Looking Glass Years

This historical novel spans the last 30 years of the 19th century. Boone Walker, son of a poor Kentucky farmer, moves to Pittsburgh, where he begins to make a fortune in steel. At the same time that Boone rises in the world, Elly Forest escapes the poverty of a Pennsylvania mining town to start a new life in Chicago. Boone and Elly's paths cross several times until they realize that they belong together. Unfortunately most of the trials and tribulations they face are predictable and make it difficult for the reader to become involved in the story. This is a departure for the bestselling romance author (Promise Me the Dawn), and some fans are bound to be disappointed. (November)