The Messenger by Siri Mitchell

What is Hannah Sunderland to do?  Her twin brother is imprisonned, yet her parents forbid her to help him because of their Quaker faith.   However, when she feels the cold and desperation that he feels through that weird twin connection she knows he must seek to help him.  How does a Quaker who cannot lie help a brother in jail?  She becomes a spy... of course!

Jeremiah Jones is a former soldier who is now a colonial spy and he needs help getting into the jail to help the prisoners escape.  Meeting Hannah is just what this spy needs to help him get information in and out of the prison.  Who would suspect a Quaker woman of trying to bring aid to her brother?

Hannah is conflicted about the beliefs the Quakers have instilled in her.  Are they right?  Should conflict be avoided at all cost?  Jeremiah is also challenged in this story.  He is embittered by his amputation and the loss of the quality of life he had before, but Hannah's quiet strenght and integrity affect him. 

While I enjoyed this read, I did not love it.  I found the story moved along at a meandering pace and unlike some of the other readers I was not spell bound.  I thought it was a good book...just not great.

I received this book from Bethany House Publishers in exchange for my honest opinion.

Prophet by R. J. Larson

Imaginative and compelling; this book is a great read.  The creativity required to create this fictional world that Ela lives in is mind boggling.  Right from the very first pages I was caught up in the story which was surprising for me because I was expecting a much drier story.  However, if you want a story that is full of incredible imagery, action, intrigue and a touch of romance, this book is for you.

Ela is a teenage girl whom the Infinite asks to be His prophet.  Ela accepts because she can't bear to lose his presence.  Leaving her home in Parne, Ela follows the Infinite's direction to go to Istgard where she is to confront the ruler there.  Along the way Ela encounters danger from beasts and men alike.  The story moves along quickly and I must say that my household duties were neglected as I just couldn't put the book down.

Prophet also provoked me to examine whether I was as devoted to God as Ela was to the Infinite.  She exhibits courage beyond her years as she confronts and speaks the Infinite's words.  I am inspired to be more like her... even if she is fictional.

I can't wait until the second book of the series comes out!

"Book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc.
Available at your favourite bookseller from Bethany House, a division of Baker Publishing Group".

Sarai by Jill Eileen Smith

The beauty of historical fiction is that it brings the past to life; this is never more evident then in the story of Sarai and Abram.  Many have read the accounting of their lives in the Bible, but it is entirely different matter to read about their lives in context with the cultural practices and landscape that the author describes.  

The book was very well written, however, I had a difficult time reading it.  Sarai's pain over her barrenness and the seemingly endless wait for the Promised Child really affected me.  That is a sign that Ms Smith wrote so well that she provoked an emotional response from me.  When Sarai offered Hagar to Abram to create the child they so longed for, I had to put the book down a lot because it hurt me to feel Sarai's torment in sharing her beloved Abram in such an intimate way.  

The book was very complex.  It wove the lives of those that were a part of Sarai and Abram's lives into the story seamlessly.  Hagar's story is also told in this book.  A maid taken from Egypt, Hagar's life with Sarai and Abram was decidedly different from all that she was accustomed to.  I appreciated that the author didn't make her a nameless character, but shared her feelings and struggles as she came to terms with her role.  As with Sarai's story, I also ached for Hagar.

Throughout all the struggles these characters endured it was evident in the book as well as the Bible that God was faithful.  I am glad that I read this book because I needed the reminder to trust God fully and not take things into my own hands as Sarai did.  Despite Sarai (and Abrams) waywardness, God loved and blessed Sarai, just as he does for us now.  

Sarai is an insightful and thought provoking read.  

"Book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc. 

Available at your favourite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group".  

His Steadfast Love by Golden Keyes Parsons

Set in the time of the Civil War, His Steadfast Love explores the division of the nation and families in this time.  Southern Amanda has the misfortune to fall in love with a Yankee soldier right before he is called back home to fight with the North.  Her father forbids contact with Kent because he feels they are irreparably separated in their thinking.  What's worse is that her brother Daniel goes off to fight the war for the Confederates.  Amanda is torn in her worry for Daniel and Kent.  

When Kent shows up later badly injured and the soldiers he's with have taken over their house and appropriated much of their limited supplies, Amanda and her preacher father must decide whether to try to save him.  However, as Amanda nurses Kent her heart becomes even more fully devoted to Kent even though she can't act on her feelings.  Again she is torn in her loyalty to her family and to the man she loves.

