Official Review: Graced 1943 by Courtney Williamson Milford

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e-tasana-williams
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Official Review: Graced 1943 by Courtney Williamson Milford

Post by e-tasana-williams »

[Following is the official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Graced 1943" by Courtney Williamson Milford.]
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3 out of 4 stars
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Locators, Shimmeras, Faceters, Seers, Knowers and Illusionists can all be found at Gracestone. The opulent Miami waterfront estate is home to the Grace family and their guests in Graced 1943 by Courtney Milford. The Graces aren't your average filthy rich family. They have skeletons in their closets and they cheat on their spouses, but they have something other wealthy families don't have. They have gifts (Graces) that allow them to locate people by their heartbeats, to shape-shift, to see all sides of any issue, to know all things, and to make people see things that are not there.

It's 1943 and the US is deep into World War II. Because of their gifts, Graced people move carefully through the outside world and guard their abilities from others who would use them as means to nefarious ends. They often must fend off the schemes of national governments, the mob and regular citizens who know of their powers.

The story begins with Annelisa Grace Betterman, a Locator, looking for her infant son who has been kidnapped from the hospital shortly after being delivered. Her sister Eleanor, a Securer and Multiplier, awaits her and the boy at a safehouse in St. Augustine, but is surprised to see her arrive with a strange caretaker. Meanwhile Annelisa's husband Humboldt, a Knower, is working with Oppenheimer's Manhattan Project in Los Alamos developing the first atomic bomb. From there the novel takes the reader on a journey filled with espionage, rescue missions, family drama and time travel. The historical fiction tale takes readers to locales in the Caribbean, Europe and North and South America.

Aside from the general WWII backdrop, historical elements in the novel include the family's relationships with Franklin Roosevelt and Albert Einstein, the siege of Leningrad, and the historical backgrounds of Miami and New Orleans.

Graced 1943 is reminiscent of the popular Twilight series wit the Graces being an immeasurably wealthy family with nearly unlimited resources and few vulnerabilities. Although the Graces are not immortal, their extensive family roots reach far back in time and spread across the world.

I like this novel. Other readers who also enjoy the mix of fantasy woven together with history will like this book. It is fun to read what WWII may have been like if a Grace family actually existed. Readers who prefer stories with a small number of well-developed characters may not enjoy Graced 1943. Ms. Milford creates an abundant cast of characters in this novel. At times it is difficult to recall how any given person relates to the others.

The book needs editing; at times the grammatical errors were distracting. I rate this book 3 out of 4 stars.

******
Graced 1943
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Post by lane_vespertine »

Oh fun! Sounds like an interesting book. You know, minus the grammatical errors and stuff ;)
Good job on the review!
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Post by AA1495 »

Wish it was edited better. Thank you for the review!
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Post by e-tasana-williams »

lane_vespertine wrote:Oh fun! Sounds like an interesting book. You know, minus the grammatical errors and stuff ;)
Good job on the review!
Thanks for your response! :)

-- October 15th, 2016, 3:25 pm --
AA1495 wrote:Wish it was edited better. Thank you for the review!
Me too! Thank you for your response. :)
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Post by swgorrell+ »

Thanks for your informative review. You've made me want to read it!!
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Post by kimmyschemy06 »

Sounds like a very interesting book. I like books about people with special abilities and the setting being 1943 adds to the charm. Good job on the review.
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Post by Kia »

Oh wow, that certainly is an interesting concept for a book. I usually like historical fiction, though this one might be a little too "out there" for my liking. Great job on the review!
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Post by gali »

You got me with "Locators, Shimmeras, Faceters, Seers, Knowers, and Illusionists"! I love books that combined actual history, fantasy, and supernatural abilities. I also loved the Twilight series, so this sounds right up my alley. Hopefully, the book was edited by now! Thank you for the review!
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Post by GCamer »

Historical elements and characters graced with supernatural power sounds like a great read. The many characters might be difficult to follow but I guess it is not that necessary to remember everyone. Thanks for your intensive review.
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Post by jwalker73 »

Not my type of book as I think I would get a bit confused trying to keep up with all the different characters, as well as their abilities. Shame about the editing. Thanks for the review.
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Post by nzubejosh »

Its so nice to hear stories about what happened in the past, especially in 1943.
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Post by Scerakor »

I've been loving some of the historical fiction that I've come across, especially WWII era historical fiction, these days. I've grabbed my copy and am looking forward to checking it out.
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Post by AA1495 »

I'm glad that you liked the book, despite the grammatical errors. Thank You for the honest and well written review.
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Post by kandscreeley »

This sounds really interesting. It's like sci fi historical fiction. I love that it is set in an earlier era but that the family has gifts. This sounds like something I would enjoy. Great review!
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Post by rusyalana »

The book sounds interesting. The mixture of supernatural abilities and shapeshifting of the Grave family with the historical period of WW2 is really exciting. I bought my copy and will try to read the book. Thanks for the review.
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