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Patrice Williams Marks penned her first book in third grade; The Day Snoopy Got Married. While it didn't make the New York Times Best Seller List, it was an instant classic with the Nunaka Valley Elementary School staff.
From that moment forward, Patrice knew she was a writer. With a zest for travel and an insatiable appetite for all things vintage and period, Patrice uses her investigative journalism background to create authentic characters to occupy the pages of her books.
Patrice has a talent for shining a light on riveting, obscure stories from times past and generating page turners.
Reviewed by Heather Osborne for Readers' Favorite
The Abduction of Nelly Don by Patrice Williams Marks is a historical fiction novel based on the real kidnapping of Nell Donnelly during the 1930s Great Depression. Nell grew up poor, but had a knack for making her own clothing. When she was old enough, she left her family home, and met and married Paul Donnelly. After making clothing for some neighborhood friends, Nell contemplated going into business for herself. With the support of her husband, she made a business plan and got her garment company off the ground. However, one afternoon, a gang of men kidnap Nell and demand a ransom for her safe return, a seemingly common practice at the time. The novel chronicles the measures the police and government go to in order to get Nell home alive.
The Abduction of Nelly Don by Patrice Williams Marks did have great potential as a historical fiction novel. It was an interesting case at the time, the kidnapping of a famous clothing maker. The story was fast-paced, and it was fascinating to learn about such an overlooked case, as everyone relates the Great Depression to prohibition and overwhelming poverty. I found it interesting also that law enforcement and politicians got other criminals involved to find out information about Nell’s kidnapping, and how to retrieve her alive from the gang who took her. Overall, I enjoyed this novel, and would recommend it to readers who enjoy thrillers.
