Christian Christmas Reads Haul!

 

It's that time of year again!

Well, technically I'm a little bit late, but better late than never when it comes to buying some new Christmas Reads, which I did and am waiting to arrive in the mail!

If you're looking for an amazing source of Christian (or clean) Christmas fiction then I highly recommend browsing through the Christmas Fiction section of Christianbook.com. I love that website so much for Christian fiction and even for stocking stuffer ideas, so keep it in mind for that too!

I tried reading Christmas Bells by Jennifer Chiaverini a few years ago and just couldn't finish it. But I'm a little bit different now as a person than I was a few years ago so I'm actually really looking forward to this book. And I love Longfellow's poem so I am excited that Longfellow is the primary theme of this book!

This is one I would consider to be more clean than Christian fiction just based on my memory.

I haven't read Lynn Austin books in many years but I like postwar and 1950s fiction, so I think I will enjoy The Wish Book Christmas. I also fell for the cover, not gonna lie. It's super cute. 

Waiting for Christmas, also by Lynn Austin, is another book where I just loved the cover, but I also enjoy Victorian fiction a lot so I thought I would give this one a try. Literature is full of people who married for love, not station, so I wanted to see Lynn Austin's take on the subject.

I haven't had good luck with Julie Klassen in the past, BUT sometimes Christmas fiction brings out the best in an author. So I'll give An Ivy Hill Christmas a try. Regency fiction is some of my favorite to read so I'm hoping that this novella is as charming as it appears.

I absolutely adore Melody Carlson's Christmas fiction! She's one author whose work I look forward to reading every year, but I don't own all her Christmas books and this one is a 2024 release so I am eagerly bouncing up and down waiting for it to arrive. I can't wait to read The Christmas Tree Farm!

Again, here's another author that can be hit or miss with me. I've very much enjoyed some of Roseanna M. White's fiction in the past and really disliked others, but I'm more than willing to give her 2024 Christmas release of Christmas at Sugar Plum Manor a try.

I totally missed last year's Melody Carlson Christmas novella so I had to leap at the chance to buy it, even buying it at full price, which I totally did. I appreciate that romance doesn't seem to be at the front and center of A Quilt for Christmas, but instead is about a widow befriending a child in need of a Christmas miracle for her mother.

While my ancestry is mostly Finnish and Swedish, I do have a small amount of Norwegian blood in me and I happen to love eating lefse, a delicious Norwegian alternative to a tortilla or a crepe that is made out of potatoes. So finding an author, Larry Woiwode, who wrote a story involving lefse, well, I knew I had to purchase The Invention of Lefse: A Christmas Story.

And there you have it! My 2024 Christmas Reads Haul from Christianbook.com! I'm eagerly awaiting the arrival of my package so I can get reading!

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Book Review: The Visitation by Frank E Peretti (1999)

Official Goodreads Summary

Travis Jordan, a widower and burned-out pastor, hoped to disappear into the quiet, unassuming town of Antioch, Washington. Then a man claiming to be the new Christ arrives, performing miracle after miracle, and the national spotlight soon follows.

As the town escalates in its religious fervor, Travis must battle with his own questions about his faith and the increasing extremism and zealotry overtaking the town. The startling secret behind this visitation will ultimately push him into a supernatural confrontation that has eternal consequences.

My Review

I don't remember a time in my life when I wasn't reading Frank E. Peretti's Christian fiction. I read his Cooper Kids series when I was a tween, graduated to his spiritual warfare duology when I was a teen (probably waaaaay too young, in hindsight, but I regret nothing), and have now read every novel he has ever written, some of them multiple times.

One of his books that I've read multiple times is The Visitation, that was originally published in 1999 but many aspects of it still remain relevant today. People love a hero, we love to be followers of the person who has it all together and can fix all the things that are wrong in life through this method or that belief. Just sit down and scroll through the cult section of Netflix docuseries. You'll be appalled at how often people are misled and fooled by a charismatic leader who's been hit with the "lucky stick" and obtained a cult following.

It had literally been a decade since I last read The Visitation. But I had a strange, burning need to buy a copy, as if it had some nugget of truth that I needed to encounter right now. Turns out, that was the Holy Spirit's leading. I feel a lot like Travis Jordan sometimes. Burned out and tired of faking an enthusiasm that I don't feel for all the "church things." I'm not burned out on God, but on church, I am majorly burned out.

I'm a middle of the road kind of person. And I would like to think that I'm not easily fooled or pulled into causes or party lines. I know what I believe in and that's what matters, but I don't have to advertise my beliefs everywhere. And I do not appreciate feeling like a whole section of the American Christian church has been taken over by a certain political candidate. Now, who you vote for and why is your business. But no political party or candidate is my God, and I find myself cringing at the cult-like following that's developing for a certain someone.

I don't know or care what Mr. Peretti's political views are. He might completely disagree with my middle of the road stance and that's fine by me. He's allowed to. But The Visitation helped me continue to wake up to the reality that Jesus saves and everyone else is a counterfeit. Any church leader or political leader who claims to have all the answers, well, they're a counterfeit. What I look for in leaders is servant leadership, that they know they still have a lot to learn from the people round them, and that they are completely fallible and prone to mistakes.

Anything else and you've got a Brandon Nichols arriving in a small town, working signs and wonders, and the entire Christian population proclaims him as Jesus instead of stopping and thinking "hmm, where is his power coming from?"

I don't know. I'm probably super sensitive to the political season right now. Politics always drain me, and never more so than right now. But one thing that didn't drain me was re-reading The Visitation. It is 500+ pages long and I breezed through it in a few days, just like I always have before. It's a brilliant novel by a brilliant storyteller and I will continue to love it. And now I own it so I can pick it up for a thrilling re-read whenever I want.

One last thought, be careful who you make your god.

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A high fantasy adventure - The Stolen Kingdom by Jillian Boehme (2021)

Jillian Boehme delivers top-notch high fantasy with The Stolen Kingdom. Not since J. R. R. Tolkien or C. S. Lewis have I experienced such a perfect blending of faith and fantasy.

