Inspiring fantasy! Intense and Captivating

I like reading fantasy, but I’ve usually read adolescent fantasy.  Reading King by R.J. Larson was my first foray into reading adult fantasy and I was very pleased. The King has the quintessential elements of fantasy: another world, courageous and evil characters, and the eternal battle of good versus evil, and of course of an intense plot. 

Although I had not read the previous two books in the series, King was intense and captivating. Both females and male characters had depth and pathos, and I like how Larson’s characters used their sorrow to seek after good rather than become bitter. 

When Akabe finds himself king, instead of a free warrior, his overriding desire is to rebuild the Infinite’s temple.  Although not shrewd, king Akabe genuinely seeks to better his kingdom and turns his subjects’ hearts to the Infinite. Through skillful narrative and incisive insights into human nature, Larson draws us into the troubles of Siphra and its enemies that will do anything to prevent another temple where the faithful can worship.

Through Akabe, we meet his loyal friends, Ela the young visionary and unpredictable prophet and Kien the new Lord Aeyrievale, who pledge everything to help him accomplish his dream. Although Akabe desires to do right, his plan has unforeseen consequences when he impulsively marries an enigmatic queen who represents those who want to undermine his temple plans. By eventually confronting his past, Akabe comes to realize that to faithfully follow the Infinite requires much more than making grand plans. 

While Larson’s story is one of adventure and good triumphing evil, it is largely a story of how loss and love can transform people into more compassionate beings. 

Larson’s reference to parental figures confused me at the beginning of the book but the guide in the front of the book was helpful. Overall, I enjoyed reading the King and plan to read the Prophet and Judge, also part of the Books of the Infinite series. Bethany House Publishing sent me a complimentary copy of King by R.J. Larson to review.

The Quarryman’s Bride didn’t last long enough

As the second book in the Land of Shining Water series by Tracie Peterson, The Quarryman’s Bride caught my attention immediately in chapter 1. It was one of those books that I wish I could sit down and read from start to finish.  The Land of Shining water series focuses on settlers in Minnesota during the late 1800’s just before the turn of the century.  

The first book in the series, The Icecutter’s Daughter, was full of action and intrigue. In contrast, The Quarryman’s Bride, focuses on main character Emmalyne Knox’s internal struggles to be a good daughter despite her hard family circumstances, and shattered disappointments. But, don’t anticipate a boring read because Peterson is a gifted storyteller that shows us the hearts’ of her characters while cleverly introducing us to Minnesota’s spirited pioneers.

At age seventeen, Emmalyne Knox was almost a bride to her childhood sweetheart Tavin. When disaster kills her two sisters, Emmalyne’s mother retreats into depression to deal with her loss, while her father, already a harden man, becomes bitterly angry. In his anger Luthias severs his daughter’s engagement and leaves the area with his family. But fate and a good job cause the Know family to return to St. Cloud a decade later.

Although older now, Emmalyne returns to her place of disappointed hopes to learn that Tavin has also returned, but he is not the same loveable Tavin she knew. Instead, he is embittered and angry, much like her father. In her despair, and with the help of a caring friend, Emmalyne turns to God and finds hope for herself and her family, despite her hard life. 

Once again Tracie Peterson deftly shares the struggles of the human heart through her characters and shows us how hope in God can change our hearts and maybe even our lives. The Quarryman’s Bride is a poignant story of love and loss and healing. 

Bethany House Publishing sent me a complimentary copy of The Quarryman’s Bride by Tracie Peterson to review.

Adoring Addie was an Awesome Read

Bethany House Publishing gave me a free copy of Adoring Addie by Leslie Gould to review.

As devoted reader of Amish fiction, Adoring Addie was the first book I’ve read by Leslie Gould. While Gould’s approach to Amish fiction does not carry the personal acquaintance with the Amish that Beverly Lewis has because of her mother’s background, her approach into a fictional Amish community in Lancaster County Pennsylvania was believable and obviously well researched. 

Through her narrative, Addie effectively introduces us to her Amish family and relatives and her relationships and struggles with the people she is close to. Addie’s story is about loyalty, heartache, and resilient hope in family, even when they deeply disappoint. 

As the dutiful daughter, Addie works hard to keep her dysfunctional Amish family in favor with neighbors and relatives.  Along the way, Addie falls for Jonathan Mosier, a young Amish man new to her community, but not new to hardened grievances between Addie’s family and neighbors.

As Addie works through her family relationships and setbacks, we see a glimpse into an Amish community that struggles with the same private problems as other people: intolerance, drinking, rebellion, and depression. I did think that Gould’s use of drinking with the character Timothy a bit excessive. While Addie was definitely not a Pollyanna character, I like how Addie so willingly gave everyone the benefit of the doubt. Even Phillip, the self-proclaimed narcissist, who contributed much to Addie’s problems, was not beyond Addie’s good will.  

Gould’s well written narrative invites us into Addie’s Amish world while working a plot of real life action and painful mysteries from seemingly routine and everyday events. I was interested in Addie’s story by chapter 3 and somewhere along the way I couldn’t stop reading the book until I learned the outcome for Addie and Jonathon.  I’ll be looking for a copy of Courting Cate, Book 1 in The Courtships of Lancaster County, to get current with Gould’s series. And I look forward to reading Gould's next Amish novel.

