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Remembering the Storm
Remembering the Storm by Lucy Davila Hakemack is a historical novel that moves between the devastation of the 1900 Galveston hurricane and the quieter years of 1970s memory and activism. We follow Ellie McLean from her youth as an idealistic new teacher and young woman in love, through the chaos of the storm, into her nineties as she fights to preserve the stories of survivors and the history of Black Galvestonians. The book braids personal loss, civic rebuilding, and local politics around race and memory into one long life story. At its heart, it is a love letter to Galveston and to the stubborn people who try to make that city more just.
The book feels warm and earnest, and I found that really moving. The prose leans descriptive and old-fashioned, which fits the period setting. I liked the vivid sense of place, from the smell of the Gulf to the streetcars and the old hotels, and I could picture the seawall, the storm surge, the ruined buildings, the quiet library tables stacked with letters. The dialogue between Ellie and her friends in the 1970s had charm and humor, and I enjoyed their teasing, their toasts, and their small complaints about modern life. The pacing felt gentle, even slow, and that gave room for the emotional weight of the storm and its aftermath.
I appreciated how the story keeps circling back to whose stories are remembered and whose are ignored, especially the Black citizens who buried the dead, built the seawall, and still got pushed off the page. Ellie’s push for markers, plaques, and school equity felt honest and sometimes uncomfortable, and I liked that the book does not paint her as flawless. Her position as a respected white teacher gives her power, and the narrative shows both her courage and her blind spots. The sections about Juneteenth, segregated schools, and the small acts of defiance around books and beaches were thought-provoking.
I would recommend Remembering the Storm to readers who enjoy character-driven historical fiction, especially stories tied to real disasters and to questions of memory, race, and local history. If you like novels that feel like oral history, that take their time, this will be right up your alley. For anyone curious about Galveston, about the 1900 hurricane, or about how an ordinary woman can push for change over decades, this book is a thoughtful and heartfelt choice.
Pages: 435 | ASIN : B0G3QQY9X8
Along the Trail
The story follows Winnifred Hayes, a young woman traveling westward with her family in search of new beginnings on the Oregon Trail. Through her eyes, we see the monotony of walking behind wagons, the terror of storms and stampedes, and the tender, sometimes complicated bonds that hold families together during hardship. Alongside her sister, Lenora, her hardworking father, her stern but caring mother, and her little brother Elijah, Winnie navigates the endless prairie. She meets other travelers, grows close to a cowhand named Hal, and learns about resilience, love, and the freedom and cost of such a dangerous journey. The novel mixes sweeping depictions of frontier life with intimate family moments, placing the reader right in the dust and uncertainty of the trail.
This book stirred me in ways I didn’t expect. The writing feels honest and unvarnished, like the trail itself. Curtis doesn’t romanticize the hardships, and that makes the fleeting moments of joy all the brighter. I found myself drawn to Winnie’s restlessness and quiet strength. She isn’t fearless, but she pushes forward anyway, and I admired that. Some scenes were so vivid. The dialogue feels natural, not polished, and that gave the characters a warmth I believed in. There were moments when I wished the pace slowed a bit to linger on Winnie’s inner life, but the brisk rhythm mirrored the constant forward push of the journey, so it worked.
What really struck me was how the book captures the pull between freedom and expectation. Winnie looks up to women like Mae, who ride freely and live outside traditional roles, yet she feels the weight of what might be waiting at the end of the trail. That tension hit home for me, because it speaks to how we all wrestle with carving our own path while others try to define it for us. The tender way Curtis explores family ties, especially the quiet understanding between Winnie and her mother, moved me deeply. At times, I felt frustrated right alongside Winnie, and at others, I was swept up in the simple sweetness of a kind smile or a shared laugh.
I’d recommend this book to readers who love historical fiction rooted in real grit and humanity. If you enjoy stories about ordinary people facing extraordinary trials, or if you’ve ever wondered what it felt like to cross a continent with only faith, oxen, and a dream, this is for you. Along the Trail would especially resonate with those who like novels centered on strong young women finding their place in uncertain worlds. It’s heartfelt, raw, and quietly beautiful.
Pages: 289 | ASIN : B0FL1C55WW
