A Worthy Pursuit by Karen Witemeyer

Review of A Worthy Pursuit by Karen Witemeyer

From BethanyHouse.com:

About:
A teacher on the run. A bounty hunter in pursuit. Can two enemies learn to trust each other before they both lose what they hold most dear?

Stone Hammond is the best tracker in Texas. He never comes home empty-handed. So when a wealthy railroad investor hires him to find his abducted granddaughter, Stone eagerly accepts.

Charlotte Atherton, former headmistress of Sullivan's Academy for Exceptional Youths, will do anything to keep her charges safe, especially the orphaned girl entrusted to her care. Charlotte promised Lily's mother she'd keep the girl away from her unscrupulous grandfather, and nothing will stop Charlotte from fulfilling that pledge. Not even the handsome bounty hunter with surprisingly honest eyes who comes looking for them.

When Miss Atherton produces documentation that shows her to be Lily's legal guardian, Stone must reevaluate everything he's been led to believe. Is she villain or victim?

Then a new danger forces Charlotte to trust the man sent to destroy her. Stone vows to protect what he once sought to tear apart. Besides, he's ready to start a new pursuit: winning Charlotte's heart.

Karen Witemeyer Winner of the HOLT Medallion and the Carol Award, and a finalist for the RITA and Christy Award, bestselling author Karen Witemeyer writes historical romance because she believes in giving the world more happily-ever-afters. Karen makes her home in Abilene, Texas, with her husband and three children.
Learn more about Karen and her books at  www.karenwitemeyer.com.

Leona's Review:

This is my first read by Karen Witemeyer.

Because at the beginning of the book, Stone found Charlotte, I was wondering about a pursuit to find Charlotte until the end of the book but she has created a wonderful novel that also has children and animals, always a plus for me.

This is a historical Christian romance that has humor, love, friendship, a spinster, a bounty hunter, three gifted children and a friend, Mr. Dobson, who helps Charlotte and the children leave the school secretly.

Charlotte has legal custody of Lily, Stephen has parents but they are in Europe and John is also an orphan.

Stone has been sent by the grandfather of Lily to bring her back to him.

One example of humor is when Mr. Dobson finds Stone spying and Charlotte says "Perhaps he is simply a cowhand with a perchance for bird watching". Love for the children and also for Miss Lottie. Love between the two main characters. Friendship of Charlotte to her friend, the mother of Lily. The children call Charlotte, Miss Lottie.

Lily loves to read the dime novels of the bounty hunter Dead-Eye Dan and his adventures. John plays the piano and Stephen was placed in the school because his parents traveled.

Some words used are: "Worth their salt", "Schoolmarm", "Tasty grub" and "The Marshall fingered the brim of his Stetson". My favorite is " None of them can best a sunset in Texas". As a West Texan, I have to totally agree with that statement.

This is a clean novel and God, The Lord and prayers are certainly present but not overbearing but shows the faith of the times. The book begins February 1891 in Austin, Texas.

A Worthy Pursuit is dedicated: "To Laura Baker, librarian extraordinaire and the first person I ever trusted to read my stories. It is your encouragement and knowledgeable feedback that gave me the fortitude to pursue my dream. You taught me to see the world through lenses differently than my own and deepened my understanding of the human condition. You have left your mark on me, my friend and I thank God for the gift."

I received a complimentary copy of the book to read and review from Bethany House Publishers. The opinions are my own.

I give A Worthy Pursuit a 5 star rating and look forward to reading more of her books.

Leona Olson

http://www.mnleona.blogspot.com

 https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3114906.Karen_Witemeyer

Review of the 5th Edition of The Mystery Shopper's Manual by Cathy Stucker

  

Book Review of the 5th Edition of The Mystery Shopper's Manual by Cathy Stucker

 

 

From www.amazon.com: 

 

The Mystery Shopper’s Manual is your complete guide to launching and growing your shopping career, whether you are male or female, whatever your age and wherever you live.

The 7th Edition of The Mystery Shopper’s Manual is now available!