Stories of rightful heirs to a throne intrigue me, which is why I elected to read this novel in the first place. Maralyth comes from a line of rightful kings to the land of Perin Faye, a truth unknown to her until she is forced into a bid for the throne. Magic has always dwelt in the veins of the true kings and queens of Perin Faye, a gift from the Holy God given only to those leaders. When the magic was stolen by a usurper to the throne 100 years before Maralyth's time, it turned into something dark, evil, and twisted, the complete antithesis of its healing and merciful purpose.

Prince Alac, second-son of the usurper lineage, and not expecting to be in line for the throne, also ends up in a bid for the throne when the rebellion against his family becomes all too real. His affection for Maralyth deepens every day since the first moment he met her during the events leading up to his older brother's wedding. But when he discovers she is not what he believed her to be, even though he never desired the power of the magic, it begins to whisper dark things to him, turning him even against Maralyth.

There must be a way for the rightful rulers of Perin Faye to take the throne without bloodshed or without breaking the deepening bond between Maralyth and Alac.

Jillian Boehme's characters are richly developed, from Maralyth to Alac and even to Alac's best friend and loyal guard, Tucker. The story never flags, never wavers, never turns to the right or to the left. Common tropes are avoided, leaving nothing to distract me from the story. It is strong and cleanly thought out from start to finish. The prose is colorful without falling into the pit of purple prose. I felt by the end of the book that I knew and loved both Maralyth and Alac.

Maralyth especially is a solid example of what a YA heroine should be. She is strong without demeaning others. She avoids petty squabbles or fits of childishness. She is imaginative, gentle, and fun, a deeply authentic person who feels real, as if she could just walk off the page of the book and be someone I would enjoy calling a friend. She is a true ruler who puts the well-being of her people far ahead of herself.

As for Alac, I loved him from the beginning. A reluctant prince who ends up being enticed by magic that doesn't belong to his family. He yearns for it and is repulsed by it at the same time because he knows it is not meant to be his. Every emotion he undertakes feels natural, even down to his rage and hurt before he finds his way to forgiveness and love. It also helps to remember that Alac is being negatively affected by the stolen magic. It is changing him, little by little, and not in a good way. Ultimately, the true Alac that he is on the inside and who she finally frees from a burden that wasn't his to carry is a perfectly equal love interest to Maralyth and they are ideally suited.

Sexual content is kept to a minimum. A young woman is almost forced into a political marriage with a much older man against her will. Alac's brother and his fiance have been intimate before their marriage and Alac interrupts one of their intimate sessions, but nothing is seen. Alac's love for Maralyth is both intellectual and decidedly physical, so he suffers from all of the effects that go along with being a teenage boy in love for the first time. There are some kisses shared between them, but nothing else.

Finally, I love the religious aspect of the story. Jillian Boehme approached the idea of magic uniquely. It isn't something that can belong to everyone but is a gift from a Holy God who loves His children, to be used for good by the rulers of Perin Faye. When it is stolen, the world erupts into chaos and great damage is done.

Many, many congratulations to Jillian Boehme for her marvelous book. I hope to read many, many more from her in the future as she continues her writing career.

Thanks to Netgalley and Tor Books for a free ARC of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own and I was not required to give a positive review.

The Stolen Kingdom

Author: Jillian Boehme

Year: 2021

My Rating:  ★★★★★

Goodreads | Amazon

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A spine-tingling Edwardian tale based on truth - The Purple Nightgown (2021) by A. D. Lawrence

 

Set in the year 1911, when heiress Stella Burke suffers from migraines of unimaginable pain, she is willing to try almost anything to obtain relief, even if it means checking to a "fasting" clinic in Washington State run by Dr. Linda Hazzard. Despite the fears of her chauffer and childhood friend Henry, Stella pursues treatment from Dr. Hazard, only to discover soon enough that the clinic is not everything she had hoped for and the treatments are brutal and cruel resulting in residents who appear as little more than walking skeletons.

The mystery itself is chilling. Dr. Hazzard is a cold, cruel woman who places no value on human life or any life for that matter, and her husband and son simply go along with her. What makes the story more terrifying is that the woman was released from prison after 2 years and went right back into practice despite having no medical degree. More innocents fell victim to her starvation technique of treatment until she finally starved herself when she began to feel ill, making herself her final victim. That surprises me because it means she actually bought into her own lies Crazy. It's also crazy realizing Hazzard's book is still available to be read today as if it's some sort of reputable treatment for ailments. How is THAT even possible?

Stella is a kind, sweet girl who is constantly battling against her headaches, the manipulations of her uncle, and the pushiness of her chauffeur who was her childhood friend. She constantly thinks of herself as selfish and headstrong, when that couldn't be further from the truth. A woman of twenty-four has every right to seek out medical attention, whether her chauffeur agrees with her or not. And she had every right to be an heiress and every right to refuse the suitors her uncle parades before her. One even had the gall to say that he was all for women having the right to vote because it would be like he himself had an additional vote and if his wife didn't agree with his politics then he would not permit her to vote. Nasty, nasty man who I wouldn't wish on any woman, let alone poor Stella.

In her quest to break free of Dr. Hazzard, had she shifted her focus from God's power again? He had commanded His children to stand still on the banks of the Red Sea, and they had seen a miracle that day. The same God who had parted the waters held her in the hollow of His hand. If God hadn't changed, then the fault lay on her shoulders. Had she truly stood still or waited long enough to see God's delivering power? No. She had seized every glimmer of opportunity, and her headstrong will had brought her to this point.

I take issue with the above paragraph. Stella has nothing to feel guilty about for trying to escape from the evil woman's clutches. Should she have simply laid down and attempted nothing? Just wait for some miraculous intervention? If so then she would not have actually sent the telegram that brought her rescue. I cannot agree with instructions to just sit and do nothing when you're in danger, just like I can't agree with the following statement.

And every decision she'd made for months - maybe even years - had been dictated by her own wishes. God's plans for her had never touched her mind.

Here's the thing. God uses the desires of our hearts. When we pray, ask for his guidance, and make decisions based on a desire to please Him, that is within His will. Stella is a young woman who prays regularly and seeks the Lord. She is within His will by that very act. It's not sitting around and waiting for some sort of miraculous something to fall from heaven and hit us on the head. It's praying, asking the Lord's counsel, and moving forward in trust that He will use the decision.

