Diane C. McPhail plucks from history an audacious young woman, and using the available historical record, brings her to life in the novel FOLLOW THE STARS HOME. Lydia Roosevelt, born Latrobe, daughter of prominent DC architect Benjamin Latrobe, wife of inventor Nicholas Roosevelt, narrates her life-defining adventure story, accompanying her husband, along with their young children, on the first steam-powered paddle boat trip from Pittsburgh to New Orleans.

Will they make it, unscathed? Will a successful trip revolutionize travel and trade in the young nation, eager to grow? Will their collaboration, Lydia’s ingenious practicality and intimate involvement at every turn, and Nicholas’ determination and engineering genius, change history? Even though we know the answers, the author maintains a high level of suspense.

Given the enormity of the challenges they face, everything from childbirth to navigating through the famous New Madrid earthquakes of 1811-12, readers can expect to learn a lot and experience vicariously, along with historical figures, moments of grace under pressure. That’s the beauty of historical fiction, especially ones that are based on real people whose stories might otherwise be lost.

In choosing to use first person narration, the author made another style choice, to adapt a style of writing that we might find in letters from that time period. While Lydia resonates more realistically as an early 19th Century character, it also at times leads to over-sentimentalizing and repetitiveness. She revisits the tension between her father and husband multiple times, almost to the point where I wondered if readers were being asked to distance themselves from Lydia. Overall, the writing is excellent, and Lydia’s philosophical musings, her metaphorical likening of the river to the passage of time, and so much else made this book enjoyable to read.

With thanks to the publisher, NetGalley and Book Browse for an early review copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Follow the Stars Home has such promise, but in the end the promise not fulfilled. The novel tells the story of Lydia and Nicholas Roosevelt, who make the first paddle steamboat trip down the Mississippi River in a boat Nicholas designed. Along the way they encounter, among other perils, the infamous New Madrid earthquake. The novel is narrated by Lydia, who accompanied her much older husband on this adventure as well as on a previous unsuccessful flatboat trip on the same river. She is accompanied by their two young children, one of whom was born on the paddle boat on this journey, and two female servants. Regrettably, the tale is filled with repetition, much of it tedious iterations of her love for her husband and children; her traumatic childhood loss of her mother, abandonment by her father, and subsequent reunion with him and his new wife; of a blossoming on-board romance between one of her servants and a crew member, and more. I really wanted to love this novel, but in the end I really just wished that it had been more rigourously edited. Still, fans of historical fiction will appreciate learning about this remarkable historical navigational achievement.

Thank you to Book Browse and NetGalley for an advance reader's copy of this book.

This engaging novel-as-memoir is told in the voice of Lydia Latrobe Roosevelt (1791-1876) and recounts the real 1811 maiden voyage of the first steamship to travel the Mississippi River. The success of that adventure made trade possible both up and down the Mississippi, and helped open the West for America’s expansion.

Happily married to the much older Nicholas Roosevelt (much is made of this) who designed the steam engine and paddles, Lydia’s recounting covers the almost three-month trip, marked by dangers on land and water, the experience heightened by concern for their young children, a toddler and newborn, who accompanied them.

As they travel, Lydia returns again and again to her early childhood, marked by the loss of her own mother in childbirth, the abandonment of Lydia and her younger brother by their grief-stricken father, and the traumatic journey finally made by sea, from England to America, to reunite with him. The river acts both as a reminder of that trauma, and as a metaphor for her meandering ruminations, anxieties, and hopes. In the first two-thirds of the book, as they wait for the water to rise so they can begin their journey, these memories can seem like a whirlpool, pulling her down and back as she struggles to remain strong and optimistic.

Then the voyage begins, and the descriptions – and emotions – become vivid and exciting. Going through the dangerous Falls of the Ohio, experiencing the devastating New Madrid, Missouri, earthquake (still the largest in recorded American history), and navigating the river where landmarks have been drastically changed by the earthquake, …all are based in factual research, and add up to a dramatic and largely satisfying reading experience, re-introducing this intrepid woman to a modern audience.

