And Then There Was You by Miranda Dickinson

Aug28

Hope Lives Here

And Then There Was You by Miranda Dickinson is a very charming contemporary novel that I enjoyed.

The novel is set in St Ives, Cornwall. In the back streets there is a café that offers love, hope and care to all who pass by. Characters unite over food and music.

We see the power of music to awaken souls and memories. Music takes us back down the years. For the leading lady, a song transports her back to being seven years old again, the only time in her life when she really felt loved for two short years. She was given hope by a man who was the closest thing she ever had to a father. Whenever she hears a certain song, it is her heart’s cry to see him again. “I still have my memories, and they don’t require living space.”

When dreams are shattered, characters are broken, losing their sense of purpose. “I just want to feel like me again.” They need to re-connect with what they once loved, but in a new, different way.

The power of the sea draws people in. For some it is the surf; for others it is an early morning stroll. “The sea is a pull to people who need reassurance [and] hope.”

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Once Upon A Christmas Carol by Melody Carlson

Aug25

Coming Home

Once Upon A Christmas Carol by Melody Carlson is a most charming contemporary Christian Christmas book that warms your heart and leaves you smiling.

I always look forward to the annual festive offering from Melody Carlson. She knows how to perfectly capture the festive season within a book.

Once Upon A Christmas Carol is about learning to love Christmas. It is a bout discovering family and love. It is letting go of the past and embracing the present whilst looking forward to the future.

Families can be complicated affairs. There are always two sides to one story, and one must discern where the truth lies.

Two sisters have been estranged. Trapped by snow, from holidaying in Bahamas, the leading lady discovers, and receives hospitality from, an aunt she never knew. She also has a change of heart on her views about Christmas. The leading lady, along with the reader, discovers new traditions and experiences a snowy Christmas with those she loves. The festivities of a nostalgic Christmas include snow; festive fayre; and annual traditions. The spirit of generosity is very much alive.

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To Save Her Husband by Ellie Midwood

Aug25

Whatever It Takes

To Save Her Husband by Ellie Midwood is a powerful and heart-wrenching historical tale that I read in just two sittings, pausing only to sleep. There are factual details and historical figures included and woven into the narrative.

The story follows Max and Aurelia Laub through the 1930’s and into World War II as we see how the events in Hitler’s Germany shape them. Max Laub is listed as Jewish but his mother converted to Catholicism when he was young, so ‘Jewish’ is just a label imposed on him by the regime.

The Laub’s were film-makers, determined to tell the world what was happening inside Germany. Aurelia spotted the truth from the burning of the Reichstag. “It was as if the fire was consuming not just the building but the very ideals they had fought for – the hope of a democratic Germany, the promises of freedom, and the future they had envisioned.” Max denied what was happening before his eyes until it was too late.

As the Nazis tightened their grip, Berliners felt the change. “The very atmosphere had shifted; what had once been a city of freedom and expression was beginning to feel like a place of surveillance and intimidation.” All the democratic politicians had gone and “there’s no one to fight for us ordinary folk.”

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Christmas At Sugar Plum Manor by Roseanna M White

Aug22

Today, Tomorrow & Forever

Christmas At Sugar Plum Manor by Roseanna M White is the most charming, Christian, Christmas historical novella. It will warm your heart and leave you smiling.

The novel is set in 1902. Roseanna M White has perfectly captured the essence and nostalgia of an Edwardian Christmas. The is snow, a manor house, a village, and the re-enacting of The Nutcracker. Characters bond over events and food, offering mouth-watering goodies to tempt the reader.

We see that life is too short to hold grudges as a character realises it is better to let go of the past and concentrate on love and family. “The future lies before us, and we needn’t let those past mistakes shackle us.”

The leading character possesses a joy that is infectious. We realise that no matter how old she gets, she will always have a joyful outlook which is beautiful. “Joy came by embracing love.”

There are nudges to literary classics. Any Jane Austen fan will immediately see the resemblance: “Mama was turning into a regular Mrs Bennet of Miss Austen fame, muttering that one of her daughters better win his eye.”

We learn that we are all called to minister to others. “Jesus never said that the rest of us were released from duty just because there is a clergyman nearby. We are all called to minister to those in need.” We need to live out our faith, preaching the Gospel at all times – and if necessary, use words.

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