Which leads me to Henry. I don't like him. He's constantly berating Stella in his thoughts for being selfish and thinking that he sees a glimmer of selflessness in her from time to time when she does what he thinks she should do. What woman is he seeing? She is not selfish, she simply is suffering from pain and seeking relief. Also, I'm sorry, but the man is her chauffeur. He is not her father or her uncle or any male relative. He has no right to try and hold power over her or refuse to do her bidding when he is a paid employee. If he was truly concerned for her, he would have stayed in the vicinity of "Starvation" Heights and made sure she was safe, rather than thinking she's made her own bed, let her lie in it.

He spent a lot of time making her feel guilty and that was unfortunate because it meant I wasn't engaged in their relationship at all by the end.

Overall, the thriller part of the story was exciting. But the romantic relationship between Henry and Stella bogged the book down to the point where I skim-read most of their sections when they were thinking about each other with the whole "loves me, loves me not" approach. Stella's foolishness also knows no bounds in certain aspects. People are stick-thin and dying and yet she's still not sure Linda Hazzard is guilty of anything until it is almost too late. And who brings their expensive jewelry to a health clinic? The Purple Nightgown is still an intriguing read. I enjoyed most of it, all of the spine-chilling bits. If there had been no romance, the story would have been far, far stronger, and more appealing to me.

For those who don't mind this type of sappy romance, and a little bit of excessive preachiness to their books, and are excited to read a historic thriller, then I'm sure The Purple Nightgown will be right up your alley. I don't regret reading it and I will keep an eye out for other books by A. D. Lawrence in the future.

Many thanks to Netgalley and Barbour Publishing for a complimentary copy! I was not required to give a positive review, and all thoughts included are my own.

The Purple Nightgown

Author: A. D. Lawrence

Series: True Colors

Year: 2021

My Rating:  ★★★

Goodreads | Amazon

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When 1984 meets Jane Austen! - Pudge and Prejudice by A. K. Pittman (2021)

Where has this book been all my life?! Apparently plunking around inside the head of Allison Pittman who, just like me, thinks that pairing Jane Austen with teens straight out of a John Hughes film is pure BRILLIANCE! 

Poor Elyse Nebbit, a year younger than her gorgeous and (naturally) sweet sister, Jayne, and at least twenty pounds heavier, probably closer to thirty. Dead certain that boys are still not in her future, despite being uprooted for her father's job to the town of Northenfield, Texas, 15-year-old Elyse knows she should just settle into the norm of never wanting more. 

That is until she encounters Billy Fitz, captain of the Northenfield High football team, perfectly delectable and cold as an iceberg, or so it appears. And while Elyse is dealing with the sudden, unexpected flutterings of her heart, so too is darling sister Jayne realizing the pangs of true love when she meets Billy's best friend, the sweet, somewhat dense, Charlie Bingley. Charlie is the kicker for the Northenfield High football team, and it takes no time at all for him to fall head over heels for Jayne, a grand show of emotion that she eagerly reciprocates.

Add middle sister Lydia (at a mere 13-years-old) and the Littles as Mary and Kitty re fondly dubbed since they are both under the age of ten, and the Nebbit household is complete. The drama unfolds, as it must, very similar to another story we know and love so well, although it is highly altered to allow for school dances, trips to the pizza parlor and the thrift store, and driving lessons that would give the Nebbit parents nightmares if they knew about them.

Okay, so if you're not hooked on the idea yet, there may be no hope for you. Pudge and Prejudice is HILARIOUS. And before anyone gasps in horror at the idea of mocking a girl who's overweight, know that I am actually somewhat overweight (although I dress far more fashionably than poor Elyse) and a lot of her emotions are ones I have gone through. I love that Ms. Pittman seems to get it where pudgy girls are concerned and she gives Elyse a chance to blossom into a profound understanding of wholeness in herself that does not include needing a boy or feeling called to lose weight to please her overbearing mother. Although, having a boy is nice too, as she discovers with Billy Fitz.

I'll let you in on a little secret. I was born in 1984. So anything having to do with the Eighties absolutely fascinates me! I love John Hughes movies, watched 21 Jumpstreet (the tv series) on repeat, and am still intrigued by the sheer volume of hair women could achieve just by teasing it. To say nothing of wearing safety pins as earrings and fandom pins as jacket and purse accessories. 

So I KNEW this book was for me before I even got my hands on a copy. It's chock full of Eighties trivia, references to Eighties music, and movies like Nightmare on Elm Street, which I have also watched and just about died laughing because of the camp. If you ever want to see Johnny Depp in a crop top and don't mind campy Eighties horror, then watch it. Pudge and Prejudice is a clever, almost modern, peculiarly funny retelling of Pride and Prejudice and I clasp my hands and beseech Allison Pittman to PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE pen the rest of Austen's novels in the Eighties! The world needs this!

We're also deeply blessed with Allison Pittman being a Christian author, so any hot and heavy content is pretty much left on the sidelines, along with foul language. Jayne and Charlie, while highly attracted to one another, would never sleep together because, as Jayne and Elyse both put it, it's dishonoring God and disappointing themselves and their parents. The Nebbit family, despite its quirky weirdness, do attend church regularly and the Littles are homeschooled. It's really just Lydia the family has to worry about, Lydia with her love of crop tops and boys, boys, boys. Yep, she's the same headstrong troublemaker she is in Austen's world. Some things never change.

Ms. Pittman also doesn't shy away from tougher topics, like the fear that maybe their 13-year-old sister is sleeping with a boy (which is still NOT COOL and shouldn't be in anybody's book). She also totally acknowledges that there are Christians out there who listen to secular music and watch maybe a couple of R-rated scary movies. Shocker. And she does it all without being judgy. Thank you! It's also genius that she threw Elyse and Billy into a confrontation when he just got out of the swimming pool and is still bare-chested. Sound familiar? Love the nod to Colin Firth.

One thing I didn't quite like was her rendering of Lottie, or Charlotte as we know her from Austen's world. She's not likeable, as in, at all. But I like Charlotte, so I do feel that Ms. Pittman did her a disservice, along with poor, idiot Collin. I wish more had been done there, like maybe making him an actual cousin rather than attached at the hip to Lottie from the start. The littlest sisters have almost no role, and neither do the parents. Call me strange, but I always liked Mr. Bennet and there just isn't much to work with here.

