Whirligig: Keeping the Promise
by Richard Buxton
Publication Date: April 22, 2017
Ocoee Publishing
eBook & Paperback; 496 Pages
Series: Shire’s Union, Book One
Genre: Fiction/Historical
The first novel from multi-award winning short-story writer Richard Buxton, Whirligig is at once an outsider’s odyssey through the battle for Tennessee, a touching story of impossible love, and a portrait of America at war with itself. Self-interest and conflict, betrayal and passion, all fuse into a fateful climax.
Shire leaves his home and his life in Victorian England for the sake of a childhood promise, a promise that will pull him into the bleeding heart of the American Civil War and through the bloody battlefields of the West, where he will discover a second home for his loyalty.
Clara believes she has escaped from a predictable future of obligation and privilege, but her new life in the Appalachian Hills of Tennessee is decaying around her. In the mansion of Comrie, long hidden secrets are being slowly exhumed by a war that comes ever closer.
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My Review: This book is absolutely superb. As a lover of history, my shelves are filled with books set in the Tudor Era, Ancient Rome, Ancient Greece and so on. Books set in the Civil War are rather non-existent, however, so I was really looking forward to diving into the setting of Whirligig. (Also, the main character’s name is Shire. I would have read the book on that, alone. Shire…don’t you just want to meet him, now?)
First, I need to point out that this isn’t a “war” story. This is most definitely a story about Shire and his childhood friend Clara, both from England. After Clara marries, her new husband moves her to Tennessee, right as the Civil War is raging. Shire, in an effort to keep a childhood promise that he made to Clara, leaves England for the United States. His hope is to travel to Tennessee via the Union Army. This is what Whirligig is about. About one man’s determination to keep a promise. About incredibly relatable, flawed and human characters. About breathtaking, raw situations and circumstances. It is fact and fiction woven together perfectly, leaving the reader with an utterly brilliant novel.
Bottom Line: I am thrilled that Whirligig is going to be a trilogy, because I need more.
About the Author
Richard lives with his family in the South Downs, Sussex, England. He completed an MA in Creative Writing at Chichester University in 2014. He has an abiding relationship with America, having studied at Syracuse University, New York State, in the late eighties. His short stories have won the Exeter Story Prize, the Bedford International Writing Competition and the Nivalis Short Story Award. Whirligig is his first novel and the opening book of Shire’s Union trilogy. Current projects include the second book, The Copper Road, as well as preparing to publish a collection of short stories.
To learn more about Richard’s writing visit https://www.richardbuxton.net. You can also follow Richard on Facebook and Twitter.
Blog Tour Schedule
Tuesday, July 11
Feature at A Bookaholic Swede
Wednesday, July 12
Interview at Let Them Read Books
Friday, July 14
Feature at Passages to the Past
Monday, July 17
Review at Pursuing Stacie
Tuesday, July 18
Feature at CelticLady’s Reviews
Thursday, July 20
Review at Historical Fiction Obsession
Feature at What Is That Book About
Friday, July 21
Interview at The Book Junkie Reads
Tuesday, July 25
Feature at A Literary Vacation
Thursday, July 27
Review at Back Porchervations
Friday, July 28
Review at Book Nerd
Thursday, August 3
Feature at Just One More Chapter
Monday, August 7
Review at Svetlana’s Reads and Views
Giveaway
During the Blog Tour we will be giving away one paperback & one eBook of WHIRLIGIG! To enter, please enter via the Gleam form below.
Giveaway Rules
– Giveaway ends at 11:59pm EST on August 7th. You must be 18 or older to enter.
– Giveaway is open INTERNATIONALLY.
– Only one entry per household.
– All giveaway entrants agree to be honest and not cheat the systems; any suspect of fraud is decided upon by blog/site owner and the sponsor, and entrants may be disqualified at our discretion.
– Winner has 48 hours to claim prize or new winner is chosen.
What a fabulous review, Stacie! I am thrilled that you enjoyed WHIRLIGIG so much. We really appreciate you hosting Richard’s Blog Tour and sharing it with your lovely readers. Good luck to all who enter the giveaway!
Amy
HF Virtual Book Tours
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