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Book Review: Where Courage Calls

April 23, 2014May 31, 2014 Sarah

Have you guys ever heard of Janette Oke? She has written a TON of Christian women’s fiction, and I can’t say I’ve read very much of her stuff. But recently I learned that she’s like the great aunt of one of my sister’s college friends, so when I saw the book she co-wrote with Laurel Oke Logan, Where Courage Calls, offered as a book to review I decided to go for it. I was sent a free copy of this novel as part of Bethany House Publishers‘ book review program.

Here is a description of the book from the publisher:

Her courage and her heart will be tested in ways she never expected…

Beth Thatcher has spent her entire life in the safe, comfortable world of her family, her friends, and the social outings her father’s wealth provides. But Beth is about to leave it all behind to accept a teaching position in the rugged foothills of western Canada. Inspired by her aunt Elizabeth, who went west to teach school several years ago, and gently encouraged by her father, Beth resolves to put her trust in God and bravely face any challenge that comes her way.

But the conditions in Coal Valley are even worse than she’d feared. A recent mining accident has left the town grieving and at the mercy of the mining company. The children have had very little prior education, and many of the locals don’t even speak English. There isn’t even a proper schoolhouse. In addition, Beth’s heart is torn between two young men–both Mounties, one a lifelong friend and the other a kind, quiet man who comes to her aid more than once.

Despite the many challenges, Beth is determined to make a difference in the rustic frontier town. But when her sister visits from the East, reminding her of all the luxuries she’s had to give up, will Beth decide to return to her privileged life as soon as the school year is over?

A special companion story to Hallmark Channel’s When Calls the Heart TV series.

And as usual, my five point review:

Well, most [all?] of Janette Oke’s books are set in the West. As a whole, I don’t find these types of books exciting. But this one? I couldn’t put it down. Beth wasn’t as boring as the stereotype of a 1800s schoolteacher [schoolmarm?] generally suggests.
I liked that this book felt timeless. The themes of family, privilege, and trust are experienced by people in all times. Understanding the differences of the past is also timeless. Definitely a book that can be read over and over again.
The book as a whole was very well written. Janette Oke is a thorough writer that makes every character feel like family, feel important. But sometimes when books are written in tandem, the flow is lost. Not so with this book. I was quite impressed!
Beth was such a likeable character. Her struggles were real and her crisis of faith was so genuine…. not something that an author fixes with a Bible verse or three. Beth finds strength through God, and by doing the right thing with the families in her town. It’s so fun watching her find her way.
All in all, this book was a wonderful light read. It makes me want to read more of Janette Oke’s books, and I hope you will too!

What are you reading lately?

Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this book from Bethany House Publishers. However, I was not required to write a positive review. The thoughts expressed above are entirely my own. Thanks to Bethany House for the chance to read this great book!

Reviews

Book Review: The Dancing Master

March 3, 2014March 2, 2014 Sarah

Happy Monday! Need a book to read during this March snowy/icy week? How about Julie Klassen’s The Dancing Master? It is a fun read that I’m excited to share with you today. I was sent a free copy of this novel as part of Bethany House Publishers‘ book review program.

Here is a description of the book from the publisher:

Finding himself the man of the family, London dancing master Alec Valcourt moves his mother and sister to remote Devonshire, hoping to start over. But he is stunned to learn the village matriarch has prohibited all dancing, for reasons buried deep in her past.

Alec finds an unlikely ally in the matriarch’s daughter. Though he’s initially wary of Julia Midwinter’s reckless flirtation, he comes to realize her bold exterior disguises a vulnerable soul–and hidden sorrows of her own.

Julia is quickly attracted to the handsome dancing master–a man her mother would never approve of–but she cannot imagine why Mr. Valcourt would leave London, or why he evades questions about his past. With Alec’s help, can Julia uncover old secrets and restore life to her somber village. . .and to her mother’s tattered heart?

Filled with mystery and romance, The Dancing Master brings to life the intriguing profession of those who taught essential social graces for ladies and gentlemen hoping to make a “good match” in Regency England.

