The Narrow Path Trilogy takes you on a journey that began before the dawn of time when angels rebelled and the dark, broken days of Earth began. Now is the time of the end. The terrifying reality is Josh is being pursued by the Manhunters. He has no idea why. His family has been captured. Are they alive? To survive the Tribulation, the reign of terror of the king, the children’s prison, the re-education camp, PTSD, the great deception, and betrayal by family and friends, deep faith in God and extreme courage are required. Only the strong survive.
I am an artist, writer, online course creator (Broken to Beautiful…rena-groot.mykajabi.com), BnB host, have a Bachelor Of Education and a Master of Religious Education, have been a teacher in Canada and China, a tour manager from the Rockies to the Pacific, and a missionary to the ends of the Earth. God has given me the honor of being an ambassador with “The Department of Eternal Affairs” to so many cool places–Haiti, a jungle village in Belize, the Ghetto in NYC, behind the Iron Curtain in Poland and Romania, in Israel, China, Thailand, Mexico, Canada, Africa, and Greece. I started a blog to bless, encourage, and sometimes challenge people. Here’s the link. renagroot.com.
More from Rena
The Narrow Path Trilogy takes you on a journey that began before the dawn of time when angels rebelled and the dark, broken days of Earth began. Now is the time of the end.
The terrifying reality is Josh is being hunted and he has no idea why. His family has been captured by the Manhunters and he doesn’t know if they are alive or dead. To survive the Tribulation, the reign of terror of the King, the children’s prison, the re-education camp, PTSD, the great deception, and betrayal of family and friends; deep faith in God and extreme courage are required. The ancient, narrow path is calling you. Come…
My Impressions
“The days were dark but the light shone brighter.”
Rena Groot has written a harrowing story about the End Times as referred to in the Bible, as a warning for people to be ready for Jesus’s return. The story centers around Josh Williams and his family, who turn to Jesus after the Rapture.
Josh suddenly, inexplicably, finds himself being hunted down as the worst kind of criminal. His family is torn apart, and he is desperate to save them and himself.
While there is a good deal of suspense, this was not an easy book for me to read. Stream of consciousness is employed in much of the book, plus flashbacks, and I found it hard to follow cohesively.
There are large portions of Scripture quoted throughout the book. Sometimes so much so, the storyline almost gets lost.
You will definitely be left thinking about the thoughts and truths presented on these pages. What will you do with these truths?
I received a complimentary copy of the book from Celebrate Lit. No positive review was required and all opinions are my own.
Ivy Zimmerman is successfully navigating her life as a young Mennonite woman, one generation removed from her parents’ Old Order Amish upbringing. But when her parents are killed in a tragic accident, Ivy’s way of life is upended. As she deals with her grief, her younger sisters’ needs, the relationship with her boyfriend, and her Dawdi and Mammi’s strict rules, Ivy finds solace in both an upcoming trip to Germany for an international Mennonite youth gathering and in her great-great-aunt’s story about Clare Simons, another young woman who visited Germany in the late 1930s.
As Ivy grows suspicious that her parents’ deaths weren’t, in fact, an accident, she gains courage from what she learns of Clare’s time in pre-World War II Germany. With the encouragement and inspiration of the women who have gone before her, Ivy seeks justice for her parents, her sisters, and herself.
Leslie Gould (www.lesliegould.com) is a Christy Award-winning and #1 bestselling author of over 35 novels, including four Lancaster County Amish series. She holds an MFA in creative writing and enjoys studying church history, research trips, and hiking in the Pacific Northwest. She and her husband live in Portland, Oregon, and are the parents of four adult children.
More from Leslie
The historical thread of my dual-time novel A Brighter Dawn is set in Nazi Germany from 1937 to 1939. During that period of time, Germany incorporated Austria, mandatory registration of all Jewish property began, and concentration camps opened. Then came the Night of Broken Glass—the anti-Jewish pogrom in Germany, Austria, and the Sudetenland. Soon following was the German occupation of Czechoslovakia before the Nazis invaded Poland in September 1939.
