Comments on: His Father’s Son — Chapter 1 (of 9)

By: Ardis E. Parshall

Ardis E. Parshall — Wed, 08 Jun 2011 02:36:42 +0000

Yup, there’s no point in continuing the series now that LAT has given away the ending! (Beep! Thanks for playing!)

By: LAT

LAT — Wed, 08 Jun 2011 02:20:47 +0000

Is this back when we were still winking at polygamists in Mexico? Because naturally Oliver should head down their with both of the wards/ladies. He could have Esther to sew and harness and milk cows for him, and Kareen to speak Spanish and play him beautiful music. Sorry to spoil the ending

By: Ellen

Ellen — Wed, 08 Jun 2011 01:24:56 +0000

Clearly Kareen has some disreputable musician in her shrouded history. This will be fun. Weird, but fun.

By: kevinf

kevinf — Tue, 07 Jun 2011 22:08:24 +0000

Why do I suspect yellow fever may have a part to play in this as well? I'm also wondering about the significance of both girls being wards of their respective guardians. Alison, good call on Cold Comfort Farm as a comparison. I was thinking Jamaica Inn myself.

By: Coffinberry

Coffinberry — Tue, 07 Jun 2011 00:04:51 +0000

That touches on the line at Wikipedia (yes, yes, I know, it’s not the best source, but it was the quickest) that struck me about the lead-in to the war:

“In the minds, schoolbooks, and scholarship of the mostly Protestant U.S. public, the Catholic Spanish Empire was a backward, immoral union built on the backs of enslaved natives and funded with stolen gold.”

The Spanish title “Duenna”, and the carefully-spelled-out name Kareen, and the mysterious hint of royal connections makes me wonder how Catholicism and the diminishing Spanish Empire will figure in to the story. What an interesting time to have the story appear in publication, shortly before the Spanish Civil War.

By: Ardis E. Parshall

Ardis E. Parshall — Mon, 06 Jun 2011 23:08:58 +0000

Aha! Téa, you have zeroed in on a very important plot point. I can’t say more — but bonus points to you!

By: Téa

Téa — Mon, 06 Jun 2011 22:56:48 +0000

Do you think the extreme aversion to music’s something cultural, or from a former religion?

By: Coffinberry

Coffinberry — Mon, 06 Jun 2011 21:53:00 +0000

No, Mark, that is what Glenn Beck is for.

(Ducks and runs….)

By: Mark B.

Mark B. — Mon, 06 Jun 2011 21:47:59 +0000

Ah, gee. How good to know that the U.S. was wandering off into imperialist adventures over 110 years ago! And the arguments sound nearly the same–let’s go save someone (the Vietnamese, the Kuwaitis, the Iraqis, etc., etc.) from some evil outsider!

The only thing we’re lacking is a William Randolph Hearst to whip up the citizenry. Or is that what Rush Limbaugh is for?

On the non-political side of things, I liked this line:

In a pinch she could milk or harness the horses to the surrey

Get me rewrite! “milk . . . the horses”?? “milk [them] to the surrey”?? Oh, dear!

By: Carol

Carol — Mon, 06 Jun 2011 21:38:39 +0000

Did they ever call small towns in Utah villages?