Review of Corrigans' Pool by Dot Ryan

A fourth generation Southern belle manages her family’s plantation while dreaming of marriage that eludes her.

Ella Corrigan has plenty of suitors including Victor Faircloth, her father’s friend and the neighboring plantation owner. Yet, Ella dreams of marrying for love not to expand her family’s holdings.

After her mother suffers a head injury which drives her father to bouts of drunkenness, Ella takes charge of Greenpoole, the family plantation. She manages it well, along with treating their slaves with dignity, caring for her younger sister, and running interference between her father and her grandmother.

Ella has thoughts of being a spinster rather than marry Victor. Then she has an encounter with a stranger on the road from Greenpoole. Thoughts of the stranger plaque Ella until she meets him again. The stranger, Texan Gentry Garland, is a friend of her grandmother. Ella and Gentry have a rough start to their relationship but soon can’t deny they are in love and agree to marry.

One moment all of Ella’s dreams are coming true and the next her world is shattered.

The Civil War breaks out and Gentry suddenly disappears without a word. Ella is devastated and shamed she gave herself to Gentry. To everyone’s surprise, Ella agrees to marry Victor. Moving to Mossy Oaks, Ella’s world continues to crumble as she witnesses her husband’s cruel side and his harsh treatment of his slaves.

Ella endures Victor’s barbaric ways while nursing her hatred for Gentry’s betrayal. She soon learns her family plantation has secrets she never knew that could danger them all. Struggling with her sadness, Ella draws on the Corrigan strength to overcome the tragedies. She must prevail to save those she loves and the land she treasurers. But what will she do when Gentry returns?

You don’t have to be a history buff to enjoy “Corrigans’ Pool.” Author Dot Ryan draws the reader to Southern Georgia just prior to the Civil War and through years of what destruction the war caused. She depicts life in the South, as well as the people of the era. Her descriptions of the area are so vivid that the reader can almost smell the magnolia blossoms.

This book offers historical facts, romance, mystery and a touch of suspense. The only thing that could enhance “Corrigans’ Pool” is to be able to read it while sitting on the veranda sipping ice tea. A “must read” for those who enjoy “Gone With the Wind” and “Jezebel.”

For additional information about Author Dot Ryan and her other works, go online to www.dotryanbooks.com

Corrigans’ Pool by Dot Ryan, iUniverse, @2009, ISBN: 978-0-595-46740-2, Paperback, 424 pages