The Girl in the Barrel
A Novel of Niagara Falls
by Eileen Enwright Hodgetts
Published: November 1, 2021
Publisher: Emerge Publishing
Genre: Historical Fiction
Blurb:
1923: Niagara Falls, Canada. Evangeline Murray, a young widow from Ohio, is recruited by the Women's Freedom Movement to recreate the daring 1910 feat of Annie Edson Taylor, the first person in recorded history to plunge over Niagara Falls in a barrel and survive. Evangeline believes that the stunt will bring her fame and fortune, and freedom from her late husband's gambling debts.
Joshua McClaren, an enigmatic, battle-scarred veteran of World War One, reluctantly agrees to launch the headstrong Evangeline. Joshua has seen hundreds of bodies surface in the whirlpool below the falls, and has no wish to see the charming Mrs. Murray suffer the same fate. Before the barrel can be launched, Joshua and Evangeline will each confront their own demons. Hearts will be broken, painful secrets will be revealed, and the Niagara River will claim two more lives.
My Review:
I really enjoyed reading The Girl in the Barrel as I love everything about the twenties. I especially love the dresses and the women’s hairstyles, the short bobs the jewelry, and the dances of that era.
Evangeline Murray, a young widow from Ohio, was a happy person even though she had a few demons in her past. She loved life and what it could offer. She enjoyed being who she was and didn’t care who liked it or didn’t for that matter. She was an outgoing kind of person. She enjoyed the fame and fortune that came with her escapades.
The Women's Freedom Movement recruits Evangeline to go over Niagara Falls in a barrel. The first person to go over the falls in a barrel survived but there were many that did not. Evangeline likes the fame that it will bring her so she says yes to going over the falls in a barrel.
To go over the falls Evangeline must go over on Canada’s side. Evangeline commissions a local, Joshua McClaren to launch her over the falls. At first, Joshua says no to being a party to her audacious and perilous defeats but after getting to know her and wanting to help her survive he agrees to help make the barrel more sturdy and maybe more able to sustain a fall over the falls.
The Girl in the Barrel is told from many different character's views. The Girl in the Barrel is a very engaging and mesmerizing read that had my attention from the first page. There were a few shocking reveals and twists that kept the story going and kept me glued to the pages as each one was revealed.
I would love to see The Girl in the Barrel on the big screen. I would love to see all the characters in all their glory. A girl going on over Niagara Falls in a barrel would be something to see. The descriptions were so vivid that I could see it all in my mind as I was reading but seeing it come to life on the big screen would be even more awesome. The Girl in the Barrel is a suspenseful and exciting read that will have you on the edge of your seat racing to the end to see how it all comes out.
Would I recommend The Girl in the Barrel? The answer is yes, I most definitely would. Grab your copy of The Girl in the Barrel now for another great adventure!
Connect with Eileen Enwright Hodgetts:
Website ~ Goodreads ~ Amazon ~ BookBub
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