A Place in His Heart by Rebecca DeMarino – A Book Review

     God is faithful.  That is the message I got from reading this story and from God’s timing in placing this book in my hands.  Like Mary Langton Horton, the leading lady of this story, I become impatient when I’ve been praying the same prayer over a period of years with no apparent changes in the situation.  Also like Mary, I needed to be reminded about God’s timing, especially the wisdom of His timing.  God is truly sovereign, and He is indeed faithful. 

     Rebecca DeMarino, author of A Place in His Heart, creates an interesting tale based on the lives of her ninth great-grandfather and grandmother.  She successfully blends thorough research, family lore, and her imagination to create an interesting tale that explores the challenges and the blessings of waiting upon God.  Mary marries the man she loves, Barnabas “Barney” Horton, a widower looking for a mother for his two young sons.  Barney remains deeply in love with his deceased wife and fears loving another would be an act of betrayal.  He and his son, Joseph, wrestle with their changing feelings for Mary and their feelings for their lost wife and mother. The youngest son, Benjamin, finds it much easier to love and show his devotion to his new mother.  In her attempt to secure a place in her husband’s heart, Mary follows him as God leads him to the New World to begin a new community and plant a new church along with Reverend Youngs.  Having lost her own mother at an early age, Mary longs for love, a baby and a place that truly feels like her own home.

     I enjoyed the details Mrs. DeMarino included of everyday chores required in living in a small English village and in early New World settlements, especially those involving meal preparation.  It is truly amazing what culinary delights were created within a home’s hearth in the 1600s. While we have conveniences our ancestors would never have dreamed of, we can still enjoy some of their hearty meals. http://www.cooks.com/rec/search/0,1-0,colonial_1600s,FF.html is a site that offers recipes for the modern kitchen that simulate colonial dishes.  I cannot wait to try the ginger cake recipe hoping it will be similar to the ginger cakes Barney bakes so often for the youngsters in his life.

     The story is a testimony to the hardships our forefathers and foremothers were  willing to endure to ensure the right to worship God in one’s own way. Frequently placing this goal before personal concerns.  I would highly recommend this book to all fans of historical fiction.I received A Place In His Heart by Rebecca DeMarino compliments of Revell Publishers and Christian Fiction Blog Alliance for my honest review. I did not receive any monetary compensation for a favorable review and the opinions expressed here are strictly my own..