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Reviewed by Inga Buccella for Readers' Favorite
My Elbert by Karen Dropps is a historical fiction tale set in Nantucket, Massachusetts. Zilla, a preacher’s daughter, is a young woman who is expected to marry her father’s replacement. Her parents have chosen more than one suitable man for both positions. The problem is that Zilla has a romantic notion that involves a union with a wider prospect. One evening in the town tavern, a handsome, magnetic whaler bursts through the doors. Zilla falls for the elusive Elbert from the moment their eyes meet. Elbert impresses her with his confidence. He seems to find her endearing. After only a few weeks, wedding plans are being made to the dismay of Zilla’s parents. During their brief courtship, Elbert shows signs of extreme rudeness to many around him, including Zilla. His love-struck intended brushes off his behavior because of her love for the man. But it’s his mysteriousness that is most telling.
As I read the first half of My Elbert by Karen Dropps, I believed it was a sweet, nautical, historical romance. Dropps knows how to develop a story successfully. By the author adding paced bits of mystery, curiosity kept me flipping the pages. There are several likable, well-developed characters. Matthew, a candidate Zilla’s father had presented, is found to be not only a “decoy boyfriend" as his daughter intended, but also a good friend to her. The believability of the period is another attribute of My Elbert. Stories of whalers sailing the seas were commonplace in the island talk on Nantucket, and for the characters to do so adds historical credibility. The story begins, as the classic rhyme does, “There once was a man from Nantucket.” But you must read this book to see how it ends! Although its target readers are young adults, older adults will enjoy it, too.
