• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

On the Shelf

Header Right

  • Library Home
  • My Account
  • How Do I?
  • Contact Us
  • Get a Library Card!

Header Right Social

FacebookInstagramYoutubeMeetupOn the Shelf Blog

Header Right Search

  • Read, Listen, Watch
    • Search the Catalog
    • eBooks and Audiobooks
    • Streaming Movies and Music
    • eMagazines
    • Search MD Libraries
    • Check Out a Hotspot
    • Check Out a Ukulele
    • Suggest a Title for Purchase
    • Recommended Reading
    • On the Shelf
    • Local Newspaper Archive
  • Library Services
    • Get a Library Card
    • Using Your Library Card
    • SMART Card
    • Curbside Pickup
    • Computers and Printing
    • 3D Printing
    • Meeting and Study Rooms
    • Makerspace at Leonardtown Library
    • Donate to the Library
    • Exam Proctoring
    • Notary Service
    • Tell Us Your Library Story
  • Research and Learn
    • All Online Resources
    • Genealogy and Local History
    • Language Learning
    • LinkedIn Learning
    • Cisco Networking Academy
    • Job Seeker’s Toolkit
    • Resources for Grant Seekers
    • Computer and Technology Instruction
    • Homework Help
    • Local Newspaper Archive
  • Events
    • Calendar
    • Kids Events
    • Teen Events
    • Adult Events
    • Book Discussions
    • Computer and Technology Instruction
  • Kids
    • Kids Events
    • Virtual Storytime
    • Homework Help
    • Recommended Reading
    • Tumble Book Library
    • 500 by Five
    • Ready to Read
    • Resources for Parents and Educators
  • Teens
    • Teens at the Library
    • Teen Events
    • Homework Help
    • SMART Card
    • Recommended Reading
    • Resources for Parents and Educators
  • About Us
    • Locations and Hours
    • Library Policies
    • Library Administration
    • Board of Library Trustees
    • Strategic Plan
    • Libraries Stand Against Racism
    • Donate to the Library
    • Jobs at the Library
    • Volunteer at the Library
    • Friends of the St. Mary’s County Library
    • St. Mary’s County Library Foundation
    • Community Partners

Victorian

The Vespertine by Saundra Mitchell

November 7, 2019 by Carla Leave a Comment

The Vespertine by Saundra Mitchell
Format: Book
Who’s It For: Teens and Adults

Amelia van den Broek stood out like a sore thumb compared to her beautiful and polished cousin Zora. Broken Tooth, Maine was worlds different from Baltimore, Maryland in 1889. Yet at a gathering, Amelia felt an instant connection to her dinner partner, Nathaniel Witherspoon. An impoverished artist, Nathaniel was paid to even out their party. Was he drawn to Amelia too or was this just how he was earning his wage? Although Nathaniel was below her social circle, Amelia admired his dark looks and witty repartee. “May I call on you?” he queried, “Or will you call on me?” Amelia reluctantly declined, yet opened the door after he departed. How did he disappear so quickly?  Amelia continued to run into Nathaniel  with her cousin and her circle of friends: at the park, near the theater. Was this just a coincidence?

One day, Amelia saw a golden vision at sunset. Her cousin was dancing in a particular dress with her beau at a ball. To her cousin’s delight, this did happen.  Zora’s friends wanted their futures foretold too. Eventually Amelia’s predictions had tragic results. Was the “Mystic from Maine” the cause of these events or just the messenger? And since Amelia didn’t have visions of Nathaniel or her own future, would he be in it?

This book grew on me. I enjoyed the historical setting. The fantasy aspects gave the story a provocative twist. The characters were creatively and clearly delineated. The domino effect of events built suspense. And “vesper” means both prayer and evening, such as Amelia’s sunset visions.  I found myself re-reading the book and liking it more each time. Romance and fantasy fans, unite!

And it’s the first book in a series!

Filed Under: Recommended for Adults, Recommended for Teens Tagged With: Destiny, Fantasy, Romance, Victorian

Primary Sidebar

On the Shelf Home

 

Welcome to On the Shelf! Find reviews and recommendations for books, movies, music, library resources, and more. All posts from the Kid’s Book Blog have been brought over to On the Shelf, so your old favorites are still here!

Subscribe so you don’t miss a post!

Recent Posts

  • Chunky
  • Light of the Jedi
  • The Guest List
  • The Passover Guest
  • The Silent Patient

Categories

Tags

Adventure African American Animals Audiobook Award Winner Bears Bedtime Being Different Birds Book Cats Classic Clothes Colors Counting Dogs Emotions Family Fantasy Fiction Food Foreign Culture Friendship Go Green History Holidays Humour Interactive Jobs Libraries or Books Mice Monsters Music Mystery Nonfiction On the Farm Picture Book Rhyming Romance School Seasons Things That Go Tough Stuff True Stories Weather

Archives

St. Mary's County Library

Monday – Thursday: 9 a.m. – 8 p.m.
Friday – Saturday: 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Sunday: 1 – 5 p.m. (Lexington Park Library only)

 

Friends of the St. Mary’s County Library

St. Mary’s County Library Foundation

Locations

Charlotte Hall Library
37600 New Market Rd., Charlotte Hall, MD
301-884-2211

Leonardtown Library
23630 Hayden Farm Ln., Leonardtown, MD
301-475-2846

Lexington Park Library
21677 FDR Blvd., Lexington Park, MD
301-863-8188

Quick Links

  • My Account
  • Search the Catalog
  • eBooks and Audiobooks
  • Streaming Movies and Music
  • Search MD Libraries
  • Online Resources
  • Events
  • Meeting Rooms
  • Mobile Print Service
Contact Us | Privacy Policy | Accessibility
FacebookInstagramYoutubeMeetupOn the Shelf Blog