The Uncertain Season

Overwhelming devastation to a city, its families, and the island itself; The Great Storm of 1900 that destroyed Galveston, Texas, is the setting for The Uncertain Season.“Harry Gobinet knew something huge was blowing in, but even he didn’t foresee the magnitude of the storm coming their way. Still he saw enough to save them. “An eleven year old girl and her friend, Harry, fight for their lives in a shrimp boat in Galveston Bay. Later, as they search for homes and family, the aftermath of the deadly storm of 140 mph winds engulfs the reader. Ann Howard Creel’s descriptions of the island devastation are recorded as she shares the storm’s impact on three women who find themselves in Galveston, 1903: the bold, but shamed Etta, from Nacogdoches, Texas; the privileged & engaged,but lonely Grace; and an elusive, mysterious islander known only as The Girl.Amidst the building of the “modern engineering miracle,” known as the seawall, the author does a masterful job of weaving the gripping, coming of age of The Girl with the untimely unveiling of family secrets and betrayal, by both Etta and Grace. Adding the realizations of “living in a home where appearances were more important than the truth,” creates a compelling mystery. The upbringing, childhoods and parental influences of Etta, Grace, and The Girl, play an important role in individual reactions and emotional responses as each are battered about in the “personal storms of life.” Who survives the storms?Powerful imagery, deep, emotional family situations involving trust, identity, regret, and forgiveness; the reader will “survive the storm,” but in the aftermath there will be that amazing feeling of freshness and beauty after a storm, along with the overwhelming relief and joy of new beginnings. Readers of The Uncertain Season will “be prepared” for the next storm. ***** GR

Filled with beautifully drawn characters and powerful imagery, The Uncertain Season, by Ann Howard Creel, is a tale of secrets, aspirations, regrets, and forgiveness. Set in Galveston, Texas, this compelling novel explores the aftermath of the devastating 1900 hurricane, artfully depicting the lives of the poor while perfectly capturing the opulence of the island’s monied society. Told through the eyes of three women of differing backgrounds, The Uncertain Season is a memorable read.

Exceptionally well written, the lives of Grace, Etta, IRA, Bernadette, Jonathan and the girl, all exhibit bits of our own personalities. This story is page turning and one that will bring sadness at times. But it will also make you consider all the small choices we make that can bring joy or heartbreak, or redemption.

The writing is top notch and the imagery consistently good. Each of the three "heroines" goes through life changing experiences which are believable and vivid. The plot is complex, original and nuanced. Settings and characters are historically accurate and their behaviors ring true to the mores of their individual contexts. I wanted to give five stars but this novel is that much less riveting than another of her books, "The Whiskey Sea."I should add I mostly listened to the audio version of this book and can confirm the narrator did a very good job.

I had it in ebook format with audio. I truly enjoyed the narrator’s voice. I was also sometimes in the mood to read quietly. Either way this book is a joy! The author uses language that invokes all the senses which kept me engaged. Each of the main characters had a beautiful uniqueness and even with their flaws I felt empathy for them all.

I wasn't convinced in the first chapters that this was more than a thinly veiled romance novel, but as the characters Grace & Etta developed through pages, I became intrigued with their challenges and insights. And the author allowed us to struggle with them in questioning their frailties re: self interest versus family and friend loyalties. Galveston also contributed a romantic backdrop for a turn of the century novel with it's sweltering heat and steamy skies. And I loved the vividly portrayed comparisons between rich and poor. A good read. Enjoyable and weighty enough to be thought provoking.

I have never written a review before. But I wanted to take the time to write this one. This book was wonderful, creative, and insightful. The characters were fascinating. You are transported to their world and reminded how tragic natural disasters were and are. This work of art also serves to remind any one who reads it that every day we make the choice whether or not to be kind or indifferent. Forgiving or spiteful. The consequences of words misspoken can cause unimaginable damage. You can pull the nail out of the fence with an apology, but you can never completely repair the hole left behind. I would love to know what happens to these characters. Hope there is another book!

This book was a good read. This is my second Ann Howard Creel book, I liked The Magic of Ordinary Days very much, have recommended to many people. Creel writes unusual stories based on events that really happened. Creel does not to stick to the basic romance formula, her characters don't always end up happily ever after. Her characters are more true to real life and they are believable. Read this one, but be sure to go on to The Magic of Ordinary Days, because it is better.

I picked this book up a few times and started to read it but kept putting it down as I couldn't get into it but persevered as I'd read the earlier reviews and I'm glad I did ,after a slow start I couldn't put it down , I gave four stars because of the start but still would recommend it.

Good book set back in the day. Wasn’t really what I was expecting. Still made a change felt it needs a follow on to find out what happened to the people it was about

This author writes well and brings the characters to life in all her books and I've read several of them now and have enjoyed all of them. Hope there are many more to come. Highly recommendedSooey

I so enjoyed this book and couldn’t wait to see how it ended although I didn’t want to reach the end. Beautifully written with wonderful descriptions of the characters and of the place. Would certainly recommend it.

I loved this book - it was very different and the writing was beautiful, with lovely, thoughtful and unusual descriptive passages which were really surprising.