Review: The Silence of Winter

The Discovery, A Lancaster County Saga
Book 2
By Wanda Brunstetter


I enjoyed this second section of a six-part serialization entitled "The Discovery, A Lancaster County Saga."  Each part is approximately 120 pages in length and will be released monthly, from February to July, 2013.  The story follows a newlywed Amish couple in Lancaster County whose relationship faces insurmountable odds.

 

Publisher's description

Meredith longs for the sound of her husband’s voice. She needs to know Luke has arrived safely in Indiana and hear his excitement about a new career opportunity. Most of all she needs reassurance of his love. Financial stress has taken its toll. Surely this new job will be the light at the end of the dark tunnel their young marriage seems to be trapped in. And maybe this call would be a good time to finally share her big news. . . .

But Luke’s call never comes. Instead, Meredith receives news that tears her heart to shreds and leaves her just barely living—and only for the sake of the little one growing within her. How will Meredith ever go on without Luke?

 

My thoughts

Let me begin by saying that I am enjoying The Discovery's serial format.  Wanda writes in a comfortable, easy-flowing style that pulls me into the narrative, and which lends itself well to this serialization.  Each section ends in a cliffhanger, but the rest of the story just moves the action along at a steady pace and lets us get to know the characters better, while identifying with their struggles and pain.

We get to know more about Luke's character in this section.  After the memorial service, Meredith reflects:  "Luke had become a friend to many in the community.  He'd exuded confidence, and even to strangers, he had seemed comfortable talking about most any subject. He'd been open minded and straightforward, and it was those qualities that people had liked about him. He'd had an infectious personality and had made many friends over the years because of it. Folks just gravitated toward him, and it was evident that Luke's death had hit the community quite hard."

Other characters are introduced who will certainly come to play a large part in future sections of this story:  Susan, a Christian nurse in Pennsylvania who cares for her unconscious patient, and Jonah, a close friend from Meredith's past who moves back to Bird-in-Hand.  I also enjoyed Sheriff Tyler, who is admired and respected by the Amish community.

As Meredith copes with grief and struggles to manage financially, Wanda does a good job at shining the light of hope into a heartbreaking situation.  I look forward to continuing on with The Hope of Spring, which released on April 1.

I definitely recommend this book to those who enjoy inspirational fiction, especially Amish fiction.  Just realize that The Silence of Winter is part of a serialization and therefore fairly short.

 

 

 

More information can be found at:

Wanda's website:  http://www.wandabrunstetter.com/
Facebook page:  https://www.facebook.com/TheDiscoverySaga

 

This book was provided by Barbour Publishing through NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

Review: Summerset Abbey

Summerset Abbey by T. J. Brown, the first in a trilogy set during the Edwardian era and often compared to Downton Abbey, follows the lives of three young women dealing with the death of Sir Philip Buxton, the man who raised them to be independent thinkers despite the social confines of England in 1913. The next book, Summerset Abbey: A Bloom in Winter, has already released, and Summerset Abbey: A Spring Awakening comes out in August 2013.

 

Publisher's description

1913: In a sprawling manor on the outskirts of London, three young women seek to fulfill their destinies and desires amidst the unspoken rules of society and the distant rumblings of war. . . .

Rowena Buxton - Sir Philip Buxton raised three girls into beautiful and capable young women in a bohemian household that defied Edwardian tradition. But everything she believes will be tested when Sir Philip dies, and the girls must live under their uncle’s guardianship at the vast family estate, Summerset Abbey.

Victoria Buxton - Frail in body but filled with an audacious spirit, Victoria secretly dreams of attending university to become a botanist like her father. But this most unladylike wish is not her only secret—Victoria has stumbled upon a family scandal that, if revealed, has the potential to change lives forever. . . .

Prudence Tate - Prudence was lovingly brought up alongside Victoria and Rowena, and their bond is as strong as blood. But by birth she is a governess’s daughter, and to the lord of Summerset Abbey, that makes her a commoner who must take her true place in society—as lady’s maid to her beloved “sisters.”