If you are looking for a flexible, fun way to make extra money, mystery shopping may be for you! You can get paid to shop, eat in restaurants, get your hair cut, go to the movies and more . . . and Cathy Stucker will show you how.

This updated and expanded edition of the industry-favorite guide is jammed with tips and insider knowledge. Both beginning and experienced mystery shoppers will become better, more successful shoppers with the information in this manual, including:

A step-by-step plan to get started.
How to avoid the scams.
Getting started without paying to shop.
How to maximize your pay and reimbursements.
What you should say in your reports and how to say it.
How to make your mystery shopping more profitable.

The information in the manual comes directly from the experts–mystery shoppers and the owners of mystery shopping companies. You’ll learn insider secrets about how mystery shopping really works, and you’ll have all the information you need to get started!

This is the first and only book for mystery shoppers to receive the endorsement of the Mystery Shopping Providers Association, the international professional association dedicated to mystery shopping. You’ve seen the come-ons about mystery shopping. Now get the truth. This is the book that tells what mystery shopping is really like, and how you can make money as a professional shopper.

I have personally trained more than 10,000 mystery shoppers, and I can help you become successful!

Whether you are just getting started, or ready to take on more shopping assignments, you’ll get the help you need in The Mystery Shopper’s Manual. Get your copy today! The new 7th Edition has even more advanced information for experienced shoppers.

The Mystery Shopping Providers Association (MSPA) recognizes that mystery shoppers and prospective mystery shoppers need a resource that will give them the ‘real story’ about mystery shopping…the opportunities, the realities, and how to perform at their peak. Cathy Stucker’s book, The Mystery Shopper’s Manual, provides solid information that offers the mystery shopper reliable information on how to obtain assignments, how to perform them well, and how to ensure that mystery shops are conducted in accord with the wishes of the mystery shopping company and its clients. The Mystery Shopper’s Manual provides a realistic approach to mystery shopping that addresses step-by-step processes for becoming a successful shopper.
– Mystery Shopping Providers Association

Here is what’s new in the 7th Edition:

Every page was reviewed, and changes were made to almost every one.
The content has been expanded by more than 40%.
A few chapters were thrown out completely, and new ones were added. For example, I added an entire chapter on avoiding mystery shopper scams.
Many shoppers will appreciate that the chapter on writing reports was expanded to include more tips and examples.
There is more about shopping with smart phones and using other technology.
The Quick-Start Plan was updated to include additional resources.
The Manual is still great for beginners looking to get started as mystery shoppers, but it also includes more advanced information on subjects such as improving your skills and making more money from mystery shopping.
What got cut? The biggest change is that I removed the list of mystery shopping companies and instead direct you to an online list I can update regularly as new companies emerge.

Even if you have read a previous edition of The Mystery Shopper’s Manual, you will find much that is new here.

 

 

Leona's Review:

 

I have  done some mystery shopping in the past and now I have a granddaughter interested so I found this book at my local library. It is a great book for those who are new to mystery shopping and a good refresher for those who have not done the shopping for awhile.

 

Cathy gives lots of good pointers of what and how. This book was written in 2002 before so many of us had access to the Internet. Now, I could not see doing mystery shopping without the use of the computer.

 

There are many sites on the Internet that offer the opportunity for mystery shopping but be aware of some companies. Never pay any company to join.  Cathy goes over this in her book(s).

 

She has a list of companies to contact. Since this is a 2002 book, check on the Internet to see if they are still active. She also has many suggestion on what is expected of the shopper.

 

One will not get rich doing this but you can have a good time and get some nice meals.

 

Cathy Stucker may be reached at: cathy@idealady.com by email and http://www.IdeaLady.com on the web.

 

I will give this a 4 star rating. It is a short book (192 pages) and you will have to do lots of the legwork on research but it is a great way to begin. My introduction was on a talk on a cruise ship.

