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Sunrise
The true love story behind one of Georgia's most famous antebellum mansions. In the 1850's Anne Tracy, a smart and well-educated young woman from the stifled but elegant world of Macon, Georgia, made a polite marriage with an older, wealthy merchant, William Butler Johnson. The unlikely pairing blossomed into a romantic and devoted marriage. The Butlers' wide travels through 1850's Europe inspired them to return to Macon and build an incredible Italiente mansion. Through the trials and trbultions of family tragedy and later the Civil War, the Butlers maintained an amazing legacy and an amazing home.
321 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 1, 2008
About the author
Jacquelyn Cook
18 books8 followersWriters from Margaret Mitchell to Eugenia Price and John Jakes have shown that the market is enormous, dependable and insatiable for authentically researched historical novels of the antebellum, Civil War and Reconstruction period of the American South. For the past twenty years and more, Jacquelyn Cook has been publishing successfully into this lucrative and appreciative market. To date, her historical novels have sold close to 500,000 copies and counting.
The River Between, first published in 1985 as the first volume of Cook's five-volume, multi-generational saga known as The River Series, has sold nearly 165,000 copies, is still in print and selling more than 20 years after it's first release. The second in the series, The Wind Along the River, published the following year, has sold nearly 100,000 copies and counting. As recently as 2003, the entire River Series was collected into a single volume called Magnolias, and has sold some 64,000 copies to date. In addition, Wal-Mart ordered a special printing of 14,000 copies of Magnolias, and sold 8,000 copies in the first month.
Cook's credentials to write about this period could not be better. While she is known and celebrated for the deep and accurate research that she does for each of her books, another part of the appeal she brings to her readers is that the story of the American South runs in her blood. Born into a family that is Georgia bred for generations, she was raised on stories handed down from her great grandmother, who experienced Sherman's march, and so many other first hand experiences that were passed down to Cook as part of her own family heritage.
Cook sold her first story to Home Life Magazine in 1963. While she and her husband raised their two children, she free lanced for a wide assortment of newspapers and magazines. Coincidentally, she wrote some articles for the same editors at The Atlanta Journal Sunday Magazine who had published some of Margaret Mitchell's early freelance work. Cook is past president of the Georgia Branch of the National League of American Pen Women, and past president of the local chapter of the United Daughters of the Confederacy. She won the Writer of the Year Award, 1970 from the Atlanta Writers Club. In 1987 she took second place in national competition from the National League of American Pen Women in the adult book category for her novel, Image In the Looking Glass. In 1995 she won First Place from the Georgia National League of American Pen Women for her historical novel The Gates Of Trevalyan. Over the years she has won many awards from the Georgia Writers Association, the Southeastern Writers Association, and the Dixie Council of Authors and Journalists, for her articles on history, religion, humor and fiction. Cook lives in Sumter County, Georgia on her own working farm that, like Greenwood, produces cotton and cattle.
The River Between, first published in 1985 as the first volume of Cook's five-volume, multi-generational saga known as The River Series, has sold nearly 165,000 copies, is still in print and selling more than 20 years after it's first release. The second in the series, The Wind Along the River, published the following year, has sold nearly 100,000 copies and counting. As recently as 2003, the entire River Series was collected into a single volume called Magnolias, and has sold some 64,000 copies to date. In addition, Wal-Mart ordered a special printing of 14,000 copies of Magnolias, and sold 8,000 copies in the first month.
Cook's credentials to write about this period could not be better. While she is known and celebrated for the deep and accurate research that she does for each of her books, another part of the appeal she brings to her readers is that the story of the American South runs in her blood. Born into a family that is Georgia bred for generations, she was raised on stories handed down from her great grandmother, who experienced Sherman's march, and so many other first hand experiences that were passed down to Cook as part of her own family heritage.