My thoughts

Summerset Abbey revolves around the lives of Rowena, Victoria and Prudence as they are thrown, upon Philip Buxton's death, into a world completely different from the way they were brought up - a world extremely confining to women.  Rowena reflected about her father:  "Why hide the depth of entitlement and prejudice that defined places like Summerset?"

Rowena was not a likeable character, at least not in this first book. She frequently complains about the responsibility that has befallen her and comes across as weak, pampered, spoiled, and indecisive. Victoria trusted Rowena, as the older sister, to stand up to their uncle and his wife.  Yet while she felt guilty, her response was always, "What can I do?"

I liked Victoria, the younger sister, but would have liked to see her character developed more fully. In spite of being frail in nature and suffering from asthma, she has spirit and conviction. She aspires to be a botanist, secretly took a typing class in order to help her father in his work, and she always fought for Prudence to return to her place at their side.

Prudence was a compelling character and I was drawn to her. She was good, kind and loyal - and she made the best of a difficult situation which must have been heartbreaking. Philip had to have known what she would face without the shelter of his home, and I never understood why he didn't take steps to protect her before his death.

Most readers of this novel probably can't help but compare it to the popular Downton Abbey. I suspect that Summerset Abbey presents a more accurate picture of the times, however. The novel is well researched and Brown does a good job at contrasting the social classes. This theme makes for good reading and I love British historicals, but hate the idea of class structure. Thrust into service after Philip's death, Prudence reflects: "It seemed odd to have a small army of silent, invisible workers keeping the house running in tip-top shape and not even be aware of them. Did Elaine ever wonder about the fire that warmed her room in the morning when she awoke, the never-ending supply of biscuits in the jar next to her bed, or how her slippers and dressing gown were heated and waiting for her to crawl into after she bathed?"  And later, "Was there really a fundamental difference between those of the lower class and those of the upper class, aside from the circumstances of one's birth, something over which a person has no control?"

This was a good read, but a little depressing in that the main characters were almost powerless to effect change. Romantic storylines were introduced and will probably be developed more fully later in the series. What was there was clean, though.

Summerset Abbey flows easily and lays a strong foundation for the rest of the series. The slightly abrupt and surprising ending makes the reader eager for the next book. I would especially recommend this book to fans of the British drama genre.

Visit T. J. Brown's website at teribrownbooks.com to learn more.

This book was provided by Gallery Books through NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

Review: So Shines the Night, Part 2

Tracy Higley, on location in Ephesus





Tracy was gracious to take the time to give more background into So Shines the Night and to answer some questions.  Enjoy what Tracy has to share with us . . .


Q:  What was one of your favorite things about visiting Ephesus?

A:  I think it was the sense of being somewhere “where Paul walked.” Sitting in the theater, looking down over the Harbor Street where he was likely kept prisoner at times, I had this amazing moment of “I can’t believe I’m here” – the kind of moment that gives you chills and makes you feel connected to something larger than yourself.

 

Q:  Please tell us about the type of books you write, Tracy.

A:  Most of my books are historical, and I have a particular love for the ancient past. Sometimes my characters rub shoulders with biblical personalities, and sometimes they don’t, depending on the time and setting of the book. I’ve written novels set in ancient Egypt, Greece, Rome, Italy, Persia and Arabia, and the dates range from 2500 BC all the way through to about 100 AD.

 

 

 

The official political meeting house of the city,

known as the Odeon. It would have had a roof in ancient times.

In So Shines the Night, this is the setting of the trial.

 

 

Q:  Does Daria get to meet Paul and interact with him in So Shines the Night, or does she view his ministry from afar?        

A:  Oh, it was great fun getting Daria and Paul to meet. Challenging, too, since everyone has a fairly specific concept of Paul and the way that I write him might not exactly conform to others’ preconceptions. Daria also meets some other biblical characters from the book of Acts, and I tried to portray them each struggling and human in their own way, wrestling with what it meant to be this new kind of Jew, this person whose Messiah had come.

 

 

Q:  I was intrigued by the way the people and events of Acts 19 are woven throughout So Shines the Night. How strong a grip did idolatry and sorcery have on the people of Ephesus, and were many of them able to break free?

