Tag Archive | book review

A Sea View Christmas by Julie Klassen

Oct2

Sharing An 1820’s Christmas

A Sea View Christmas by Julie Klassen is a perfectly wonderful Christian Christmas historical novel that I adored. It is the fourth and final book in On Devonshire Shores series but can be read as a stand-alone. I recommend reading the books in order for character development and a linear storyline. However, this is a charming Christmas story, should you only want to read one book!

Each book has focused on a different sister. For this offering, it is hard-working Sarah who puts her family above her own happiness. She is very much a ‘Martha’ character, busy working and life is passing her by. The reader delights as we watch Sarah bud and blossom as she realises that her family is held in God’s hand and her self-sacrifice is not necessary.

There is the theme of taking care of the widows and orphans as extended family open their hearts and homes to those in need.

People arrive as guests to stay at Sea View but quickly become family members as the lost, the lonely and the hurting are given a seat at the table.

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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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