Carroll sold her first painting at eighteen--remarkable for any young artist, unheard of for a black woman in the South. On the heels of my recent renewed interest in historical romances, I came across the works of Kerrigan Byrne by sheer chance, but from the very first page, I knew this would mark the beginning of a lifelong addiction to her every word.

Eventually, they are separated but neither will forget and keep their memories locked tight in their hearts. The vivid imagery of the writing is matched by Charles Keeping's haunting illustrations which won him the Kate Greenaway Medal. This book is interesting because it includes 43 of the approximately 200 Robert Butler paintings that were lost in a horrific fire in Lakeland, Florida, February 10, 2008. Then I cried again when Farah finally realized the truth and she mirrored the first words she ever uttered to him. Farah and Dorian’s love story made me cry several times so it deserves nothing less than four stars.This must be one of my all-time favourite poems, a timeless, haunting, romantic masterpiece evoking strong imagery and passion. The Highwayman is deadly and he dares to be different, galloping on the fringes of society and remaining outside of the establishment.

Dorian who by the way you learn much later in the book is really Dougan was a scarred, tortured hero. this was a sweet second chance romance and it also has that count of Monte Cristo vibe that I really loved.They had the prerequisite misunderstanding/fight and did the breakup montage, then the author pretty much got the show on the road to their HEA. It is an incredible injustice that he never received the Caldecott Award for his work in children's illustration. If you like your heroes scarred, dark, tormented and filled with self-loathing, then you will love Dorian. It had been just as long since he’d used his hands for a purpose other than defense, violence, or domination. This feeling of connection to minor characters was another reason why I felt Byrne knocked this one out of the park.

The artwork by Charles Keeping is good but doesn't match that which can be conjured up in your imagination which just cannot be put onto paper. Dougan was all alone in the world, with no love or kindness, until little Farah came along and tended his switch wounded hands. Blackwell leaned over the tub, bracing his hands on both sides, his powerful shoulders bunching as they supported his considerable weight.It is not only a great, moody tale of love and courage, it has the melodic rhythm and sweep of the very best folktales and ballads.