The Governess of Highland Hall

Sir William Ramsey, a widower with two young children and two cousins to raise, hires Julia Foster daughter of missionary parents as governess of Highland Hall. Sir William is preoccupied with raising enough money to save the estate from ruin and pay the death duties for his inheritance. He is embittered after learning of the unfaithfulness of his deceased wife and finds it hard to trust any woman. Julia though educated and qualified to be governess has lived most of her life in India with her parents rescuing young girls from slavery. Her high ideals and outspoken manner causes some controversy from the beginning. Toss in the resentful teenage nieces who remained in the home after the dead of their father and conflict abounds. Two romances in the story are doomed because of the strict class divisions in Edwardian England. If you enjoy Downton Abbey you will love this Christian romance.

I received this book free from Multnomah Press to review for Blogging for Books.

Hard to follow

I was not familiar with the author and this is not my favorite genre, but I has few choices to review. Martyr's Fire had a strong heroic character, but the previous books probably gave more insight into the other characters such as Isabelle and Gervaise. Parts of the book were well written and intriguing. But it was hard to follow the plot with the false Priests of the Holy Grail and discern which characters were true to Thomas. While I am not a fan of magic or immortals I'm sure that teen readers would enjoy it. I received this book free from Multnomah Press to review for Blogging for Books.

My Hope is Found

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Book 3 in the Cadence of Grace series by Joanne Bischof was a joy to read. Christian fiction is my escape from lust and perversion of television. As a senior citizen, I have no interest in reality TV and certainly don't want to read anything I'd be afraid for my grandchildren to see.

Joanne writes from the heart. Hurt and sorrow is not a stranger to her characters. Grace and mercy abound from the family and friends of Gideon, a man with a past and many mistakes to undo. Lonnie loves Gideon but thinks he is lost to her. Can she really forget him and make a new live with Toby?

Christy Award-finalist, Bischof has a bright future in writing stories of God's love. Her trilogy of books center on characters from Appalachian Mountains. Being from North Carolina and attending college in Boone, peaked my interest in this writers interpretation of the culture and country living in Appalachia.

I received this book free from Multnomah Press to review for Blogging for Books.

For Every Season Amish Viines and Orchards, book 3

Cindy Woodsmall is one of my favorite authors. The simple life of the Amish and the focus of God in their lives is a pleasure to read. The King's Orchard has many problems in their first year in Unity, Maine. Friction between brothers over their feelings for the same women create another dilemma in the lives of the workers. Rhoda moves in to stay with Englisch neighbors and her spiritual gift of "heightened intuition" shows her information about Camilla feels too sensitive to share but too wonderful to ignore. Her beau Jacob needs to grow up and think of others for a change. Will the harvest survive.
This book was given to me by Waterbrook Multnomah publishing for my review.

Rose Then and Now Bible Map Atlas

Dr. Paul H. Wright, author of this book is the President of Jerusalem University College. He has lead many students on field studies throughout the territories of Israel and Palestine. With his many degrees and vast knowledge of the Old and New Testament life and times in this area, his book of Then and Now Bible Map Atlas is a welcome addition to the library of any student or teacher of biblical content.

The book has lots of pictures and text relating the history of the Patriarchs and Matriarchs of our faith. A two-page spread shows an Old Testament Timeline from Genesis to 400 BC. The first chapter describes in detail the topography and climate of the land of the Biblical Story. Numerous scriptures sprinkle the pages pointing out facts verified in the scripture.

Some large full page maps have sturdy clear plastic overlays of modern day places. Not only maps but photographs of places of interest like the Dead Sea with the salt formations, Shiloh settlement of Joshua and Mt. Carmel. Walk where Jesus walked and see photos of the Sea of Galilee, the shoreline of Capernaum, and what many believe to be the garden tomb of Jesus resurrection.

 The Bibliography is impressive with a least thirty-seven books and articles used to gather information for the book. The Index is very detailed covering seven pages: a welcome tool when searching for a particular place or character in Bible history.

My favorite feature is that you receive a very nice book as well as the book on PDF, 287 pages. The book is very large but the files can be opened on the iPad.

Thank you to Rose Publishing who gave me this book to review.

Postcard Poems

Forever Friday by Timothy Lewis

The concept of a a love poem on a postcard from a man delivered every Friday to his wife for sixty years sounds so incredibly romantic, you want to know more. I loved the idea of a realtor finding the album of postcards tucked among the other books forgotten, unclaimed. The story flips back and forth between the couple, Gabe and Huck Alexander, and Adam Colby, the realtor. Pearl Garnet Huckabee, nicknamed Huck was a impulsive woman with unconventional actions. The realtor recently divorced himself, set out on a quest to discover the formula for the couple’s long romance and marriage. With much effort, he traced down the last person with any knowledge of the couple and the puzzle of the postcards.

The author has a very detailed way of writing. Sometimes it seemed laborious and I had to take a break. The aging Huck loses touch with reality. Forgetting that her husband is dead, she drives the nurses crazy by calling 911. All in all it was a good read, funny at times, heartbreaking other times.

This book was given to me by Waterbrook Multnomah publishing for my review.

Amaizy Grace

I picked this book for the title: Faking Grace. Tamara Leigh has written several books Splitting Harriet and Perfecting Kate. Although I have not read either book, Tamara seems to write to the younger crowd.

