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Showing posts with label Book Review. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Book Review. Show all posts
Saturday, May 21, 2011
Courting Miss Amsel by Kim Vogel Sawyer
When Edythe Amsel gets her first teaching assignment in Walnut Hill, Nebraska, she is excited. Now she can prove to her father and her siblings that she can teach! Edythe has great intentions of opening a whole new world of discovery to the students in the small town. But it doesn’t take long before she realizes that the parents of her young charges don’t necessarily agree with her “newfangled” methods of teaching.
Edythe finds a friend in her landlady, Mrs. Kinsley, and in Joel Townsend and his young nephews. Eventually she realizes that she feels more than friendship for Joel, but also does not feel that she could marry him as that would mean taking care of his nephews. Having been forced to raise her own siblings, as her mother died when Edythe was 14, she doesn’t want to, once again, raise someone else’s children. She decides that her best bet is to leave Walnut Hill at the end of her year-long contract, because she knows if she doesn’t, she is going to have trouble controlling her heart.
Will things work out between Joel and Edythe? Or will they go their separate ways for ever.
I enjoyed this book! The storyline was engaging and the characters so real. I felt like I was right there in the little town of Walnut Hill with Edythe, experiencing the frustration of the parents when they did not agree with her teaching methods, and experiencing Edythe’s frustration when she couldn’t get the parents to see why her methods were important. I would recommend this book and hope to read more books by Kim Vogel Sawyer soon!
**I received this book from Bethany House Publishers in exchange for an honest review.**
Sunday, April 24, 2011
Cindy Woodsmall does a great job really drawing her reader into the storyline. I had a hard time putting the book down because I wanted to know what was going to happen. Would Hannah choose to go back to her life as an Amish girl? Would she choose to remain “English” and living with Martin and his niece and nephew? Would Martin wait for her as she ran back and forth between her family and his when the need arose for her to go back “home” to her family?
Cindy weaves a common theme of “forgiveness” into the story. Hannah’s family needs to forgive her for running off and making mistakes in the past. Hannah needs to forgive her family, especially her father, for mistakes they made in her life, too, such as blaming her for something that they knew was not her fault. And most of the other characters, in some way or another, show forgiveness.
I highly recommend this book. I wish there was another one in the series so we could continue to have a peak into Hannah’s life now that she has made her decisions. Pick up a copy of When the Soul Mends or any other book by Cindy Woodsmall – you won’t be disappointed!
**I received this book for free courtesy of Waterbrook Multnomah’s Blogging For Books program in exchange for an honest review.**
Thursday, March 10, 2011
I love Amish fiction. So you can imagine my delight to be able to write a review about "The Bridge of Peace" by Cindy Woodsmall.
When the book arrived, I learned that it is the second book in a series. However, I was able to jump right into the story without needing to have read the first book in the series (regardless, I am planning to check out Book #1 from the library very soon, as I enjoyed this book and these characters so much!).
This book really drew me in. I felt like I was right there with all the characters as events unfolded. I rejoiced with Gray when it looked like his marriage was beginning to turn around, and I sympathized with him when tragedy struck. I felt the excitement that Deborah felt when her corn maze was successful, and I could feel how much of a blow Lena experienced when she lost her teaching position. I also rejoiced with several characters towards the end of the book (I don't want to give *too* much away!).
This is one of those books that I had a hard time putting down. Although the ending was a bit predictable (at least to me….maybe I’ve read too many Christian fiction books……), it was still interesting to see how the characters reached that point and I grew to love each of them dearly along the way. I can’t to see where Book #3 in the series (due out this year) takes them.
I highly enjoyed this book….it was Amish fiction at its finest, and I look forward to reading more by Cindy Woodsmall.
I received a complimentary review copy of this book from Waterbrook Multnomah Publishers. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.
I would love it if you would take a minute to rank my review for BloggingForBooks.
I received a complimentary review copy of this book from Waterbrook Multnomah Publishers. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.
I would love it if you would take a minute to rank my review for BloggingForBooks.
I recently read "The Inheritance of Beauty" by Nicole Seitz. After I selected this book to review, I read some reviews that others have written and saw several reviews saying that this is a book you will not be able to put down. However, I will honestly admit that I had a hard time getting into this book.
This book took place from the perspectives of about 4 different people: Maggie Black, her husband George, their childhood friend Joe Stackhouse, and the kind nurse, Annie. Maggie, George and Joe had known each other as children, and through different circumstances found themselves at the same retirement home in their later years. We mostly hear from Maggie and George. Maggie is now unable to talk, so her parts of the story are from her perspective as a child, with a few instances of what is going through her brain in her later years. George's perspective is mostly the present day, later years of his life, perspective. I think what I found hard to get into with this book is the fact that it jumps from person to person, their life as a young person to their life as an older person, etc.
As far as the storyline, we learn that Maggie grew up in the South Carolina lowcountry, spending her days with her beloved brother, Ash, and her best friend, George (who she later married). Life was easy. Life was carefree. Life was fun. Until one day when a stranger and his son rolled into town. Things seemed great as little Joe Stackhouse played with Maggie, Ash and George. But one day everything changed. Secrets were uncovered, and Maggie's innocent little world would never be the same. Eighty years later, in a nursing home, Maggie and George are living a contented life. Life is good. Until one day with a large mysterious package arrives, and old wounds are opened and answers to secrets revealed.
While I cannot give this book as high of a recommendation as I would like, due to the fact that I had a hard time getting into it, I'm sure not everyone will have as hard of a time getting into the story as I did, and once you do get into the story, it is an interesting story to read.
*Thank you very much to Thomas Nelson/BookSneeze for providing me with a complimentary review copy of this book. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.*
Thursday, January 27, 2011
I would imagine that, for an author, writing two stories simultaneously and splitting them up so you have part of one story followed by part of the other story, and so on, would be a bit of a challenge. Susan Meissner does it perfectly with her book, Lady in Waiting. The book follows the story of Jane Lindsey, antique store owner, wife and mother who is trying to figure out how to save her marriage, in one part, and the story of Lucy Day, seamstress for Lady Jane Grey, future 9-day Queen of England, in the other.
Jane Lindsey and Jane Grey have something in common: both are waiting for a change in the direction their life is going. Both feel trapped and not able to make a choice as to how their future will play out. Fortunately, Jane Lindsey realizes soon enough that she is able to choose. Unfortunately, Lady Jane Grey realizes too late.
While I enjoyed the book, I found myself most drawn to the sections from Lucy’s perspective about Lady Jane Grey. I was not familiar with Jane Grey before I read this book but I found myself doing some research on her after I finished the book. Lady Jane Grey really was queen of England for 9 days before her cousin, “Bloody” Mary I took over the throne. Sixteen-year-old Jane’s fate was eventually sealed and she realized that even though she thought she never had the right to make choices for herself, she had made the choices that had gotten her to this point in her life and she had to live with those choices.Jane Lindsey realized that she had control of her life, too. She could choose to constantly wonder why her husband walked out on her and on their marriage, or she could choose to do some things she had always wanted to do and hope to save her marriage in the process. And in the end, she made the right choice and we are left to believe that things worked out well for Brad and Jane Lindsey.
I found this book to be a fun read. I loved the fact that it incorporated two storylines .And I loved the historical element with the story of Lady Jane Grey.
Many thanks to Waterbrook Multnomah Publishing Company for providing me with a review copy of this book! Please use this handy ranking tool to rate my review. I would appreciate a 5-star if you think it is worthy. :)
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