The Journals of May Dodd: A Novel, by Jim Fergus

The use of fictional diary extracts makes the book read as non-fiction, and, most of the time the reader is tricked into believing that the account is not fictional.

The author’s writing is very readable and it flows very well, although the language used is rather elevated for a woman living in that period with her education level, upbringing, and her supposed beliefs.  Her choice of words in her letters and diary entries often made her appear to be writing to impress someone rather than simply stating the circumstances of her surroundings and the raw emotions that they would entail.  Because of this, I found her to be a bit unbelievable at times.

The creative premise of the book, the flow of the writing and the high level of action all provide for a pretty fair read.  The fact that the characters and language are a bit unbelievable detracts from the overall effect.