 

Leona Olson

http://www.mnleona.blogspot.com

 

 

And the Good News Is...by Dana Perino

 
 
And the Good News Is... Lessons and Advise from the Bright Side by Dana Perino
 
From amazon.com:
From her years as the presidential press secretary to her debates with colleagues on Fox News' The Five, Dana Perino reveals the lessons she's learned that have guided her through life, kept her level-headed, and led to her success, even in the face of adversity.

Thoughtful, inspiring, and often surprising, AND THE GOOD NEWS IS . . . traces Dana Perino's unlikely journey through politics and television. It's a remarkable American story-made up of equal parts determination and clear-eyed optimism.

From facing professional challenges and confronting personal fears to stepping up to a podium for a President, Dana has come to expect the unexpected and has an uncanny ability to find the good news in any tough situation. AND THE GOOD NEWS IS . . . takes us from her Western childhood in Wyoming and Colorado to a chance meeting on an airplane that changes her life entirely. Then, with refreshing honesty and humor, she recounts her frustration with a string of unsatisfying jobs and living circumstances until a key career tip leads her back to Washington, D.C. to work for the Bush Administration.

Dana also shares here her best work and life lessons-tips that will help you to get your point across convincingly while allowing your own grace and personality to shine through. As someone who still believes in working together to solve the problems our nation faces, Dana offers clear, practical advice on how to restore civility to our personal and public conversations. The result is a fascinating read that can help anyone become more successful, productive, and joyously content.

Leona's review:

I really liked this book. I have been following Dana and the group on The Five on FOX from the beginning of the show.
For those who think it is all about politics, they need to read this book. She gives praise to many, no matter the side of the aisle they are on for politics.  I find Dana one of the most caring people on TV.

The pictures in the book are good and personal. I think they helped make the book.

Dana writes about President George W. Bush a lot. She mentions how he would give a wink and a smile, something my husband did.
I do know she also cares for President George H. W. Bush as she has talked about him in past.

Dana writes about her love of animals and of Henry, the dog  that died, and now Jasper, America's dog, in her book. I love it when she shows the pictures of Jasper.

She has spent time in Africa, with her husband, helping and caring for others.

Contents of the book are:
Introduction
Chapter 1. Wide-Open Spaces
Chapter 2. Love at First Flight
Chapter 3. Stepping UP to the Podium
Chapter 4. The Five
Chapter 5. Take It from me- Please
Chapter 6. Civility, Lost and Found
Chapter 7. Unafraid to be Right
One More Thing
Acknowledgements
About the Author

Introduction: "This book explains the unlikely story of how I  became the White House press secretary, the things I witnessed and learned in that job, and how those experiences eventually led me back to what I wanted to originally- television commentary on politics, policy and culture." (page 11)

Chapter 1: Gives us information about where Dana was born and her family and how close they were; " My grandpa didn't make us walk up the hill to have another go; (sliding down a hill on the snow) instead he watched us slide down and then he'd drive to the bottom to pick us up and take us back to the top."

Chapter 2: Tells of her meeting Peter, her husband on an airplane. " I made it to board before the flight closed. I handed my ticket to the agent and noticed one person behind me." (page 71)

Chapter 3: " The day I learned about becoming the next White House press secretary was the day I planned to resign from the White house." (page 96) We learn of many times Dana is with the President and some of the times the tears came.

Chapter 4: Dana loves her new job at FOX. " One day Brian Kilmeade  filled in for Greg and in a commercial break said to me,  'You know, all those years at the White House I never knew you were funny'. " They talk of politics, what is new in the news, Jasper, food and celebrate birthdays. The liberals also get to speck their mind on The Five so it is not all conservative.

Chapter 5: Lots of advise for many of us. "When I had the idea to write this book, I realized that passing some of these lessons on remained a major motivations." Dana gives three favorite pieces of advice: Quick Fixes, Good  Habits, and Big Picture. On Quick Fixes is ' no Uggs at the office; Good Habits she says to 'share the credit' ; and Big Picture one rule is 'you are who you meet'.

