Review of Ambitions

[Krista S 2]

[Following is a volunteer review of "Ambitions" by Frank Baillargeon.]

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4 out of 5 stars

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Ambitions: The Life and Love of John and Susannah Morrissey tells the story of John Morrissey and his tenacious climb up the societal ladder in New York in the late 1800’s. John is the son of a poor, Irish immigrant family coming to Troy, New York and he quickly learns the reality of discrimination in a time when “Irish need not apply." As the story progresses, you find yourself rooting for John at every turn despite, or maybe because of, his arrogance and stubborn personality. John is courageous and clever and the other characters, friends and foes alike, are well written and endearing. This book is to be the first installment in a proposed trilogy and as such, focuses primarily on John’s early life with the “Love of John and Susannah Morrissey” sprinkled in rather than being the focus for much of the book. The interactions throughout the book between John and Susannah set the stage nicely for subsequent stories. The author’s writing style is simple and straight forward yet engaging. You can certainly tell the author did his research and was passionate about relaying this tale and his personal connection to the history adds an extra element to the book. This book reads like an adventure story but, naturally romance comes into play as well. The descriptions of the times and places are vivid, and you feel like you are in the thick of it; hopping ships and trolling the streets of New York and San Francisco, on the hunt for success. The author does a great job of depicting the way of life in the late 1800’s. I gave this book a 4/5 because the writing style seemed a bit amateur but overall, the story was fun and has something for everyone. I found myself eager to get back to the story and am looking forward to future installments.

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Ambitions
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