My main character, Clare Simons, is a Mennonite young woman from Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, who is staying with her uncle and cousins in Frankfurt, Germany. She doesn’t follow current events much and struggles to balance the Nazi propaganda her uncle and oldest cousin believe with the events unfolding around her. Slowly, she begins to see the truth behind the Nazi lies.
One thing that broke up the narrative of the heavy events I researched and wrote about? The food.
When I traveled in Germany with my husband (who had lived there during his Army service years ago), I marveled over the scenery, became engrossed in the history, and definitely enjoyed the food. My background is Swiss, so it wasn’t that the food was unfamiliar. It was just at a level I hadn’t experienced before!
As I researched what Clare would fix for meals, I pored through cookbooks. For added inspiration, hubby and I ate at German restaurants. Jägerschnitzel (seared pork with gravy). Rinderbraten (paprika and caraway spiced beef roasted in red wine gravy). Wienerschnitzel (breaded and fried pork loin with warm potato salad and a vegetable remoulade.)
I noted food in research books, documentaries, and films. The entrees became focal points in the stories, including rabbit stew, a Christmas goose, and Sauerbraten with Spätzle and red cabbage. So did the desserts, including trifle and Black Forest cake.
When I visited Germany with my hubby, one of the things I really loved was stopping in a café for Apfelkuchen (apple cake) and coffee in the afternoon. In one scene in A Brighter Dawn, when Clare and her cousin Lena stop for coffee, they order apple cake too. Then, in another scene, Clare bakes an apple cake for the family of the nearby Jewish grocer who will soon lose their property.
Below is a recipe for a simple and dense German apple cake (which may have originated in Poland and been influenced by a Jewish apple cake recipe).
The food in A Brighter Dawn doesn’t take away from the narrative, but it is a reminder that a nurturing soul, such as my character Clare, can stand against the lies of an evil regime.
German Apple Cake
Ingredients
1 cup salted butter, melted
2 eggs
¾ cup white sugar
¾ cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 ½ to 2 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
1 Tablespoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons baking powder
5 cups apples—peeled, cored, and thinly sliced (to soften apple slices before baking, place in a microwavable dish with a lid and microwave them with a Tablespoon of water for 3–4 minutes)
1 cup chopped walnuts
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a 9×13 cake pan.
Beat butter and eggs with an electric mixer until creamy. Add sugar and vanilla; beat well.
Stir together flour, cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in a bowl. Slowly add flour mixture to egg mixture; mix until combined. The batter will be very thick. Fold in apples and walnuts by hand using a wooden spoon. Spread batter into the prepared pan.
Bake in preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 45–50 minutes. After 30 minutes, put a sheet of foil over the top of the cake to keep it from burning. Cool cake on a wire rack.
Possible Toppings
Before baking:
Crumble: ¼ cup brown sugar, ¼ cup white sugar, ½ cup flour, 4–6 Tablespoons softened butter. Combine ingredients and evenly spread over the top of cake.
Butterscotch: Sprinkle a package of butterscotch chips over the top of the cake.
Almonds: Sprinkle almond slivers over the top of the cake.
After baking:
Dust with confectioners’ sugar.
Drizzle with caramel sauce.
Sprinkle with white sparkling sugar.
Top with whipped cream.
My Impressions
Leslie Gould has written a very compelling, yet for me, too political story about a young Mennonite woman, Ivy Zimmerman, and her family who live in Oregon. Following a family tragedy, Ivy and her sisters leave their beloved Gran and travel to stay with their estranged Amish grandparents on the other side, who live in PA. As the sisters travel back to PA with their Amish grandparents, they are accompanied by a great-aunt, who tells Ivy a story about another young woman. This woman, Clare, is a relative who visited Germany years ago, and stayed with a family of three sisters.
I enjoyed the dual timeline, even as it surprised me. I loved the historical timeline (narrated in third person)best, but the present-day story (told in first-person pov) is also interesting. I liked learning more about the Mennonites. I was surprised, as Clare is, at the difference in beliefs and practices of the American Mennonites vs. their European counterparts.