Also, the misunderstanding between Billy and Elyse doesn't quite work. I'm still confused as to why she was so upset with him. There may also be an issue of audience. I doubt many teens today will understand 3/4 of the Eighties references, but it may feel too juvenile for adult readers. Not me of course since I have just enough juvenile still in me to love practically everything in Pudge and Prejudice.

Fingers and toes are definitely crossed in the hopes that Ms. Pittman writes more of these glorious retellings! After all, she did include a certain boy named Frank Churchill as a passing character! This book is clever, inventive, and just plain fun and I adore Elyse's love of novels, her uncertainty about herself, and watching her emotional maturity as she develops into a lovely, clever, and witty young woman with a pair of very fine eyes that sweep Billy Fitz off his feet. I haven't laughed out loud this much while reading a book since I picked up Agatha Christie's The Pale Horse (you can find my review HERE)!

Many thanks to Netgalley and Tyndale House Publishers for a complimentary copy! I was not required to give a positive review, and all thoughts included are my own.

Pudge and Prejudice

Author: A. K. Pittman (Allison Pittman)

Year: 2021

My Rating:  ★★★★

Goodreads | Amazon

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Book Review: Dust (Book 1 in the Heirs of Neverland series) by Kara Swanson (2020)

Official Synopsis  

The truth about Neverland is far more dangerous than a fairy tale. 

Claire Kenton believes the world is too dark for magic to be real—since her twin brother was stolen away as a child. Now Claire’s desperate search points to London... and a boy who shouldn't exist. 

Peter Pan is having a beastly time getting back to Neverland. Grounded in London and hunted by his own Lost Boys, Peter searches for the last hope of restoring his crumbling island: a lass with magic in her veins. 

The girl who fears her own destiny is on a collision course with the boy who never wanted to grow up. The truth behind this fairy tale is about to unravel everything Claire thought she knew about Peter Pan—and herself.  

~ * ~

Here we are, in a new year, and this is the first book I have officially read in 2021. This will probably be a year of magical and fantasy reads and that prospect excites me.

Kara Swanson is fairly new on the scene of Christian YA authors. But she's gifted with a vivid imagination, a romantic soul (kinda necessary for writing YA romantic fantasy), and lots and lots of dreams. Plus, she's young so there is plenty of time for her to hone her craft.

At the time of this review being published, Dust is available on Amazon for a whopping $4.65 in hardback or $4.91 in Kindle. I just purchased it in hardback; I enjoyed it that much.

AND, the cover for Shadow, book two in the dulogy, has just been released! Go HERE for my raving blog post!

Peter, Claire, and Tiger Lily take center stage, backed up by Hook and one other person who would constitute as a spoiler if I gave a name.

Peter is upbeat, mischievous, and growing into his hormones since being stuck on earth away from Neverland seems to be aging him. He's roughly in his late teens, almost twenty, and he's falling hard for Claire, which I personally found adorable. The author has a good sense of romantic timing, and how to give just enough detail without giving too much. Peter is snarky and his chapters entertain me the most. There is a certain repetition to his vocabulary, like calling most of the people he meets mates or chaps, even Claire, which just feels weird and slightly off-putting since it's not really natural to call a girl chap. But on the whole, Peter is Peter Pan, and unlike Claire, I've always loved Peter Pan, flights of fancy (forgive the pun!), and all. So the version of Peter in Dust delights me.

Claire is harder to pinpoint. She's an emotional mess, although we find out why she's an emotional mess later so that sort of helps a bit. But what doesn't help is that she's also a bit dense. I would have figured out I was dealing with Peter Pan waaaaaaay sooner than she does, and even when she's told point-blank that this boy is Peter Pan, she still doesn't quite believe it. She's a nice heroine, but she doesn't make wise decisions, especially near the end where wisdom would have served her best. I love the use of pixie dust in the story (it's BRILLIANT), and so for the magical elements alone, I like Claire. But she's still somewhat irksome as a heroine.

Tiger Lily on the other hand is magnificent. She's a native Neverlander (an idea I've loved since forever), and she's the tribal leader of her people, that is until she chose to maintain loyalty to Peter and fall to earth with him. She's clearly African inspired with her dark skin, but I love the addition of night sky and constellation tattoos into her character design, along with the teal streak in her hair and just her overall strength. This girl/woman is tough but kind, and she has suffered through many doubts and dark periods in her life. 

I wish that there had been a little more plot development in the middle section of the book apart from Peter and Claire growing closer and Claire learning to trust herself more. There's also a bit of an issue with repetition. We know that Tiger Lily has that teal streak in her hair. It doesn't have to be repeated more than once, and if it does need to be repeated, do it in a newer, fresher way.

Blatant faith elements are minimal, but there is mention of the native Neverlanders and their faith in the Ever One, the deity who hung the stars in the sky. Hopefully, she'll expound on this Being in the sequel. There is also a lot of mention of light overcoming darkness and shadow so that's inspiring. There's a lot of talk about facing up to your fears and inner demons before you can truly become whole and I completely agree with that. Lots of little nuggets of truth are sprinkled in without preaching.

I know very little about traveling outside my country, but I do know you need a passport and it's unlikely you can just get a job wherever you happen to be visiting. We never hear of Claire having a passport and she's planning to get a job within a week or so of landing in London. I just don't know how possible that is. Then there's the phone breakage incident. If it's an iPhone (which Claire has), all of your contacts are pretty much backed up for retrieval on the iCloud. So, yeah, her panic over losing contacts doesn't add up.

Overall, the idea for Dust is magical and clever. It just needed a little more research and possibly a beta reader to ask a couple of important questions like "how is Claire getting to London without a passport" and "don't iPhones back up their contacts." Regardless of these little hiccups, Kara Swanson clearly loves J. M. Barrie's Peter Pan and for that I thank her. I'm hoping for a tighter plot schedule in the sequel Shadow that is due out in summer 2021. There is a bit of a cliffhanger to this first novel so I'm eager for Shadow.