And as usual, my five point review:

I use Goodreads to help me find new books. [Follow me!] Sometimes before beginning a new book, I’ll peruse the reviews before I begin reading [non-spoiler ones, that is] and one of the first ones I saw was that this book is “Footloose in Regency England!” How fun, I thought–and it was. An all around fun read.
My biggest gripe about The Dancing Master was that everything was soooooo drawwwwwn outttttt. Writing like that reminds me of my sister, circa 2007. But seriously, it takes forever to learn WHY dancing has been all but outlawed in this tiny town, and even then, it’s a pretty outlandish reason. Maybe it wouldn’t have been outlandish back in Regency times but it seemed sort of silly today.
There were lots of secrets in this book, and I liked that the reader didn’t learn secrets before the characters do. Many good books are set up that way, but sometimes it is fun to try to figure out the mysterious events as the characters do.
Speaking of characters, many times I like the main female leads in these cheesy romances. This time? Not so much. I think Julia learns a lot throughout the events in the novel, but something about her rubbed me the wrong way. It wasn’t that she was super spoiled or selfish; she’s just annoying at times. She has a few good friends though [including Alec’s sister] that I would really like to know better. A spinoff perhaps? Alec was very likeable. I enjoyed hearing a lot of the story from his point of view–a bit unusual, the male perspective, but very good.
All in all, this was a good book. Fun. Exciting. Unpredictable [well, as much as romances are]. I enjoyed the setting and the history lesson about the upperclass social graces of the time. Dancing masters also taught fencing, so it was fun to read about Alec fencing too. Hope you enjoy this book like I did!

What are you reading lately?

Reviews

Book Review: Your Beautiful Purpose

December 14, 2013December 14, 2013 Sarah

One last book review to be caught up by the end of the year. Woohoo! The book I have to share with you today is a bit different from my ‘cheesy Christian fiction’ genre of choice. This book, Your Beautiful Purpose by Susie Larson, is nonfiction. It’s a Christian book that focuses on helping women find their purpose in life through God. It’s a self-help book of sorts, but is very much based in the Bible so knowing this, let’s dive in! I read this book as part of the book review program offered by Bethany House Publishers.

Here’s a description of the book from the publisher:

Let God Breathe a Fresh Purpose Into Your Soul

We so want each day to matter–to serve God in big and small ways. But how, especially when everyday responsibilities, work, fears, and other obstacles get in the way?

Like a trusted friend, Susie Larson shares practical, scriptural ways to overcome whatever keeps us from living fully in God’s will. Susie will help you learn to:

Discern the best use of your time and gifts
Confidently pursue God’s unique desires for you
Stretch your faith and deepen your impact

Respond today to that nudge in your spirit–that desire to use your gifts and passions more fully in God’s work. Lay down lesser commitments and lay hold of God’s beautiful purpose for your life.

As usual, my five point review:

First of all, as I already mentioned, this book is based on the Bible. Most chapters center on one or more passages of scripture to illustrate the chapter’s theme [i.e. waiting on God, stay your course, follow His lead, etc.]. For the most part, I agreed with how the author used the passages, but what I really appreciated was that the study questions at the end of the chapter encouraged readers to read and study the passage on their own again. This way, we don’t have to just take the author’s word for what the Bible is saying–but we can read it and let God speak to us about it. These sort of books don’t always encourage that, so I really liked that about the book.
I found the tone used in the writing of this book to be both encouraging and challenging. Susie is also a radio talk show host and national speaker, and it seems that she writes in a fairly conversational style. She isn’t an author who would write about things she isn’t comfortable saying out loud to her friends or to stranger. I like that!
I liked that this book included so many true, inspirational stories of women who have let God transform their lives in many different ways and in different circumstances. Susie also shared many examples from her own life, which I loved.
This book is hard to read because you can’t just skim through it. It’s challenging and convicting. I had to put it down and come back to it time and time again, hence this late review. But it is good. It is powerful and hopeful. With a forward by Ann Voskamp, I had no doubt it would be!
This book has a companion DVD series, making it perfect for small group discussion. Personally my biggest complaint with the book is that I felt I was missing something by not reading it in a group [which is encouraged at the beginning by the author]. I’d recommend this book more for group study, instead of individual study but either way it is a good read!

What are you reading lately?

Reviews

Book Review: Rebellious Heart

December 13, 2013December 13, 2013 Sarah

I know… I know, I just posted a book review last week! I have two more book reviews to share so I am caught up before Christmas, so bear with me. 🙂 Today I’m going to talk about Jody Hedlund’s Rebellious Heart. I read this book as part of the awesome book review program offered by Bethany House Publishers.

Here is the description of the book from the publisher:

Massachusetts, 1763. When Susanna Smith and Benjamin Ross act to save the life of a runaway indentured servant, they’ll risk everything for love and justice in a nation on the brink of revolution.

And as usual… my five point review.

