Shadows of Swanford Abbey by Julie Klassen - A Book Review

   

I was really enjoying the first third of Julie Klassen's latest piece of historical fiction, Shadows of Swanford Abbey. Then not far into the second third the story also became a who-done-it, and my enjoyment doubled. Klassen does a wonderful job of character development, of dropping bread crumbs, and of placing red herrings at just the right time.

Set in 1820s England, Mis Rebecca Lane, accompanied by her employer, Lady Fitzhoward, has returned to her hometown to check on her brother. Forced to stay at Swanford Abbey, an old abbey-turned-hotel, Rebecca works to aid her brother in getting his novel presented to a publisher while encountering old friends and meeting new people against a backdrop of suspicious circumstances. Readers will enjoy meeting the cast of characters and attempting to determine who did the foul deed.

I am grateful to have received a complimentary copy of this book from Bethany House via NetGalley without obligation. All opinions expressed here are my own. 

The Finder of Forgotten Things by Sarah Loudin Thomas - A Book Review

  

Sarah Loudin Thomas' latest book centers around what is considered the worst industrial accident in U.S. History, the Hawk's Nest Tunnel disaster. Personally, I do not understand how it can be called an accident as the death toll of an estimated 764 men was due to willful negligence and disregard for the health and lives of the workers building the tunnel. The Hawk's Nest Tunnel was built in the 1930s in West Virginia by Union Carbide. Many men, desperate for work, came to work in the tunnel only to die of silicosis from breathing in the thick dust stirred up by the tunnel's construction, too many of whom were buried in unmarked graves in an isolated cornfield outside of Summersville, West Virginia.

Alongside such horror and sorrow, Thomas was able to skillfully tell a tale of resilience and love, of creating family where none existed. She has created a tale of hope, for which I am grateful, as I am also grateful to have received a complimentary copy of The Finder of Forgotten Things from Bethany House via NetGalley without obligation. All opinions expressed here are my own, and it is my opinion that this book is a special treasure. 

Elinor by Shannon McNear - A Book Review

   

Elinor is a fictional account of the Lost Colony of Roanoke, although Shannon McNear has worked to stay within the bounds of what is known as much as possible. I appreciated the information in both her letter to the reader at the beginning and her lengthy historical notes at the end of the book. The plot of Elinor is both interesting and believable. Of greatest interest to me was the idea that the native Americans, while viewed as savages by some, were seen as behaving in a more Christ-like manner than the English by others. The natives' wariness to believe in the Englishman's God because the Englishmen's actions were often so different from the things they proclaimed about their God was something easily related to today.

I recommend this book as well as McNear's contributions to Barbour Publishing's True Colors and The Daughters of the Mayflower series. I am grateful to have received a complimentary copy of Elinor from Barbour Publishing via NetGalley without obligation. All opinions expressed here are my own.  

Saving Mrs. Roosevelt by Candice Sue Patterson - A Book Review

   

I am familiar with the WAVES, the navy Women’s Reserve, but prior to reading this book I knew nothing of the SPARs who were named after the Coast Guard’s motto, “Semper Paratus, Always Ready.” This female reserve of the Coast Guard was established to free able-bodied men working the home front to join the war effort. The SPARs were decommissioned after World War II was over.

Fans of Sarah Sundin will be thrilled with Saving Mrs. Roosevelt by Candice Sue Patterson. Like Sundin, Patterson writes a well-researched story that includes intrigue and a touch of romance that honors the contribution of women to our nation’s armed forces, and that acknowledges the cost to those at home. I look forward to future books by this author, and new offerings in Barbour Publishing’s Heroines of WW II series.

I am grateful to have received a complimentary copy of this book from Barbour Publishing via NetGalley without obligation. All opinions expressed here are my own.