Phoebe's Light by Suzanne Woods Fisher - A Book Review

      

     Of all the Suzanne Woods Fisher books that I have read, Phoebe’s Light is my absolute favorite. Often times historical Amish, Quaker, and Shaker books have a very similar and familiar feel to them, not so with Phoebe’s Light. While Fisher appears to stay true to the circumstances of the times, her two main female characters, Phoebe Starbuck (fictional) and Mary Coffin (historical), were quite independent for the era and for their faith traditions. One was wise from an early age, the other gained wisdom through the school of hard knocks. The many male characters who interact with these two ladies are as different from one another as night is from day. We see those genuine in their faith, those genuine in their adherence to rules, and those genuine in their repulsion to religion if not to faith, along with those who are extremely hypocritical. We see those who look at people of all station, creed and color as individuals worthy of respect, those who lack respect for anyone different from themselves, and those who would take advantage of any they could. We see the well-educated, the self-educated, those lacking education but not wisdom, and those lacking wisdom but not education.

     Phoebe’s Light is split between Mary’s story set on the recently settled island of Nantucket in the mid-1600s and Phoebe’s story set on the same island, but during the peak of the whaling industry of the mid-1700s. During Mary’s time association with or belonging to the Quakers was something often met with imprisonment and public whippings. During Phoebe’s a large percentage of Nantucket’s residents were members of the Society of Friends (Quakers), and were expected to follow their customs and traditions.

     In this book Fisher offers her readers a high level of tension that will keep pages turning long into the night. She also brings forth a few quite unexpected surprises before the stories final page. I highly recommend this story of contrasts and conflict, both internal and external. I also recommend clearing your calendar for a couple of days because you aren’t going to get anything else done once you start reading any way. Thank you to Revell Publishing for providing me with a copy of Phoebe’s Light in exchange for my honest review. I received no monetary compensation for providing this review. 

The Return by Suzanne Woods Fisher - A Book Review

   

     I first met Anna in Anna’s Crossing, a story of one of the first groups of Amish to leave Germany to settle in the New World. The Return is largely the story of Anna’s daughter, Tessa, although many others play major roles in the story’s development. The story is one of finding one’s self and one’s place in the world. Some discoveries are made quite by surprise, some grow out of tragedy, and some are slowly revealed. Not all those seeking to know themselves and the direction of their future are as young as you might anticipate.

     While this book, in my opinion, got off to a slow start, by the end of the book, I was lost in the story, unable to put it down. Fisher develops the characters in a way that causes her readers to care about what happens to them, both those they have a strong compassion for, and those they find a bit irritating. The scenario they find themselves in during the last third of the book compels the reader to read on to find out how things work out. For some the ending is tragic, while others discover possibilities that didn’t exist before.

     I would encourage readers of The Return to hang in there if they too feel like the book is a little slow at the beginning. It is well worth reading to the end. There is enjoyment to be had and lessons to be learned. I thank Revell publishing and the Christian Fiction Blog Alliance for providing this book in exchange for my honest opinion. I received no monetary compensation for providing a review of this book.