Tag: Alternate History

‘Tinker’ by Jennifer M. Lane: A Compelling Whiskey Rebellion Historical Romance

Tinker is a story of love and rebellion on the early American frontier. Photo: Paste Creative Book Tours, used with permission.

Book Review: Tinker by Jennifer M. Lane

Part of Paste Creative Book Tours

Photo: Paste Creative Book Tours

Adult Alternate Historical Fiction / Romance A propulsive Whiskey Rebellion tale of defiance, rebellion, love, and divided loyalties on the early American frontier.

The people of western Pennsylvania suffer under a hefty tax on whiskey. When the local militia takes up arms against the hated tax collector, his estranged daughter finds herself caught in the crossfire.

The Story

Set in 1794 Pennsylvania, Caroline Neville is on her way to Pittsburgh to buy more ink when she encounters the burning remains of her father’s effigy along the road, alongside several “liberty poles” bearing Liberty and No Excise signs protesting the whiskey tax.

She arrives at Mr. Jeffrie’s small shop to pick up an ordered book and the ink she needs to write an article for the Gazette. Her ultimate hope? To convince the public that her father, the local tax collector, is not the evil man they make him out to be. The locals are angry at him, and any member of his family, and they are out for blood.

While at the shop, she meets Tench Coyle, a reporter for the Gazette and a member of the militia opposing the tax. Tench has no idea that she is Mr. Neville’s daughter.

Becoming “Tom the Tinker”

When open conflict erupts between the local militia and the government, Caroline takes matters into her own hands. She tries to get her father to present the farmers’ case to the President, but he refuses, stating that he’s only doing his job and doesn’t make the laws.

Desperate to turn the tide before her family gets hurt, Caroline adopts the pseudonym “Tom the Tinker” and pens peaceful pleas for tax repeal in the local Gazette, calling for a peaceful gathering.

Not knowing that she’s Tom the Tinker, or even a Neville, Tench gets the Gazette to print the letters. But as the two fall deeply in love, the harder it becomes for Caroline to tell him her true identity. Soon, her efforts at peace take a dangerous turn toward rebellion, and she faces losing everything she loves. Against all odds, she needs to fix it all before she’s charged with treason.

Review

Tinker is a compelling blend of historical fiction, political intrigue, and romance set against the turbulent backdrop of the Whiskey Rebellion in 1794. Rich in historical detail, the novel brings to life a little-known chapter of early American history while exploring themes of loyalty, justice, and personal courage.

Set against the rugged backdrop of Pittsburgh, Caroline Neville is a memorable heroine, intelligent, determined, and willing to risk everything to prevent violence and protect those she loves. Her double life creates constant tension, especially when she falls for Tench.

As their passionate, high-stakes romance develops, the tension thickens. Their chemistry feels genuine, while the escalating unrest surrounding the whiskey tax keeps the plot moving at a brisk pace. Lane expertly balances a propulsive plot of divided loyalties with a tender, slow-burn love story where secrets threaten everything.

Vivid Prose & Perspective

The narrative is told through Caroline’s first-person point of view, featuring vivid and highly descriptive prose:

“He pulled his hand back and smoothed his shirt, the fine lines around his eyes softening as the shock of being confronted by a woman overtook his decorum.”

Lane deftly captures the gritty defiance of the early American frontier while delivering a deeply emotional character study.

The Verdict

Overall, Tinker by Jennifer M. Lane is a thought-provoking and emotionally satisfying historical novel that offers readers an inspiring story of one woman’s determination to make a difference during a pivotal moment in American history. Fans of historical fiction with strong female protagonists and a touch of romance will find much to enjoy.

“If he ever looked up from the tasks he performed in honor of George Washington hundreds of miles away, he would see how his disloyalty to his family had cost him a daughter.”

Rating: 4.5 out of 5.

Get your copy of Tinker today!