Chapter 6: "Americans understand that Congress is meant for debate and argumentation. But what bothers them it that is seems that elected leaders can't get along at all. Hateful comments have become normal in Washington and that's made for some of our greatest disappointments." (page 206) I think Dana speaks for most of us. Hateful speech does not help anyone.

Chapter 7: "My politics didn't define me then, but because of my interests and what I do for a living, it somehow does now." (page 232) I like this message. I think most of us grow and change.

One more Thing: "Of all the advice I've been given, Margaret Spellings telling me to "Put my big girl panties on and deal with is' is my favorite." (page 235) This is a great message especially to the young adults.

This book is dedicated: To my Bush Administration colleagues.

Dana Perino may be found on Twitter: https://twitter.com/danaperino and also www.danaperino.com

 

I checked out this book from my local library.

I give this book a 5 star rating.

Leona Olson
http://www.mnleona.blogspot.com

 

The House on Moody Avenue

   

 
The House on Moody Avenue

By Cellestine Hannemann

Published by WestBow Press

From booklookbloggers.com
Book Description:
Homes are the embodiment of memories. Each house has its own unique story to tell, but no house story is quite like the house on Moody Avenues. Surviving for 90 years, the house kept many individuals and families safe. Whether it was Lisette with her unshakable faith sustaining her or Julia, a social-climbing snob who sees her world crumble when her children marry inappropriately, each memory was saved. Join Cellestine Hannemann as she brings out all the memories that were housed in the house on Moody Avenue.


Leona's Review.

Read the title of the book, The House on Moody Avenue, as this in more about a house and some about the occupants. It was not clear to me at the beginning of the book.

I liked the first story about the first occupants the best but the last chapter was a bad conclusion for a grand home that bothered me. The house goes from a mansion to a boarding house to an abandoned house.

The author uses some language that was used in the time eras and interesting history.
Read about Victoria Woodhull at http://www.history.com/news/9-things-you-should-know-about-victoria-woodhull.

The first chapter, The Victorian Era, begins partly with the orphaned children of the street and how one girl got out. Then we have The Roaring Twenties and this author added such places as the Cotton Club and the book ends with the Sixties. I found hope in the first chapter and doom in the last.

The calico cat was present from beginning to end and I gathered it was watching history made.

The reader goes through time eras with carriages, strikes by workers, gas jet flames, people from the Old World, drugs, cars and women using cigarettes.

The story was moving too fast for me but then I realized it was supposed to be more about the house and not the people. I would have liked to have had more on the house but there must be an ending to a book.

I am giving The House On Moody Avenue a three and a half star rating. The author used words of description and had history in the book which I always like. It is not quite a four star because sometimes the book left me somewhat confused.

From Wikipedia:
Cellestine "Sally" Hannemann (born March 28, 1924) is an American author and pioneering figure in the methodology of Oshibana art. Hannemann, nee Hofmann, born in Chicago, Illinois, and currently living in California, is best known for developing new processes in the pressing of botanical materials to reduce discoloration and shrinkage. She manufactured a unique press incorporating polyester materials to cushion the plants that became known as "Cellestine's Press," and authored a book that is a popular reference guide for plant pressers and Oshibana artists. Hannemann also wrote two novels.

I received a complimentary copy from www.booklookbloggers.com to read and review. The opinions are my own.

 

Leona Olson

http://www.mnleona.blogspot.com

A Heart's Betrayal by Colleen Coble

   

