Archive | March 2023

Maid Of Steel by Kate Baker

Mar7

All Consuming & Heart Racing

Maid Of Steel by Kate Baker is a fabulous historical novel that I just could not put down.

The action is set in 1911 moving from New York to Queensland in Ireland. Immediately my heart was in my mouth as I read that the maiden voyage of a brand new ship was planned for April 1912. I read with ever increasing heart-rate as the dreaded date approached. Which way would the action go? You will have to read it to find out!

The main theme was women’s suffrage. We witness the strength needed by the women in order to pursue this course. They were treated abominably by the forces of law and order.

Another theme is that of survivor’s guilt. A character is wracked by guilt of actions done and not done. We can never change the past, all we can do is to learn from it. “Life is about what’s coming, not what’s been.”

PTSD in soldiers and sailors is also addressed. Homes are set up to offer comfort and care for those damaged by the forces.

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Before Your Memory Fades by Toshikazu Kawaguchi

Mar6

Beautiful And Poignant

Before Your Memory Fades by Toshikazu Kawaguchi is the third book in the Before The Coffee Gets Cold series but can be read as a stand-alone. I recommend reading the previous books first for maximum enjoyment.

Before The Coffee Gets Cold series has really spoken to my heart. The books are about love, life, regrets and memories. They are uniquely crafted by Toshikazu Kawaguchi and beautifully executed.

Before Your Memory Fades is so beautiful and poignant. We meet those who are grieving and have regrets and frustrations. Grief takes many forms. For some, they want to lock up their lives and never smile again. They believe that to smile, is to feel guilty for living. “I’m worried that you will forget how to smile when I die.” Our loved ones want us to remember and to smile when they are gone. We smile again, in memory of their love.

Death is not the end, as long as we remember our loved ones in our hearts, they live on. “Even though I die, as long as you don’t forget me, I’ll always be in your heart.” Death happens but memories enable us to live on.

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All That Really Matters by Nicole Deese

Mar6

Heart Warming

All That Really Matters by Nicole Deese is the most beautiful contemporary Christian novel that will leave you smiling as you celebrate the goodness of God.

The story is about the riches of life. These riches are never found in possessions or bank accounts. These riches are found in people. We see characters’ lives opening up as they realise that their true worth is found within. They are more than the clothes they wear. They are more than all their mistakes. They are all priceless sons and daughters of the King.

The main setting is in a house for older teens who have left the foster system. They are all trying to make a life, whilst carrying their baggage from the past. They “were more than the scars they wore from their pasts.”

Everyone is unique and everyone has individual talents. We need to celebrate our uniqueness and stop trying to mold ourselves into the shape of another. “Stop trying to hide what God has created to be seen.” Celebrate the gift you have been given.

 None of us know what tomorrow brings. We need to trust God and “don’t borrow worry.”

Lives are not always able to be controlled by us. Things will always happen that are out of our control. In the midst of the storm, rest in the arms of the Father. Trust His timing. “God continued to prove His timing was right on schedule. Even when that schedule wasn’t made by me.”

A character has known God but drifted away. “I spoke to the God I’d believed in as a girl.” All of heaven rejoices when the prodigal returns home.

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Where The Water Flows by Romola Farr

Mar5

A Page Turner

Where the Water Flows by Romola Farr is an intriguing novel that consumed me as I read.

The reader is drawn in at the start as we witness a natural disaster before the action goes back in time a few weeks, in order to see just what led up to that moment.

The village is made up of an eclectic mix of characters. There are residents and visitors as we share life’s ups and downs.

An outbreak of COVID reminds the reader of the unprecedented times that we have lived through. Mentions of injections and ppe remind us of the seriousness of the situation.

Life has dealt blows. All the characters have pasts. Some are consumed by them. Others are looking for justice. And still others are seeking atonement.

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