Will You Marry Me? (The Courtship of Lizzie Andrews)

This novel is based on the true story of Lizzie Andrews and her courtship with her third cousin Edward Tenney. Edward is at Harvard and their letters keep them connected as their hearts quickly become involved. Lizzie’s father is a general who “never forgets” and is quite protective of his daughter and wants what’s best for her. Set in the latter half of the 1850s, both Lizzie and Edward’s families will have many trials to face together. But can Lizzie and Edward find their happily-ever-after?

This book reads more like a history book and includes graphics of what money and advertisements looked like in the time period, along with maps of the cities and pictures of the houses. The main thrust of the book is the sweet love letters between Lizzie and Edward, with journal-type entries in between. There are a lot of interesting details involved, but it is difficult for readers to follow the thread of the story. Perhaps if the authors had provided more of an introduction so readers could really care about these people and get to know them with more than just the letters, it might have helped the reading experience. There is a lot of exposition with very little feeling that would draw a reader in. The posterity of Lizzie and Edward, researchers, historians, and genealogists will find this a treasure trove of information from the time period, but it is not a traditional romance that novel readers can embrace easily.

Kate Campbell