Attorneys of FL

Sand Dollar: a tale of old Key West

Description

Imagine life in old Key West . . .

Mary Thorne should already have married, but Michael was lost at sea, a victim of his own foolishness. Her father persuades her to accept the hand of Richard Randall, a wrecker. It will be a marriage of convenience for them both, but better than nothing. When Mary learns about her father's dark secret, the knowledge drives her closer to Richard. Then the Great Hurricane of 1846 lures them to Key West to profit from the rebuilding.

Mary leaves her family behind and places all her hopes on her husband and her children-to-come. As events unfold, suspenseful and often surprising, Mary struggles to maintain her independence and reconcile her ideals with the realities of life in Key West in the mid-1800's.

- - "This gripping and affecting historic novel, Sand Dollar, overflows with the sights, sounds and smells of the mid-19th Century Florida Tropics, making an auspicious debut for novelist, Jane Newhagen."

Brewster Milton Robertson -- A Posturing of Fools (River City Publishing, 2004)

- - "Mary's story will make you laugh and it will make you cry. It is beautiful to watch her love grow for the stranger she married. There will be times when you want to ask how much one woman can handle. What part do the conditions of the time play in her happiness and her sadness? Readers will have to decide that for themselves.

The author gives the reader clear insights into what life was like in the 1800's in Key West. The novel is true to the history of the island and also the social and medical conditions of the time. I highly recommend Sand Dollar."

Nikki Leigh, Widow's Walk (Write Words, Inc. 2006)

Reviews

Rating: 5 / 5
Date: 2010-06-06
Summary: "Being a 5th generation Key West Conch, I thank you."

My dear Miss Jane Louise Newhagen, I personally would like to Thank You for Sand Dollar. My son, Shawn Hudgins of Shawn Hudgins Plumbing in Key West gifted me with your book. He knows for years my work in our family's genealogy and I may enjoy you book. Well, not only enjoyed it, I could not put it down. You have captured real life back in the day. Key West is not the Key West people see it today, the history is of an abundance and you have captured it totally. My great great grandfather was a wrecker and he and his wife came over from Green Turtle Cay. Life had it's struggles and for my island people I feel like you have honored them with this story.
Please honor us with more of your talent.
Again I thank you, A 5th generation Key Wester, Pamela Gonzaga Curry

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Rating: 5 / 5
Date: 2009-09-13
Summary: "A Refreshing New Voice on Florida History"

Jane Newhagen's debut novel is beautiful and haunting. She has expertly captured Key West of the 1800's. This story pulls you in from the very first page and holds you until the end.
Mary Thorne's story is about a woman who struggled with the realities of life in the Keys away from everyone and the way of life she knew and loved. You know from the beginning that she has already loved and lost,so watching her fall in love again you cheer her on hoping for happiness. However, it seems like happiness is always just out of her reach. She and her husband move to Key West so he can rebuild his business. Just when her life should be happy and complete you see her struggling with the realities of living at Key West, a much harsher environment than her beloved Green Turtle Cay. Loneliness and medical conditions take their toll on Mary and your heart grieves with her. You can feel her pain and it's easy to cry with and for her.
Sand Dollar is a well researched, historical novel that will keep you thinking about this woman long after you've turned the last page. Ms. Newhagen's "Sand Dollar" is a welcome addition to the history of Florida and Key West. A refreshing new voice from an author on the rise.

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Rating: 5 / 5
Date: 2009-03-27
Summary: "Compelling ..."

In this well-researched and beautifully written novel, Jane Newhagen brings to life the atmosphere of both place and time in Green Turtle Cay and Key West in the 19th century. Happily, her characterizations match this environment, believable in their richness and the inevitability of their actions. You will not regret taking this trip back in time to the languid world of the Bahamas and Key West.

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Rating: 5 / 5
Date: 2007-12-15
Summary: "A Woman's Search for Self Fulfillment in Key West in the Mid-19th Century"

"Sand Dollar" is the amazing story of Mary Thorne Randall. Jane Louise Newhagen has created a moving, story of the struggles facing a woman in the middle years of the 19th Century. Torn between a mother's devotion, the ebb and flow of marital love, and a stubborn struggle for independence and self fulfillment, Mary experiences happiness, tragedy, and final resolution.

Well researched and historically accurate the story takes the reader from Green Turtle Cay in the Bahamas to Key West, Florida. Social issues of the day, political pressures, and the conflict between the practice of medicine and alternative medicine are all skillfully woven into the narrative. Danger, adventure, and demanding conditions create an ongoing sense of suspense as Mary meets the challenges of life with her seafaring husband, Richard.

Newhagen has beautifully blended her creative imagination with the results of her research in this gripping literary novel. Her writing enables the reader to experience the sights and smells of the oppressive heat and humidity mixed with the pungent odors of fish and sweat prevalent in nearly unbearable heat of Key West in the summer time.

Jane Louise Newhagen's plot is filled with realism. Her characters are genuine and believable. Engrossing, entertaining, and informative "Sand Dollar" is destined to become an historical fiction epic of life throughout the history of the Southern Keys.

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Rating: 5 / 5
Date: 2007-11-20
Summary: "Kept my interest..."

Mary Thorne was devastated by the loss of her boyfriend, Michael, when he drowned at sea. Now her father was forcing her to get married to a man who seemed acceptable in his eyes...he has seen a lot of success. Mary meets Captain Richard Randall in the correct protocol of the day. She finds a lot to criticize about him, but he honestly lays out his plans to her. He wants to marry her and have a family, he will build her a large house and she will be financially secure...he adds that he will let her keep her independence. Her choice is to marry or be a spinster. Richard soon leaves on a shipwrecking job and gives her that time to make a decision. Mary's heart begins to change as she learns more about the man he is through his letters. As time goes on, she realizes her love for him. They grow in relationship as time goes on, facing happy times and hardships. Relationships are the key to this book...how to get them, keep them, and treasure them. Author Jane Louise Newhagen weaves an enchanting tale through the old Key West. A great read!