New Novel Set at the Biltmore Estate

 

These Tangled Threads  by Sarah Loudin Thomas

The Biltmore estate is the site of industries supporting the tradespeople of the Appalachian mountains.  Lorna is a grieving, accomplished weaver who is teaching orphaned Gentry the trade. Arthur is a talented wood carver.  The three of them become woven together as the story progresses.

Lorna is desperate to keep her job by designing an unusual fabric.  She comes across some beautiful patterns belonging to Gentry’s dead mother.  Can she use them to rescue her position? 

Arthur has loved Lorna but she seems not to notice him.  Can he forget her and move on with his life?

Gentry is desperate to find the woman whom she has thought dead for years, but hardly knows where to start.

The questions keep the reader involved in the plot as these threads become even more tangled as the story progresses.  The characters are lovable but flawed.  The setting is interesting, letting the reader experience what the life and times on the Biltmore was like.

The most difficult part of the book was keeping up with the timeline.  It kept shifting from past to present in the different characters’ lives.  The setting often changed too.  Even though it was clearly marked, it still was confusing.

Readers who have enjoyed Sarah Loudin Thomas’ other books will likely enjoy this one, too.  I am grateful to the publisher for this arc in exchange for my honest opinion. 

New Novel by a Michigan Writer

 

The Lady with the Dark Hair by Erin Bartels

Esther Markstrom is the curator of an art museum featuring the work of her famous ancestor, Francisco Vella.  She runs the museum and cares for her mentally ill mother.  She wonders if she is destined to live an uneventful, boring even, life, when she encounters her former college art professor, who turns her world upside down by a recent discovery.

Bartels skillfully weaves the two storylines of Esther and Vivienne, a 19^th century artist together to reveal the mystery of the lady with the dark hair.  Not only does she tell the story skillfully, but she illuminates the process by which artists paint and how the pigments themselves were created and distributed.

The main point of the story is the struggle that women painters encountered as they tried to break into an art dominated by men in the late 1800s.  The spiritual content of this book seemed a little lighter than Bartels’ other works, but Vivienne especially references Him in her trials.  However, this was a very enjoyable and clean novel and should be palatable to readers who may be offended by spiritual references.  It doesn’t contain pithy life lessons like a Lynn Austin novel or showcase spiritual growth like a Jamie Langston Turner novel, but it does contain two women who come to terms with what they want from life and take action to get it.

I enjoyed this novel and appreciate the arc I received from the publisher in exchange for this, my honest review.

 

 

 

 

 

The Berlin Letters by Katherine Reay

This book reads like a spy novel because, well, it is!  Luisa Voekler remembers very little of her childhood in East Berlin.  And she knows only that her parents died in an automobile accident and her grandparents cared for her as she was growing up.  Then she finds something that turns everything that she knows about her family upside down.  Secrets-- or are they lies-- cover her past and now she must return to East Berlin to uncover the truth.

This novel is set in East Berlin during the tumultuous years prior to the wall being torn down.  No one is what they seem and danger looms around every corner.  The suspense keeps readers turning pages and wondering who Luisa can trust.

The characters are well-drawn and three-dimensional.  Luisa is strong and determined but not overly confident.  The supporting characters are much easier to understand as Luisa uncovers her past more completely.  There are also some unique characters who play a pivotal role in the plot.

This is my favorite type of book, with lots of action, interesting characterization and a satisfying conclusion.  I have enjoyed the author’s other novels, but this is my favorite.  I am grateful to the publisher for a complimentary arc in exchange for this, my honest review.

New Book on Noah's Wife

 

The Ark and the Dove by Jill Eileen Smith

Have you ever wondered what it would be like if God gave your husband an unusual command to keep your family safe?  The author has given this much thought and study as she wrote this novel.  It gave me a new respect for Noah and his family and the unusual task God gave them.

Jill Eileen Smith uses her sanctified imagination and research at the Ark Encounter to flesh out a story of obedience to God against the background of the culture’s unbelief.  Scripture does not name the wives who made this journey with their husbands.  Nor is it specific with the types of technology that would have been necessary to house, feed and dispose of waste from an ark full of animals.  With her research she enables readers to see what life aboard the ark would have looked like.  Those of us who lived through 2019 and 2020 can appreciate what life in a confined space with just your family was like, let alone needing to care for the many animals that daily depended on them.