Gould wants to make sure the reader understands history and its importance today. While we aren’t responsible for the actions of others, the past can teach us. “But we have a responsibility to it—to caring for those affected by it, by never forgetting, and by doing all we can to prevent such atrocities from ever happening again.”
I totally agree with that.
However, this was a difficult book for me to finish. For one thing, there are too many characters to keep them all straight. I also had some difficulty sorting out the which Mennonite group Gould is referring to in places. I felt as if the author had a ton of information she was excited to share, and didn’t pare it down enough for one book.
Gould heavily emphasizes the Ukrainian/Russian conflict before WWII. According to Gould, it’s very clear that the same events are now being repeated.
What I didn’t enjoy: Strong inferences made that being a Christian means you can only hold one political view. I hear that from both sides of the aisle, and it saddens me. Because we are human, we are imperfect, and our politics are imperfect. We will not all agree, but we should all be able to speak our minds respectfully, yet not insist that our way is the only way. Also, I read for enjoyment, not a rehashing of the conflict in the world around us. Realism is ok, but I expected this type of book to be more educational about WWII and the Mennonites, not the strong political statement I felt it became halfway through.
All in all, this is an interesting story, but very political and with too many threads in the tapestry.
I received a copy of this book from Celebrate Lit via NetGalley. No positive review was required, and all opinions are my own.
Notable Quotables:
“How did my grudges correlate with my will to survive? Not physically survive, but emotionally?”
“What was the difference between a grudge and a boundary?”
“I’d read once that if you flew west on a plane at one thousand miles an hour, you’d be continually in the dawn of one day for twenty-four hours. But I liked the idea. It gave me hope. A new day was always beginning, somewhere.”
Alena is stuck in a mundane marriage and longing for something
different. New clothes. Bigger bling. Flashy cars. Miraculously and
inexplicably, it all happens in a flash and she is finally married to
the man of her dreams, but something still seems to be missing. In all
her excitement, the one thing she’s looking for is the one thing she
can’t seem to keep.
The Ring Does Not Fit by Sunshine Rodgers has a very definite purpose beyond
entertainment. Rodgers has written a novella that explores what happens when a busy
young wife tires of her seven year marriage. Alena, the wife, is a professional author,
keeps house, cooks, does errands, and all the work around the house while her husband,
Lee, doesn’t appear to help. He doesn’t help carry in groceries or apparently do any
household chores. Lee goes to work and spends the rest of his time on the couch. He is
big into church and Bible study. That really put me off Lee. It sounded like his wife
needed help and he was oblivious. Alena, in turn, is wrapped up in the busyness and
trappings of success.
The aim of the book, to make couples see they need Jesus Christ as the foundation of
their relationship, is good. The different scenarios Alena experienced were eye-opening.
JC, who is a mystery, assures Alena she is missing more than just Lee.
I certainly concur with the author that both parties in a marriage need Christ. I felt like
there were some real issues in the marriage that needed to be dealt with at beginning of
book. I am not so sure becoming “ridiculously happy” as the author asserts one should
become in Jesus would automatically take all those issues away. I see some big
incongruities with a man who is greatly into Bible study and church, but not
understanding and helping his wife with her needs.
With some professional editing, this book would shine a little brighter.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author and publisher through
Celebrate Lit. This in no way affects my opinions, which are solely my own.
My Rating
3 Stars – Middling; Neither impressive nor unimpressive
About the Author
Sunshine Rodgers is an International Best-Selling author, speaker and
motivator who excels in sharing the hope and light of the gospel in
her books. Her characters experience the love and grace of Jesus
Christ and the beauty of Heaven. Sunshine hopes her pages will get you
passionate about your faith. Her books have been made into audio books
and translated in different languages. Her social media sites and
personal blog reach thousands of readers a week. Sunshine has appeared
in magazines, newspapers and live media interviews and is working on
her merchandise line (available on her website!). Sunshine now enjoys
her days traveling for signings, author events, speaking engagements
and book tours.