 

A:  We can see from both the book of Acts and the book of Ephesians that spiritual warfare was a significant activity in Ephesus. There is much mention of sorcerers, demonic activity, healings, and the battle with Satan specifically in Ephesus. I think it was partly due to the strong cult of Artemis that existed there. But Ephesus also became a very strong church, with Timothy eventually pastoring it, so I think we can see that God did some mighty work there as well. It was an interesting study, looking into the practices that may have been part of the worship at that time. Most people saw the gods as beneficent, and feared demons. The sorcerers were usually tied to the demonic, but people often sought them out for various reasons.

 

Can you picture Lucas's courtyard below?

Q:  Do you worry about the integrity of the story when you have to add so much to flesh it out from the actual biblical account?
 
A:  Yes. It’s a core value of mine that as I write fiction that brushes up against actual biblical events, that I not alter what we know of this history and people. I may not always get it right, and some may argue about their interpretation of what really happened versus mine, but I always strive to keep the integrity of the biblical account intact. There is plenty to “flesh out” around the reality, and I let myself get creative there, but not with what we truly know from Scripture.
 

Q:  What is something new you learned while doing research for So Shines the Night?

 

A:  That’s a tough one, because there were so many things! The whole city of Ephesus is such an interesting study. Because the river that fed into the harbor carried so much silt with it, the harbor eventually became too clogged for ships and the people basically abandoned the city. This rarely happens in the ancient world – most ancient cities, like Rome, are a mix of ancient, medieval and modern and you have to travel around to the pockets of ancient monuments that are left. In Ephesus, all you have is the ancient city, so it has this frozen-in-time feeling like Pompeii, which I loved.

 

 

These are the gates outside the commercial (harbor) agora,

where Daria asks directions of the old men sitting there.

 

 

Q:  How has your writing, research, and travels affected  your spiritual life?

 

A:  All of it has definitely given me a larger sense of the world and what God is doing in it, both now and through the past. It’s made me realize, as I’ve studied God’s work in the nations throughout history, that He has always been calling all people to Himself, and that He still is. It’s also given me a desire to see the kind of Christianity that was born in the fires of Roman persecution become part of our experience now – a living, breathing faith that radically transforms our lives.

 

 

Q:  What do you hope people will take away from this story?

 

A:  There are a number of themes I explored here, so it will vary from person to person, depending on where they are on their journey. I hope people will get a sense of the reality of the first century church, of Paul as a man. I want people to see that the love God has for us makes us secure, and that from that foundation we can risk to love others. I want readers to long for a sense of community that is found in the church of Ephesus.

 

 

 

Here is where the townspeople nearly started a riot,

shouting "Great is Artemis of the Ephesians"

while Paul's friends kept him outside, fearing for his life.

 

 

Q:  What would you like to say that might encourage readers to pick up a copy of So Shines the Night?

 

A:  It’s my hope that readers will really feel the book of Acts come alive for them while reading this book. If you’ve ever wanted a first-hand glimpse of an ancient biblical city and the early church that lived and loved and battled there, I think you’ll enjoy So Shines the Night.

 

Visit Tracy's website at tracyhigley.com to learn a lot more about her books, research, and visits to biblical lands.

 

This book was provided by Thomas Nelson Publishers through the author and NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

Review: So Shines the Night, Part 1

So Shines the Night is part of Tracy Higley's Seven Wonders of the Ancient World series.  It is refreshing to see the way characters and events of Acts 19 are woven throughout this novel, which also shows the conflict between the idolatry practiced at the Temple of Artemis in Ephesus with a growing sect of Christians following the Way.

Publisher's description:

Daria escaped a past of danger and now resides in beautiful Ephesus, a trading center on the Aegean coast. A gifted linguist, she serves as tutor to Lucas, the wealthy merchant who rescued her. But the darkness she fled has caught up with her in Ephesus. Although Daria’s attraction to her employer is undeniable, the more she learns, the more she despairs. Caught up in an obsession to avenge his late wife’s murder, Lucas seems to slip closer each day to the darkness that consumed his wife.

