Honesty – Babbling Becky L’s Book Impressions

About the Book

Book: The Winnowing Fork

Author: Betty Ruth Weatherby

Genre: Biblical Fiction

Release date: September, 2022

NEW CHRISTIAN NOVEL FILLED WITH ADVENTURE

ZACCHAEUS EXPERIENCES ROMAN OCCUPATION AND THE FAMILY SHAME OF LEPROSY AS HE SURVIVES IN THE HISTORICAL SETTING OF 2000 YEARS AGO.

Betty Ruth Weatherby travels the world and uses her experiences to create the Biblical Fiction of “The Winnowing Fork” to convey the message of God’s sustaining, eternal love.

The tax collector’s mother is banned with a skin disease when his father is conscripted by the occupying Roman army.

Follow Zacchaeus as he grows to love the sound and glitter of gold coins while his greed consumes him, overcoming even his love of family.

Zacchaeus in his lonely, self-isolation discovers that the real author of peace and serenity is in a man called Jesus whose father is God himself. Jesus passes through Jericho on his way to Passover in Jerusalem.

Zacchaeus tries to see through the crowd as the entourage passes:

“He yanked the leaves back again, and found the Rabbi looking at him,

His eyes fastened on Zacchaeus.”

Click here to get your copy!

About the Author

Betty Ruth Weatherby is a graduate of California State University, Stanislaus. She earned her teacher’s credential from Chapman University as well as a cross-cultural language and academic development certificate from Sacramento State University. Weatherby has sold her books across America. She is the author of the Lanover Adventure Series, Pepper’s children’s series and excels in Women’s Adventures. Women can travel the world as part of God’s Plan to enjoy life at its fullest and step out in faith.

Weatherby was born in the shipbuilding community of Sausalito, California and writes from a world of experience in fulfilling the Christian walk. Her most recent novel “The Girl on the Tombstone” is a nostalgic historical piece based in San Andreas, California where she grew up and attended Calaveras High School.

More from Betty Ruth

Zacchaeus was always a puzzle to me. How did he become a hated tax collector and only

One meeting with Jesus turned his life around. So, I imagined a story, gave him a family and neighbors to create a life around him as he accumulated his “taxes.”

My Impressions

Have you ever wondered what would possess Zacchaeus to be a tax collector? He was a Jew hated because he gathered taxes for the Romans from his own people, not to mention lining his pockets while doing so. Betty Ruth Weatherby pens an imaginative and immersive tale, The Winnowing Fork, which shows how Zacchaeus’s greed and arrogance could have developed.

I loved the look at the different family members, a few close friends, and associates. The characters were well- drawn and varied. I especially enjoyed Ruth and Tryphena’s relationship. There are several despicable persons. Perhaps one that stands out to me is Hesiah, the neighbor lady of the family.

As the characters are presented little by little, in alternating bits, a fuller picture emerges. However, it was unclear to me as I read that equal amounts of time were passing for the various individuals. At times it seemed years had passed for some, days for others. Maybe I just didn’t read something carefully enough.

After all Zacchaeus has gone through, one begins to understand better how he could have become the disliked publican. How my heart hurt for both Tryphena and Joshua as they begin to realize the person their son has allowed himself to evolve into!

With so much of the book detailing Zacchaeus’s tax collector mentality development, it made the spiritual and emotional healing part seem small in comparison.

I do like the way Zacchaeus remembers Scripture teachings from his childhood. God promises His Word will not come back empty. He brings to remembrance His Word when we need it.

I was surprised and pleased by the twist at the end. Definitely worth a read!

I received a copy of the book from Celebrate Lit. No positive review was required, and all opinions are my own.

My Rating

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Great! I loved this book for its possible explanation of how Zacchaeus could have become the hated tax collector he was.

Blog Stops

Lots of Helpers, February 1

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, February 2

Texas Book-aholic, February 3

deb’s Book Review, February 4

Christina’s Corner, February 5

Mary Hake, February 5

Locks, Hooks and Books, February 6

Babbling Becky L’s Book Impressions, February 7

Ashley’s Clean Book Reviews, February 8

Connie’s History Classroom, February 9

Lily’s Book Reviews, February 10

Cover Lover Book Review, February 11

Books I’ve Read, February 11

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, February 12

For Him and My Family, February 13

Book Butterfly in Dreamland, February 14

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Betty is giving away the grand prize package of a $50 Amazon gift card and a copy of the book!!

