A transporting historical novel about a promising young inventor, his struggle with loss, and the attractive teacher who changes his life, all set against the razzle-dazzle of the 1893 Chicago World’s Fair.
Gambling everything, including the family farm, Cullen McNamara travels to the 1893 Chicago World’s Fair with his most recent invention. But the noise in the Fair’s Machinery Palace makes it impossible to communicate with potential buyers. In an act of desperation, he hires Della Wentworth, a teacher of the deaf, to tutor him in the art of lip-reading.
The young teacher is reluctant to participate, and Cullen has trouble keeping his mind on his lessons while intently watching her lips. Like the newly invented Ferris Wheel, he is caught in a whirl between his girl back home, his dreams as an inventor, and his unexpected attraction to his new tutor. Can he keep his feet on the ground, or will he be carried away?
MY REVIEW-What a thoroughly entertaining book! It has been a while since I read a book by Deanne Gist and I realized what I had been missing. The story opens with meeting Cullen, a farm boy who also invents products. You learn that even though he is a farmer, the crops and weather irritate his skin so that he can barely open his eyes or breathe. And in reality, all he wants to do is tinker with inventions. So his father surprises him by sending him to the World Fair where he can showcase his automatic sprinkler system. And after much arguing, his adventure begins. Oh, and one other setback for this young man is that he is losing his hearing. Not the best for an inventor.
After arriving and getting setup he attends the opening ceremony with a speech by the president. During the whole chaotic rush, he rescues a young lady who is almost trampled by the crowd. Of course, this is done by hoisting her up on his shoulders with the help of two other men. She is quite a woman and he likes her but then she sends him on a wild goose chase to get rid of him. There comes a time when he realizes that he won't be able to hear well in the building he is in. There are a lot of machines making noise and he can't hear people talking to him. So someone suggests he gets a teacher from the deaf school that is in the fair doing exhibits. He wouldn't think of doing that and sitting in with the kids but eventually he sees the wisdom of being able to read lips. And wouldn't you know it? The best teacher they have just happens to be the young lady he rescued from the crowd!
This is where the fun begins and I totally loved the relationship these two have. She is enthralled with him and he tries to keep from liking her, especially since he has a girl back home. You come to find out that the girl back home is not someone he proposed to, but the people around town just expected them to get together so he did. There is a lot of history included in this book and I liked being able to learn more about the Chicago World's Fair. There are some sad parts and some parts where you will laugh. Overall a good book with plenty of likable characters.
iPAD GIVEAWAY DETAILS!
Deeanne Gist is celebrating the release of It Happened at the Fair with an iPad Mini Giveaway and a Live Author Chat Webcast event {5/22}!
One "fair" winner will receive:
- An iPad Mini
- A $25 iTunes gift card
Enter today by clicking one of the icons below. But hurry, the giveaway ends on May 21st. Winner will be announced at the "It Happened at the Fair" Live Webcast Event on May 22nd. Connect with Deeanne for an evening of book chat, trivia, laughter, and more! Deeanne will also be taking questions from the audience and giving away books and fun gift certificates throughout the evening.
So grab your copy of It Happened at the Fair and join Deeanne and friends on the evening of May 22nd for a chance to connect and make some new friends. (If you haven't read the book, don't let that stop you from coming!)
Don't miss a moment of the fun; RSVP today. Tell your friends via FACEBOOK or TWITTER and increase your chances of winning. Hope to see you on the 22nd!
**DISCLOSURE: I was given a free product in exchange for an honest review. No other compensation was given, and all thoughts are 100% mine. Please read my full disclosure policy HERE.**
1 comment:
This sounds like a great setting.
Ann
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