Ella Wood (Ella Wood, 1)

By Michelle Isenhoff

Love. War. Both equally destructive to Emily's ambitions.

Though she left Charleston a spoiled daughter of the South, Emily returns from her stay in the North a changed young woman. Her assumptions about slavery have been shattered, and her secret dream of attending university has blossomed into fierce ambition. As the passions sweeping North and South toward war threaten to envelop the city she loves, Emily must battle her father's traditional expectations in her own bid for freedom. Meanwhile, the real fight may lie within her heart, which stubbornly refuses to accept that a choice for independence must be a choice against love.

Four years ago I published The Candle Star, a stand-alone title among my collection of Civil War middle grade fiction. The book was well received by a general adult readership, and I began receiving emails asking questions like, "Why didn't you follow Emily's storyline?" and "What happens to Emily?" Ella Wood is my response. It is the first in a trilogy.

Parents of middle graders, please note that I have bumped Ella Wood into the young adult genre. Emily is now sixteen, standing at the edge of war and struggling with questions of morality, purpose, and love. Slavery, dealt with so carefully in my series for young readers, is shown in a much harsher light, and some themes are adult in nature. A "clean" read, Ella Wood is nevertheless intended for an audience of some maturity.

You need not read The Candle Star to enjoy Ella Wood.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Candle Star Press
• Release date: May 15, 2015
• ISBN: 9781311248794

Michelle Isenhoff

MICHELLE ISENHOFF's work has been reader-nominated for a Cybils Award, the Great Michigan Read, and the Maine Student Book Award. She's also placed as a semi-finalist in the Kindle Book Review Book Awards, a finalist in the Wishing Shelf Book Awards, and earned multiple Readers' Favorite 5 Star seals of approval. A former teacher and longtime homeschooler, Michelle has written extensively in the children's genre and been lauded by the education community for the literary quality of her work. These days, she writes full time in the adult historical fiction and speculative fiction genres. To keep up with new releases, sign up for her newsletter at http://hyperurl.co/new-release-list.

Reviews for Ella Wood (Ella Wood, 1)

[scmerritt · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I started reading this series because I have very much enjoyed the authors other series. Wasn't sure what to expect for a historical based story of the south in the late 1800's during slavery and right at Lincoln's election. Not the type of stories I typically read. But the authors ability to spin a story with such visual imagery and with such an interesting story line is very well done. This is the story of Emily who lives on a plantation called Elle Wood. Her journey as she thinks more and more about slavery and what is right as well as her transition into womanhood and independence in a world that is also against women is a very interesting read. Will definitely be continuing on with this series as well.

[chrirob · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Sixteen-year old Emily Preston desires nothing more than to further her passion for art by attending University. However, in 1860's South Carolina young ladies are not permitted to think, much less do such an outlandish thing. Society's conventions do not stop Emily from trying to live her dream and she enrolls in an art course by mail correspondence. While she is determined to become a professional artist, her heart discovers that she is drawn to two men who are fighting for both her attentions and her heart. She is also discovering that her Southern world, its' rules, and views of slavery are not as innocent and acceptable as they were before her trip to pro-abolitionist Detroit. With the nation on the brink of Civil War and the future of the country at stake, will Emily continue to pursue her dreams as an artist or will she decide to follow her feelings and pursue a future with one of her handsome suitors? Can she follow her heart while her conscious begs her to reevaluate her Southern family, home, and way of life? Michelle Isenhoff''s first novel in the Ella Wood trilogy is a wonderfully written and engaging book. Even though it is written for teens I found it immensely enjoyable and could not put it down! I even purchased the Candle Star Trilogy which introduces us to Emily at age 14 while she is banished from her family to Detroit for being willful, stubborn, and incorrigible...not the traits of a young Southern Belle! I finished that one in 2 days as well! It was very funny to see the earlier, tantrum-throwing version of the young Emily Preston! I highly recommend Ella Wood and also The Candle Star!

[lillian9maddocks9389 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

What a interesting story makes you realize that we have so much to be grateful for even now. Emily's parents own a rice plantation and they have many slaves to do the work. Emily has come to realize that she is against slavery and she needs to do something about it. She is a very forward thinking young girl who wants to have a career and not marry young but society is against her. Her best friend Lizzie is a young slave and she is trying to help her & her new family escape. Will she have the courage to go through with her plan. Her father has thrown her out of the house as she has gone behind his back and enrolled in art school. She has two suitors but she isn't happy with them at the moment. There is a war going on but she is afraid for her brother Jack & his friend Jovie. She needs to find her own way and I hope that she is able to. She is a great character as she is driven and she will fight for the lives of others. The book is full of facts and it gives you a good look at what was happening in the South and how the slaves were treated. I can't wait to read the next book.

[madamediotte · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Ella Wood is a compelling novel about growth, strength of character, and determination. Although Emily's conflicting emotions might make it less appealing for some readers, especially when it comes to romance, I felt it added to the story because she truly is unsure about certain elements of her life. I will most definitely read the sequel!

[nadinec.keels · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

As far as my reading for pleasure goes, I got my start with young adult historical fiction about America’s past while I was still a young adult, with novels by Ann Rinaldi. Ella Wood by Michelle Isenhoff took me back to that same brand of enjoyment, and the story grew on me as I read.Emily is no perfectly angelic protagonist. It’s her independent thinking, her ambition as an artist, and her gradually shifting views on slavery in the South (the very institution her family and the society around her depends on to maintain their way of life) that make her a compelling heroine, particularly through the way her gift as an artist informs her thoughts on humanity, and vise versa. There’s a richness in her growth in character over the course of the book, intertwining well with the brink and onset of the American Civil War.I haven’t an absolute dislike of love triangles in novels, though when the romantic involvement and displayed affection between one party and both of his/her love interests is essentially equal, the alternating back and forth between the relationships isn’t something I can quite wrap my mind around or get into, as turned out to be the case here.The third-person narrator uses identifiers for characters such as “the black woman” or “the colored girl” a good deal more than, say, “the white boy” or “the white woman,” which could inadvertently undermine the story’s message on human sameness just a tad. Also, I was admittedly disappointed to find the story end with a total cliffhanger. I personally feel more “cordially welcomed” and thus inclined to read the next book in a series when the preceding book has a natural conclusion, one that may leave inviting promise for a continuation, than when the story simply cuts off.Again, though, I enjoyed this read overall, particularly after hitting around the halfway mark, which pretty much became the “unputdownable” point for me.______________________I received a complimentary copy of this book through a notice from the author for the purpose of an honest review.