Dust

Author: Kara Swanson

Series: Heirs of Neverland

Year: 2020

My Rating:  ★★★★

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Book Review: A Daring Sacrifice by Jody Hedlund

A Daring Sacrifice
Jody Hedlund
Zondervan
March 1, 2016
✯✯✯

Official Synopsis

In a reverse twist on the Robin Hood story, a young medieval maiden stands up for the rights of the mistreated, stealing from the rich to give to the poor. All the while, she fights against her cruel uncle who has taken over the land that is rightfully hers. Forced to live in the woods and hide with the poor people she's grown to love, she works to save and protect them, but she never anticipates falling in love with the wealthy knight who represents all she's come to despise.

My Take in 3 Parts

The Plot
The plot is precisely what the synopsis promised, a reverse twist on Robin Hood. Juliana's father was deposed from his land and then murdered when he attempted an uprising to reclaim it. Juliana herself is left alone, confused, and extremely bitter about the injustice done to her family and also the poor, helpless peasants who her uncle now keeps in cruel bondage. Juliana, an expert huntress and bowman, does what little she can to sustain the people in her care, even it means robbing from the rich.
  
Being a thief, however, has its distinct disadvantages, especially when you get caught, as inevitably happens to Juliana. But the man caught her is more intent on winning her heart than turning her in as a thief. Lord Collin Goodrich, a character from Ms. Hedlund's previous novel An Uncertain Choice, has finally met a woman worth wooing, and while his original intentions may have been simply to woo Juliana, he quickly learns that to win Juliana must also mean defending the weak and the helpless right alongside her.

Together, Juliana must learn that thievery is not always the best choice and Collin must learn that despondency and apathy towards the peasantry have no place in the heart of a nobleman.

The Characters
Juliana is an average teenage heroine, spunky, rebellious, and reckless. She wasn't entirely to my liking, but I knew she wouldn't be before I was even 2 pages into the novel. As for Collin, I liked him fine, just as I did in An Uncertain Choice. His character suffers from apathy, certainly, but he overcomes it and discovers that he genuinely wants to help those less fortunate than himself, which is practically everyone. He's quite the dashing, heroic figure that is sure to make many feminine hearts flutter.

The Writing
As always, Ms. Hedlund's writing lacks nothing. I've enjoyed a good many of her books for years, and always seek out any new titles. While this particular novel is more simplistic than most, it's also written for a younger, YA audience, and it's quite a lot shorter than the majority of her work so she couldn't be too descriptive. She successfully managed the time and space allotted for this novel.

Final Thoughts  
I'm reluctant to admit this, but A Daring Sacrifice just didn't sit well with me. The same issue I had with An Uncertain Choice arose again here. I abhor torture, be it in film or on the written page, and I think Ms. Hedlund goes too far with her mention of torture methods employed in the Middle Ages. Especially considering this is a YA book. If it were simply a secular YA novel I might feel differently, but I hold Christian authors to higher standards of ethics than I do secular authors, and so I should. It's why I don't read all that much of Ted Dekker's works, because they're too gruesome.

So I'm left with a conundrum. On the one hand, I feel that A Daring Sacrifice didn't quite reach its full potential as a Robin Hood re-telling, and on the other, I found it distastefully violent. So long as readers know what they're getting in for, they should be fine, but I don't want to start dreading to pick up one of Ms. Hedlund's novels for fear that she's going to start mentioning someone being drawn and quartered. I hope for any other YA books in her future, that she tones down the violence. 

Note: I received a free ARC of A Daring Sacrifice from Zondervan in exchange for an honest review, which I have given. 

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Book Review: The Doctor's Lady (2011) by Jody Hedlund

The Doctor's Lady
Jody Hedlund
Bethany House Publishers
2011
✯✯✯✯✯

Official Backpage Synopsis

Priscilla White knows she'll never be a wife or mother and feels God's call to the mission field in India. Dr. Eli Ernest is back from Oregon Country only long enough to raise awareness of missions to the natives before heading out West once more. But then Priscilla and Eli both receive news from the mission board: No longer will they send unmarried men and women into the field. 

Left scrambling for options, the two realize the other might be the answer to their needs. Priscilla and Eli agree to a partnership, a marriage in name only that will allow them to follow God's leading into the mission field. But as they journey west, this decision will be tested by the hardships of the trip and by the unexpected turnings of their hearts.

My Take in 3 Parts

The Theme
I grew up partly in Oregon, okay. Stories about wagon trains and the Oregon Trail were literally everywhere and so I just grew up loving them. My sister and I even converted a shed into a wagon train and used sawhorses for real horses with stick pony heads tied to them. It was awesome. So I was pretty much guaranteed to like a story about a wagon train. 

But it was making the story about missionaries that really clinched it for me. If there's one thing I deeply appreciate about Jody Hedlund, it's her ability to include strong elements of faith in her writing without it feeling overbearing. The story revolves strongly around the faith of Priscilla and Eli as they're making this perilous journey west. All because the gospel needs to be brought to the indiginous peoples of that region. It's a heartwarming theme and, for me, it never gets old. I love stories that involve American Indians and stories that involve genuine, loving missionaries and The Doctor's Lady had plenty of both.

The Characters
I love Priscilla. Not as much as I love Elizabeth Whitbread in The Preacher's Bride, but still, Priscilla comes pretty close. From the time she was a teenager, she knew she wanted to serve the Lord on the missions field. And even though she didn't like the shape of her dream to alter, she did finally acknowledge that God was in control of her calling and in choosing to lead her down a different path than the one she'd envisioned for herself. She's strong and determined, and she grows a great deal throughout her story, both in maturity and in her faith.

As for Eli, well, I'm particularly attracted to rugged, imperfect men. He has bad childhood memories that haunt him, a scant education, and severe trust and self-esteem issues, and yet he's still a man faithful to his calling to love the American Indians and to serve them in the Lord's name. What's not to love about a guy like that? Both of the leads were superbly rendered and I really didn't want to finish their story.

The Writing
Jody Hedlund rarely disappoints me. She certainly lived up to most of my expectations with The Doctor's Lady. She delivered strong thematic elements, vivid characters, and excellent research into the actual journey itself and the stops made along the way. One thing I do notice, however, is that she usually incorporates a near-rape in her books. It's becoming more prevalent in historic romance now where the heroine must be rescued from having her chastity stolen, and, to be honest, it's becoming predictable. I realize that women are always at risk, anywhere, but I think that plot device shouldn't be used as often and with as much vigor as some authors wield it.