The high priests of Artemis once controlled the city, but a group of sorcerers are gaining power. And a strange group who call themselves followers of The Way further threaten the equilibrium. As Daria investigates Lucas’s exploits in the darker side of the city, her life is endangered, and she takes refuge in the strange group of believers. She finds herself drawn to the outspoken and ever joyful Paul and his friends, even as she wrestles with their teachings.

When authorities imprison Lucas for a brutal crime, Daria wonders if even Paul’s God can save him. Then she uncovers a shocking secret that could change everything—Lucas’s fate, her position in his household, and the outcome of the tension between pagans and Christians.

 

My thoughts

Tracy does a very good job at writing historical fiction set during biblical times.  Her extensive research and travels to the site of Ephesus add much depth to the narrative, as well as allowing the reader to "see" the marketplace, theater, temple, harbor, etc.  The writing flowed at a steady pace, holding my attention throughout.

Tracy uses the characters and events of Acts 19 as a framework on which to weave the romance of Lucas and Daria, along with the idolatry and sorcery elements prominent in Ephesus:

"Paul entered the synagogue and spoke boldly there for three months, arguing persuasively about the kingdom of God. But some of them became obstinate; they refused to believe and publicly maligned the Way. So Paul left them. He took the disciples with him and had discussions daily in the lecture hall of Tyrannus. This went on for two years, so that all the Jews and Greeks who lived in the province of Asia heard the word of the Lord" (Acts 19:8-10 NIV).

The characters of Lucas and Darius are both complex and realistic, as they struggle against the presence of evil, both within and without. Daria is driven by guilt "to put things right when they were out of place, including people."  Feeling that Lucas does not show proper allegiance to the goddess Artemis, she warns him: "You should take more care yourself, my lord, about pleasing the gods.  Success in life requires their help.  And a failure to honor them will bring punishment."

There is a dark feel to this book, reflecting the power and influence of the sorcerers at the time. The description of Hektor's place gave me chills:  "The room full of sorcerers offered spiritual ecstasy for a price, spells to bring on love and destruction, health and disease, wealth and poverty.  Everyone wanted what they could give, and those who could pay found their way here.  Sometimes the cost was greater than they had meant to pay.  But still, they came."

I loved seeing familiar characters from the early church through Tracy's eyes - Paul, Timothy, Aquila and Priscilla, etc. - and they gave a warm feeling in contrast to the evil pictured above.  In the scene where books of sorcery were burned, Tracy writes this about Paul:  "His lips were moving, though she heard nothing.  Some kind of silent prayer of power, it created this channel of safety for them to come, to leave their past behind, burned and purged in the fire to be remembered no more.  He stood against the evil, and he was not destroyed."

So Shines the Night is a beautiful story of the contrast between good and evil, light and darkness, and the final triumph of that light through Jesus Christ our Lord.  In the final words of the narrator, John:  "The days remain dark yet, but we will overcome. By the blood of the Lamb. And by the word of our testimony. By the word of our story, yours and mine . . . So shines the night."

This is a well-written and researched novel that I can recommend to all readers of inspirational fiction, especially those who enjoy stories with biblical settings. 

Visit Tracy's website at tracyhigley.com to learn a lot more about her books, research, and visits to biblical lands.

This book was provided by Thomas Nelson Publishers through the author and NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

Enjoy Erma Bombeck - Self-Improvement, Part 1

More humor from my favorite lady, Erma Bombeck . . .

At some point in her life, a woman will go the "self-improvement" route.  The purpose is to get a woman out of the house, give her a goal or a dream to hang onto, and focus a little attention on herself for a change.  In short, it gets her out of the proverbial rut.  But one of the hazards of self-improvement is that people overdo, and before you know it, they're taking themselves seriously.

Myrtle was a real golf enthusiast.  We met her in a six-week golf clinic at the YWCA.  To the rest of us, golf was something to do with your hands while you talked.  With Myrtle it was different.  Whenever we got a foursome together, it was always Myrtle who insisted on keeping the scores in ink.  Her clubs were never rusted or dulled by wads of bubble gum.  (She was horrified the day I found a pair of child's training pants in my golf bag.)