Follow the Stars Home is a unique blend of historical and women's fiction, telling the story of Lydia Latrobe Roosevelt. Lydia wasn't held back by her time's social or cultural constraints but forged her own path right next to her husband, Nicholas Roosevelt, designer of the dual-side paddle steamboat. Told in first person by Lydia, the language is lush, lyrical, and often philosophical but her musings are no different than those of women now, as we balance marriage, family, and personal dreams. She made history and although most of us have never heard of her, she should be in the history books our children study. In Lydia's own words, "I am here. I am part of this history, this wild adventure. Will anyone remember that I was? Are women never remembered unless they happened to have been born a queen?"

I found this book fascinating, from the changing challenges of the river to the descriptions of keeping children amused on the steamboat. The details of the New Madrid earthquake were horrific and brought back personal memories of earthquakes with jungle animals howling before the first tremors were felt. It was a privilege to read about Lydia Roosevelt and I will be sure my granddaughters know who she was!

This book has a lot of the features I look for in historical fiction. I enjoyed the historical details around the innovation of river steamboats and the challenges faced when attempting to provide services along the Mississippi River. To keep her family together, Lydia is pregnant and dares to join her husband for the inaugural journey with her toddler in tow. She is an independent woman ahead of her time who works behind the scenes with her husband but gets none of the credit.

However, there are a few things that brought my rating down. There were enough repetitive conversations, problems, and musings that happened throughout that should have been removed. There needed to be more detail about the memories she kept referring to in their previous trip down the river before the steamboat. It read like the second book of a series that references what you need to know and left me wanting to know more. This book would have greatly benefitted from a bit of editing and additional embellishment on the parts that were lacking. Had that happened, it would have been a 5-star book for me.

In 1811’s evolving America, Lydia Latrobe Roosevelt defies societal norms, boarding the steamship New Orleans, eight months pregnant and with a toddler, for a groundbreaking journey down the Mississippi. Her architecturally astute mind meets the colossal challenges of this perilous odyssey, challenging the status quo and reshaping the nation’s destiny. In a captivating reimagining of historical defiance, this lush biographical novel unveils Lydia’s unwavering spirit, weaving a narrative of courage, ambition, and transformation against the tumultuous backdrop of an emerging United States.

The writer’s craft in the book exhibits a distinctive and evocative style that navigates seamlessly between metaphorical introspection and poignant personal narratives. Throughout the book, the author skillfully weaves together broader reflections on memory and life with intimate personal experiences. The exploration of memory as a meandering river that transports both significant and trivial fragments, while sometimes muddying clarity, adds a layer of complexity to the narrative.

Lydia’s character, portrayed with depth and resilience, becomes a beacon of inspiration, challenging norms and steering the course of a nation’s destiny. The lush storytelling and meticulous historical reimagining make this novel a compelling exploration of an overlooked female adventurer and her indelible impact on the canvas of American history. This biographical novel promises to be an engaging and thought-provoking read, inviting readers to embark on a journey that transcends the boundaries of time, leaving an indelible mark on the pages of both individual lives and the nation’s history.

Follow the Stars Home by Diane C. McPhail is an inspiring reimagining of the true story of Lydia Latrobe Roosevelt who bravely defied her father to marry inventor Nicholas Roosevelt and travel with him on an untested steamboat down the Mississippi River. Not just an arduous journey by being a new form of transit, but heavily pregnant and with a toddler in tow

McPhails account is engaging and illustrative, creating a fascinating story of resilience, independance and celebrating the spirit of adventure despite a multitude of challenges and risks. A very interesting read and just the right balance between the facts and fictionalisation

Thank you to Netgalley, Kensington Books, (A John Scognamiglio Book) and the author Diane C McPhail for this fascinating ARC. My review is left voluntarily and all opinions are my own

Follow the Stars Home by D C McPhail, published by Kensington Books is an historical romance stand alone novel.
Set in 1811 travelling to New Orleans is Lydia the mother of a toddler and soon to be a new mom again. Confronted with trouble while travelling on a journey to finding herself, a new life for herself and her loved ones - she just has to be strong and that she is, a strong heroine to knows what she wants and how to get it in a complex, action packed mixed with tender scenes book.
An inspiring read, 4,5 stars.