Fiona, an American tale of growing up on a farm in the mid 1800s, is a charming example of historical fiction. Set on a farm, Fiona’s family have a sports team number of children with Fiona being the eldest. After five more girls comes the boys and then disaster—the death of the mother of this brood.
As Fiona is in her mid-teens at the time, she ends up assuming the role of mother. From there, the plot evolves into the children growing up and making their way in the world. From chores to dances, and occupations to translocations, the family’s life weaves in and out of various events all told through the eyes of the mature Fiona.
Fiona herself is a likeable character. At first, she comes across more pious than most until the reader gets to know she struggles with her kindness toward others who mistreat her. She’s especially a sympathetic character when describing her impressions on the people she meets and the trials she endures.
Her brothers and sisters are painted in lighter brushstrokes except one younger sister. They represent different categories of people—aspiring, coy, delicate—and are often grouped together. As with most period literature of this nature, the novel details how they make their way in the world through either the benefit of others or on their own. It’s engaging to read how each of them turns out.
Though it has adult themes and is written for adults, Fiona brought me back to the Little House series by Laura Ingalls Wilder in many ways. With regards to language, it captures that period of Emma and Pride and Prejudice well. Don’t expect modern language in a stylized narrative or a period style with a modern influence. The author mirrors books written long ago with all its advantages and foibles, and the novel is stronger for it.
Romantic and dramatic, Fiona transports its readers back to a simpler and more idyllic, though still challenging, time. Those who seek a more pastoral story set in the nineteenth century of America are encouraged to give it a read.