Review of A Heart's Betrayal by Colleen Coble

From the back cover of the book:
Book Description:
Emmie finds shelter in the arms of a soldier, but her secret could drive them apart.
When Emmie Croftner answered the door to her late husband's home, she discovered a terrible truth. A woman she's never met reveals that she and Emmie shared the same husband and that the bigamist had never divorced his first wife. The home and farm are not Emmie's property after all.
Suddenly displaced and powerless, Emmie realizes she can't stay in Wabash, Indiana, any longer. She makes for Fort Laramie, Wyoming, where her friend Sarah Montgomery and a new beginning await her. But when she arrives, she discovers she's carrying a child, conceived before her husband's death. Was the new start she'd hoped for only a mirage?
At Fort Laramie, a soldier named Isaac Liddle begins to court Emmie, prompting her to wonder whether she could ever really be his-and whether she dares to tell him she is carrying another man's baby.
About the Author
USA Today bestselling author Colleen Coble has written several romantic suspense novels including Tidewater Inn, Rosemary Cottage, and the Mercy Falls, Lonestar, and Rock Harbor series. Visit her website at www.colleencoble.com Twitter: @colleencoble Facebook: colleencoblebooks


Leona's Review:

This is the second book I have read by Colleen Coble and her series of the books of Journey of the Heart. The books are: A Heart's Disguise, A Heart Obsession, A Heart's Danger, A Heart's Betrayal, A Heart's Promise and A Heart's Home.  This is a series but the books can be read on their own.

In A heart's Betrayal, Emmie finds her dead husband was a bigamist with a child. Emmie has two brothers but her parents are dead. Her father was a town drunk and now without a legal marriage, she is worried what people will really think of her and so goes to Wyoming to be with her close friend, Sarah. Rand and Sarah are married and expecting their first child.

Emmie is disillusioned with men but she does find an attraction to a soldier at Fort Laramie, Isaac.  Rand and Isaac are friends and also fellow soldiers.

This is a short read, 96 pages, but the author manages to put the reader into the book with the language ("place is over yonder"), food (jerky), landscape (dry buffalo grass, sage and weeds), wildlife (eagles, elk, buffalo, "rattlers") and history (Montana gold mines and Red Cloud). The book begins in Indiana in 1866.

The book is dedicated to: For my brother Rick Rhodes, who never let me lose faith in myself.

I will give A Heart's Betrayal a 4 star rating because it held my attention. It is a clean romance without bad language. God is present in this book many times.
This is a Thomas Nelson & Zondervan Fiction. I was given a complimantary copy to read and review. The opinions are my own.

Colleen Coble may be reached at www.colleencoble.com;

Twitter: @colleencoble and

Facebook: colleencoblebooks

Leona Olson

http://www.mnleona.blogspot.com

Review of The Art of Losing Yourself by Katie Ganshert

  

 

 

Book review of The Art of Losing Yourself by Katie Ganshert

From goodreads.com:

 

The Art of Losing Yourself by Katie Ganshert

(Goodreads Author)
4.73 of 5 stars 4.73  ·   rating details  ·  91 ratings  ·  52 reviews

Just like in my dream, I was drowning and nobody even noticed.

 

Every morning, Carmen Hart pastes on her made-for-TV smile and broadcasts the weather. She’s the Florida panhandle’s favorite meteorologist, married to everyone’s favorite high school football coach. They're the perfect-looking couple, live in a nice house, and attend church on Sundays. From the outside, she’s a woman who has it all together. But on the inside, Carmen Hart struggles with doubt. She wonders if she made a mistake when she married her husband. She wonders if God is as powerful as she once believed. Sometimes she wonders if He exists at all. After years of secret losses and empty arms, she’s not so sure anymore.

Until Carmen’s sister—seventeen year old runaway, Gracie Fisher—steps in and changes everything. Gracie is caught squatting at a boarded-up motel that belongs to Carmen’s aunt, and their mother is off on another one of her benders, which means Carmen has no other option but to take Gracie in. Is it possible for God to use a broken teenager and an abandoned motel to bring a woman’s faith and marriage back to life? Can two half-sisters make each other whole?

Paperback, 320 pages
Published April 21st 2015 by WaterBrook Press

 

Leona's review:

 

This is the first read for me by this author and not one kind of book I usually read. I won it from freshfiction.com and I always try to read and review the books I win.