Be sure to comment on the blog stops for nine extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.

https://promosimple.com/ps/23d5b/the-winnowing-fork-celebration-tour-giveaway

About the Book

Book: The Letter

Author: Edwina Kiernan

Genre: Christian Historical Romance

Release date: November 1, 2022

She wants a new life.

He’s in danger of losing his.

Will love solve everything — or immerse them in even worse peril?

Restless and ready for a change, Grace Stratton gladly accepts the opportunity to leave her remote parsonage home to serve as a wealthy spinster’s companion in the idyllic country town of Lindenfell. Its warm atmosphere and friendly inhabitants sooth Grace’s lonely heart. But when a mysterious stranger arrives, she soon discovers things aren’t always what they seem.

Convinced chloroform will revolutionise the medical world, Dr. David Carbury frequently administers it to his London patients — until one of them dies. Facing a grave trial to prove his innocence and defend a drug most people view as poisonous, he makes hasty plans to buy time to bolster his case. But he wasn’t expecting to face an even deadlier challenge.

As attraction sparks not long after they meet, Grace soon suspects he’s hiding something, and David knows he can’t run from the truth forever.

But neither of them could imagine the sinister threat lurking just around the corner…

Immersed in faith and intrigue, this Christian Victorian romance from award-winning author Edwina Kiernan will encourage and delight you long after you turn the last page.

Click here to get your copy!

About the Author

Edwina Kiernan is the Christian author of the award-winning novel, Ruby’s Redemption.

An enthusiast of classic novels and history, Edwina combines her faith, imagination and research to create hope-infused tales set in times past.

A lifelong word admirer, with Welsh and Irish heritage, she started writing stories early in childhood.

She is a committed follower of Jesus (the Living Word), and endeavours to use her pen to point others to Him.

More from Edwina

Have you ever wished you could travel back in time to a place where quaint buildings are bathed with a golden glow in the afternoon light, where the people are polite and respectful, and where the pace of living allows your soul to breathe and just… be?

In that case…

Welcome to Lindenfell!

The Letter introduces us to Grace Stratton (daughter of the hero & heroine from my award-winning novel, Ruby’s Redemption), who accepts a position as a lady’s companion in a place she’s never been before, but where she’ll soon discover a whole new world.

“The air in Lindenfell had a scent of its own — one of warmth and peace. Of hope.”

Lord-willing, the Victorian Virtues series will have nine books, each based on an aspect of the Fruit of the Spirit, and each exploring the historical events and everyday realities that change and challenge eighteen main characters and nine blossoming romances.

Friends and foes, tragedies and triumphs, hopes and heartaches — the best and worst of life, all in one fictional market town in Victorian England.

It is my deepest hope that, as you travel to Lindenfell in each book of the series, you’ll find the truth and hope you need to navigate your own trials and triumphs, and discover that the refreshment your soul longs for is already available to you, wherever you may be.

My Impressions

“Hatred stirreth up strifes: but love covereth all sins.”

The Letter is a deceptively simple Victorian novel by Edwina Kiernan. A young lady (Grace Stratton) in the 1840s England goes to another town to be an elderly lady’s companion. At roughly the same time, a London doctor (David Carbury) loses a patient, and is accused of murder by the bereaved family.

Written in third person POV, the focus of narration alternates chapters between Grace and David. We get to know each, and begin to choose who to sympathize with most in the coming crisis. I was happy to see Kiernan point out that both David and Grace have issues to repent of. Sometimes, it seems like such an egregious wrong is committed, that that offender must be the only one who needs to change an attitude or action. Grace discovers that she needs to live up to her name, and follow God’s example of forgiving. Very convicting!

I loved Isaac! As a secondary character, he stole the show for me. He is such an example of a true friend. He senses a need, patiently draws it out, then is there to help his friend in any way possible. I was amazed at the lengths his friendship took him to.