The Pursuit of Lucy Banning

by Olivia Newport
Revell Publishers

Lucy Banning may live on the exclusive Prairie Avenue among Chicago's rich and famous, but her heart lies elsewhere. Expected to marry an up-and-coming banker from a respected family, Lucy fears she will be forced to abandon her charity work--and the classes she is secretly taking at the newly opened University of Chicago. When she meets an unconventional young architect who is working on plans for the upcoming 1893 World's Fair, Lucy imagines a life lived on her own terms. Can she break away from her family's expectations? And will she ever be loved for who she truly is?

Readers will love being swept away into a world of mansions, secrets, and romance as they follow Lucy through the streets of the Windy City during one of the most exciting times in the city's history. From opulent upper-class homes to the well-worn rooms of an orphanage, Olivia Newport breathes life and romance into the pages of history--and everyone is invited.

My Review:

I know it is the peril of every reader to fall in love with a character every time they open a novel, and as a reader of many books, I try to not let that be my fate. Respect for the characters is natural, not all of them, but at least one. An admiration for the depth of character development an author has presented is usually more along the lines of what I take from a book, but I try to not let the people stay with me too long. 

I say all that to simply state this: I love Lucy. I have never met a character from high society that has as much appreciation for those who were not born into money. She doesn't think about others in terms of what they can do for her, but what she can do for them. Lucy's behavior towards Charlotte was admirable, and I really loved how she kept Charlotte's secret despite the scandal that would have caused if discovered. An excellent read that gives us a glimpse of the past, and a story that brings 1893 to life.