More from Sunshine
“Why are we never satisfied? I mean, we can have
houses, cars and money and still want more! If I were to break it
down, I would have to say…insecurity. Maybe we feel like we’re not good
enough. I don’t know about you, but I compare myself with others
all the time just by looking at social media and feeling like I don’t
measure up.
My book “The Ring Does Not Fit” concentrates on appreciating what is right in front of you,
celebrating those who are still with you and staying humble.
Because the grass is not always greener on the other side and there
is always more going on behind the scenes that we don’t know about.
I wanted to explore the issue of contentment in my book.
The only way to really get over any personal frustration
and constant comparison is to have
an attitude of thanksgiving and praise where you are thankful
for what you have, no matter how little or big it is.
It’s the year 641 since the beginning of the world, and when Eve passes away, she leaves Adam the only man on earth who remembers everything from the beginning of the world.
When Enoch, God’s newly appointed prophet, decides to collect the stories of the faithful from previous generations, he finds Adam in desperate need to
confess the dark secrets he’s held onto for too long.
Beside a slowly burning bonfire in the dead of night, Adam tells his story in searing detail. From the beginning of everything, to how he broke the world, shattered Eve’s heart, and watched his family crumble.
Will Enoch uncover what led so many of Adam’s children away from God? And will Adam find the redemption and forgiveness he longs for?
When Eden by Brennan McPherson was offered through Celebrate Lit, I was excited. I had read his Babel, #3 The Fall of Man, and loved it. Eden is book one in that series. I am not so much a fan of this book. “Man’s pervasive fallenness compared with God’s incredible mercy” is McPherson’s stated theme. I could relate to man’s incredible fallenness, though I felt it was heavy and dark. I could not see so much of the incredible grace of God.
Eden includes some action but is in a large part a book of attitudes and memories. It’s the sad tale of Adam and Eve, after creation, sinning and losing their place of fellowship with the Father. Not only is life now cursed, but Adam spends much of his life trying to win Eve’s love. Eden gives the impression Adam can only have God’s love or Eve’s following the fall. Eve alternately loves Adam or is angry and bitter at Adam. Then Adam withdraws, hurting Eve, and the cycle repeats as Eve falls away from not only a relationship with Adam but her original trust in God. I found there was way too much emphasis on the discord between Adam and Eve. It was difficult to read, as Eve seemed very evil and cruel, but yet the Father holds Adam responsible for her behavior. Once again, as I read the notes at the end, I began to understand why McPherson wrote this way, but I feel God ultimately holds each person responsible for his/her own sin. Also, “God” seems to demand unreasonable obedience, as in the First “Day of Atonement.” God may ask us to do the hard, seemingly impossible, but He understands our human limitations. God’s supposed demands on Eve that day do not show the God of either the New or the Old Testament Law concerning birth. I think it would be fair to say I am very uncomfortable with making God a “character” in Biblical fiction.
Again, when Cain and Abel bring their differing sacrifices to the Father, some will, like me, have difficulty with the reason McPherson gives as to why God was unhappy with Cain’s sacrifice. I agree it had to do with pride. However, God made it clear sins could only be atoned for by a blood sacrifice. So, the fruit of the earth as a sacrifice? One other thing I must mention. McPherson, in his notes, admits to including some fantasy. In my thinking, fantasy has no part in Biblical fiction.
The notes at the end actually caused me to pause and think. I looked up the birth of Cain and Abel in several versions. Is it possible they were twins? With the textual notes McPherson added, I would have to say that’s not impossible, although not what I’ve been taught.
I also understood better why he wrote as he did. I wish he would have had footnotes to refer the reader to his notes. I could have read with a more understanding heart.
Many people may not be bothered by the examples I’ve mentioned. This book may also be for you if you enjoyed The Shack.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher through Celebrate Lit. This in no way influenced my opinions, for which I am solely responsible.
My Rating
3 Stars- Good; I Liked it, but would not necessarily recommend it.
I do think it could be an interesting book club pick if readers know they are in for some controversy as they discuss it.
