Paper Woman received three good reviews this week. Mary
Axford and Rhonda Lane published reviews on the Dorothy-L discussion list. And
last night I received a preview of Janette King’s review of Paper Woman in the
Historical Novels Review, a quarterly for the Historical Novel Society. Since
none of these reviews is accessible via an online link, due to space
limitations, I’ll only print Janette King’s review:

Set during the American Revolution, Paper Woman follows
Sophie Barton’s attempts to learn the truth behind the murders of her rebel
father and two other men. But if
running the printing press at her father’s newspaper in Alton, Georgia, isn’t
already an inappropriate occupation for a lady, joining a group of concerned
locals (including a notorious Frenchman, her womanizing brother, her former
lover, and two Indians) on a cross-country journey should earn Sophie quite a
reputation! A clever and resourceful woman,
she quickly proves herself a capable associate. But even with the combined
abilities of her team of friends, there is still much to fear from the redcoats
behind them on the trail.

Suzanne Adair has provided a compelling array of characters,
in particular the roguish adventurer Jacques le Coeuvre. Sophie herself isn’t exactly a
run-of-the-mill heroine, having chocked up quite a past before we meet
her. And she’s soon to be a
grandmother. Before Sophie embarks on
her adventure, a difficult decision concerning her future is put before her.

Adair’s interests in historical re-enactment serve her well
in creating details necessary to bring the period to life. Paper Woman is an entertaining and
well-paced novel, and Sophie Barton proves to be far more substantial than the
title might suggest. I look forward to
the upcoming sequel.

Thank you, Janette, Mary, and Rhonda, for the reviews.

Was my protagonist Sophie’s occupation as a printer
inappropriate for women during the Revolutionary War? Have a look at my blog
entry 14 November 2006, "Busting Myths: Women and Freedom During the Revolutionary War." I’m looking forward to my panel 9 June 2007 at the
Historical Novel Society’s conference in Albany, NY. The panel is entitled,
"Rewriting the Role of Women."

Next up: a workshop on researching historical fiction
for the Lowcountry chapter of the Romance Writers of America in Summerville,
SC, Saturday 17 February 2007.