I NEVER WANTED THIS BOOK TO END. Never never never. It was SO good. So engaging, so funny, so frightful, so wonderful. The story is based on the true story of John and Abigail Adams, which is really interesting. Makes me want to read more about them! Reading about the Colonial era is something I haven’t done very much of since I was into Felicity and the other American Girl dolls back in the day, but now I want to explore Goodreads and see what else is out there!
Knowing that Benjamin [or Ben, as he goes by in the book] is really John Adams puts a bit more perspective and context into this character. Nevertheless, watching Ben develop from a “nobody” as initially stated into a man of purpose throughout the story was amazing. Really, Susanna developed a lot too, but that’s typical of female leads in Christian romance novels. I love seeing strong men in these books because that’s who men should emulate nowadays, not weak men that [can] be common because of societal pressures and gender equality. [BTW this isn’t a political stance on gender, just a statement that Ben the character is strong and I like that.]
It was really interesting–and really heartbreaking–to consider one of the key themes of this story. Justice is a huge part of this book, and this era of history–who deserves justice, what is justice, who has justice, etc. The runaway indentured servant that Ben and Susanna are fighting to save is named Dotty, and she has suffered terrible abuses. It was just SO sad what she had been through, and I had to keep reminding myself that Dotty was not a real person. However, her story unfortunately was all too common, and often [in real life] the perpetrators were never punished because of societal views on the practice of indenturing people and the role/importance of women in society. Dotty’s story also provides a nice backdrop for considering the colonies and British rule… however Ben my husband tells me [from the Assassin’s Creed video game] that perhaps some the outcomes of British rule like taxes that the Colonists fought against may have been a bit more justified than our history texts lead us to believe. That is a whole ‘nother issue though, but I just wanted to acknowledge that perspective. This doesn’t change the fact that indentured servitude often resulted in mistreatment of people–women AND men, so Dotty’s story is still very important.
Faith definitely plays an element in this story but not in a preachy, over the top way. The work of Susanna and Ben in caring for Dotty, and the work of Susanna and her mother in caring for poor widows and orphans in their community is certainly a response to God… but the faith journey is not part of this story at all. I’m not sure that would have added much to the story anyway, as it was very powerful already.
Lastly, I’ve read nearly all of Jody Hedlund’s wonderful historical fiction books. They are all well researched. She does a great job at developing both characters and plot, and this tale is no different. I heartily encourage you to pick it up for your next plane ride or reading day on the couch. I think it’s my favorite Jody Hedlund book by far!

What are you reading lately?

Reviews

Book Review: Chasing Hope

December 5, 2013January 19, 2015 Sarah

Today I have a fun book to review for you: Kathryn Cushman’s Chasing Hope. When I saw this title on the list from Bethany House Publishers‘ awesome book review program, I was immediately drawn to it because it’s about RUNNING! Aka my favorite thing ever. Maybe even more than cooking or baking. Or reading. It’s close. But anyway, this book blew my expectations out of the water–it was a great read. I hope you like the review! 🙂

Here is a description of the book from the publisher:

After her Olympic dreams are dashed, Sabrina Rice distances herself from everything to do with running—until the day she sees Brandy Phillip racing security across campus. When she meets this troubled teen, Sabrina realizes she’s Brandy’s best hope to salvage a life about to spiral out of control.…

And as usual, my five point review:

Though I loved that the book centered around running, I was a bit hesitant to read it because it was set in contemporary times. Sometimes contemporary Christian fiction [or even general fiction] can be dated, super quickly. But I was pleasantly surprised that this one wasn’t, and I think that Kathryn Cushman may have even tried to keep away from that by not talking about technology or tv or movies or music. So, yay!
I really enjoyed watching the relationship between Sabrina and Brandy develop. Their grandmothers certainly had something to do with it, and so did Sabrina’s faith in God, but the choice both made to pursue a relationship was explored really well.
One thing that I was not a big fan of was that the running/training aspect of this book was not at all realistic. Or, at the very least, it didn’t match my experience at all. I’ve been a runner for nearly 16 years [gasp] and just felt the training details and race strategies were a bit contrived. Maybe my experience has just been different, but regardless, it just seemed a bit silly. Some aspects of running are spot on–like the need to train hard, work hard, and show up for competition. But the “training sessions” were just odd. And the fact that they took place at 5 am, outside in the dark, just doesn’t seem safe to me. But regardless…
Sabrina, as a character, is very inspirational. She had a college scholarship for running and had Olympic dreams, but both were dashed due to uncontrollable issues [didn’t want to spoil it for you]. Her character could have been blue, mopey, and sad… and while she IS those things at times, she is so hopeful and forward-looking. I love that. What a great ideal for what to do when life doesn’t turn out like you plan.
Finally, the author keeps the reader focused on the story by continually asking question after question about what Sabrina and Brandy are going to do, about Sabrina’s love interest, about family relations, etc. I always wanted to know what would happen next! This book did not disappoint and I hope you check it out soon! 🙂

What are you reading lately?