If you have read my Historical Romance Column, you know that the American Civil War and post-Civil War are time periods of particular interest for me. The Courtship takes place in 1874 and our heroine’s family moved to Dixon Falls, Oregon from Marion County, South Carolina 10 years earlier. Until the time they moved there Jane had been raised to be a "Southern lady" and would have probably married a "Southern gentleman" to live a very elegant life. Instead she was placed in quite a different environment from the south. Jane Charlotte did not fit in well with the residents of the small town of Dixon Falls, Oregon. She discovered that their life style and manners were much more casual and, at times, even a little crude compared to her southern family and friends.

Rydell Wilder, however, could care less about her rather stiff and prideful demeanor. He has loved her for the 10 years she has lived in Dixon Falls and is determined to have her as his wife. The bank he started at the age of 23 is doing quite well and he has spent much of his money building a house on thousands of acres of beautiful land just outside Dixon Falls. All the while he was building and designing it, he asked himself if Jane would like it. His decisions were influenced by what he perceived to be her taste in a home and what would please her.

After the recent death of her father, Jane needed to support herself and her mother, whose health was declining. In order to accomplish this she decided to go into the dressmaking business. First she needed to borrow money to pay off the debts her father left, get the needed repairs done to their home and purchase the supplies to start her business. These needs lead her right into Dell’s plans for her to be his wife. He has a most unusual "deal" to make with her and Jane has no alternative but to work as hard as possible to make her business a success. Dell does, at one point, admit that Jane’s ambition and intelligence are exactly what he wants in a mate or "partner" as he refers to their future together.

Banning expands on their personalities and the passion and love that Dell shares with Jane as she is struggling with her business and her mother’s health problems. He helps to build up her social status in the community by escorting her to local functions and letting everyone know that he is pursuing Jane in a romantic way.

I enjoyed reading The Courtship and plan to explore some of Banning’s earlier books. She has a pleasant "voice" and through out the book I felt a building hope for Dell to eventually get what he had wanted and worked hard to attain for so many years. When I review books I don’t always comment on the cover. However, I particularly liked the cover of The Courtship. The outside cover is beautifully done in color but inside the first page is a very pleasant black and white photo of Dell and Jane. What a nice addition and very realistic to the time period of The Courtship.

Banning’s research was based on a book by Kristina Harris’ entitled Authentic Victorian Dressmaking Techniques (Dover 1999) and John Peacock’s Costume, 1066-1990s. These books aided her knowledge in fashion details of this particular period and identifying touches such as puffed sleeves, bustles and edging of lace and embroidery.

Banning was inspired by her mother’s sewing skills to keep Lynna presentable as a child. Her mother did it in an affordable manner and Banning thought of how Jane must have felt in her poverty stricken situation. She started thinking of how courageous Jane would have been to pursue a business using her innate creative skill and hoping to gain a feeling of belonging through it.

Banning doesn’t have a photo of the area where the story is based to share with us but she did tell me that the town is entirely made up. She states that it is a cross between the real town of Dixonville, Oregon (Douglas County) and Jacksonville (Jackson County). Her mother was raised in the Dixonville, Oregon.

I want to thank Lynna Banning for sharing some background with us and allowing me to add a little spice to my review of her latest book. I think everyone will enjoy The Courtship and it may even inspire you to get out the sewing machine and whip up something fun to wear – even if it is just an apron with a ruffle edging on it.