Cook sold her first story to Home Life Magazine in 1963. While she and her husband raised their two children, she free lanced for a wide assortment of newspapers and magazines. Coincidentally, she wrote some articles for the same editors at The Atlanta Journal Sunday Magazine who had published some of Margaret Mitchell's early freelance work. Cook is past president of the Georgia Branch of the National League of American Pen Women, and past president of the local chapter of the United Daughters of the Confederacy. She won the Writer of the Year Award, 1970 from the Atlanta Writers Club. In 1987 she took second place in national competition from the National League of American Pen Women in the adult book category for her novel, Image In the Looking Glass. In 1995 she won First Place from the Georgia National League of American Pen Women for her historical novel The Gates Of Trevalyan. Over the years she has won many awards from the Georgia Writers Association, the Southeastern Writers Association, and the Dixie Council of Authors and Journalists, for her articles on history, religion, humor and fiction. Cook lives in Sumter County, Georgia on her own working farm that, like Greenwood, produces cotton and cattle.
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Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews
January 1, 2009
Sunrise is the first book in a historical fiction trilogy. This first installment focuses on Anne and William Johnston from Macon, Georgia, starting in 1849 and moving through the Civil War and Reconstruction. Unlike many Southerners during this time, Johnston made his fortune in through the railroads and banking. He also played a significant role in the Confederate Treasury Department during the Civil War. Anne was a Cinderella character of sorts. Anne's mother died when she was young, her father when she was 19. And while her stepmother, also her aunt, wasn't cruel, Anne still felt on the outside of things. When William Johnston asked her to marry him, she wasn't in love with him, but she agreed nonetheless. The two managed to find a great love for each other, and this book centers around their lives, their families and their close friends.
The characters that populate this book are fascinating people, but what I found while reading was that I wanted more. I wanted more dialogue and I definitely wanted more detail. There is very little dialogue in the novel and I believe what is there was drawn from actual letters. I think this book would have been sensational if Cook would have taken what actually existed and developed it according to her imagination and what she knew about the actual people. So much of who a character is grows from their interactions and conversations with those around them, especially when relationships are as important as they are in the lives of these people.
There were many times when I would start to grow excited about something that was going on. I would be waiting for more detail to come along and then the plot would jump ahead a couple months or a year or so. I would continually think, "but I want to know more!" The lack of detail and dialogue prevented the characters from having much dimension. And they had so much potential. I believe that because I never desired to just give up on the book. I still wanted to find out what happened with everyone.
So, overall, it was a quick read, but it definitely left me wanting more from the book. I found a lot of what was there to be superficial, and I think that's because it just seems to magically happen. Very little of the development leading up to actions is present making it harder to believe it's genuine.
The characters that populate this book are fascinating people, but what I found while reading was that I wanted more. I wanted more dialogue and I definitely wanted more detail. There is very little dialogue in the novel and I believe what is there was drawn from actual letters. I think this book would have been sensational if Cook would have taken what actually existed and developed it according to her imagination and what she knew about the actual people. So much of who a character is grows from their interactions and conversations with those around them, especially when relationships are as important as they are in the lives of these people.
There were many times when I would start to grow excited about something that was going on. I would be waiting for more detail to come along and then the plot would jump ahead a couple months or a year or so. I would continually think, "but I want to know more!" The lack of detail and dialogue prevented the characters from having much dimension. And they had so much potential. I believe that because I never desired to just give up on the book. I still wanted to find out what happened with everyone.
So, overall, it was a quick read, but it definitely left me wanting more from the book. I found a lot of what was there to be superficial, and I think that's because it just seems to magically happen. Very little of the development leading up to actions is present making it harder to believe it's genuine.
March 5, 2021
This, really, was two books: a romance featuring a grand European tour, and then a somewhat rushed historical fiction. The first portion of the story was fine, not my cup of tea personally but a good, flowing narrative all the same. The second portion was poorly paced and, frankly, poorly written- I almost couldn't believe this whole book was written by a single author. There was almost no discussion of why the Civil War broke out, just a few "big" events mentioned in passing; there were literally two lines featuring slaves/freedmen; there were huge jumps in time and location which weren't expressed clearly most of the time.
February 18, 2020
Wonderful
This account of life before, during and after the Civil war is an amazing revelation of the real time emotional and physical suffering of the people in and around Macon How do you move it space without deliver deleting letters,GA.