About the Author
BRENNAN S. MCPHERSON writes epic, imaginative biblical fiction with heart-pounding plots and lyrical prose, for readers who like to think biblically and feel deeply. He lives with his wife and young daughter in the Midwest and spends as much of his spare time with them as possible.
Read an Exclusive Excerpt
In my beginning was not darkness, but Light.
As I opened my eyes for the first time, I saw dust motes swirling around five bright points. I reached for them and realized the dust was not blowing past me but instead settling across the complex shapes in my arms.
Distracted, I twisted my wrist, seeing muscle, tendon, bone, and a partial layer of skin. Clenching my fingers one by one, I saw the movement in my joints.
Fascinated, I watched as a swathe of dust poured over me like a sheet of silk and morphed into smooth, brown flesh. I ran my fingers across my new skin, and when the sound of shifting sand settled, noticed what sounded like gentle Music riding on the breath that flowed into me.
I inhaled.
Exhaled.
Inhaled again.
“Adam,” I said, for I had heard that name—my name—in the Music.
I realized that my Father was singing over me, and in his singing, he had given me life and form, and had named me Adam.
He smiled at me, with those dark brown eyes, and let soft melodies fall from his tongue as I lay on my back.
He lifted me from the mud and burned the remaining dust from my skin with the heat of his presence. But he did not hurt me as a natural flame might. Instead, he filled and cleansed me. And the joy of him filled me with an insatiable desire to experience everything around me, to understand the world he had sung into existence.
I’ve never since felt so whole as I did with him in Eden. Because inside me was nothing that did not belong. Only him, and the breath he gave, and the Music he sang, and the smells of Eden, and the touch of his Light, and the taste of his name on my lips as I spoke for the second time. “Father.” I smiled and laughed.
He stood magnificent, warm, compassionate. The image of the invisible condensed in a life foreknown before the foundations of the world were formed.
I felt his pride over me and laughed again, only now with tears.
My first moments were not like those of a newborn child come from a womb. Instead, they were of a child gone into the womb. Swaddled in the Light of God. Cocooned in his satisfaction.
I was Adam. Man fully formed. Reflection of perfection.
In joy, I fell to my hands and knees and bowed my forehead to the ground. Tears flowed to the soil I’d been formed from. How great! How wonderful this being was who had made me for himself, and who so unendingly satisfied me. Nothing I’ve experienced in my long years could ever make me forget it. That sense of purpose. Of everything being right.
Ah, yes. I see wonder on your face, Enoch, at how tears could be present in a world yet unbroken by sin.
Have you never wondered why the kiss of a lover can bring tears to our eyes? It is because some goods are so great that they must be given vent. For not all tears spring from sorrow. And not all aches are unwanted.
Yet still, my Father lifted me and wiped my cheeks. Then he led me across hills and valleys, puddles and rivers. He pointed at plants and skittering animals and insects, and it seemed as though I could hear the echo of his melodies in their movements.
To celebrate his tour, Brennan is giving away the grand prize package of a “McPherson Publishing bundle”, which includes the following books: a copy of Flood, Babel, the three Psalm Series novellas, and The Simple Gospel book!!
Be sure to comment on the blog stops for nine extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.
Title: Hugo: Inspiring Southern Ambiance for Christian Readers (Painter Place #2)
Author: Pamela Poole
Publisher: Southern Sky Publisher
Released: October, 2017
September 21, 1989: Some monsters in the dark are real. Can Painter Place survive?
Hurricane Hugo came in the dead of night, slamming Category 4 power into Charleston, South Carolina at the worst possible time–high tide. Painter Place is scoured by the writhing Atlantic storm surge, forcing Caroline Painter Gregory to say goodbye to a life she loves and face a future that may hold the worst that can possibly happen. On the devastated South Carolina coastline of 1989 and then in Arles, France during the centennial of Van Gogh’s life there, Hugo continues the saga of Painter Place.
My Review
So, I wanted to see what the hype was about The Painter Place novels by Pamela Poole. Hugo, the novel I read, is the second in the Painter Place Saga.
I was excited to see a map at the front. Kudos! The forward, which many readers skip, was fascinating. The novel is set in September of 1989, a year I well remember.
