Margaret Muir

This is a story of a young girl named Amy Dodd living in England in the late 1800s. Amy had disillusion of grandeur about who and what her absentee father was, and when she found out the truth about the man, it nearly destroyed her. Luckily, she had the strength to change her situation and by the end of the story, you feel quite happy that her reality wasn't exactly her reality. On the negative side, I found the descriptions of the landscapes and scenes a bit wordy for my taste, and I caught myself skipping over a large amount of paragraphs just to get back to the story. I tend to be on the impatient side, so that's not a criticism of Ms. Muir's writing in the least, only of my personality. On the positive side, it was a really, really good story with a great plot twist. I read the book in one sitting and would recommend it to anyone as a rainy-day read. You'll find yourself rooting for poor Amy and cheering at the end.… (mere)

The story of Sea Dust is an adventure and a voyage. Set in the mid-1800s in England, Emma is stuck in a life she can no longer tolerate. Her son is now a teenager and setting out on his own. Her husband is an abuser. She wants a new life. Her journey takes her aboard an Australia-bound ship where she is often treated as poorly by members of the crew as she was by her husband. Be warned - there is some grit in this book that may shock the faint of heart.

I'm always amazed when an author can write a whole book that takes place in one tiny venue, and Ms. Muir nailed it. There were some surprises at the end that shake up the story line, but they felt rushed. I think the ending could have been its own book, and perhaps, became a series about Emma Quinlan. She is certainly interesting enough to warrant her own set of books.… (mere)