King Arthur Movie Tristan

title: Corrigans' Pool


author: Dot Ryan

genre: historical fiction

published: 2009

pages: 424

first line: Ella Corrigan began this cool mid-February morning in 1861 like any other day: up before sunrise, then down to the quarters to hand out sundry items to the Negroes-medicine, clothing, flour pork, and tools.


rated: 4 out of 5

Ella Corrigan has the weight of four generations laid burden solely on her shoulders. After her mother's accident, her father drifted to alcohol, leaving Ella to manage Greenpoole. She runs the plantation efficiently and treats her slaves with dignity. But marriage, expected for a belle of her standing, eludes her.


When Gentry Garland rides into Savannah from Texas, Ella's life brightens. Despite a contentious start, he and Ella fall in love. When Gentry mysteriously disappears, Ella, brokenhearted, and with feelings of shame for having loved him, hastily marries Victor Faircloth-a man whose proposals she has long avoided.

Corrigans' Pool is one of those books that you find hard to put down once you start reading. There's romance, drama and plenty of great characters and plot twists to keep you hooked.

Ella Corrigan is the eldest daughter, living on a plantation in the South, during the Civil War. When she was younger, her mother had a bad fall, and is now incapacitated. Ella's father has taken to drinking and it is up to Ella to help run the plantation and marry well so she can help her family.

Since Ella was a young child, an older man named Victor Faircloth had intended on making her his bride. Ella, however, does not want to marry Victor and has long been avoiding him. When out riding one day, Ella runs into a handsome man named Gentry Garland. The two don't get along straight away, but as time goes on, they fall in love.

Ella was concious of this man's eyes, his face, the way his black hair framed his tanned forehead and temples. And then there were his perfectly straight white teeth and the way his lips moved when he spoke, as if he were always on the verge of a smile.

By a twist of fate, Ella & Gentry are separated, and Ella winds up marrying into a loveless marriage. Ella is left broken hearted.


This book reminded me alot of Gone With the Wind. Gentry Garland reminded me of Rhett Butler, especially when he first makes his appearance in the book and has a cocky attitude. Throughout the book there are several scenes that reminded me of Scarlett & Rhett.

I could see this book being made into a miniseries.

Just a few moments passed before she gazed longingly after him, wishing she could escape as easily, if only for a little while. She could not attribute her sudden feeling of suffocation to any single event of the morning. It had been building steadily for weeks: her mother's illness, Victor Faircloth's unwanted pursuit, the trivial but constant battles between Hannah and Baker Ben-all were getting on her nerves more than she believed possible.

special thanks to Dorothy at as part of her Pump Up Your Book Promotion.