Terracotta Summer
This book is now out of print.
Terracotta Summer takes the O'Shea family from the security of family life
in Manchester, England, and, like the seeds of a dandelion blowing in the
wind, disperses them to Scotland, Northern Ireland and across the Atlantic
Ocean. The title, Terracotta, symbolizes both the warm stability of clay
pots, and the tenacious instincts of the vibrant Terracotta Rock Rose.
Feisty and beautiful young Ruth O'Shea, a strong-willed survivor, leaves Britain in the hope of turning her life around. The rest of the O'Sheas, including adult nephews, Ken and Patrick, have no idea as to Ruth's whereabouts. They have troubles of their own. Patrick decides not to emigrate to Northern Ireland with his family and begins a downward path that takes him out of his depth. Meanwhile, up in Scotland, his brother Ken faces conflict and trials on a scale he'd never imagined.
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Endorsements
"This is a fun and exciting read. A fast-paced LDS page-turner."
~ Richard H. Cracroft.
Professor of English
Brigham Young University.
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"It's delightful to find a truly unique fiction work set in the LDS Church's not so distant past. Using her British background for authenticity, Anne Bradshaw has created characters that come to life. I particularly enjoyed the experiences of the labor missionaries, a group that is rarely written about. And I enjoyed reading about the LDS teen who unintentionally gets caught up in the IRA intrigue.
With multiple plots that connect and interweave, it's a book that you have to keep reading."
~ Janet Thomas, Assistant Managing Editor - The New Era
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"When I think of LDS historical fiction, I naturally think of pioneer stories. Or stories of the Restoration and the subsequent persecutions. Or anything else leading up to and including the exodus to Utah. I don't think of LDS historical fiction as set in the United Kingdom in 1963. Yet this is the setting of Anne Bradshaw's novel, Terracotta Summer. And this alone makes it an intriguing book to pick up.
Bradshaw writes descriptive prose skillfully . . . her descriptions are brief, vivid, and welcome.
The storytelling here is far superior to many other books that I've read on the LDS market. The story as a whole is interesting and well-told. Terracotta Summer is, truly, a breath of 'freshly peeled air.' I'll be looking for the sequel, Chamomile Winter."
~Katie Parker, Irreantum, Summer 2001
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"Bradshaw's novels, fast-moving Terracotta Summer, and its sequel,
Chamomile Winter, are entertaining and thought provoking. They are
the first LDS novels to include labor missionaries. Dating was allowed for
elders carrying out the physical building of chapels throughout the United
Kingdom. Readers, both women and men, will become involved as the story
unfolds in 1960s England, Scotland and Northern Ireland. These books use
exciting plots to address human needs, an age-old skill well utilized by the
author to keep the reader's attention right through to the last page."
Bonneville Books, Cedar Fort, Incorporated
Publisher - 925 North Main, Springville, Utah 84663
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