The Invention Of Sarah Cummings (2013) - Plot & Excerpts
My quest to find a feminist Inspirational romance continues to meet with little success. Sarah Cummings, a girl thrust into an orphanage after her parents die in a carriage accident, resents having to work as a housemaid for a 1896 Chicago wealthy family, and dreams of reinventing herself. Her dressmaking skills allow her to masquerade as a well-to-do young lady, whom she names Serena Cuthbert; after befriending a real wealthy girl, Serena sets her cap at a Brad Townsend, a rich male friend of her new acquaintance. Meanwhile, Simon Tewell, the orphanage director invites Sarah back to teach a sewing class, but also because he believes she has "come a long way from the scrawny, arrogant girl" who so resented being forced to live in the orphanage, and thinks she might be just the girl with whom he can settle down. Sarah's arrogance lies not only in her desire to better her life, but also in her refusal to acknowledge God's role in it: "A future as a dressmaker was not the future Sarah imagined. And she had worked hard on her talent. What did God have to do with it?"By novel's end, of course, Sarah has learned to curb her "arrogance" even further. Yes, because a man loves you, you MUST love him back, especially if he's a godly man. And yes, you must give up your financial ambitions, because they are really just a quest for the familial love you lost. Besides, rich men are bad; they only want to make you guilty of the sin of lust. And of course, coming to God is equated with curbing all these types of female ambition...Definitely not for ROMANCE NOVELS FOR FEMINISTS.Galley provided by NETGALLEY I received this free book from the goodreads- first reads giveaway. This is a great read and I would recommend it. I could understand Sarah's desire to be someone else and leave the trapped life she feels and re-invent herself into the life she believes she should be living. However, all the lies eventually caught up with her. As the book progressed, it was just a matter of time before her fantasy and reality collided. It took Sarah a long time to figure out that her energy and focus were on the wrong material things in life and she was not seeing the genuine love of Simon. It is a good lesson to learn that we should be appreciative of what we have and be true to ourselves.
What do You think about The Invention Of Sarah Cummings (2013)?
I really liked this series. Love the time period. I liked Sarah despite her character flaws.
—rihachan
I enjoyed this story, although my first love is Amish fiction.
—Corinna
Good history of late 19th century Chicago.
—mitaar
