3 out of 4 stars
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Yesterday, by Samyann, is a beautiful novel about love, loss and fate. The story begins in dramatic fashion as lovely young Amanda Parker saves the life of Mark Callahan, a handsome Chicago police officer. Amanda and Mark have an immediate, deep, and often unsettling connection to one another. Amanda’s complicated past caused deep mental scarring which makes her weary of any new relationships. While Mark tries hard to gain her trust and get closer; Amanda does her best to resist him.
The story is seamlessly woven through time and place and moves the reader easily from present day Chicago to Civil War era South Carolina. Bonnie, a plucky little girl in South Carolina is introduced in the same dramatic fashion as Amanda and Mark. Bonnie’s family is fleeing South Carolina to escape the encroaching dangers of the war. Bonnie, and her protective cousin Jack, undergo tremendous hardships and heartbreaks as they work to build a new life in the north. Both stories intermingle and play beautifully off of one another throughout the novel.
As a lover of historical fiction I greatly appreciate the many connections made between past and present. The author, Samyann, gives equal importance and time to both story lines. She is dutifully accurate and pedagogical in the historical sections. Her research notes are also lots of fun.
The story is quite engrossing, keeping the reader waiting anxiously to find out what happens next. I very much enjoyed the rich descriptions of the characters’ physical settings. Samyann has a wonderful talent of making the reader feel that they are actually watching the events unfold, rather than merely reading about them. Her descriptions of Chicago are especially gratifying.
While I was quite interested in the story; I found myself wanting to know more about a few of the characters, especially Amanda. The reader knows the necessary information about the characters. It’s enough to empathize with them and understand the story. However, many of them feel one dimensional so I was left wanting to know more. I was also a bit put off by the corny jokes scattered throughout the book. They do nothing to help the characters and distract some from the story. Although enticing, the pacing of the book bothered me a bit. There were times when the story felt drawn out and repetitive but other areas that felt cut short and lacking detail and depth.
Overall, Yesterday is endearing and fun, earning a rating of 3 out of 4. While the pacing issues and shallow character development were problems for me; they were not too serious and I did find many things that I enjoyed. The dual story lines, detailed descriptions of settings, and the need to know what happens next kept me happy throughout. Those who enjoy historical fiction or historical romance will find much to love in this quick and easy read.
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Yesterday
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