She always played by the book.  This was upsetting.  We used to try to jazz up the game a bit.  For example, if you forgot to say, "Mother, may I?" before you teed off, you had to add a stroke.  If you clipped the duck on the pond and made him quack, you didn't have to play the sixteenth hole at all, and if you had more than fifteen strokes on one hole, you didn't have to putt out.  This used to drive Myrtle crazy.  She never understood why we allowed each other five "I didn't see you" swings in one game.

Then one day she arrived at the course, bubbling with excitement.  "I've found a way to take points off my score," she said.  (At last, we thought, she's going to cheat like the rest of us.)  "I have just read this article by a British obstetrician who says pregnant women play better golf than women who are not pregnant.  He conducted this extensive survey and discovered golf scores were bettered by ten or fifteen strokes."

"But surely," we gasped, "you're not seriously considering . . ."

"If the road to motherhood is paved with birdies, pars, and eagles," she answered, "call me Mom."

The first few months of pregnancy, Myrtle wasn't too sensational on the golf course. She was nauseous. Her normally neat golf bag was a mass of soda cracker crumbs and once when I offered her a piece of cold pizza, she quit playing. Right there on the fifth hole, she quit.

During the early fall, she had a bit of trouble with swollen ankles, so her salt intake and her golf games were kept at a minimum. "Just wait until spring," she said. "I'll be the talk of the club." She was. When Myrtle tried to tee off, it was like trying to land on an aircraft carrier without radar. She couldn't see her feet, let alone her ball. To be blunt, she was too pregnant to putt.

Last week we dropped by Myrtle's house en route to the golf course. (She'll resume play when the baby is older.) We talked about the good doctor's survey. "Who is this man?" asked one of the girls. "A medical doctor," Myrtle insisted, "who has done extensive research on women golfers. Here is the picture and the clipping."

We looked in disbelief. There was no doubt in our minds. He was the same man who played behind us the day we dodged the sprinkling system and made the rule that if you got wet, you had to drive the golf cart in reverse back to the clubhouse.

Boy, men sure are bad sports.

- Erma Bombeck, At Wit's End, Nelson Doubleday, Inc., 1965

Germany Trip - Part 1

In March of this year, I was privileged to visit Beth and Daniel in Germany.  Beth leads a campus ministry at Tubingen University and Daniel is working on his doctorate degree at Heidelberg University.

One of my favorite parts of the trip was clearing Customs in Frankfurt and receiving Beth's welcoming hug on the other side.  After a quick cappucino and apple pastry (a German specialty), we boarded a train for Heidelberg and spent the day with Daniel.

Streets in Old Town Heidelberg

In the summer, boxes filled with colorful flowers will hang from

many of these windows, but the buildings are still beautiful in winter.



Street musician

You will often see street musicians in the Old Town, and they are very good.

This violinist was playing "Nearer My God to Thee."

Hotel in Heidelberg

Daniel in American Studies building, Heidelberg University

A blend of the old and new . . . a new, modern section was added
to an older existing building.

Daniel in one of his teaching classrooms

Beautiful Protestant cathedral in the Old Town

Sidewalk cafe

Even in cold weather, people like to dine outside.

Notice fur-lined chairs and blankets.

Catholic cathedral, Heidelberg

Beth and Daniel on Heidelberg bridge

Window display, Heidelberg

If there was a window display contest, Heidelberg would win hands down.

Window display, Heidelberg

To be continued . . .

Review: The Wedding Dress

The Wedding Dress by Rachel Hauck is a mesmerizing tale of love lost and found, a charming blend of contemporary and historical, realism and allegory.  This sweet romance is set in Birmingham, Alabama and has a delightful southern feel as it explores the lives of four women connected by the same "magical" wedding dress.

 

Publisher's description:

Four brides. One Dress.

