NINETOES VS. WHITE DEATH

Ninetoes goes back to the Blizzard of ’88 (1888!) to review Christine Morgan’s chilling WHITE DEATH!

TITLE: White Death

AUTHOR: Christine Morgan

GENRE: Historical Fiction/ Horror

PAGES: 313

FORMAT: Ebook

PRICE: $4.99

Hey there, book lovers! It’s your old pal, Ninetoes, coming to you from Ninetoes Loves Books Headquarters. Today, I am looking at Chrsitne Morgan’s White Death. I have coffee in my system and my thinking cap on, so let’s get to it!

A week or so ago, I did a Dark History article about the Blizzard of 1888 at the Memento Mori Ink blogsite (MEMENTO MORI INK MAGAZINE – REMEMBER YOU MUST DIE). My editor told me to get my hands on Christine Morgan’s book, White Death, to review. Being the ultimate soldier/company man that I am, I did so.

Just a quick recap: on January 12, 1888, a blizzard hit the Great Plains. Indeed, a blizzard is not uncommon in this part of the country, but this one hit all of a sudden, turning a pleasant day into a fight for survival. In some areas, the temperatures reached 50 degrees Fahrenheit, then plummeted to below fifty degrees as a blizzard swept through the area. Many people were running errands, kids were going to school, and others were working in their fields. When all was said and done, around 235 people had died, many of them schoolchildren.

Christine Morgan took this bit of history and turned it into a white-knuckle read. Sure, everything starts out pleasant enough, but then she gets right into the nuts and bolts of what happened, and she does not pull any punches. Not. A. DAMNED. One! And just to add to the overall terror of the blizzard, she introduces the equivalents of saber-toothed tigers into the mix to give the reader a bloody read. I was not sure which would have been worse: freezing to death or being mauled to death. Ms. Morgan gives us the details of both, and they are not pretty.

The book is well written and keeps a steady but quick pace. I could not turn the pages fast enough to find out what happens next. To say it is compulsively readable is an understatement. Here, it is the tail end of summer, and I was looking for a blanket as I read this book and had to check myself for frostbite afterwards. The characters were well thought out and well fleshed out, and each had their own voice.

I found her level of historical accuracy refreshing. As a person living in the 21st century, it was nice to be reminded of how easy we have it today compared to 138 years ago. When kids had to walk ten miles to school each way, they really had to walk ten miles to school each way! There was no bus; parents did not load them into a wagon; these kids went on foot. We are talking about a time when neighbors lived miles away; people helped people because, even though there was a distance between them, there was a sense of community, and they did not have satellite radar telling them all hell was going to break loose! Ms. Morgan caught all of these details, and she gives them to the reader in amazing detail!

Here is the real magic of this book: Ms. Morgan pulls no punches. She gave visuals that will stick with me for a very long time. She went into detail about the effects of the blizzard on the eyes and the skin around the eyes that hit me right to my core. She also goes into detail about the effects of a body suffering from extreme cold for prolonged durations. Then there is the frostbite to consider. In all of this, she did not hold back, and that gave me an exceptional experience in reading.

If you are into historical fiction, horror, fights for survival, or all of the above, this is the book for you and not to be missed!

I give this book 5 bookmarks out of 5!

Until the next time, I bid you happy reading!

Darren “Ninetoes” Perdue is a book and media reviewer. When he is not reading, he is watching true crime shows, cooking for his family, or working on a plan for universal domination. If you see him on his porch, say hi. He does not bite…much.

PLEASE NOTE: The views and opinions of the staff of Memento Mori Ink do not necessarily represent those of Memento Mori Ink or Crystal Lake Publishing, nor do the views or opinions of Crystal Lake necessarily represent those of Memento Mori Ink or its staff. Thank you for understanding.