A Lady of High Regard

February 15, 2008
In this first book in Peterson's new series, "The Ladies of Liberty," published last summer, Mia Stanley is a rich and sheltered young lady in 1852 Philadelphia. However, she is straining against the boundaries set by polite society; against her family's wishes, she is writing for Godey's Lady Book, a woman's magazine. Though it mainly deals with the proper etiquette, dress, manners, and styles of the time, the publication also covers some of the current affairs in the city. In the course of her investigations for the magazine, Mia discovers that seamen's wives are being abused and threatened while their husbands are gone. Immediately, she decides to intervene, blithely heading to the dock area to help the women and confront the evildoers. Garrett Wilson, Mia's best friend from childhood and the only person aware of her foolhardiness, is forced to shadow her to protect her from her own naïveté. Mia comes across as a foolish young woman with a good heart but an idiotically stubborn character, so it's rather difficult to root for her success. Barbara Caruso speaks clearly and with the appropriate upper-crust accent, but she can't seem to help making Mia sound vapid and rather silly. She does an excellent job with the rougher accents of the seamen's wives and the evil men of the docks. An optional purchase for public and church libraries where Peterson is a favorite.Nancy Reed, Immanuel Baptist Church Lib., Paducah, KY

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