In all of this, Amanda is supported by the black slaves who have been with her family for years.  Having spent so much time with their slaves, Amanda views them more as family and even day dreamed of marrying their slave Washington when she was a child.  As an adult married Washington is still their slave, but he is also her protector.  Their friendship opens her eyes to the painful reality of slavery.

I thought the author did a fantastic job of exploring the issue of slavery from all sides and the division that resulted from that issue.  It was interesting to me that the angst of the nation was mirrored in what was happening in the homes across the nation.  Will the characters learn to depend on God?  Can Amanda and Kent's family forgive in order for them to marry?

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com <http://BookSneeze®.com> book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 <http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html> : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Chasing the Sun by Tracie Peterson

William Barnett returns home to find that his beloved family ranch has been confiscated by the government because his family went to fight with the North.  Hannah Dandridge followed her father to Texas after the death of her stepmother.  He was escaping the memories, she was being the dutiful daughter.  Now Mr. Dandridge is gone and his whereabouts unknown.  Hannah is filled with worry as she contemplates life without her father.  Will her father return?  How will she support her siblings?  Will she be able to retain the ranch without the help of a husband?  


William and Hannah come to an uneasy truce where Hannah allows him to remain on the ranch in return for his labor as the await a legal decision on the ownership of the ranch.  The tension between Hannah and William escalates as William just can't seem to help himself from bossing Hannah around.  Having had more than her fair share of male demands, she stubbornly refuses to acquiesce to his demands.  Throw in a slippery character who insists her father wanted to see them wed, as well as some savage indians and Hannah definitely has her hands full!


Forgiveness for others and trust in God were themes in this book.  I liked that Hannah's strength and compassion made such a difference in the outcome of the story.  Expounding on that statement will give too much of the story away.  I do wish that Hannah would have communicated better with William.  He wasn't her husband, why couldn't she say "quit bossing me around"?  Well, I'm sure the author could have been more eloquent than I.  All in all it was a easy and enjoyable read.

"Book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc.
Available at your favourite bookseller from Bethany House, a division of Baker Publishing Group".  

Prize of My Heart by Lisa Norato

Loved it!  Captain Brogan Talvis has searched long for his son who was given to another family by his wife while he was away at sea.  Abigail Talvis is now dead and Bogan's three long years of searching for his son has produced the knowledge of his whereabouts.  He has finally found his son and plans to abduct him!  However, as Brogan gets to know the Huntleys who are now caring for his son, he realizes that he will need to befriend beautiful and compassionate Lorena in order to win his son's affection.  Brogan soon succumbs to Lorena's innocent and loving charms and must make a choice when Lorena is abducted by an overzealous suitor.  He must decide whether to chase down Lorena on her way to England or to make off with his son.  

I loved everything about this book!  Norato captured my attention from the start and made me long to know more about her characters.  Brogan is an orphan who has always longed for someone to call his own.  Lorena is a loyal and protective guardian who bakes to work through her troubled emotions.  What will happen when both their secrets are revealed?

This book is definitely a buy and I will read it again!

"Book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc.
Available at your favourite bookseller from Bethany House, a division of Baker Publishing Group".  

Words Spoken True by Ann H. Gabhart

Spirited daughter of a news paper mogul, Adriane Darcy is engaged to a man she does not love.  However, she is determined to honour God and her father in obedience and go through with the wedding.  However when Adriane meets Blake Garrett (an editor from a competing newspaper) at a society event they are both covering, the sparks fly.  It is love at first sight... sigh...  What's a girl to do when she is engaged to a snobby socialite, but she wants her father's enemy?


While I did enjoy this novel I thought that the story really didn't get rolling until about the half way point.  I also kept waiting for the sparks to continue to fly after Adriane and Blake's first meeting, but there was very little contact between them for quite sometime. I suppose it is possible to fall in love at first sight, but my cynical mind has a hard time accepting that.  


The second half of the book increased its intensity and I was definitely engaged in the story.  The subplot in the book also became more interesting as the story progressed.  While I did enjoy the book, I did not find myself ignoring household chores like I do when reading a novel I can not seem to put down. 

"Book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc.   Available at your favourite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group".