“Saga” is a good word for this series, as it obviously involves quite a few people and their extended families. No two-dimensional characters here. Although, I rather wish there had been. There are so many people the story whips around and in between, I had trouble keeping them straight. By fleshing out so many characters so well, it was hard to focus on who the main characters really were.
This is a very turbulent narrative of a family in tumultuous times. At times I could identify with the characters, but many times their solutions made me feel like the average person would have not had those options, and would have been required to slog through those times without getting away. Would the characters still have come out as stronger survivors?
Poole packs a boat-load of truth into her book. I think I might have preferred only a few problems to be solved than several that meant there was an abundance of philosophizing and Bible explanation throughout the tale. Trying to balance story and truth, that is a hard feat to accomplish.
Quotable:
“That’s always the bottom line, isn’t it? No matter what a person accomplished, it has to end, and it turns out that the most important thing wasn’t what they left behind. It was where they’d spend eternity.”
As I finished the book, I wondered if it might appeal most to twenty-something readers. Or I may be one of a few who is not a huge fan. Try Hugo for yourself and let me know your thoughts.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author via Celebrate Lit. No positive review was required and all opinions are solely my own.
My Rating
About the Author
“Inspiring Southern Ambiance”
Pamela Poole is an artist and author currently living in Raleigh, NC with her husband Mark, but they dream of moving back to the coast someday. Pamela’s love of living in the South is lavished into her creative subject matter. She believes that art and stories are only worthwhile when they are filled with beauty and hope that survive in spite of all life’s challenges.
Pamela is a member of various author and artist organizations. Her FREE painting demos can be found on her YouTube channel, and FREE coloring pages can be downloaded from her websites. Stay up to date with Pamela Poole Fine Art and Southern Sky Publishing on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, and Pamela Poole Art on YouTube.
A Timeless, Beautiful Allegory of the Biblical Love Story of Ruth and Boaz
The Great Rebellion of 1857 was a remarkably bloody business. At a time when Britain’s imperial influence in India was sparking brutal clashes on both sides, no one could have expected Rena, an Indian woman, to marry a British officer—nor do they understand her decision to follow her mother-in-law to England after her husband’s tragic death.
Once the two widows are in Abbotsville, the stern yet compassionate Lord Barric attempts to help them despite his better judgment. Soon he is torn between the demands of reputation and his increasing desire to capture Rena’s heart for his own.
“The Sun was the same, but that was all.” I was intrigued by the first sentence, sure that I had discovered another jewel in Shadow Among Sheaves by Naomi Stephens. The novel takes place in England in 1861. Touted to be a modern recounting of the Old Testament story of Ruth and Boaz, I was disappointed. Stephens does a great job describing India; its revolt against Britain; the hatred of the one people for the other. She also shows us how much Rena loved Edric, but I felt like so many details of the story that Scripture spoke to, were ignored and the circumstances changed for the sake of the story.
We don’t know a lot about Boaz, but again, I felt the character representing him was not as honorable and respected as the one shown in Scripture. The author uses a couple of swear words a few times over. In both cases, it was a few times too much for my taste. I am not a prude, but I don’t expect to have to read those words in Christian books.
In summary, I thought this was a great book to explain the resulting relations between the British and Indian peoples following the Indian revolt against British rule. It was not, however, a great representation of the Biblical Naomi, Ruth, and Boaz. This is only my opinion. I would encourage you to read other reviews and judge carefully for yourself.
I received a complimentary copy of the book from the publisher through Celebrate Lit. All opinions are my own responsibility and no positive review was required.
My Rating
About the Author
Naomi Stephens is a bookworm turned teacher turned writer. She received a M.A. in English from Indiana University-Purdue University Fort Wayne and now lives in Ohio with her husband, her two children, and a rascal of a dog named Sherlock.
More from Naomi
A Timeless, Beautiful Allegory of the Biblical Love Story of Ruth and Boaz
The Great Rebellion of 1857 was a remarkably bloody business. At a time when Britain’s imperial influence in India was sparking brutal clashes on both sides, no one could have expected Rena, an Indian woman, to marry a British officer—nor do they understand her decision to follow her mother-in-law to England after her husband’s tragic death.
