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The Orphan’s Last Goodbye by Glynis Peters

Dec4

A New Cub In Canada

The Orphan’s Last Goodbye by Glynis Peters is a powerful historical novel that I loved. It is the fourth book in the Red Cross Orphans series but can be read as a stand-alone.

The year is 1947 and the war has been over for a couple of years but its’ effects are still being felt in lives. Nightmares of things that they cannot change, remain.

We witness that relationships formed in war cannot always stand the test of peace time. In contrast, other relationships strengthen due to shared experiences.

There are hearts of gold. “You always invested your heart into each child who stepped over the threshold.” Orphans of war were guaranteed a loving home in a big family house in the North East. These huge hearts continue as nothing is too much trouble despite personal hardship. In contrast, a heart is selfish, seeking out personal gain and not thinking of others.

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Until Leaves Fall In Paris by Sarah Sundin

Dec2

Extraordinary Acts Of Bravery

Until Leaves Fall In Paris by Sarah Sundin is a powerful Christian historical novel that I loved.

The action is set in Nazi occupied Paris as we follow two Americans who are both working against the Nazis in their own individual ways. Both guard their lives as they work in secret.

Factory owner, Paul, appears to be a Nazi collaborator but he holds a secret. His outward appearance earns him hostilities from his Parisienne neighbours. In contrast, God sees his heart and knows that he is working for the greater good. We need to be ware of making judgments on what we can see because it could be far from the truth.

Ballerina, Lucie, fights a very different war. She surrounds herself with books. Her bookshop is the perfect cover for her resistance work.

People have prejudices against others, even within church but “the church needed all the different gifts working together.” If we have not walked a mile in their shoes, we should not criticise the lives of others. We have no idea of the inner battles that are raging.

Four-year-old Josie is shunned as she is judged by her father. This is wicked as she is an innocent in all this. “The poor little thing shouldn’t suffer because her father was a heel.”

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Courting Love by Jodie Wolfe

Dec1

Misunderstandings In Love

Courting Love by Jodie Wolfe is a Christian historical 3 in 1 book that I enjoyed.

The stories are set-in small-town America in 1876-77. They are surrounding three sisters who are all looking for love, without necessarily realising what is under their noses the whole time.

God’s plans for the sisters are so much greater than their plans. “Sometimes God gives us what we don’t expect, but what we need the most.” God knows us better than we know ourselves.

The sisters are close-knit as they have lost both parents. They all look out for each other and they all have different skill sets. Their love for all is plain to see. “We got each other. Why would we need much more than that?” The sisters have the correct priorities. They enjoy each other and the simple things in life. They build their lives on God and each other. In contrast we meet a very selfish young woman who does not go to church or say prayers. Her priorities are on wealth and outward appearances.

Prayer is important. “I pray for you both…that you’ll find godly men.” We need to commit every area of our lives to God. There is nothing that is too big or too small for Him. If it bothers us, it bothers Him. God wants to be involved in our lives.

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The Bookseller Of Kathmandu by Ann Bennett

Nov19

Ripples Of The Past

The Bookseller Of Kathmandu by Ann Bennett is a powerful dual timeline novel that I thoroughly enjoyed. It is part of the Echoes Of The Empire series but can be read as a stand-alone.

The action is set in 2018 and 1949 in Malaysia. The reader is transported back to a time of unrest and prejudice. We hear of the role of the Gurkhas in trying to stop the spread of Chinese communism. They had to guard the white estates and also break up small illegal settlements.

There was inequality between the races and the sexes. Entitled white Englishmen lorded it over everyone. They considered it their ‘right’ to do so. 

In contrast to her dastardly and bullish husband, Alice, the leading lady in 1949 had a pure heart and a good soul. She tried to help and to ease burdens where she could.

There are some hard to read scenes of domestic violence – verbal and physical. We see that the victim prefers to remain silent, fearing the judgement of others.

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