Final Thoughts

From the moment I started this book, I was pretty much hooked. But I couldn't quite put my finger on why. I think I had a niggling suspicion lurking somewhere that I knew this story. After all, Jody Hedlund is prone to using real people to inspire her fictional characters. My guess was right. The Doctor's Lady is inspired by the real life missionaries, Marcus and Narcissa Whitman. I've visited the Whitman mission, heard their stories, and grieved at the knowledge that they were murdered by the very people who they were so intent on saving.

Anyone ever watched the movie Seven Alone from 1974? The orphans in this story ended up at the Whitman mission where they found refuge until the Whitman massacre. The film doesn't cover the massacre, of course, but I knew the ending to that story simply because I'd visited the Whitman Mission.

Fortunately for those reading The Doctor's Lady, the story is not about Marcus and Narcissa Whitman, merely inspired by them. There is no tragic death of the lead characters, only the growth of mutual love and respect. But it is always exciting to learn that a story is inspired by true events, making the fictional characters more grounded in reality than they might otherwise be.

Overall, Jody Hedlund has more hits than misses with me and The Doctor's Lady is a definite hit.

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Book Review: The Butterfly and the Violin by Kristy Cambron (2014)

The Butterfly and the Violin
A Hidden Masterpiece Novel
Kristy Cambron
Thomas Nelson Publishers
2014
✯✯✯✯✯

Official Backpage Synopsis

A Mysterious painting breathes hope and beauty into the darkest corners of Auschwitz--and the loneliest hearts of Manhattan.

Manhattan art dealer Sera James watched her world crumble at the altar two years ago, and her heart is still fragile. Her desire for distraction reignites a passion for a mysterious portrait she first saw as a young girl--a painting of a young violinist with piercing blue eyes.

In her search for the painting, Sera crosses paths with William Hanover--the grandson of a wealthy California real estate mogul--who may be the key to uncovering the hidden masterpiece. Together Sera and William slowly unravel the story behind the painting's subject: Austrian violinist Adele Von Bron.

A darling of the Austrian aristocracy of 1942, talented violinist, and daughter to a high-ranking member of the Third Reich, Adele risks everything when she begins smuggling Jews out of Vienna. In a heartbeat, her life of prosperity and privilege dissolves into a world of starvation and barbed wire.

As Sera untangles the secrets behind the painting, she finds beauty in the most unlikely of places: the grim camps of Auschwitz and the inner recesses of her own troubled heart.

My Take in 3 Parts

The Theme
This book reminds me a little bit of The Fellowship of the Ring, when Galadriel gives Frodo the Phial of Galadriel and tells him, "May it be a light to you in dark places when all other lights go out."

The Butterfly and the Violin is a dark, traumatic novel, but with a thread of hope carefully woven through each line of the chapters set in Auschwitz. Even in absolute and utter darkness, when 1.5 million people are dying around you, God still hears your cry and He is still faithful. The author captured the reality of a bleak era that brought me to hysterical tears, but still managed to present the idea that God is there, in the turmoil, and the grime, and the death. He hears the cries of His people and He grieves, not only for the lives lost, but for those who are doing the killing, something I hadn't quite realized until I felt that swell of anger against the Nazis, unbridled hate, and then came to realize that while I want to blindly reach back in history and kill all of the Nazis, God was grieving for them. That's quite a realization, both about God and about myself.

The Characters
So what we have here is two sets of characters, those in the 1940s and those in the current day.

Sera James and William Hanover are trying to unravel the whereabouts of this piece of Holocaust art, a painting of a young woman with her hair shorn, numbers tattooed on her arm, and a violin in her hand. They take this journey together. I like both of them. Sera has been hurt before, left at the altar, and so she has trust issues, both with me and with God. Those issues, of course, are resolved by the end, which is important. William, we don't really get to know him all that well, except that he's a businessman who felt the real calling on his life was to be a minister. His story in this leads him back to that path and calling from God, and I liked that storyline.

But the truly impactful character, the most prominent, is Adele Von Bron, the young woman whose portrait Sera and William are researching. It is she, a renowned young violinst from a prominent Austrian family, who tried to help Jews escape from Vienna, and ended up being sent to Auschwitz Birkenau for reeducation purposes. It is she who was forced to play for the Birkenau orchestra of prisoners, play her violin as families were split and countless innocents were sent to the gas chambers. This book is her story, and I felt every iota of weakness and terror and doubt that Adele felt during her time in Birkenau.

So, while I appreciate the modern characters, I loved Adele, and even Vladimir Nicolai, the young cellist who she loves and whose passion to save Jews also found him captured by the Nazis.

The Writing
Kristy Cambron is new on the writing scene, with this being her debut novel. If The Butterfly and the Violin is a testament to her storytelling abilities, than Christian literature is in for a revolution. Her style is fresh and original, she tells just enough of the atrocities in Auschwitz without crossing a line into the grotesque, and her heart for the era of World War II really shines, just as her expertise does in being an art historian. This is not a historical romance, but a historical novel, and I really appreciate the difference. Any romance within the book does not take precedence over the story.

If I were to nitpick about one tiny thing, it's that I really don't know if the modern storyline was necessary. Then again, I'm not for novels that have dual eras most of the time, so I'm just not used to it.

Final Thoughts

Never assume this book is an easy read, because it's not. I nearly stopped reading several times because my heart was just so overwhelmed by what I was learning, things I never wanted to know about the concentration camps. But you can't just ignore or imagine away atrocities like this. Just like we can't imagine away the grim truth that thousands of our infants are slaughtered every day in the womb. If there's one thing I realized, it's that America has become, in some ways, what we once hated and despised.

Every Christian should read this book.

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Book Review: Like There's No Tomorrow by Camille Eide (2014)

Like There's No Tomorrow
Camille Eide
Ashberry Lane Publishers
2014
✯✯✯✯✯

Official Backpage Synopsis

 What if loving means letting go?

Scottish widower Ian MacLean is plagued by a mischievous grannie, bitter regrets, and an ache for something he’ll never have again. His only hope for freedom is to bring his grannie's sister home from America. But first, he'll have to convince her lovely companion, Emily, to let her go.

Emily Chapman devotes herself to foster youth and her beloved Aunt Grace. Caring for others quiets a secret fear she holds close to her heart. But when Ian appears, wanting to whisk Grace off to Scotland, everything Emily needs to protect—including her heart—is at risk.

Set in central Oregon’s high desert and the lowlands of Scotland, Like There’s No Tomorrow is an amusing yet heart-tugging love story about two kind, single caretakers, two quirky, old Scottish sisters bent on reuniting, and too many agendas. It’s a tale of family, fiery furnaces, falling in love, faith, and the gift of each new day.

 My Official Take in 3 Parts

The Theme
It's always hard to let people go, even when it's best for them. In Emily's case, she loves her Aunt Grace with every fiber of her being, to the point where it's hard for her to imagine a life without her. But what if Grace's place isn't in Oregon, but back home, in Scotland, with her sister Maggie?

For Ian, his letting go involves something quite different. Stagnating hatred and grief have crippled him emotionally for years due to a personal loss, and it's impacted his relationship with God, the God he once loved deeply and who took away his anger before. Ian must discover that some things, like his faith, are worth fighting for while others, like his bitterness, must be turned over to God.

I love this theme, the idea of releasing control into bigger, more capable Hands than our own. Loving doesn't always mean keeping, and the sooner we learn that the better. And then with Ian, he must release his anger in order to become whole again, to trust again. And I especially love how prayer plays such a huge factor in Ian's healing. Not prayer for himself, but a prayer of blessing for the person he hates. That type of prayer brings about healing every time.

The Characters
I thought I would struggle with Emily because she deliberately holds back information from her Aunt Grace. But I couldn't dislike her because I can see her point of view. When you want to protect people, the last thing you want to do is tell them something that could potentially lead to their harm, like elderly Aunt Grace making a trip to Scotland in her frail condition. So Emily hides information, all out of the sincere belief that she's protecting others, but she does reach the point of giving God the reins and it all works out for the best. She learns to trust, and I love that.

Ian I liked from the first, partly because he's Scottish, but also because he's a gentleman, through and through. He's considerate of the people around him, loves his family, and when he and Emily fall in love, he doesn't do it by halves. Plus, he's constructive in his anger. I would say that he manages the "be angry and sin not" instruction pretty well.

Ahhhh, the sisters. Grace and Maggie (the sister who Ian takes care of) are quite the pair. Both of them struggle with mental frailty, and Maggie's going blind to boot, but they're stronger together. I love that. It reminds me of my sister and our relationship and how I always feel that we're stronger together rather than apart. Grace and Maggie have it down. And while Maggie is far spunkier than Grace, she did a little bit of learning of her own this story, very important learning. Sometimes it's harder to accept help than to give it, and she finds that out.

The Writing
I do believe Camille Eide has a gift with character development. Her story is about real people with real problems and fears, and yet all of the characters felt relatable in some way. I could like each of them for their own strengths, because those strengths far outweighed any weaknesses. Yep, there's romance and gushing and all of that good stuff, but it's tastefully written and tender rather than coarse. Ms. Eide has a good handle on how far is just far enough with the physical attraction thing.Well done.

Final Thoughts

I don't read a lot of contemporary writing, frankly because I like historic fiction better, but Like There's No Tomorrow impressed me more than I thought possible. Problems aren't all wrapped up and solved with a neat little bow like most novels I read. Some things don't go away, but this book is a good reminder that we can't simply stop living because we're afraid that something might happen. God doesn't want His children to live their lives in fear and timidity and I cheered when Emily finally moved past her own fear and started considering her future.

Like There's No Tomorrow is a terrific read, and I'm forever indebted to the friend who loaned it to me, and also slightly envious because she knows the author online. Lucky lady!

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Book Review: A Bride in the Bargain by Deeanne Gist (2009)

A Bride in the Bargain
Deeanne Gist
Bethany House Publishers
2009
✯✯

Official Backpage Synopsis

In 1860s Seattle, a man with a wife could secure himself 640 acres of timberland. But because of his wife's untimely death, Joe Denton finds himself about to lose half of his claim. Still in mourning, his best solution is to buy one of those Mercer girls arriving from the East. A woman he'll marry in name but keep around mostly as a cook.

Anna Ivey's journey west with Asa Mercer's girls is an escape from the griefs of her past. She's not supposed to be a bride, though, just a cook for the girls. But when they land, she's handed to Joe Denton and the two find themselves in a knotty situation. She refuses to wed him and he's about to lose his land. With only a few months left, can Joe convince this provoking--but beguiling--easterner to be his bride?

Go to my Historic Fiction page to find all my Christian historic fiction reviews!

My Take in 3 Parts

The Theme
Joe Denton needs a wife in order to keep from losing half of his land and Anna Ivey wants to start a new life away from all the mistakes of her past.

Along her journey, Anna does discover that she actually wasn't responsible for the death of her father while he served in the Civil War, nor did she make her brother run away to join the Union, or her mother to give up hope. She is not God and so she cannot possibly take responsibility for another person's actions.

Joe learns that it is just possible something else matters more than the land he loves so much.

Okay, there's the theme. I was really hoping for something more than just basic stuff, but really, this is it. Oh well.

The Characters
It took awhile, but I did finally reach the point of liking Anna. Not loving her, but at least liking her. She has a great capacity for compassion and loves to take care of others, a trait that I understand. However, she is incredibly foolish in her beliefs about other people and her beliefs about herself. She felt entirely too self-centered for her own good, making decisions for other people that she really didn't have a right to make. I also don't know why in the world she was assuming Joe only wanted to marry her because of  the land. Um, no, anyone reading could tell he wanted her.

And that's Joe's problem. All I got out of him is that he loved his land and lusted after Anna. His behavior towards her was entirely inappropriate most of the time, and way too gratuitous for a Christian romance. I felt myself inwardly cringing at times because of how he looked at her, or touched her, or kissed her. It felt . . . invasive. And yes, very crude.