I could really empathize with Noah’s wife.  Her desire was to have a healthy relationship with each of her daughters-in-law.  (I do not have a Keziah among mine!)  As a woman, I am sure she valued the relationships with her family and made it a priority to maintain them, even with a difficult family member in close proximity.  I also appreciated how she trusted her husband and didn’t try manipulate him even when she didn’t understand him.

This book seemed very realistic in the way the characters related to each other.  Even though the outcome was already known, it was still very interesting to read about their daily life.  Readers who enjoy Biblical fiction will enjoy this book and the way it brings Noah and Zara’s story to life.  I received an arc from the publisher, in exchange for this, my honest review.

New Fiction on the What ifs of Life

 

Between You and Us by Kendra Broekhuis

Leona must choose between 2 versions of her life.  Either her relationship with her husband is broken or together they have suffered unimaginable loss.

How does a woman choose?  This book will have the reader wondering.

Although the quantum physics part lost me and I wondered at the credulity of such a story, I got caught up in the book and realized that it raised some fascinating questions.

Leona and David’s banter was entertaining and added light to what could have been a dark situation.  The characters were well-developed and grew as the story progressed.  The plot kept me reading and guessing what Leona would decide.

 Readers who have experienced the death of a child may want to know that this book covers that horrific loss.

I am grateful to the publisher for this complimentary arc in exchange for this, my honest review.

New Author Brings First Century to Life

 

Up From Dust by Heather Kaufman

Mary, Martha and Lazarus are some of the most famous siblings mentioned in the Bible.  Heather Kaufman writes this story from Martha’s point of view, as pieced together from scriptural accounts.  She makes some assumptions to fill in the details of Martha’s life, but the resulting story rings true.  The reader comes away with a renewed appreciation for the relationship the siblings had with each other and with Jesus.  As with good Biblical fiction, this story made me want to pay greater attention to the details mentioned in scripture and it made the familiar story come to life.    

Heather writes beautifully.  The story’s rich details transport the reader to life in Bethany.  And best of all, the story ended with Martha’s heart being healed and her relationship restored with Mary.  I look forward to reading more of Heather’s work to transport me into the first century AD again.  I am grateful to the publisher for this complimentary arc in return for this, my honest review.  

Lovely Children's Book Featuring Israel

 

A Feather, a Pebble, a Shell by Miri Leshem-Pelly

The author invites reader to “explore the landscape of Israel through the small, treasured objects a child finds in nature.”  The tenderly illustrated book takes the reader throughout the landscape of Israel, showcasing beautiful natural features that a child can appreciate.  Laced with facts regarding the topography and natural items, this book is a treasure itself.  As a teacher, I would enjoy sharing it with my students and as a grandmother I look forward to sharing it with my grandchildren, introducing them to a land that I have come to love.

I highly recommend this beautifully written and illustrated book and I am grateful to the publisher for a complimentary copy in exchange for this, my honest review.

Lynn Austin's Newest Novel Set in the Gilded Age

 

All My Secrets by Lynn Austin

Set in the Gilded Age, this book traces the lives of 3 women in a well-to-do family.  These women, Junietta, Sylvia and Addy must decide how to proceed now that their son, husband and father is gone and their lives are disrupted.  Will it be a chance to start anew or a scramble to hold onto what they cannot stand to lose?

The author weaves the story of the lives of these three women and their pasts into lessons astute readers will take to heart.  She portrays the heartbreak of lost love, the beauty of second chances and the importance of living a worthwhile life.  The plot steadily carries the story forward while alternating between the three women and their choices.  The reader is kept interested while the background and the secrets of the women are revealed.  The story raises many good questions, causing the reader to think through their own life choices.

As Lynn Austin is one of my go-to authors, I heartily recommend this book.  Readers will enjoy the story and the setting and the life lessons that permeate it.  I am grateful to the publisher for the complimentary copy of this ebook, in exchange for this, my honest review.

