Reviewed by Grant Leishman for Readers' Favorite

Prelude of Promise by Sherry A. Jones is a sweeping family drama that encompasses three generations, chronicling their departure from Europe, their arrival in America, and their ultimate rise in both financial and social status. Set around the period known as “The Gilded Age,” this story follows the very different journeys of four siblings as they deal with the privations forced upon them in their home country of France. When the family of four girls was hit by tragedy, only one sister, Madeleine, was afforded the luxury of remaining in France, going to live with a relative in Paris. For Lottie and her twin sisters, it would be a long voyage into the unknown, to a country in which they knew nobody and didn’t even speak the language. As Lottie Villard, her husband Emory Endicott, and their eight children worked to eke out a living in Utica, New York, bigger and brighter things were on the horizon for them and their descendants. But not all was gilded in this extended family, as ambition, greed, treachery, and heartbreak were as much a part of this golden era as any other time in history.

Prelude of Promise follows this family as they navigate the financial, geopolitical, and social hurdles the coming century brings. Sherry A. Jones has created such a magnificent and disparate cast of characters and does a fine job of outlining and characterizing each player on this vast stage. I found the characters easy to identify with. I particularly enjoyed the inclusion of many well-known historical figures, such as Cornelius Vanderbilt, Caroline Astor, Susan B. Anthony, Henry Ward Beecher, and many more. This gave the entire work a feeling of reality and believability. What impressed me most was the concentration on issues such as women’s rights and women’s suffrage. In the high-flying world of business and finance, so many men still viewed women as either potential wives and mothers to their heirs, social butterflies, or vessels for their own personal lusts. It was refreshing to find strong female characters with intelligence, great ideas, and common sense, willing to stand up against the patriarchy. With so much intrigue, double-dealing, and treachery, I cannot wait for the next book, as the family moves into the twentieth century. I loved this book and highly recommend it.