Review: When Sparrows Fall

When Sparrows Fall
By Meg Moseley
Multnomah Books, 2011


When Sparrows Fall is a beautiful, character-driven, debut novel by Atlanta author, Meg Moseley. Meg's website description of her novels couldn't be more accurate: "Realism, faith, and a funny streak." Written with humor and poignancy, When Sparrows Fall is the story of a young woman's quest to reclaim freedom and safety, for herself and her children.


Summary

A widow and mother of six, Miranda Hanford leads a quiet, private life. When the pastor of her close-knit church announces his plans to move the entire congregation to another state, Miranda jumps at the opportunity to dissolve ties with Mason Chandler and his controlling brand of “shepherding.” But then Mason threatens to unearth secrets only he knows, and Miranda feels trapped, terrified she’ll be unable to protect her children.

Professor Jack Hanford is more than surprised when he gets a call from his estranged sister-in-law’s oldest son, Timothy, informing him that Miranda has taken a serious fall and he has been named legal guardian of her children while she recovers. Quickly charmed by Miranda’s children, Jack brings some much-needed life into the sheltered household. But his constant challenging of the family’s conservative lifestyle makes the recovering mother uneasy and defensive—despite Jack’s unnerving appeal.

My thoughts

To put it simply, I loved this book and hated to see it end, because I wanted to spend more time with this engaging family.

Nineteen-year-old Miranda fell in love with a fellow college student, not realizing the severe impact his beliefs would have in her life. While Carl had been a fortress, she hadn't known that "a fortress could be a prison." A widow with six children when the story opens, Miranda is conflicted as she struggles to free herself from the power her pastor holds over his rural congregation. "Sometimes she wasn't even sure she wanted freedom. Freedom wasn't safe."

Jack is a delightful character who is willingly thrust into Miranda's life while she recuperates from a fall. He persistently questions Miranda about the church's beliefs, urging her to search for what the Scriptures actually teach. "Mason's stolen your freedom. Your ability to think for yourself. All in the name of God." His love for the children and concern for Miranda give an urgency to his questioning, yet he exhibits a quiet, gentle strength.

One of the best parts of this book is the children. In a story involving six children, I would normally have a difficult time keeping up with "who's who," but Meg did a wonderful job at fleshing them out so that each child becomes memorable and captures your heart. They are the light in contrast to the darkness of Mason's teachings. It is a joy to watch them open up as Jack exposes them to fiction and other things that most children take for granted - their first visit to Wal-Mart, for instance. Jack proclaims . . .

"Every day's a school day. The world is our classroom. We'll take a field trip." . . . Wal-Mart might as well have been Tiffany's; the children, refugees from a third-world country. Dazzled, they stared at everything - and everyone - and their fellow shoppers stared back.

Meg is a gifted writer who uses her words skillfully. I'm familiar with the area around the northeast Georgia town of Clayton and thought she did a great job at describing the Blue Ridge mountain scenery and creating a sense of place. I particularly liked the scene where she describes how a distant view of mountains and stream made Jack think back to when he had seen a baptism long ago. "The white-robed figures and the voices singing without instruments had made him feel shut out, like a time traveler whose modern mind was too sterile, too barren, to grasp an ancient mystery. The lake could have been the Jordan River, and the preacher could have been John the Baptist."

Spiritual themes are subtly woven throughout this novel, and I felt that Meg showed respect and dignity as she reveals what life is like in a fringe, cult-like rural church. I highly recommend When Sparrows Fall to those who enjoy character-driven, inspirational fiction.

I'd like to end with a clip from the last few pages that conveys the essence of When Sparrows Fall . . .

        The rain began to fall in earnest again, tapping on the porch roof and filling the air.
        Water, water, everywhere. The stuff of miracles. Water, walked on. Turned to wine. An ark tossed about on it.
        Water and earth made mud. Mud to heal a blind man's eyes.
        Earth to entomb a man, and the voice of God to call him out. . . .
        "I'm a sinner, Lord," Jack whispered, "but I'm Your sinner. May I always be in a condition accessible to mercy. So may we all." . . .
        Jack leaned his head against Miranda's and tried to take it all in. The children in the rain. The pink petals like snow. The water running like a river, the washing of feet, the holy communion of saints. And every day was Easter.
        Her head moved against his cheek as she followed the flight of a handful of sparrows against the dappled sky, their wings edged with light.
        So many sparrows. Only God could count them all.

 

 

Connect with Meg online at www.megmoseley.com, Facebook, and Twitter.