 

Unusual but very enjoyable story

 

A Lady’s Guide to Marvels and Misadventure by Angela Bell

Miss Clara Marie Stanton is known to her loving grandfather as Little Atlas because she often carries the weight of the world on her shoulders.  Living in the mid 1800’s, she is terrified that something horrible will happen to her family, especially if the word gets out about her uncle and his disgraceful demise.  The rest of the family is quite unique with her mother an animal rights activist who can’t pass up a stray and her grandfather who is an inventor of automatons including butterflies and a huge flying owl.  As she seeks to protect her family, her grandfather leads her on a merry scavenger hunt across Europe.  She attempts to follow his clues while staying ahead of her former fiancé who wants nothing more than to use her family for his own nefarious purposes.

There were many things that made this book unique and entertaining.  The automatons were a fun surprise.  The many interesting locations in the book were fascinating.  The characters were quirky, a definite plus for this reader.  And the vocabulary was delightful, often requiring me to use the look up feature in my kindle.

Readers who enjoy a witty read with unexpected elements, a bit of romance, and lovable characters who grow spiritually are sure to enjoy this book.  I received a complimentary copy from the publisher in return for this my honest review.

 

Recipes and Relationships

 The Divine Proverb of Streusel by Sara Brunsvold

Nikki Werner is at her wits end to know what to do with her life.  Her father has divorced her mother and according to a social media post, has recently remarried.  She is confused and afraid to move forward with her own relationship with her boyfriend, Isaac.  After school is out for the summer, she takes off for her grandmother’s farmhouse and her Uncle Wes, a virtual stranger.  The summer away, time with her relatives and her grandmother’s handwritten recipes help her to rediscover her roots and mend the broken places in her life.

This book contains some endearing characters.  Uncle Wes and Joyce were some of my favorites.  I loved how Nikki matured and came to understand her father better through the stories of her relatives.

The plot and characters kept me engaged with the book and provided a satisfying ending.  I think other readers will enjoy this book also, especially those who have experienced broken family relationships and need the hope of reconciliation.  I am grateful to the publisher for the complimentary copy of this digital book in exchange for my honest review.

New to me author

 

An American Immigrant by Johanna Rojas Vann

Melanie is a second-generation immigrant from Columbia.  She just doesn’t understand her mother until she receives an assignment to visit Columbia and write a story about the drug problem there.  Her mother insists that she visit her grandmother in Cali and Melanie’s life takes a drastic turn.

This was an enjoyable story, but one to which I really couldn’t relate.  But not everyone will be able to say that. With so much of our political life focused on the many immigrants who have recently entered our nation, this book has an important viewpoint for people like me who don’t have an immigrant experience in their recent past.  It was a valuable story in that it showed me the human element of illegal immigration.

The characters showed growth, especially Melanie, and the plot moved along nicely even though the ending was not a total surprise.  All in all, it was a satisfying read which conveys an important message of empathy towards others who walk a different path in life from ours.

I received this book in exchange for this, my honest review and I thank the publisher for their generosity.

 

Jamie Langston Turner's latest book

 

Every Ocean Has a Shore by Jamie Langston Turner

This book is one of the few on my blog that I haven’t received in return for an honest review.  Jamie Langston Turner is one of my favorite authors and I just had to purchase this book and include it on my blog.

True to form, this book moves at a leisurely pace so that the reader becomes very invested in the lives of each of the characters.  Gary, Fawna, and Alice are bound together by a near tragedy and despite going their separate ways, they maintain a friendship in which they each grow and develop as people.

Jamie has developed a wonderful cast of characters in her many novels and I was pleased to meet Eldeen, Jewel and Willard again.  It was like visiting old friends after years of absence.  And now I consider Gary, Fawna and Alice friends, too, and hope to meet them again in another book.

Jamie’s books stimulate the interest of the reader in the personalities and quirks of fellow humans.  She can make a character reading a National Geographic magazine seem fascinating.  I could also identify with the inner thoughts of the characters because they were so well expressed.  And at the risk of giving away a spoiler, I was truly sad with Eldeen’s death.  I was looking forward to seeing her in another book.

Although her books don’t beat the reader over the head with a Bible, the message of salvation and faith is quietly present as the characters make their way to God.  The love that they show to each other, and their families is a testament to their faith.  These elements make reading her books an uplifting experience that many readers would enjoy.  I enthusiastically recommend this book and her former ones as well.