Against the Tide (part 1)

Each book I'll review in 4 parts (or attempt, depending on how crazy my week begins.) The first three parts going through the book and trying to get you guys to get into a discussion, (I really want to hear your thoughts!) We'll do a beginning, middle, end, and conclude in an overall review of the book. That way if you are still reading the book you can still follow along with us! So lets begin!

We've been introduced to Lydia, a young immigrant girl who lived on a boat for much of her young life. She already knows several languages but not English and begins going to school in Boston. I really enjoyed the insight of the "fight" between her parents when her father does not wish her to go to school one of the reasons being that she doesn't know English, and her mother protests by saying that she already knows four languages and one was just from being in a place for a year. I enjoying learning early on that this is simply one of her talents, languages do come easier to some than others and Lydia is one such girl. This talent leads her to a position at the US Navy yard. 

I wonder why Lydia is not yet married at this point in her life? (obviously this would change the story drastically but at this time period women are usually married by her age) Could it be her orphan status, or is it more to do with her incredible tidiness and need for order?

I think that she works so hard to create a life for herself that she has left little room in it for another and that she would need to be pushed into a relationship one way or another. 

How may her relationships at work helped her in life? Have they kept her content?

I thought that this was probably the biggest reason for her not being married. The fact that she cares deeply for her co-workers, they have become family . Their annoying quarks have become endearing to her and she is content right now creating for herself a home.  

She needs money to keep her home and is helplessly far away when Banebridge offers her the extra translation jobs and gets her much needed money to try and keep her place. 

How would you feel about such a character approaching you with a job? Would you take it? 

This one I am not sure of. With Admirals being friends with him it leads me to think that I would, only because of him and knowing he's a good man. 

She soon begins to wonder about the motive behind the translation work. Would you care about his motives?

She is starting to care/like him if I was that I'm not sure I would care. He's attractive and I'm a marriageable age but I think I can very much appreciate the fact that she comes out and asks him. Her directness and wanting to feel at ease with him I find perfect. 

Alright that's all I'm going to say for now just in case you just started reading, if you haven't what did you think?  What are some things you thought of as you read? I want to know! 

Happy Reading!