This account of life before, during and after the Civil war is an amazing revelation of the real time emotional and physical suffering of the people in and around Macon How do you move it space without deliver deleting letters,GA.
February 7, 2011
This was an interesting book that followed one family through a very turbulent time in history. You see not only their personal struggles with relationships, health, faith, finances, and all the things everyone has to deal with - but also the larger struggles that the war between north and south brought to the table.
I've always felt that one of the best ways to learn about history is through the eyes of those that lived it - and not just "factual" documents. I'm not one that supports the views the south had, but this book doesn't attempt to preach the politics of the war - only to tell the story of one family who lived through it and what they felt - and how they lived.
This was a book based on a real family and I think I walked away feeling as if I knew them - and respected them. I may not have agreed with them about everything they stood for, but I think we could have found enough common ground to enjoy mutual respect.
In the end, I think whenever I think about the Civil war from now on I know this family will enter my thoughts.
I've always felt that one of the best ways to learn about history is through the eyes of those that lived it - and not just "factual" documents. I'm not one that supports the views the south had, but this book doesn't attempt to preach the politics of the war - only to tell the story of one family who lived through it and what they felt - and how they lived.
This was a book based on a real family and I think I walked away feeling as if I knew them - and respected them. I may not have agreed with them about everything they stood for, but I think we could have found enough common ground to enjoy mutual respect.
In the end, I think whenever I think about the Civil war from now on I know this family will enter my thoughts.
October 15, 2014
It was okay. As other reviewers mentioned, Anne is rather whiny and self-centered. Maybe that's what the author was going for: depict how to Southern women felt they were the ones that suffered because of the war. I might buy that, except that so many of Anne's sisters/friends were able to be compassionate human-beings.
Not all stories based during the Civil War have to include the detailed horrors of slavery, so that wasn't my problem. I just found Anne to be superficial and annoying, which only works if the surrounding characters (including locations) are fleshed out to make up for her.
I'm not expressing myself very well; this book just left me "meh".
Not all stories based during the Civil War have to include the detailed horrors of slavery, so that wasn't my problem. I just found Anne to be superficial and annoying, which only works if the surrounding characters (including locations) are fleshed out to make up for her.
I'm not expressing myself very well; this book just left me "meh".
June 17, 2017
Sunrise brings to life the love of William and Anne Tracy Johnston, residents of Macon, Georgia, who married in 1849. Though there was a huge difference in their ages, these Maconites grew to love and cherish each other, as family tragedies and the Civil War changed the course of their lives.
During their marriage, the Johnstons built the "Palace of the South", which is known as the Johnston-Felton-Hay House. As I travel by the Hay House in Macon, Sunrise has forever changed the way I view this beautiful home.
(This novel also follows the life of another famous Maconite, Sydney Lanier from childhood until his death.)
During their marriage, the Johnstons built the "Palace of the South", which is known as the Johnston-Felton-Hay House. As I travel by the Hay House in Macon, Sunrise has forever changed the way I view this beautiful home.
(This novel also follows the life of another famous Maconite, Sydney Lanier from childhood until his death.)
February 24, 2011
I really enjoyed reading this as I've become newly interested in historical fiction. It was an easy read, but not in such a way that I felt it was immaturely written. There were still complexities to it that made it easy and pleasurable, but not dumbed down. I had a hard time keeping the characters straight sometimes, but maybe I shouldn't kept a little log as I was reading it. I also had a hard time grasping the amount of tragedy, but that's not a disgrace on the book, that's more a mark of my own character. Overall, I enjoyed it and I'm a little sad to see it end.
March 19, 2011
Free Kindle book. Based on the journals and letters of real citizens of Macon, GA, in the third quarter of the nineteenth century, this could have been a really interesting book. It fell short, however, and read more as a bulletized list of marriages, births, and funerals than a novel. There were interesting passages including newlyweds Anne Tracy and William Butler Johnston on The Grand Tour and witnessing the Civil War from the Confederate perspective. Needed to be either longer to flesh out the decades-long story or more focused to better examine one facet of the tale.