About the Author

Jennifer M. Lane is a Maryland native and Pennsylvanian at heart, currently living in the Philadelphia suburbs. She holds a bachelor’s degree in philosophy with a minor in communications from Barton College and a master’s in liberal arts with a focus on museum studies from the University of Delaware, where she wrote her thesis on the material culture of roadside memorials.

She is an active member of the Authors Guild, the Historical Novel Society, and the Independent Book Publishers Association. Her first book, Of Metal and Earth, won the 2019 Next Generation Indie Book Award for First Novel and was a Finalist in the 2018 IAN Book of the Year Awards (Literary / General Fiction).

When she isn’t writing, she sits on her township’s historical commission, serves as co-chair of the MontCo (PA) Book Fest, and co-organizes several book festivals each year.

Photo: Paste Creative Book Tours

**Thank you to Stephanie Caruso, Paste Creative Book Tours, and Jennifer M. Lane for the gifted copy for review consideration. I haven’t been compensated for this review and all views and opinions expressed are my own.

Book review: ‘The Peacekeeper’ by B.L. Blanchard

‘The Peacekeeper’ is the newest novel by B.L. Blanchard. Photo: Amazon

B.L. Blanchard is a graduate of the UC Davis creative writing honors program and was a writing fellow at Boston University School of Law. She is a lawyer and enrolled member of the Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians. She is originally from the Upper Peninsula of Michigan but has lived in California for so long that she can no longer handle cold weather. Her new novel “The Peacekeeper: A Novel” is set against the backdrop of a never-colonized North America, where a broken Ojibwe detective embarks on an emotional and twisting journey toward solving two murders, rediscovering family, and finding himself. (Amazon, 2023)

“The Peacekeeper” – North America was never colonized. The United States and Canada do not exist. The Great Lakes are surrounded by an independent Ojibwe nation and in the village of Baawitigong, a Peacekeeper confronts his devastating past. Twenty years ago to the day, Chibenashi’s mother was murdered and his father confessed. Ever since, caring for his still-traumatized younger sister has been Chibenashi’s privilege and penance. The story begins as another woman is slain on the same night of the Manoomin harvest. She is his mother’s best friend and this connection takes Chibenashi far from the only world he has ever known – to the big city of Shikaakwa. The city is home to the victim’s estranged family – two people Chibenashi never wanted to see again: his imprisoned father and the lover who broke his heart. As the questions mount, the answers will change his and his sister’s lives forever because Chibenashi is about to discover that everything about their lives has been a lie.

Regardless of location and time, there will always be family drama; such is the human condition. This story takes place in an alternate reality where North America was never colonized, the Native people live and thrive there, and Europeans are only visitors. Yet it is far from a perfect society because there is still division of the classes via a caste system and the working class is shunned. Such is the world where Chibenashi lives and as a Peacekeeper, he is tasked with investigating the small town’s newest homicide. Due to extensive character development, most characters, with the exception of Ashwiyaa (Chibenashi’s sister), who comes off as distant, cold, and childish despite being an adult, are relatable and likeable. The language is at times poetic “The watery purple light of early dawn seeped into the room” and helps move the action along at a steady pace. Some of the characters’ names are difficult to get through but that is the uniqueness of the culture. It is interesting to read about how when someone dies, his/her personal belongings are taken to “the recyclers or redistributed to the community” and about a justice system that is restorative instead of punitive. It has just enough plot twists to keep the story from becoming too predictable. “The Peacekeeper” is an excellent crime novel set in an alternate modern society where a murder mystery threatens to tear a family apart. It is recommended for fans of Native American story lines and alternate universes.

“He had slight paranoia that it [a tall skyscraper] would fall down. It reminded him of the way many of the tourists in Baawitigong would express fear that the tall trees in the woods would fall on them, which Chibenashi had always found ridiculous.”

*The author received a copy of this book for an honest review. The views and opinions expressed here belong solely to her.

Rating: 4 out of 5.