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.

Grace cannot be earned.

The cover of Mona Hodgson's book was the first thing that drew my attention. The title, Dandelions on the Wind was so enchanting. Dandelions are coming up everywhere I look in book titles, jewelry, etc. This was my first time I have read this author, but I enjoyed the easy read.

This is a sweet sensitive story of a young immigrant girl from Denmark coming to America for a prearranged marriage. Maren was slowing going blind and the marriage fell through. She gratefully acquires room and board working for a poor widow and her young grandchild. Mrs. Brantenburg’s granddaughter was Gabi, whose mother had died in childbirth and her father left immediately to go to war. The three females live a companionable existence enjoying their friendship. When along comes Woolly, causing a change in the arrangement.

The ending is predictable but as an avid reader of Amish novels, I enjoyed the German sprinkled throughout the conversation. If you always pull for the underdog you will really enjoy this short book portraying forgiven. One of the quotes from the book still stays with me. “Grace cannot be earned, only given.”  I received this eBook from Waterbrook Multnomah for review.

Waiting for book three

Cindy Woodsmall has introduced new families to the Amish community and a new business partnership. The King brother's both have feeling for Rhoda, a beautiful and bright Amish women who has an unusual gift from God. Misunderstandings of her gift causes all kinds of trouble for Rhoda and those who love her. Wanting to start out with a clean slate, the Bylers and the Kings purchase an abandoned apple orchard in the state of Maine. Will their troubles be over in this new state?

 I received this ebook free to review for Waterbrook Multnomah.

Southern Girls

Since I am a Carolina girl, the title, Gone South, intrigued me. The author Meg Moseley was new to me but I loved the cover-bare feet and blue jeans peeking out from under a Victorian gown. This is story of grace and mercy with a hint of romance. Tish, Letitia McComb, leaps blindly into buying the ancestral home in Noble, Alabama. Sometimes you do not get the reception you expect with you try to ingratiate yourself into the social working of a small southern town; especially if your last name is McComb. Add to the mix the town prodigal, a young life torn by misunderstanding, and you have a smash hit. The string of character from the town and the unpredictable reactions to Mel and Tish makes for an interesting read. This book was given to me for review by Waterbrook Multnomah Press.

Delighfully Descriptive Dynamics

I had read Deadline and thought it was a great way to illustrate heaven and hell. Later I was so excited to share Alcorn's Heaven book that I taught it last summer to residents at a nursing home. I received this e-book trilogy from Waterbrook Press for review. Dominion was too much! It gave too much information on too many topics. It was informative about gangs and tagging. Then you mix in the folks in heaven, guardians and in depth descriptions. Then loveable Mr. Abernathy and his descriptions of the injustice to black baseball players. The brutality of slavery was heart breaking. It was unlike Alcorn's other books. I wondered where the author gained his perspective for the character of Clarence. The book seemed to go on forever. Deception,the last in the trilogy, was written from the viewpoint of Ollie who was such an amusing character. I realized along the way that I had read it several years ago but couldn't recall the ending. It was almost as good as Deadline! Alcorn does a great job in these mysteries. You can never guess the murderer!