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Book Review of The Flame and the Flower (Birmingham, Bk 1)

The Flame and the Flower (Birmingham, Bk 1)
reviewed on
Helpful Score: 3


I first read this book as a teenager back in the 80's, and have read all of Woodisiss' novels. This was one of my favorites - but having just re-read it through the eyes of a 39 year old in 2009, it left me a little disturbed. The beginning is pretty harsh considering the misunderstanding that brings Heather and Brandon together, and you'll want to put the hero, Brandon through a wall during most of the book. He is arrogant, rude, and can't seem to acknowledge any wrongdoing or fault. A true jerk. I do believe it is historically accurate - though. These aren't modern characters and Woodiwiss does a good job of creating a story that is plausible for the characters given their place in history and societal norms of the time. I'm going to re-read the other two books in the Birmingham series and see if Brandon every truly redeems himself.