I really enjoyed the antics of the main character Grace as she tries to fake being a Christian to get a job at Steeple Side Christian Resources.  Some of her thoughts about Christianity were so ridiculous that it was funny. In the first chapter she had a check list of things to do to look and sound like a Christian. Throughout the book, Maizy Grace, a part time reporter ties to hide her real identity by dropping her first name and going by Grace. In the parking lot before the interview, Grace meets handsome British Jack. He happens to notice her “Jesus is my Co-Pilot” bumper sticker (taped with scotch tape for easy removal) beginning to fall off and her fish (Icthyus) is on crooked with its nose in the air. The biggest laughs came from her efforts to hide her prime resource DBGC-Dumb Blondes Guide to Christianity. Truth be told the advice credited to the DBGC was pretty good. It was humorous to hear what some folks think of Christians. In the end Grace learns that Christians have the same temptations and problems as everyone else. It is not what you go through, but Who you go through it with! It was not a preachy book and did not present the plan of salvation. But it was good clean humor and an interesting read.

This book was given to me by Waterbrook Multnomah publishing for my review.

Francine Rivers Redeeming Love is even  better the second time around. Re-reading the 20th anniversary edition, biblical truths she desired to display were more clearly evident to me. The last five chapters made my heart sing, when Mrs. Hosea finally hears God's voice and recognizes a love so true it can never be bought or earned-a Redeeming Love, paid in full by Jesus on the cross.

As an immature Christian my relationship with Christ was not deep enough to read past the first few chapters. Song of Solomon  and other sexual parts of the Bible made me blush.now that I am in love with my Savior and secure in His love alone. I understand God's great sacrifice for us and recognize the many inferences Rivers makes in Redeeming Love. The violence of the cross made visual by recent movies, causes me to realize the depth of pain and sacrifice Jesus gave to redeem us.

The prologue introduces the early childhood of a beautiful young child, Sarah, born to the well kept mistress of Alex Stafford, a rich married man who scorned the child and demanded she be sent away. The sale of the innocent child when she was the tender  age of eight to Duke for his personal use was horrifying to me. He was the personification of Satan himself. I had to put the book aside and read another book until  I was able to receive the lessons Francine Rivers intended behind each purposeful action of hero, Micheal Hosea.

Taking the storyline from the Book of Hosea in the Old Testament, Rivers had created a  masterpiece which is as relevant today as it was twenty years ago. Even more so with the worldwide focus on the increase of Human Trafficking as a major business, especially now seen so frequently in the United States. It is time for all women to read Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers. If you read it twenty years ago, it merits reading again. For every woman who has been abused or involved in sex for hire needs to find self worth through Christ. It is time for women everywhere to open their eyes to the continuing trafficking of our most precious commodity in the US, our children.

This book was given to me by Waterbrook Multnomah publishing for my review.

Changing Seasons

Mona Hodgson continues the saga of families in Saint Charles with book three in the “Quilted Heart Series,” Ripples Along the Shore. Book two introduced us to Caroline Milburn, newly widowed, as we discover the ravages of the Civil War on other Missouri families; her sister Jewel and her quilting friends Harriet and Anna. 

Caroline has softened her attitude toward the wagon master, Garrett Cowlishaw, with the Boone’s Lick Wagon Train Company. She can almost forgive him for being on the other side of the fighting in the war which killed her husband. Half of the families in the Quilting Circle are planning to travel west to California. Caroline can no longer tolerate her sister’s husband and takes his advice to join the wagon train.

Conflict ensues once more when Mr. Cowlishaw explains that single women may not travel alone on the treacherous journey. God’s providence steps in to work all things to the good of those that love the LORD. 

  

Mrs. Brantenberg, the widow who holds the quilting circle on her farm, says, “The LORD has quilted our hearts together in those seasons of love and loss, sorrow and joy.  Life’s changing seasons are as persistent as the ripples along the shore.”

Two quilts will serve to keep the friends connected as one quilt will remain in Saint Charles and the other will go out west. A circular letter written by the ladies will keep in touch with the changes in their lives.

The third book is a bridge into the new series, “Hearts Seeking Home.” Each book celebrated the romantic relationships of the ladies in the quilting circle. Book two has several weddings. While the novellas of first series are short in length, Prairie Song is a full length novel.

I received this ebook from Waterbrook Multnomah for review.

Wagons on the Prairie

Mona Hodgson continues the story of Maren Brandenburg, her new husband and her step-daughter, Gabi from Dandelions on the Wind. As they join the other friends from the “Quilted Heart Series” in Prairie Song.  This novel depicts friends and strangers together battling the elements and human fragility as wagons heading westward to the Promised Land of California. 

Anna Goben is the main character throughout the novel, but Caroline Milburn, newly widowed, and nanny to the many Kamden children fills much of the story. I believe it is Caroline on the cover, but there is no mention of her character or her love interest on the back cover.

Anna Goben is eighteen years old and much too young to shoulder the burden of leading her aging German Grossvater and depressed mother to California. Hoping the new frontier will snap her Mutter out of her miserable condition and weakness for alcohol. A condition plaguing her Mutter since news that Anna’s beloved brother Derrick, her mother’s only son, died in the war.

Sometimes strong emotions such as anger, passion, fear, or grief, lends themselves to love. The Garrett Cowlishaw, the wagon master with the Boone’s Lick Wagon Train Company, and his group of trail hand offer many opportunities for romance.  God’s providence and grace is once again forefront in Hodgson’s novel. Caleb Reger learns from Isaac the depths of God’s love and forgiveness.

 The author seems to offer an unusual nickname in both novels that I have reviewed; Woolly, the curly headed character of Maren’s husband to be  from Dandelions on the Wind and Boney, close friend of the Goben family in this novel returning from the war with news of Derrick’s death.

The company of wagons includes a group of folks from many nationalities. The Frenchman Dr. Le Beau and his family, Isaac a freedman from Georgia, along with the Zanzucchi boys will give Hodgson much to expound on in the next books of the “Heart Seeking Home” series.

I received this paperback from Waterbrook Multnomah for review.