Tag Archive | book review

A Family Christmas In Pelican Crossing by Maggie Christensen

Nov4

Closing The Gap

A Family Christmas In Pelican Crossing by Maggie Christensen is a most charming Contemporary Christmas novel that will warm your heart and leave you smiling. It is part of the Pelican Crossing series but can be read as a stand-alone.

Once more Maggie Christensen has created a wonderful treasure chest full of characters as we catch up with familiar faces and get to know new ones. Pelican Crossing is a place of community where strangers become friends; and friends become family.

The leading characters are in their sixties and prove that life is for living whatever your age. At each new stage of life, there are new opportunities for fresh beginnings.

A character has spent a lifetime feeling hurt and angry. “It’s been a long time… I think I may be ready to… forgive her.” Forgiveness frees us from a prison of bitterness, enabling us to live light and free.

Another character finds himself single after losing the love of his life. There is life after loss. It will be different but one day you will smile again. “He missed her every day, but life had to go on.”

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An Honorable Deception by Roseanna M White

Nov3

Truth. Family. Love.

An Honorable Deception by Roseanna M White is a powerful historical Christian novel that I thoroughly enjoyed. It is the third book in The Imposters series but can be read as a stand-alone.

I enjoyed meeting up with familiar faces, not only from earlier in the series but also from a previous series. This all helps to thoroughly immerse the reader within the tale.

The novel is set in 1912 in both Northumberland and London. The City is a grimy place full of dubious morals and entitled characters. In contrast, the air in Northumberland is fresh, and there is a lightness and freedom to be found. Kindness is the order of the day. The family help those whom society has marginalised. This care extends to widows and orphans too.

I loved the inclusion of the circus animals. Penelope, the monkey is adorable. They too, are saved from cruelty or worse.

There are the difficult themes of trafficking young girls and redundant ayahs into prostitution for the elite. This is sensitively tackled by Roseanna M White. We meet characters who are quite rightly outraged, and who will fight for those without a voice.

We see the importance of listening to the voice of God. “You’re too weak… It was mother’s voice in her head, reciting the phrase that had become her mantra.” Other voices speak lies to us. God’s voice speaks truth.

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The Ghost House by Andie Newton

Oct30

Protecting The Innocent

The Ghost House by Andie Newton is a powerful historical supernatural suspense that has its’ roots in facts, interwoven with fiction.

The book is set in occupied France in 1944. Much of the action surrounds the forbidden forest that has grown up around the site of the Battle of Verdun in 1916. There is a mythical feel to it as the stories abound to do with bodies buried, live mines and cannisters of poison gas. What everyone can agree on is, it is not safe.

The Nazis were pre-occupied with the occult. Within the tale, sinister forces are used in order to try to break the innocent.

The atmosphere is dark and foreboding, mirroring the action which has sinister twists and turns.

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Specters In The Glass House by Jaime Jo Wright

Oct29

Arising From The Ashes

Specters In The Glass House by Jaime Jo Wright is a powerful dual timeline Christian novel that consumed me from the start.

The tale is set in 1921 and present day as we view the action through alternating chapters with the two lead characters.

The leading ladies have parallel lives – both are alone as their parents have died. Both had mothers who struggled in life – one through addiction, the other with a genetic mental illness. And both leading ladies have good hearts, despite their upbringing.

Mental illness is an ongoing theme in both time periods. Today there is a lot of help. Back in 1921 characters were shut away from the world if there was any glimpse of mental illness.

We also meet a character who is physically disabled, having lost a leg during a battle in World War I. He fears that others may see him as ‘less than’ he was but he is still the same kind-hearted person. “I’m no less a man now than I was when I went to France.”

There is much to fear in the novel. We learn that “It is alright to be afraid… It’s what we do with that fear that’s important.” Fear may still exist even though we have faith. “I choose faith… even though I’m still… afraid.” When we have faith, we can look to God and our fears will diminish.

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