Review of Cleve

[Bertha Jackson]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Cleve" by Gaylier Miller.]

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4 out of 4 stars

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Cleve by Gaylier Miller is Book 2 in the Interwoven series. It is a historical fiction that begins in 1884 when 21-year-old Cleve McMillan runs away to avoid the future his brother, Ardis, has planned for him. Cleve did not desire to work in his brother's sawmill because he wanted to attend college in Auburn. Cleve's mother, Olivia, died ten months after he was born, and his father, Thaddeus, died when he was eight years old. Ardis and his wife, Florinda, raised him from that point on. Ardis could never tell Cleve their family's history because Olivia and Thaddeus had kept it a secret. On the train to Auburn, Cleve meets Annabella Campbell. They exchange addresses and promise to write to each other. In Auburn, Cleve pays $9.00 a month for room and board at Mrs. Edwards' Boarding House and obtains employment at the local newspaper. Cleve writes to Annabella, but it takes several months before she answers. Read on to discover if Cleve reunites with his brother and why it took so long for Annabella to answer his letter.

I appreciate that Gaylier Miller provides an overview of the first book, which familiarized me with some of the characters mentioned in this one. The characters are realistic for the late 1800s when men were always gentlemen and were careful of a woman's reputation. I could empathize with Cleve's desire to learn about his family's history and why his parents had hidden it from him and Ardis. The Florida Chautauqua flyer made the story realistic. I found it unique that Gaylier Miller double-spaced the first paragraph in each chapter. I also appreciated that all correspondence and newspaper articles were in italics to separate them from the rest of the text. Some of the descriptive text was humorous to read. For example, Cleve described a lizard as "glowed green as a crab apple dripping with fresh dew." There is a Bibliography at the end of the book if you want to learn more about this era's cultural clashes between the different races.

This story is told from the third-person perspective and has an action-packed, moderate-paced, and smooth-flowing plot. The few errors in this book did not distract from my reading enjoyment. The racism and discrimination in the book were realistic for the era. I did not find anything I disliked about this book.

This professionally edited book deserves nothing less than 4 out of 4 stars. No profanity or sexual content distracted my enjoyment in reading this book. There is nothing within this book that would justify a lower rating.

If you are interested in reading about the cultural history of the late 1800s, this historical fiction book is for you. This book has a small amount of religious content because the characters have faith in God and pray for guidance. If religious, racist, and discriminatory content offend you, you may want to skip this book.

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Cleve
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[Savina Visintin]

Your review gives me a clear perception of what this book is about. Your summary is clear, and you explained very well what a reader should expect from it. Thank you!

[Ogunkoya Mayowa]

This is a historical fiction that talks about the story of Cleve, how he run away from the future his brother, Ardis planned for him. The story also talks about how his brother could not tell him their family story because their parent hide it from them and also how Cleve meet Annabella. The book's characters are realistic and it contains smooth flowing plot. I am glad you enjoyed reading the book. Nice review.

[Online Concept]

The fact that Cleve couldn't face his brother and tell him of his own plans concerning his future made me wonder what kind of relationship he had with his brother. I am also interested in their family's little secret.

[Chinenye Achilike]

My curiosity has been piqued. I'm anxious to find out what secret Olivia and Thaddeus kept from Cleve.