Once the two widows are in Abbotsville, the stern yet compassionate Lord Barric attempts to help them despite his better judgment. Soon he is torn between the demands of reputation and his increasing desire to capture Rena’s heart for his own. Which will he choose? Find out in Shadow Among Sheaves by Naomi Stephens.
Read an Exclusive Excerpt from Shadow Among Sheaves:
She smiled, stepping closer and placing her hand on the horse’s wet snout. Samson was a pretty beast with wide, ponderous eyes and a few splotches of gray around his nose. The soft puff of air Samson snorted into her palm brought a delighted smile to her lips, and she gasped as he bowed his neck to nuzzle his nose against her stomach. She felt her smile leap into a grin. It was a delightful change, to feel joy so deep it finally showed.
Barric circled around Samson to stand beside her, his hands never leaving the reins. “He’s fond of you,” he remarked as Samson dropped his snout against her hip.
“Unsurprising, I suppose. Though he could also be searching you for a carrot.”
Surprised to hear Lord Barric speak so teasingly, and pleased by the gentle light she found in his otherwise tired eyes, Rena laughed her faint agreement. “That will teach me to come empty-handed, won’t it?”
Their smiles both dropped as a young, lanky stable hand came rushing out to take Samson, and Barric relinquished his hold on the reins, nodding his silent thanks.
As soon as the stable boy had disappeared with Samson, Bar¬ric glanced back at Rena. “Are you going home?” he asked, nodding toward the dusty road looping down the hill to William’s house.
She stepped back, realizing she had dawdled longer than she’d first intended. “Yes,” she answered. “I often come this way to avoid the other workers.”
“Might I walk with you?” He turned to hang his whip on a peg. “Just a short stretch of the road?”
Stunned by his request, and a bit suspicious of his motive, she nonetheless nodded. “Yes, of course.”
Barric drew up beside her, his even strides betraying no unease, though he was silent for some time as they made their way down the golden-colored hill.
“You have seemed tired these past few days,” he observed. Rena did not bother to deny it. She’d been working hard to keep up with the others, as Barric had told her she must, and felt wearier for it. She had tried to split her days in half, the mornings spent binding sheaves with the women and the afternoons spent picking for her own stores, but the work was backbreaking, and, as he had already pointed out once before, she was not used to hard labor. “I realize I haven’t really asked you how you are settling in,” he went on.
“Perhaps you’ve been too busy provoking me,” she answered before she could stop herself.
Barric’s eyebrow inched up as he slanted an approving smirk down at her. “Perhaps.”
Rena cursed her honest tongue. She must have been more tired than she thought, to speak so freely to a man of title. “I have been well,” she tried again, a bit more diplomatically. “The house suits us if that is what you are asking.”
“The people here do not speak to you unkindly?”
“The people do not speak to me at all.” She had meant to sound casual, unaffected, but heard the hurt in her own voice she hadn’t been able to weed out. As Barric’s expression tightened, she hastened to amend, “Except for you, my lord. Of course. And the Wilmots.”
“They are good people,” he agreed quietly. “And will you be coming with them to the festival this evening?”
She hesitated. According to Alice, harvest home was a yearly tradition, a night of raucous drinking and dancing to celebrate the close of the harvest. All of Abbotsville would be there—landowners, stewards, even tenant farmers, and common laborers. But Rena was none of those things, and she and Barric both knew it.
“Come,” Barric teased, “do not tell me you are afraid to go. I would never have thought it of you.”
“I am not afraid,” she insisted. “I just had not thought about it.”
At her defensive tone, he smiled—a true smile—one that pinched the corners of his eyes and pressed grooves along the outer edges of his mouth. “You ought to come,” he decided. “Everyone in Abbotsville is welcome, and many are the men who would feel lucky to dance with you.”
But, of course, Lord Barric knew this was not true. The men in his fields regarded her mostly with contempt and made no secret of it— they would not count themselves at all lucky to dance with her. Was Lord Barric trying to offer her words of comfort? Or was he trying to convey a message?
