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.