“Sad that there is no more to read. Your characters are my friends. Thank you.”
“The final page left me longing for the second book.”
“The writing is exquisitely crafted.”
“Beautifully written”
“Loved this book – one of the best I have read in a long time.”
“There’s just enough detail about clothing, food, physical features, etc., that I can easily picture the people and their surroundings, and wish I could have a little of that fried venison myself.”
“What a wonderful, detailed story of a young woman not satisfied with the “rules” of the world.”
“This was a very random download on a free promotion and it demonstrates the value of being willing to ‘check out’ authors you’ve never heard or and stories you’re not sure about. This book and one other I recently read have made me think that the ability to self-publish and establishment of small publisher of primarily digital work may be the best thing that has happened for fiction in decades, possibly longer. It’s been a long time since I read casual, relaxing fiction that kept me going and wondering what would happen next. I remember this sensation as a child (LONG ago) but although I read a lot and enjoy many books, it’s been a while since I’ve been so surprised and delighted at what is, after all, a relatively simple story. Olivia, Mourning is very well-written but at the same time the book is not “polished” or “predictable” — it has different cadences, very real dialog, and is all in all a lot more like real-life than most big-house published fiction. But real life with people who, for the most part, you want to know and to spend time with and who have interesting lives that you want to know more about.”
“Love the writing style, the characters, the story….not much I didn’t like about this book and the second one….cannot wait to read the third!”
“I wanted to know these people! Olivia was a woman ahead of her time, courageous, strong and compassionate.”
“Outstanding job of conveying what it must have been like to live on the Michigan frontier in the 1840s. Her Olivia is very strong person who endures much but does not let her hardships destroy her.”
“One of the most enjoyable books I have ever read. Couldn’t put it down … Yael Politis has become one of my favorite authors.”
“I love this author.”
“Well written, great attention to detail. I enjoyed this book from beginning to end.”
“Could hardly put it down. Author has down a great job of keeping it all tied together.”
“I did not expect to be so captivated by the story that I would stay up reading all night long.”
“This story will have a profound effect on your heart … What a great series!”
“Possibly the best book and series I have ever read!”
“I was totally captivated with Olivia. She is the kind of person you would hope that your own ancestors were like. Yael Politis is a very talented writer and I want to read absolutely everything she has written. She gets you so involved in the story that when you can put the book down you have the tendency to look around and be surprised that you aren’t in the time and in the surroundings that you were just reading about. She influences you to look inside yourself and examine your own prejudices.”
“This is a great story that I was hooked on from the very start.”
“This has probably just became one of my favorite books / series … The Olivia series spoke to my soul.”
“Awesome book, kept me spellbound till the end.”
“These books are a complete escape from reality for me: easy reading, good storyline, interesting characters, and a heart-wrenching search.”
“This story is beautifully written, compelling and unforgettable.”
“I’ve read so many predictable books but this isn’t one of them. Nothing turns out the way you think it will. The characters are so well drawn you become one with them. I can’t wait to read more by this excellent author.”
“This book was just impossible to put down.”
“Ms. Politis is truly a wonderful storyteller.”
“The characters were so real that I could picture them … Highly recommend this series for a Book Club read.”
“The best book I’ve read for a long time. The characters are believable, the historical aspect accurate and the writing is fantastic.”
“Best book I have read in a while! If you like early American historical fiction, you will love this book!”
“Romance, conflict, ethics, soul searching, it’s all in there. Well done!”
“This book is destined to become one of the greats of American Literature, right up there with Twain, Steinbeck, Hemingway, Mailer, Fitzgerald, Buck. Yes, it’s that good, and if you read my reviews, you will find that I am very stingy with my stars! The prose was was so gorgeous that you almost didn’t need a good story to go with it.”
“Olivia, Mourning is a wonderful book that I just loved. It takes you back into 1840’s America where life was so different from today. The details in starting a farm and cabin life are just fascinating.”
“One of the best books I’ve read in a long time. Kept my interest well past reading time, paced well, just enough description to give a clear pic and not be overdone. Timely and well written with accurate historical details.”
“If I could rate this book a 10 star block buster, I would.”
“Wonderful read, I couldn’t get the second one ordered fast enough after reading the last page! Love these books!”
“I give this story a 5, but would like to rate it higher.”
“The author created characters who were so believable that I wanted to go back to that time and meet some of them.”
“I was so tired of reading all the same types of stories. . . and then I came upon Olivia, Mourning (book 1) and fell in love with this author’s books!”
“What a wonderful book. As soon as I read a few pages, I was hooked and I couldn’t put it down. It is well written and the historical details are spot on.”
“I absolutely loved Olivia, Mourning and the next book in the series The Way the World Is. There is everything that I look for in a great book: the characters come alive for me, the settings are so vivid I can see them, the next chapter is unpredictable, there are questions of morals/values that make me wonder how I would react in similar circumstances, and more and more.”
“This author has found a refreshing and unexpected way to tell her stories. You don’t find yourself constantly saying, “I know what is going to happen next.”
“This is an outstanding book … so well-written.”
“I fell headfirst into this story and didn’t want it to end.”
“I don’t remember when I have been so engrossed in a story. Yael has exceptional talent. She brings the characters to life…pulls the reader in and makes you feel you are a part of their lives.”
“Olivia, Mourning is an excellent book, written so skillfully that I hardly realized I was reading a story oh historical fiction. I felt a part of the story. I was captured immediately and never stuck or bored.”
“The best novel I have read in quite some time. It has a great plot with believable characters. Written with remarkable insight and empathy.”
“Olivia brought me so far into her life I had to keep checking to see if there were blisters on my hands from chopping wood and carrying water.”
“This is a very enjoyable, fast paced story with authentic, interesting strong characters in a well-researched historical setting.”
“Intense and thought provoking.”
“A wonderful book, with vivid characters, strong people who are not perfect but grow into all they can be.”
“Olivia is multi dimensional character who is totally engrossing. This book is well written, explores character and issues in depth. I can’t wait to read more.”
“Olivia, Mourning is one of the best books I have read! Great characters brought to life, no flat areas in this exciting historical read. I cannot wait to read the next book in this series.”
“Ms Politis brings the period, the places, the characters and their circumstances to life in a well-written and well-researched book. The prose is so fluid, so descriptive you feel you have stepped into Olivia’s world. The dialogue seems so real you could almost physically hear the voices say the actual words. An excellent novel, grim but engrossing, much as real life can be.”