Did he want to dance with her?
This was hardly a safe question, and so she asked another. “Do you dance, Lord Barric?”
When he met her gaze, so direct, she was all the more glad she had not stammered in her reply. The man walked a dangerous line whenever he deigned to speak to her. Far too close, she’d think, and then stern enough to cool her blood with a word.
He surprised her with another smile, this one a faint twist at the corner of his lips. “Perhaps you would have to come to find out.”
Beloved, bestselling author of Amish fiction, Wanda E. Brunstetter takes readers on a journey in 1850 along the California Trail.
Only the brave—or foolhardy—would attempt a cross-country journey late in the season. Three wagons meet up in Independence, Missouri, in April 1850, and their owners decide to keep forging ahead despite many setbacks and delays. December finds them in the Sierra Nevada Mountains when a sudden snowstorm traps them, obscuring the trail.
Cynthia Cooper is traveling with her mother and the man she has promised to marry. But as Christmas is upon them and they are hunkered down in a small cabin, she is forced to reevaluate her reasons for planning to marry fellow-traveler Walter Prentice. When a widowed father heading to a California ranch and a gold prospector both show an interest in Cynthia, she weighs her dreams for marriage alongside her responsibility to care for her mother. Can love win over her timid heart?
MY REVIEW:
This historical romance, The Christmas Prayer by Wanda Brunstetter, is a very promising plot that fell short for me. I have read several of Brunstetter’s Amish books and really liked them. I have read at least one other historical romance she wrote that I thought was a true winner. This one, I believe, just was too short (it is a novella) and space ran out before the narrative could conclude smoothly. I think, had this book been a novel, things would have happened at what I would consider a good speed and it could have been a great book.
I felt for poor Cynthia stuck on the westward trail in 1850 with a much older, unkind, uncaring fiancé. Especially when there were two highly eligible other young men in their little wagon train. The children, Amelia and Alan, had very integral roles.
The portrayal of the characters was interesting, but at the end, I wanted to see more fleshing out. I realized many were more two-dimensional than I would have liked.
The journey was interesting, but it seemed to reach a climax, then abruptly loose ends were tied up and the novella ended. I felt like I was riding a horse at a good canter, but then the horse suddenly came to an abrupt stop at the edge of a bluff, and I got thrown.
Two songs characterized this book for me: in one spot, Keith Green’s early 80’s hit, “So You Wanna Go Back to Egypt?!”; and “You Can’t Hurry Love(You Just Gotta Wait).”
Quotable: “When our hope is lost, that’s when we need to rely fully on Him, for with God, all things are possible.”
I received a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley. All opinions are my own, for which I am solely responsible. I was not required to write a positive review.
About the Author:
Wanda Brunstetter
New York Times bestselling and award-winning author, Wanda E. Brunstetter is one of the founders of the Amish fiction genre. She has written close to 90 books translated in four languages. With over 10 million copies sold, Wanda’s stories consistently earn spots on the nations most prestigious bestseller lists and have received numerous awards.
Wanda’s ancestors were part of the Anabaptist faith, and her novels are based on personal research intended to accurately portray the Amish way of life. Her books are well-read and trusted by many Amish, who credit her for giving readers a deeper understanding of the people and their customs.
When Wanda visits her Amish friends, she finds herself drawn to their peaceful lifestyle, sincerity, and close family ties. Wanda enjoys photography, ventriloquism, gardening, bird-watching, beachcombing, and spending time with her family. She and her husband, Richard, have been blessed with two grown children, six grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren.
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BRENNAN S. MCPHERSON writes epic, imaginative biblical fiction with heart-pounding plots and lyrical prose, for readers who like to think biblically and feel deeply. He lives with his wife and young daughter in the Midwest and spends as much of his spare time with them as possible.
English from Indiana University-Purdue University Fort Wayne and now lives in Ohio with her husband, her two children, and a rascal of a dog named Sherlock.
Babbling Becky L’s Book Impressions 