Review: Love at Any Cost, Part 2

With Love at Any Cost, Julie Lessman takes us to the West Coast and brings the Gilded Age to life as she begins an exciting new romantic series based on the wealthy political McClare family in 1902 San Francisco. From the beginning, I was caught up in the lives of this warm, likeable family and am eager for the next book to be published.

Publisher's description

Jilted by a fortune hunter, cowgirl Cassidy McClare is a spunky Texas oil heiress without a fortune who just as soon hogtie a man as look at him … until Jamie MacKenna, a handsome pauper looking to marry well lassoes her heart. But when Jamie discovers the woman he loves is poorer than him, Cassie finds herself bucked by love a second time, sending her back to Texas to lick her wounds and heal her heart. In her absence, Jamie discovers money can’t buy love, but love built on faith can set a heart free, a truth he discovers a little too late … or is it?

My thoughts

Love at Any Cost is such an entertaining story on many levels. The series is set during an interesting time in San Francisco's history and Julie did a great job creating a sense of place. The passion and drama that we've come to expect from her books are there, as well as the second-tier romance between an older couple that I've grown to love. I often had a smile on my face while reading, and I'm not sure that even three books will be enough to satisfy those of us who love the McClare family.

The series opens with Cassie, a McClare cousin from Texas, coming to visit and heal from a broken relationship. Cassie is a gutsy, determined, smart and no-nonsense young lady, full of Texan humor and quick to give her opinion of the "pretty boy" type. In one of her earlier encounters with Jamie, Cassie "game him a patient smile edged with just enough pity to get on his nerves. 'I'm sorry to be so blunt, but I see no point in hemming and hawing around a pesky hornet when I can just stomp on it before it stings.'"

I sometimes think that Julie enjoys creating characters that we love to hate, only to redeem them in the end. On the surface, Jamie seemed to be a gold digger, courting wealth and political influence by dating daughters of influential men, believing that the end justified the means. He is described as the "Robin Hood of the Barbary Coast - taking from the rich to give to the poor." On the other hand, he worked three jobs to put himself through school and move his mother and sister out of the Barbary Coast area, and he applies his boxing skills to teaching young boys on the street how to defend themselves.

Jamie feels responsible for an accident that crippled his sister, Jess, and desires to be able to pay for her surgery more than anything. He believes that Cassie "was not only his ticket to true love, but she was his sister's chance at an operation and his chance to make political and financial strides." It's a long road, full of drama and passion, but Jamie finally learns an important lesson in faith. Jess tells him that "Some say 'seeing is believing,' but faith says 'believing is seeing.' Let go, Jamie, and let God be God. He does it so much better than you."

When it comes to engaging with her readers, Julie is one of the best, if not the best - and this makes her books even more enjoyable for me to read. When asked what she hoped readers would take away from her books, Julie replied . . .

"The MOST important thing I pray readers take away from my books is the reality of how natural and fulfilling an intimate relationship with God can and SHOULD be. Like breathing. These books may be fiction, but this is NOT a fairy tale here. It is possible to have a living, breathing relationship with the God of the Universe. He’s crazy about us, and if most people really understood that, their lives would turn on a dime and blessings would overtake them. Believe me, I KNOW this firsthand—I used to be a hard, cynical, coarse human being before God pulled me up by the scruff of the neck and said, 'Yo, Julie! Get a clue. You’re the apple of my eye!' He’s been the love of my life ever since."

Romance, passion, humor and drama - the trademarks of Julie's writing - are all present in Love at Any Cost. While Jamie and Cassie's story came to a satisfying conclusion, there is much yet to be written about the McClare family and I eagerly await the next chapter of their life. I highly recommend this book to fans of romantic fiction that inspires.

To learn more about Julie and her books, visit her website at julielessman.com

Love at Any Cost was provided by Donna Hausler at Revell through NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

Review: Love at Any Cost, Part 1 with GIVEAWAY!!

After reading Love at Any Cost, the first book in Julie Lessman's "The Heart of San Francisco" series, I would have to say that Julie has created another hit with this romantic series based on the McClare family in 1902 San Francisco. I was quickly caught up in the characters and setting, and hated to see Love at Any Cost come to an end.

Series description

From the glitter and glamour of San Francisco’s Nob Hill and Napa wine country, to the seedy dance halls and gambling dens of the Barbary Coast, “The Heart of San Francisco” series is a study in contrasts between the haves and have-nots, and barriers between rich and poor that only faith can transcend.

The story of the McClares, a wealthy political family in 1902 San Francisco, not only highlights the struggles of faith and heart of three cousins, but of the matriarch of the family as well, Caitlyn McClare. A widow of strong faith and beauty, Caitlyn butts heads and hearts with her handsome brother-in-law Logan McClare, the fiancé who betrayed her before she married his brother. In a breathtaking city where the Irish were predominant in the early 1900s and wielding power in both politics and wealth, the story of the McClares is a glimpse into beauty and degradation, poverty and promise during a riveting time in our nation’s history.

Trailer for Love at Any Cost:

And now, here's just a small glimpse at what you will experience, from Julie herself . . .

As a card-carrying CDQ (caffeinated drama queen), I thrive on drama and angst in my books, but I wanted this new series to be lighter and more fun, which I hope I have accomplished with the spunky heroine Cassie McClare and the "pretty boy" hero Jamie MacKenna. But …I still needed my fix for drama and angst in this book, so I zeroed in on the secondary love story between the widowed matriarch Caitlyn McClare and her rogue brother-in-law Logan McClare. You see, Cait was engaged to Logan 26 years earlier before he cheated on her, causing her to marry his brother instead. Now that she is widowed, Logan wants her back, and OH MY … the romantic tension that ensues between these two over the course of the three books is something to see and, I hope, enjoy! Here's a clip from a scene between Logan and Cait that hopefully will give you a glimpse into their relationship where sparks often fly.

Clip . . .

“Cait?” She turned at the door. He plunged his hands in his pockets, no longer a man of the world, but a little boy whose heart was on the line. “I love you, and deep down inside, I think you know that, know I would never cheat on you again.” He stared, his eyes naked with the truth for the very first time. “That said, I need to know why? What else are you afraid of?”

She must have sensed his honesty because the hard plain of her face ebbed into a look of such sorrow, it plucked at his heart. Her voice was gentle and low once again, the Caitlyn he was privileged to love. “I love you as family, Logan, but I can never be ‘in love’ with you again.”

The words stabbed. “Why?” he whispered, his voice no more than a croak.

Her bodice quivered with a burdensome sigh. “Because I don’t trust you.”

“Why? I swear to you Cait—I will be faithful.”

“No, Logan, you can’t. A man of your habit and ilk can’t be faithful without God.”

“Let me prove it. I can do this.”

“Maybe. But I can’t. I refuse to fall in love with a man who doesn’t share my faith.”

He took a step forward, his eyes intense. “I believe in God, Cait.”

“No, Logan, you believe in yourself first, God after. There’s a difference.”

His jaw sagged in disbelief. “You’re attracted to me and love me, yet you turn me away because my faith isn’t up to snuff?” Fury boiled in his veins, trumping his passion. He chilled her with a look so cold, he saw her shiver. “Even if it means your precious Vigilance Committee?”

The blood leeched from her face. “You wouldn’t,” she whispered, her words laced with shock. “Y-you agreed, and it’s the decent thing to do.”

He moved in, fists clenched and a nerve twitching in his cheek. “No, Cait, the decent thing to do is to forgive the past and admit you’re in love with me.”

Her legs faltered before steel appeared to fuse in her spine. “That’s your price, then?”

He stared, his jaw as rigid as his pride. She loved him, she wanted him, but she wouldn’t have him because of God? Outrage like he’d never known singed his very soul. “It is.”

She winced as if she’d been struck, pain contorting her face while she listed against the wrought-iron chaise. Firelight flickered across her beautiful features, illuminating myriad feelings that tore at his heart. Shock, fear, fury, resolve . . . and sorrow. The same sorrow he saw in himself, a man of missed opportunities. The flames spit and popped behind him, as if portending a fiery future that would ravage both him and the woman he loved.

He watched as the anger slowly siphoned from her body, softening her features, welling her eyes, and he was reminded once again what a rare woman she was. Prone to gentleness rather than anger, giving rather than taking, others rather than self. Despite the fact he would rob her of something so dear, her eyes bore no retribution or blame, only a sadness that seemed to personify Caitlyn McClare where he was concerned.

“Then it’s too high,” she whispered, the trace of a tear glazing her cheek as she placed his ring on the chaise. She turned away, her voice a broken whisper that prophesied their doom. “Even for my precious Vigilance Committee.”

Link to my full review:  http://tinyurl.com/nqpwta9

To learn more about Julie and her books, visit her website at julielessman.com.

Love at Any Cost was provided by Revell through NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

GIVEAWAY:

To be entered in a random drawing of a signed copy of any of Julie's books, including Love at Any Cost or a printed copy of her e-book A Light in the Window, leave a comment telling Julie your favorite of all her books or if you've never read any before.

NOTE: One additional point awarded per each of the following actions, easily accomplished by scrolling up to the right side of the video above where you will be able to: 1.) Follow this blog, 2.) subscribe to this blog, 3.) share on Facebook or 4.) share on Twitter. Then simply tell me what you did in your comment, and you will get additional chances in the random drawing. GOOD LUCK!!

Review: Be Still My Soul

Be Still My Soul, book one in The Cadence of Grace series by Joanne Bischof, is a beautifully crafted and moving novel set in the Appalachian mountains of Virginia at the turn of the last century. Joanne writes that this series "weaves together the threads of yearning, hope, and redemption to form a tale that I hope will touch your heart, stir your senses, and evoke a greater understanding for the majestic God who created every hue and surface of the mountains I hold so dear." 

 

Publisher's description

Night’s chill tickled her skin. Lonnie pressed her hands together and glanced up. He was even more handsome up close. Having grown up the shy, awkward daughter of Joel Sawyer, she’d hardly spoken to any boy, let alone the one who had mothers whispering warnings in their daughter’s ears and fathers loading shotguns.

Pretty Lonnie Sawyer is shy and innocent, used to fading into the background within her family, and among the creeks and hollows of the Appalachian hills. Though her family is poor and her father abusive, she clings to a quiet faith. But when handsome ladies’ man and bluegrass musician Gideon O’Riley steals a kiss, that one action seals her fate.

Her father forces her into a hasty marriage with Gideon—a man she barely knows and does not love. Equally frustrated and confused by his new responsibilities, Gideon yearns for a fresh start, forcing Lonnie on an arduous journey away from her home in Rocky Knob. Her distant groom can’t seem to surrender his rage at the injustice of the forced matrimony or give Lonnie any claim in his life.

 

My thoughts

To put it simply, I fell in love with everything about Be Still My Soul - Joanne's lyrical writing, the Appalachian setting, rich characterization, the use of music, and the theme of God's grace. The phrase "heartfelt fiction" on her website is certainly an accurate description. Jebediah and Elsie, warm and endearing supporting characters, play a strong part in this story.

The Blue Ridge mountains of Appalachia felt like one of the main characters. If you grew up with the Walton family or read Catherine Marshall's Christy, you will appreciate how beautifully Joanne captured the essence of the region - its rugged beauty amidst great poverty, the occasional moonshine still and shotgun wedding, a proud and hard-working people who expressed joy and hope through music.

There's not a lot to like about Gideon in the beginning.  He's a ladies' man, immature, cares only about himself, and looks to blame others for his actions. Lonnie, in spite of growing up with an abusive father, is a sweet, gentle, shy young lady with a quiet faith, instilled by her loving aunt. Happiness and contentment seem doubtful when marriage is forced on this unlikely couple. On their wedding day, "Lonnie glanced around the churchyard decorated only with dried summer grasses and early autumn leaves. She'd always imagined her wedding would have peach cobbler and plenty of waltzes. Her friends would have toasted to the happy couple, and she would want this day to last as long as possible. She would have danced into the night with her new husband, until the stars lighted their path home. But when Gideon's shoulder brushed against hers, she knew that dream was gone."

The spiritual theme is quiet in this story, evidenced by Lonnie's quiet faith, but ever present nonetheless. It is a sign of an author's talent when you can be drawn to such an unlovely character as Gideon - and his slow, gradual redemption is moving and inspiring. "Gideon tried to remember what it was he'd seen in Lonnie. It was more than her sweetness, her goodness. He saw faith. He didn't know what it entailed, but he knew she had always believed there was something redeemable in him. Could he not think the same?" Lonnie's faith is shown through the words of this beautiful hymn that she sings . . .

Come, Thou Fount of every bless, tune my heart to sing Thy grace;

Streams of mercy, never ceasing, call for songs of loudest praise.

Teach me some melodious sonnet, sung by flaming tongues above.

Praise the mount. I'm fixed upon it, mount of Thy redeeming love.

 

Be Still My Soul is a story of gently growing trust and love, grace and redemption. I found it to be a beautiful, haunting story. I highly recommend it to all lovers of romantic historical fiction that inspires.

The next book in this series, Though My Heart Is Torn, released on April 2, 2013. To learn more about Joanne and her books, visit her website at joannebischof.com.