A tale of faith, redemption, and timeless love.
     Charlotte owns a chic Birmingham bridal boutique. Dressing brides for their big day is her gift . . . and her passion. But with her own wedding day approaching, why can’t she find the perfect dress…or feel certain she should marry Tim?
     Then Charlotte discovers a vintage dress in a battered trunk at an estate sale. It looks brand-new—shimmering with pearls and satin, hand-stitched and timeless in its design. But where did it come from? Who wore it? Who welded the lock shut and tucked the dog tags in that little sachet? Who left it in the basement for a ten-year-old girl? And what about the mysterious man in the purple vest who insists the dress had been “redeemed.”
     Charlotte’s search for the gown’s history—and its new bride—begins as a distraction from her sputtering love life. But it takes on a life of its own as she comes to know the women who have worn the dress. Emily from 1912. Mary Grace from 1939. Hillary from 1968. Each with her own story of promise, pain, and destiny. And each with something unique to share. For woven within the threads of the beautiful hundred-year-old gown is the truth about Charlotte’s heritage, the power of courage and faith, and the timeless beauty of finding true love.

 

My thoughts

I enjoyed The Wedding Dress very much, often finding it hard to put down.  The two storylines of Charlotte and Emily, set 100 years apart, kept me eagerly turning the pages. And while Charlotte and Emily's stories get the most emphasis, those of Mary Grace and Hillary are just as moving and are an integral part of the story. This story also has more depth than a lot of inspirational romances, with its themes of racial tension in the south and the Viet Nam War.

I enjoy southern fiction and thought Rachel did a very good job of creating a southern feel with the Birmingham setting.  One of the characters from the 1912 era played baseball for a few months, and a team called the "Atlanta Crackers" is mentioned.  They were a popular team during the 1950s also, and I remember attending some of their games as a child.

                                      
The term allegory is defined as "a work in which the characters and events are to be understood as representing other things and symbolically expressing a deeper, often spiritual meaning."  While I wouldn't describe The Wedding Dress as an allegory exactly, both the wedding gown made for Emily in 1912 and the "purple man" character definitely had deeper spiritual meanings. In the author's note at the end, Rachel writes, "I began to see the wedding dress as a symbol for the Gospel of Jesus Christ. It never wears out. It fits everyone who tries it on. It doesn't need to be altered. And it's always in style."

I would like to share a portion of Rachel's thoughts that I found online, as they give good background and insight into The Wedding Dress:

     "The story is about lives being connected. How one life truly impacts another. One act of kindness has rewards for decades or generation. We may feel left out, alone, abandoned, but God is with us. Our unseen heritage is with us. God sees our entire history.

     "Charlotte, my protagonist was related to one of the most prominent women in Birmingham history. (History according to Rachel Hauck fiction.) Emily, her great grandmother, set in motion a chain of events that would eventually lead her wedding dress to her great, no-family granddaughter. . . .
     "I’m aware that my actions today, my words, my behavior, my heart toward others does impact future generations. We are not islands. We are not isolated. What we do has ramifications.
     "In The Wedding Dress, I was able to show how those actions reverberated through time. I was also able to create a symbol of those connecting generations. I call him the purple man. I won’t say more, but to me, he kind of made the book tie up. He demonstrated that Charlotte and Emily’s were connected – not just by blood but by the Lord Himself. . . .
     "In the end, that’s what The Wedding Dress really became about: the enduring, unchanging Gospel. Like the Gospel, the wedding gown Charlotte found never wore out, never needed to be altered, fit every woman who tried it on and was always in style.
     "It was a gift pursued through racial barriers by Emily. It was gifted to Mary Grace. It was discovered by Hillary, then burned her. It brought justification and redemption to Charlotte, who in turn, brought healing to Hillary – through that exact same dress. How glorious! The Gospel is real and living, active. This is why I love stories. To show life, the beauty of His wonders, and inspire our hearts to live more gracious and holy lives."

 

The Wedding Dress is a story that transcends time with its themes of love, courage and redemption.  I recommend it to all who enjoy inspirational fiction.

Rachel Hauck

For more information about Rachel Hauck and her books, visit her website at rachelhauck.com.