores of the time. Abigail and Mary stay strong in the midst of societal pushback, nevertheless, and I took almost as much pleasure in their company as they took in each other's.
The author's use of language is faultless. When writing in a Scottish accent, it must be done perfectly. Throughout the book it is so fluid, after a while I began to start thinking in those unusual words and speech patterns myself. That alone makes it worth the read for any history fan.
January 22, 2017
Lesbianism around the turn of the century was a dark secret. Mary hid her secret well, playing her part as Mr. Fisher. Mary was not a beautiful woman, but Abigail didn’t care. They loved each other dearly.
The two stumbled into an evil plan in Loggerhead, Florida which very nearly cost them their lives. A foreigner in the USA, Mary had a special power, without which, she and Abigail would surely have died.
The author has a gift of weaving a story, telling you just enough to entice you to read further. By the end of the book, the story rolls like a freight train.
The two stumbled into an evil plan in Loggerhead, Florida which very nearly cost them their lives. A foreigner in the USA, Mary had a special power, without which, she and Abigail would surely have died.
The author has a gift of weaving a story, telling you just enough to entice you to read further. By the end of the book, the story rolls like a freight train.
September 23, 2016
I really enjoyed this book. The images, the language, the insight into the human condition, it's all there. A romance and delicately described, it's a historical and a lot of fun to read. The story deals with Mary and Abigail, two young women on holiday after a series of trying events. These events are to be read in the prequel to this book, The Green Flourish Pentalogy, which is on my list. Highly recommended.
September 25, 2016
Marvelous! What a wonderful book so well written and a most interesting plot. I looked up a few words at the beginning to best understand some of the dialogue, especially of Mary and her Scottish accent. I am most anxious to read more from Mr. Peters.
There is murder, robbery, lynching, and a love affair between the two main characters, Mary and Abigail. All descriptions and situations are well described and tastefully done.
There is murder, robbery, lynching, and a love affair between the two main characters, Mary and Abigail. All descriptions and situations are well described and tastefully done.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews