Hope's Enduring Echo by Kim Vogel Sawyer ~ a book review

 

 

Set in Colorado in the early 1900’s, this story is about perseverance and faith.

Jennie’s family has been living in the mountains while her father is employed to check the wooden water lines that bring water from the mountains down to the town. Unfortunately, he fell while checking them one day and has been left with a permanent injured leg. The home they have lived in for years is provided to them as part of his employment.  If he can’t check the lines, they will lose their home. Jennie has been accompanying him on his rounds and secretly takes over the job.  She and her mother are hopeful that her father will regain enough strength and movement to resume his job, however, he has become depressed and has lost interest in almost everything.  One day, on her trip to check the lines, she meets a young paleontologist, Leo, who spots a bone Jennie is carrying and is convinced it is a dinosaur bone.  They strike up a friendship and work together to look for more bones. 

Jennie’s hope is that her father will recover soon and she can go to art school to pursue her love of art. She knows that until her father resumes his job, she must carry on checking the pipes.

Leo, who is a fellow believer, offers encouragement and support.  His father is a preacher and disapproves of him studying about dinosaurs. Leo and Jennie counsel and encourage each other to keep hoping.

The characters in this book are very believable and they feel like part of your family. This is an emotional, encouraging and uplifting story. 

You can read an excerpt HERE 

Learn more about Kim Vogel Sawyer HERE 

I received a complimentary ARC of this book from the publisher via Netgalley. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions expressed  are my own.

**A word about ARC books.   Advanced Reading Copies (ARCs) are a preview copy and are not a finished product. They may differ from the final published work and may include additional editing. My reviews may include some things that vary from the final published book.

 

 

A Flight of Arrows by Lori Benton - a book review

This is the second book of the Path Finders series.  I’m glad I had already read the first one. I found it very helpful in understanding the relationships and background.  The author begins the book with a short review of the story from book one, told in a folklore style. 

This is a book that requires concentrated attention to read. 

It is set during the Revolutionary War in what we now call New England, more specifically, the Mohawk Valley of New York State.  The author does a good job of portraying the confusing political and social culture of the time.

This is from the back cover:

“Hearts are Divided

Loyalties Will Be Tested 

The Fates of Two Families Hang in the Balance

 

Twenty years past, in 1757, a young Redcoat, Reginald Aubrey stole a newborn boy—the lighter-skinned of Oneida twins— during the devastating fall of Fort William Henry and raised him as his own.

 

No one connected to Reginald escaped unscathed from this crime. Not his adopted daughter Anna. Not Stone Thrower, the Native American father determined to get his son back. Not Two Hawks, William’s twin brother separated since birth, living in the shadow of his absence and hoping to build a future with Anna. Nor Lydia, who longs for Reginald to be free from his self-imposed emotional prison and embrace God’s forgiveness— and her love.

 

Now William, whose identity has been shattered after discovering the truth of his birth, hides in the ranks of an increasingly aggressive British army. The Redcoats prepare to attack frontier New York and the Continentals, aided by Oneida warriors including Two Hawks, rally to defend it. As the Revolutionary War penetrates the Mohawk Valley, two families separated by culture, united by love and faith, must find a way to reclaim the son marching toward them in the ranks of their enemies.”

At points the narratives seem overly long and wordy.  They didn’t hold my attention and I found myself tempted to skip them. 

There are so many characters to keep track of, many of them spies and double agents that I found it hard to keep straight who was on which side.

Christian faith is a major theme throughout the book and the merging of the Native American culture and Christianity is very well presented.  The romantic aspect of the story takes a back seat to the war aspect but it is an important part of the story.  I was a little uncomfortable with the intimacy portrayed, it was a bit too provocative for my taste.

This is a story of repentance, forgiveness, friendship, tolerance, acceptance, choices and sacrifice.

You can read an excerpt HERE

I found the author’s notes in the back of the book, and the map in the front to be very helpful.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from WaterBrook Press through their book review program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions expressed above are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Ties That Bind by Cindy Woodsmall - a book review

This is the first offering in Cindy Woodsmall’s series, The Amish of Summer Grove.  I usually really enjoy her books but this one took me a while to get interested in,  It started out slow and didn’t pick up until about half way through.  The refreshing thing about this book is, unlike some Amish novels, the characters are portrayed as real people, flawed and imperfect. 

As I said, I had read almost half of it before it captured my interest. After that point the plot became more solidified.  The story line incorporates secrets and mysteries, lost loves and new interests.  By the end of the book I was hooked and invested in the lives of the characters.  However, the ending was really a let down for me.  There was no resolution to any of the questions raised.  It was obvious that you would need to read the whole series in order to have all the questions answered and mysteries solved.  I would not call this a stand alone book.  On the other hand, it does make me want to read the next one of the series when it comes out.

This is from the back cover:

“Ariana’s comfortable Old Order Amish world is about to unravel. Will holding tightly to the cords of family keep them together—or simply tear them apart?

Twenty-year-old Ariana Brenneman loves her family and the Old Ways. She has two aspirations: open a café in historic Summer Grove to help support her family’s ever-expanding brood and to keep any other Amish from being lured into the Englisch life by Quill Schlabach.

Five years ago Quill, along with her dear friend Frieda, ran off together, and Ariana still carries the wounds of that betrayal. When she unexpectedly encounters him, she soon realizes he has plans to help someone else she loves leave the Amish. 

Despite how things look, Quill’s goal has always been to protect Ariana from anything that may hurt her, including the reasons he left. After returning to Summer Grove on another matter, he unearths secrets about Ariana and her family that she is unaware of. His love and loyalty to her beckons him to try to win her trust and help her find a way to buy the café—because when she learns the truth that connects her and a stranger named Skylar Nash, Quill knows it may upend her life forever.”

As I’ve said before in many of my previous reviews, this is only my opinion based on my likes and dislikes.  Your opinion might be very different.  You should go to the publisher’s website,   and read an excerpt, then judge for yourself.

You can read more about the author and her books here.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from WaterBrook Press  through their book review program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions expressed above are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

The Pursuit of Tamsen Littlejohn by Lori Benton - a book review

This book has it all!  It has romance, adventure, intrigue, suspense, and mystery.  As the title states, Tamsen Littlejohn is being pursued.  As you read the story your first thought might be that she is being pursued by a scourned suitor.  As you read the story you realize that she is also being pursued by a man who loves her and by God.  Jesse offers her protection and through his strong faith in God, he shows her how her faith can be strengthened.

This is one book that I had trouble putting down.  I couldn’t wait until I could pick it up again to read. 

This is from the publisher’s  website:

“In an act of brave defiance, Tamsen Littlejohn escapes the life her harsh stepfather has forced upon her. Forsaking security and an arranged marriage, she enlists frontiersman Jesse Bird to guide her to the Watauga settlement in western North Carolina. But shedding her old life doesn’t come without cost. As the two cross a vast mountain wilderness, Tamsen faces hardships that test the limits of her faith and endurance.

Convinced that Tamsen has been kidnapped, wealthy suitor Ambrose Kincaid follows after her, in company with her equally determined stepfather. With trouble in pursuit, Tamsen and Jesse find themselves thrust into the conflict of a divided community of Overmountain settlers. The State of Franklin has been declared, but many remain loyal to North Carolina. With one life left behind and chaos on the horizon, Tamsen struggles to adapt to a life for which she was never prepared. But could this challenging frontier life be what her soul has longed for, what God has been leading her toward? As pursuit draws ever nearer, will her faith see her through the greatest danger of all—loving a man who has risked everything for her?”

The story takes place in the late 1700’s, a time of political upheaval and uncertainty and conflict among Indian tribes.  The characters are very believable and the author does a great job of keeping them interesting.  She also does a wonderful job of describing the landscape and surroundings.  You really feel that you are standing right there watching it all unfold.

If I have one criticism  it would be the choice of the heroine’s name.  Maybe it’s just me but I would frequently confuse it with ‘Tasmen’ . It is a very unusual name.

You can read an excert here:   http://waterbrookmultnomah.com/catalog.php?work=222107

If you like historical Christian romances, you won’t be disappointed with this one.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from WaterBrook Press through their book review program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions expressed above are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

The Winnowing Season by Cindy Woodsmall - a book review

I’ve always loved Cindy Woodsmall’s books.  She has a unique understanding of the Amish that comes from her personal relationship with them.  Go to her website and check out her other books.

 This book is the second in the series, Amish Vines and Orchards.  Woodsmall includes a “the story so far” section at the beginning if the book in case you hadn’t read the first one. This was very helpful because without it you are kind of thrown into the story midstream.  The main characters are portrayed very realistically, flaws and all. 

From the publisher:

“The tornado that devastated Kings’ Orchard pushed Rhoda, Samuel, and Jacob to make a new start in Maine. Are they strong enough to withstand the challenges of establishing an Amish community—and brave enough to face the secrets that move with them?

 On the eve of their departure to begin a new Old Order Amish community outside of Unity, Maine, Rhoda Byler is shocked to discover that choices made by her business partner and friend, Samuel King, have placed her and her unusual gifts directly into the path of her district’s bishop and preachers. She is furious with Samuel and is fearful that the Kings will be influenced by the way her leaders see her, and not what they know to be true—that Rhoda’s intuition is a gift from God.

 Jacob King won’t be swayed by community speculation. He loves Rhoda, believes in her, and wants to build a future with her in Maine. But when the ghosts of his past come calling and require him to fulfill a great debt, can he shake their hold before it destroys what he has with Rhoda? Samuel has a secret of his own—one he’ll go to great lengths to keep hidden, even if it means alienating those closest to him. Throwing himself into rehabilitating the once-abandoned orchard, Samuel turns to a surprising new ally.

 Book 2 of the Amish Vines and Orchards series asks: can the three faithfully follow God’s leading and build a new home and orchard in Maine? Or will this new beginning lead to more ruin and heartbreak?”

This book is clearly written to be read in succession with the first and third books.  As much as I love her books, I was disappointed in how Woodsmall ended this one, or rather, how it didn’t end.  The reader is left hanging, with nothing much being resolved.  We still don’t know who Rhoda really loves, what all of her ‘visions’ mean, if the new community will survive, or what will happen with Jacob and his troubles from his past.  It does, however, leave you wanting to read the next one. Which, when you think about it, is probably the plan.  To be continued......when I read book three.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from WaterBrook Press  through their book review program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions expressed above are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.