Review of The Modest Samaritan
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[i][Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "The Modest Samaritan" by Geoff Boxer.][/i] [rwc=id251110-125]3 out of 4 stars.[/rwc]The Modest Samaritan is a novel by Geoff Boxer set in London beginning in 1839. The diverse characters in the book evidence the dramatic differences between the social classes in London at that time. Ronald Mustard is the owner of a ship’s chandler business in London. It is a successful business and Mr. Mustard enjoys an affluent lifestyle. At this time, London is experiencing a high level of unemployment and the streets are filled with homeless and starving people. Mr. Mustard runs into a family of starving homeless people one day and decides to help them by buying them dinner. He is sympathetic to their plight and tries to help them. Eventually he finds employment for the mother of the family, Dottie, as a cook in the home of his fiancé.
Mr. Mustard is an ambitious man. He wants to expand his current business in recognition of the new homes and businesses that are being built in London at this time. He has the idea to create a new business that would provide all necessary building supplies under one roof. In this way, builders could stop at one store to purchase everything they need for a building project. This will simplify the process for builders. The only concern Mr. Mustard has is raising the capital needed to start the business. He decides to partner with Dominic Dark, a successful brothel owner in London. Mr. Dark sees the potential for the proposed business and agrees to be a silent partner. However, he has a shady past and this partnership may introduce Mr. Mustard to the dark side of London.
This book was a fascinating look at London society during that time in history. The poor and starving people living in the streets are looked down upon by the other classes. While some people want to help them, others look upon them as a burden on society. In addition, there is a stark difference between the working class and the higher classes. For example, it creates gossip when one of the characters is seen walking in the park with his cook. Since she is viewed as nothing more than a servant, people are critical of any association publicly.
I enjoyed reading this book. I enjoyed the characters and the dialogue they exchange with one another. That was my favorite part of the book. Through the accent and mannerisms described by the author, readers can easily determine a character’s associated class in society. My favorite character was Dottie. She was living on the streets trying to survive. She was determined to improve her situation through hard work. She is an intelligent and strong woman who found herself in a bad situation. What I liked least about the book was the large number of errors. There were formatting errors, spelling errors and punctuation errors. The large number of errors were distracting at times. However, the story was compelling, and the characters were very realistic.
I recommend this book to readers who enjoy historical fiction and strong female characters. I give this book a rating of 3 out of 4 stars because of the large number of errors I encountered. With additional editing, I would give this book a perfect score. There is very little profanity in this book. However, there are sexual situations and instances of lesbian relationships. So, I would caution readers who are sensitive to those subjects. ****** [i]The Modest Samaritan [/i] View: [url=http://forums.onlinebookclub.org/shelves/book.php?id=251110]on Bookshelves[/url] | on Amazon
Mr. Mustard is an ambitious man. He wants to expand his current business in recognition of the new homes and businesses that are being built in London at this time. He has the idea to create a new business that would provide all necessary building supplies under one roof. In this way, builders could stop at one store to purchase everything they need for a building project. This will simplify the process for builders. The only concern Mr. Mustard has is raising the capital needed to start the business. He decides to partner with Dominic Dark, a successful brothel owner in London. Mr. Dark sees the potential for the proposed business and agrees to be a silent partner. However, he has a shady past and this partnership may introduce Mr. Mustard to the dark side of London.
This book was a fascinating look at London society during that time in history. The poor and starving people living in the streets are looked down upon by the other classes. While some people want to help them, others look upon them as a burden on society. In addition, there is a stark difference between the working class and the higher classes. For example, it creates gossip when one of the characters is seen walking in the park with his cook. Since she is viewed as nothing more than a servant, people are critical of any association publicly.
I enjoyed reading this book. I enjoyed the characters and the dialogue they exchange with one another. That was my favorite part of the book. Through the accent and mannerisms described by the author, readers can easily determine a character’s associated class in society. My favorite character was Dottie. She was living on the streets trying to survive. She was determined to improve her situation through hard work. She is an intelligent and strong woman who found herself in a bad situation. What I liked least about the book was the large number of errors. There were formatting errors, spelling errors and punctuation errors. The large number of errors were distracting at times. However, the story was compelling, and the characters were very realistic.
I recommend this book to readers who enjoy historical fiction and strong female characters. I give this book a rating of 3 out of 4 stars because of the large number of errors I encountered. With additional editing, I would give this book a perfect score. There is very little profanity in this book. However, there are sexual situations and instances of lesbian relationships. So, I would caution readers who are sensitive to those subjects. ****** [i]The Modest Samaritan [/i] View: [url=http://forums.onlinebookclub.org/shelves/book.php?id=251110]on Bookshelves[/url] | on Amazon
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