Roxie Applesauce by Tonya L Matthews

Oct1

Dancing In The Light

Roxie Applesauce by Tonya L Matthews is the sequel to Treasures Atop The Mountain but can be read as a stand-alone. I enjoyed reading the books in order for character development and progression.

Roxie Applesauce is a contemporary Christian novel. It is about faith and a God who answers prayer. We are called to pray without ceasing. God will always answer us. Sometimes the answer comes just as we are on the verge of giving up. God will never forget us or our prayers.

The novel is a heartbreaking read as we follow a young girl through her life to the end. We drop in on her over the years. We see the power of the imagination to lift her beyond her circumstances. Raised by cruel grandparents, the reader’s heart just breaks. Every time something good happens to her, her grandparents squash it with unbelievable cruelty. Still, the character maintains her sunny disposition in childhood.

We see she bounces back from the continual knocks until one day, hurt is all she expects. “She wasn’t hallucinating… She hadn’t expected kindness.” Her ending is far nicer than her beginning.

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The Nanny Outside The Gates by Shari J Ryan

Sep28

There Was Once A Girl…

The Nanny Outside The Gates by Shari J Ryan is a powerful, heart-breaking historical novel that consumed me from the start.

The action is set in 1943 in Poland, mainly in the house of an officer serving in Auschwitz. Shari J Ryan has perfectly captured the horrors of the time. The stark contrasts between those who have everything and still steal from those who have nothing. The picture painted of family life juxtaposed with the death camp.

There is the innocence of the children and the cruelty of their father. The children are not so clueless as to what is happening.

Within the home there are Jewish inmates from Auschwitz working, along with a Nanny who was plucked from the streets. The young girls are not supposed to talk with the Jewish people but they can spot true goodness.

The novel opens with the ending. Then, the reader is transported back three months before working towards the end. We know part of what is coming – but how will it all end?

We see the action alternating between Halina, the Nanny, and Gavriel, a Jewish man working in the house. Both have good hearts and feel for the three young girls. “I’ll have to protect the light in the children who’ve been raised by darkness.” Halina is a beacon of light shining in the dark. “Any child raised by a Nazi has already been taught to hate. Taught that they’re a superior race.” Halina’s innate goodness is seen by the girls. “Something in her eyes says she still believes in their innocence… That they’re worth saving.”

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The Second Chance Supper Club by Caroline Roberts

Sep25

New Beginnings

The Second Chance Supper Club by Caroline Roberts is a very charming contemporary novel about new beginnings.

The novel is set in a small village in Northumberland as we follow the leading lady who is relocating from Leeds. We understand her fears of starting again but though the village is small, the welcome is huge.

There are an eclectic mix of characters, with the village shop very much at the heart of the village. “That little shop is more than just a store, it’s a kind of community hub.”  The young men who own the shop provide a warm welcome, and it is here that friendships begin. Characters drop in for more than groceries. For some, it is their lifeline, giving them conversation and care.

The leading lady and man are in their fifties. They prove that growing older does not have to mean, slowing down. He is passionate about cycling.

She misses her friends in Leeds. Following a divorce, she is brave enough to start the supper club which provides a camaraderie for a group of five as they share good food and lives.

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Secrets Of Villa Eden (The Key To The Island House) by Amanda Lees

Sep25

All For Love

Secrets Of Villa Eden by Amanda Lees is a powerful dual timeline novel that I read in just two sittings.

The action alternates between present day and Cairo in 1943 as a young woman seeks to uncover her aunt’s wartime secrets.

As with many who lived through the war, lips are sealed. We witness the bravery of men and women who were spies seeking to hunt down and eliminate Nazis, as well as looking for the Nazi gold.

In present day, the search for the Nazi gold continues. For some, they just want to lay the past to bed. For others, greed drives them to despicable actions.

Women in both time periods have lost the loves of their life. “She loved him until the day she died, and yet she would never talk about any of it.” The reader’s heart is wrenched as we read; “I see someone whose whole world was shattered but who’s still holding on, doing her best to live for the people she’s lost and to do the right thing.” Both revenge and love have motivated actions.

We see the damage that adults can inflict on children. “I saw the little boy who had spent his whole life trying to fight his way out from under the blanket of shame his parents had cast over him.” In contrast, there are those who love and cherish children.

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