And then you have the local doctor who helps both Joe and Anna. Doc Maynard would have been likeable. He's the founder of Seattle, got the ball rolling as it were, attends church with his lovely wife, is very fond of Anna and Joe. And he started the first whorehouse in Seattle. Which I'm sure he must have since he's an actual historical figure. Why even mention that? It feels like we're simply excusing that part of his life simply because he goes to church. I could not excuse him and so, frankly, even when he's doing "good" things for other people as a healer, I still couldn't let myself like him because I knew he brought prostitutes into Seattle. Such a fine, upstanding Christian man.

The Writing
While Deeanne Gist is an excellent writer, I just didn't like this book. I also feel it wasn't her best effort. A few of the plot points felt entirely too convenient, and overall it just felt rushed without anything of real long-lasting value added to the story.

Final Thoughts

This book really disappointed me. Just like in Fair Play, the lead characters were too focused on sins of the flesh. Faith of any kind was an after-thought. Oh, Anna prayed, but it was never in a "God, please lead my path, give me Your instruction, guide me to where You would have me go." No, it was never like that, it was always "God, give me strength as I tell him this." She never asked God for wisdom or anything, just prayed for strength to carry out her own choices. The only real spiritual advice she received was from Doc Maynard and you already know how I feel about him.

I'm finding that Deeanne Gist's books are really hit-or-miss with me. When she adds waaaaaaay too much sexual innuendo and heated looks and heat pooling in the back of stomachs, then I immediately start to lose interest. I'm not reading a trashy paperback, but a Christian romance. There needs to be a distinction and she doesn't quite make it.

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Book Review: When Mockingbirds Sing by Billy Coffey (2013)

When Mockingbirds Sing
Billy Coffey
Thomas Nelson Publishers
2013
✯✯✯✯

Official Backpage Synopsis

What marks the boundary between a miracle of God and the imagination of a child?

Nine-year-old Leah’s invisible friend seems harmless enough until he aids her in upsetting the tranquility of her new town, a place where her parents desperately hoped she’d finally be able to make friends and fit in. Hidden within a picture she paints for a failed toymaker are numbers that win the toymaker millions. Suddenly, townspeople are divided between those who see Leah as a prophet and those who are afraid of the danger she represents. Caught in the middle is Leah’s agnostic father, who clashes with a powerful town pastor over Leah’s prophecies and what to do about them.

When the imaginary friend’s predictions take an ominous turn and Leah announces that a grave danger looms, doubts arise over the truthfulness of her claims. As a violent storm emerges on the day of the annual carnival, Leah’s family and the town of Mattingly must make a final choice to cling to all they know or embrace the things she believes in that cannot be seen.

My Take in 3 Parts

The Theme
A little girl is somehow miraculously chosen to give Mattingly a message. Either from God or from some other being, but a definite message, and the town divides on how that message should be received, or even if it should be received.

What really stood out to me while reading this book is that nothing is as it seems in the small town of Mattingly. No one is as they seem. Almost the entire town goes to church and yet that same set of churchgoers turn their backs on an elderly man with an ailing wife when his success goes down the drain. Who does that? I found When Mockingbirds Sing to be an apt description of a society that pretends everything is fine, that everyone loves each other, when in reality there is a ton of backbiting and hatred going on. In other words, this book speaks the truth about the church, in ways many Christians do not eve want to admit. No, I'm not judging, not being harsh, just being honest about what I've seen during my years as a Christian, both in others and in myself. It's not a pretty picture. And this book really strips away the facade of Christianity to reveal the face beneath. We're not perfect, we're ugly and sinful creatures, and yet there is still salvation. The worst thing we can do, as believers, is put forth a false front of perfection and piety when we know, in our heart of hearts, that we coveted our best friend's new car, that we lusted after a sister's husband, or that we slipped down the street to buy a lotto ticket when our church is deadset against gambling.

I don't like pretending that all is well when I know it darn well isn't. And I'd rather have the truth out in the open than have people tiptoe around it as if the truth is an ugly thing to be ignored instead of released. When we confess truth, we conquer sin. It's as simple as that.

The Characters
On Shifting Sand by Allison Pittman was the last book I read that left me in a conundrum over how I felt about the characters. I usually either love characters or hate them, so this in-between is an unusual place for me. I didn't quite know what to make of Leah. In fact, sometimes I downright disliked her because she had no sense of societal timing over where and when to say something. Allie, Leah's friend, and Mabel, Barney's wife, I liked throughout the entirety of the book. Apart from them, I never liked someone all the time or disliked them all the time. Reggie the pastor, Barney the toymaker, Jake the sheriff, Allie's parents, Leah's parents, all of them had moments of like and dislike. It made them like real people. Because I don't always like the people I like or dislike the people I dislike, if that makes any sense at all. Very few people are bad all of the time or vice versa. So I felt authenticity in Coffey's character design, in their simplicity of emotion, yet complexity of action and mindset. These people felt real to me, and I appreciate that realism.

The Writing
Now, the writing is flawless. Billy Coffey writes his stories with a unique colloquialism that matches the society he's using. I don't usually read books where accents are written into the dialogue, but it works for Coffey's style. Even Leah with her stutter worked, although I think it did make When Mockingbirds Sing a little bit of a slow read for me because her sentences slowed me down. Still, that's a very minute point in an otherwise excellently penned prose.

Final Thoughts

I'm a little conflicted over this book. While I did like it, there were times when I almost wasn't certain what the author was trying to convey with his story. Maybe it's really just a story and individual people get out of it different things. That wouldn't surprise me if it were so. It's refreshing to read Coffey's work because he sees things differently. This isn't a love story or a genuine drama, but simply a story, almost a folktale. And it's told from the perspective of two little girls, very unusual lead characters in adult fiction. You've gotta love that.

Yes, this book really is unusual in that it deals with the supernatural in a strange way. You don't know whether Leah is lying or telling the truth until the very end, and that's one of the primary reasons I kept reading because I had to know. That alone means Coffey's style works. He never felt preachy, just forthright, letting the reader judge for themselves what he meant in the actions or words of any one individual character.

I will also say that it's nice having another male author joining the Christian fiction genre, because male authors really are few and far between. So while I'm not wholly in love with this book, I think it is one I will remember for quite a long time. And I'm definitely going to read more of Coffey's work. He's almost like the Ray Bradbury of Christian fiction, and for me, that is a very high compliment.

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