Belonging to Heaven is one of those exceptional books . . .

Belonging to Heaven is one of those exceptional books which touched my heart and I wished the story would continue because it was so full of genuine humanity. True to her gift for writing authentic historical fiction, Gale Sears wrote a powerful historical novel about love, friendship and faith in God. I’ve read several of her books and really liked The Silence of God, but I thought Belonging to Heaven was a poignant story that Sears wrote with beautiful simplicity.

Sears first introduces us to George Q. Cannon, a young 23 year old missionary, called to the California gold fields and then transferred to what became his personal paradise, the Hawaiian Islands.  Not long after Cannon arrives in Hawaii, he feels compelled to begin teaching the native Hawaiians. Despite struggling to learn the Hawaiian language and backlash from foreign Protestant ministers, Cannon tirelessly works to gain the confidence and respect of the native people.

Sears' story follows Cannon through his missionary service and then continues with the story of Jonathan Hawaii Napela, one of Cannon first converts and influential Hawaiian church leader. Cannon and Napela work together to translate the Book of Mormon into Hawaiian, and when Cannon returns to Salt Lake City, Napela shepherds the native flocks through years of turmoil and change. Eventually, Napela travels to the Hawaiian leper colony to care for his beautiful wife Kitty. 

Napela and a young Catholic priest, Father Damien de Veuster, become close friends as they care for the lepers, serve God and eventually both contract the disease.  I actually cried when Napela died, and I was grateful to Sears for sharing his story in such a loving way. I don’t usually reread book, but I can definitely see myself reading this book again. 

Belonging to Heaven by Gale Sears. Published 2013 Deseret Book. 438 pages.

The Secretary of State . . . What did Hillary Clinton really do?

I just finished a fascinating new book about Hillary Clinton’s tenure as Secretary of State called The Secretary: A Journey with Hillary Clinton from Beirut to the heart of American Power by Kim Ghattas. 

Hillary and I have had a politically embittered relationship until I read this book and learned about Hillary the person. While I haven’t become a devoted Hillary fan after reading this book, I have a new respect for Hillary’s passion to accomplish her visions and for the compassionate person her friends and colleagues know.

BBC foreign correspondent and author, Kim Ghattas shares her unique perspective of America, the world’s superpower and Hillary, second in command of the United States as perceived by the international community. Growing up in worn torn Beirut, Ghattas had a love/hate relationship with America. She hated America for not rescuing her country from war but she and her friends loved most things American. By weaving her own personal feelings deftly into her firsthand narrative account of traveling with the Secretary’s press corps around the world, Ghattas introduces us to a world that simultaneously complains about America’s interference abroad while vying for its’ favor and monetary aid.  

Ghattas’ narrative moves along quickly, providing enough details to help us understand Hillary’s role. Her background summaries of countries and conflicts are well balanced and introduce us to the context of Hillary’s dilemmas without detracting from the focus of the book which is Hillary’s experiences as Secretary. If you want to learn more about one of the most complex jobs in our government, and be introduced personally to some of the most controversial world leaders, this book is for you.

Check out Bethany House Publishers for entertaining, uplifting fiction

Bethany House Publishers is a Christian division of Baker House Publishing Group. I was first introduced to Bethany House when I read found Beverly Lewis’s Amish novels while browsing library shelves about a decade ago. I enjoy reading adult fiction, hands down, but I have learned to be wary of less than savory content mixed into some of the best fiction stories. That’s why I’m recommending Bethany Publishers for entertaining and uplifting fiction without the detracting material.

In the time that I’ve dabbled with new authors published under the Bethany label, I have not encountered any books I regret reading. Enough of my personal promotion. Here are some of my favorite authors and books published by Bethany House. Just so you know, I am partial to historical fiction so most the books I introduce come from that genre.

These days I read any of Lewis’s newly released fiction, but the Abram’s Daughters 5 book series remains my favorite, followed closely by The Rose Trilogy which is a recent series. After reading all of Lewis’s works, I moved on to Lynn Austin’s Hidden Places, after watching the Hallmark movie a few years ago. Some of my Austin favorites include:

• While We’re Far Apart: A WWII love story with a touching plot.
• Until We Reach Home: A tale of Swedish Immigrant sisters immigrating to America.
• Wonderland Creek: A take off Christy by Catherine Marshall. In the woods of rural Kentucky, a young librarian wants to change the town.
• A Proper Pursuit: Introduces us the golden period of the World Fair exhibitions and Chicago, the host city.

Recently I discovered Tracie Peterson, a prolific writer with an endless stream of stories to share. Her best novels explore the development of the American frontiers and the courageous women who settled there. Some of my Peterson favorites include:

• Brides of Gallatin County series: Each book in the trilogy focuses on 1 of 3 sisters who settled in Gallatin County, Montana.
• Song of Alaska series: Introduces us to an Alaskan frontier town of at the beginning of the 20th century.