July 27, 2011
I really enjoyed reading this book. The author took me to places I've dreamed of seeing. And I felt like I was there with William and Anne. When William and Anne come home to build there home, they didn't know they were headed for trouble. The trouble being The Civil War. All of Anne's brothers and friends march off to serve and Anne is worried about them. William is in the financing business and is chosen to help Georgia to build up their reserves of gold. All the heartache, love and family is in this book. If you like to read about the Civil War, this is a wonderful book to read.
January 2, 2012
This book takes place during one of the darkest periods of our nation’s history. I really had a difficult time sympathizing with the main character. She was downright obnoxious at the beginning of the story and her about-face didn’t quite come across as believable to me. Her life was so very privileged, it was difficult to take her seriously. It’s difficult to feel sorry for someone who busies themselves decorating a mansion while so many around her were suffering terribly. I could go on, but you catch my drift.
March 3, 2012
This is a fictional rendering of actual people of Macon, Georgia, during the 1860's. Sidney Lanier, the poet and musician plays special prominence in the story. I felt that the writing was juvenile at times, but I imagine that the author was employing the social mores of that era. The story exposed the heartaches of early deaths and troubled times. The house Ann Clark Tracy and her husband William Butler Johnston, the main characters, may be toured in Macon, Georgia.
January 17, 2011
I enjoyed this book more than I thought I would. It is a look into a prominent Georgia family just before and during the Civil War. I found it interesting to read about the communities and streets that are still a part of Georgia. The novel is innocent, but it maintains an emotional impact throughout. I look forward to the sequel.
February 2, 2011
This book by Jacquelyn Cook was a very interesting and solid read. Enjoyed the characters and the plot. The plot was a historical Civil War events as they work out in the life of a large family and friends. It is totally believable and the characters become familiar friends. A very good job.
J. Robert Ewbank author "John Wesley, Natural Man, and the 'Isms'".
J. Robert Ewbank author "John Wesley, Natural Man, and the 'Isms'".
February 19, 2011
This is a free Kindle-book. I gave it a low rating because it is Christian Fiction which gets very Preachy at about 40% of the way through. It is a period romance set pre civil-war era America and Europe.
I am sure that it will apeal to folks who are fans of that genre, but if you don't like Christian romances you will not like this book.
I am sure that it will apeal to folks who are fans of that genre, but if you don't like Christian romances you will not like this book.
February 18, 2011
Would give 4 1/2 stars if I could. This book is a well written Civil War, Christian fiction. It covers the lives of a family during the Civil War and how it effects their relationships. This book was hard to put down.
September 4, 2011
Not the sort of novel I would normally read, but this saga was a fictionalised account of a real family in Georgia who lived through the American civil war. This gave it interest which, together with the quality of the writing, made it a good read.
July 16, 2014
Felt like the authors were trying to race through a list of events, checking them off as they went. Characters were somewhat uninteresting with only one or two exceptions. I love historical fiction but this one fell flat.
February 10, 2016
Cute little love story.
February 19, 2011
What a heavy-handed mess. The writing is dead and the characters flat. It feels like the author made an outline, and then never went back and added the details to make it a story.
February 22, 2011
This book was incredibly boring. The main character was annoying and I just didn't like her. It read almost like a timeline from the family's history.
July 5, 2011
Interesting. This was a true story (or at least as true as the author could patch together from letters and physical evidence 100 + years later). Now I want to go see the house.
February 17, 2014
Enjoyed that it was written about a family's life which included the civil war. Someday I will have to go to Macon GA to see the house they lived in.
July 21, 2016
I was given an ARC in exchange for my honest opinion. This book cover is on my Pinterest board and my blog, Michelle Dragalin’s Journey.
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June 24, 2008Great Civil War historical
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March 27, 2017This book by a Georgia author is very interesting. The subject: the live of Anne Johnston and the building of the wonderful Hay House that is now an iconic part of the Macon skyline. It was well written using dairies and papers of the principal people along with recollections and stories passed down by the families. I'm looking for more by Jacquelyn Cook on my next library visit.
Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews