The Giving Quilt by Jennifer Chiaverini - A Brief Comment

  

Quiltsgiving occurs the week following Thanksgiving at Elm Creek Manor. The Elm Creek Quilters offer a week long free stay to quilters who agree to donate the quilts they create that week to Project Linus. In The Giving Quilt we get a peek into the lives of a small group of these quilters, learning about their life struggles and the impact the week long retreat has on their lives.

This story is sweet and well-told. Readers get to vicariously experience the value of community and will hopefully be inspired to find and actively engage in a community of friends if they do not already do so. I highly recommend this author and this series. 

The Heart of Bennet Hollow by Joanne Bischof - A Book Review

  

The Heart of Bennet Hollow is an Appalachian retelling of Pride and Prejudice. The daughter of a semi-retired geologist for the mining industry, Lizbeth Bennet, longs to help her father save the family farm and especially her beloved livestock. Socially awkward William Drake was one of several coal barons looking into purchasing the New River mine. He was, unfortunately, the only coal baron considering the well-being of the townspeople, the miners, and the farmers whose land was entangled with the mine. Meeting Lizbeth had only served to deepen that concern.

Having read The Heart of Bennet Hollow, I have now checked out Pride and Prejudice and look forward to reading the original story. I had always thought about reading it; The Heart of Bennet Hollow inspired me to carry through. Joanne Bischof DeWitt does a wonderful job of showing understanding and respect to a culture that is often stereotyped and belittled. This story of family, romance, stewardship, and care was a charming read. I am grateful to have received a complimentary copy from Tyndale House Publishers via NetGalley without obligation. All opinions expressed here are my own. 

The Stories We Carry by Robin W. Pearson - A Book Review

  

The bookstore setting drew me to The Stories We Carry, but then the story was a bit tedious because so much of it never left the bookstore. The theme of our stories shaping us was well-developed along with themes of acceptance and pushing past our past. The main character, Glory Pryor, is difficult to like, and she is not the only one. Glory's husband, Eli, whom she married late in life is, however, is a bit easier to develop a fondness for. Four-year-old Bennett will capture readers hearts; his mother will likely not, at least not initially. The pace of the story is what led to my giving this book three stars. It is very slow to develop, and I was glad when the book drew to a close.

I am grateful to have received a complimentary copy of The Stories We Carry from Tyndale Book Publishers via NetGalley without obligation. All opinions expressed here are my own. 

Out of Time by Irene Hannon - A Book Review

  

I was in the mood for a good romantic suspense story and Irene Hannon did not disappoint. Out of Time's lead character and her benefactor are fresh as is the story's setting. Giving the main character, historical anthropologist Cara Tucker, severe hearing loss and cochlear implants added an interesting element to the story. Having multiple people with motives for creating mischief, or worse, on Natalie Boyer's secluded estate enhanced the suspense portion of the storyline. The Christian element was present, but not in-your-face. Christian characters lived out their faith but, as in real life, not perfectly. Opportunities were there for grace to be extended and received. Grace refused was also seen with devastating consequences.

I highly recommend Out of Time and this author's other suspense novels. I am grateful to have received a complimentary copy from Revell via NetGalley without obligation. All opinions expressed here are my own. 

The Sisterhood by Tasha Alexander - A Book Review

  

This dual timeline story is set in 1907 London and AD 60 Britannia. The theme of the book deals with rights for women with the emphasis on suffrage. While I am a fan of dual timeline stories, over 1800 years was a bit too great a gap for me. I was almost half-way through the book before I gleaned the significance of the connection between the two storylines. Honestly, after around one-third of the way through I had begun just skimming the chapters set in AD 60 as I had not developed an interest in that part of the book, and that didn't change even after I understood its role in the book as a whole. The 1907 storyline was quite interesting with a married couple serving as investigators in the murders of two debutantes, reminiscent of Pepper Basham's Freddie and Grace mystery series. I am sure I would have given The Sisterhood a higher rating if I had only based it on this storyline.

I am grateful to have received a complimentary copy of The Sisterhood from St. Martin's Press via NetGalley without obligation. All opinions expressed here are my own. 

Let the Biscuits Burn by Abby Kuykendall - A Book Review

  

The themes of this book concerning hospitality being a spiritual gift for some and a spiritual discipline for others, and about the importance of surrendering one's plans, desires, and comfort to follow the leading of the Holy Spirit and to lead others into a relationship with Christ should ring true with all Christians. While the author does stress the difference between the concepts of entertaining and hospitality, and does provide a bit of information on practicing hospitality in various settings, she largely focuses on practicing hospitality in one's home. I tend to have a broader view of hospitality, but understand that this is the focus she has chosen to highlight in this book. She goes a long way in trying to make practicing hospitality accessible to all and supports that with a collection of tips at the end of the book. Overall as I read, I felt like the book was targeting an audience of 20 to 40 somethings in middle- to upper-income homes, although some of the suggestions were more broadly applicable.

I am grateful to have received a complimentary copy of Let the Biscuits Burn from Thomas Nelson via NetGalley without obligation. All opinions expressed here are my own. 

The Women of Oak Ridge by Michelle Shocklee - A Book Review

  

I have read many books set during WWII, but none have been anything like The Women of Oak Ridge. This book has a very original plot. Through its dual timeline in the 1940s and late 1970s, the story of Maebelle Willett slowly and carefully unfolds. We first meet young Maebelle as she answers President Franklin D. Roosevelt's call to serve her country after being approached by a recruiter to work for Clinton Engineer Works, a Tennessee company involved in war work. We meet Maebelle as an older version of herself as her niece comes to spend the summer with her to do research on how living and working in the secret city of Oak Ridge, Tennessee impacted the lives of those who, mostly unknowingly, helped in the making of the first atomic bombs, and therefore in the death and destruction that resulted. The Women of Oak Ridge becomes a story of spies and espionage, a story that reveals how easily lines between right and wrong can become blurred. It also reveals the toll secrets and unforgiveness, even if it is for ourselves, can take on one's life.

Michelle Shocklee's careful research and skillful storytelling is masterfully displayed in The Women of Oak Ridge. Her use of the dual timeline to reveal information that carries the story forward and develops her characters is carried out with great precision, intricately weaving the story together. I am grateful to have received a complimentary copy of this book from Tyndale House Publishers via NetGalley without obligation. All opinions expressed here are my own.