 

I found myself involved with the characters and their problems. Carmen, who is a meteorologist for a TV station, has had six miscarriages and thinks an adoption of a baby will be the answer; her husband, Ben, does not believe it is. Ben is the coach at the high school where Gracie now attends. Gracie has run away from home and her alcoholic mother. Carmen and Gracie are sisters and have the same mother but different fathers. We meet Eli/ Elias who has a white mother and a black father. He is on the football team and seems to have so much patience and cares for others. He is close to his pastor, Pastor Zeke, who is also a caring person. We also meet Aunt Ingrid who has dementia and still grieves for Gerald, her husband who passed away four years ago.

 

I think the connection for the family is the Treasure Chest, a mom and pop motel, that Aunt Ingrid and Uncle Gerald owned. It is in shambles and Carmen and Gracie fix it up again and I believe it brings them close together. It connects the family as well.

 

The chapters switch between Carmen and Gracie in the first person. It does not confuse the reader. This is fairly quick and easy read. I would suggest high school age and up for reading and understanding the problems.

 

At one point Carmen says to God that she does not believe in Him and realizes she is talking to God.

 

There are some passages from the Bible.

 

There is a reader's guide at the back of the book. Two questions are: "What story did you enjoy more- Carmen's or Gracie's? Why?  and Who is your favorite secondary character? Why?

 

The book is dedicated to: For Salima, my brave, brave, brave little girl. Being your mother is one of the greatest honors I will ever be blessed with on this side of eternity. Come what may, God's writing a grand story for your life.

 

I liked this book and will give it a 5 star rating. The opinions are my own.

 

It is not a depressing book, but one I see that has a lot of faith and hope. It is an inspirational and moving book. A good book club read.

 

Katie Ganshert may be reached at:  katie@katieganshert.com; www.katieganshert.com; Twitter @KatieGanshert;

Facebook www.facebook.com/AuthorKatieGanshert and

Pinterest  http://www.pinterest.com/katieganshert

 

Leona Olson

http://www.mnleona.blogspot.com

 

 

Review of Joan of Arc by Helen Castor

  
 
 
Joan of Arc by Helen Castor

From goodreads.com:

Joan of Arc, A History by Helen Castor

We all know the story of Joan of Arc. A peasant girl who hears voices from God. A warrior leading an army to victory, in an age that believes women cannot fight. The Maid of Orleans, and the saviour of France. Burned at the stake as a heretic at the age of just nineteen. Five hundred years later, a saint. Her case was heard in court twice over. One trial, in 1431, condemned her; the other, twenty-five years after her death, cleared her name. In the transcripts, we hear first-hand testimony from Joan, her family and her friends: a rare survival from the medieval world. What could be more revealing?
Hardcover, 352 pages
Published May 19th 2015 by Harper (first published September 30th 2014)
ISBN0062384392 (ISBN13: 9780062384393) characters Joan of Arc


Leona's Review:

Because I had always had an interest in Joan of Arc ( maybe because the name Joan runs in my family, including mine), I was interested in reading and reviewing Joan of Arc, A History by Helen Castor.

The book is full of history and not all about Joan the Maid. The first section, Before, and the last, After, mainly describe the time before and after Joan.
The book has family trees: English and French Claims to the Throne of France, The Valois Kings of France and The Dukes of Burgundy.
I have an advanced reading copy that is an uncorrected proof copy and it did not have the illustrations but they will be in the published book. As far as I am concerned, maps are very important in these historical books, even in the fiction novels that are historical.

Contents:
List of illustrations
Cast of Characters
Family Trees
Introduction: 'Joan of Arc'
Prologue: The field of blood
PART ONE: Before
 1 This war accursed by god
 2 Like another Messiah
 3 Desolate and divided
PART TWO: Joan
 4 The Maid
 5  Like an angel from God
 6  A heart greater than any man's
 7  A creature in the form of a woman
 8  I will be with you soon
 9  A simple maid
 10 Fear of the Fire
PART THREE: After
 11 Those who call themselves Frenchmen   
 12 She was all innocent
EPILOGUE: 'Saint Joan'
Notes
Select Bibliography
Acknowledgements
Index


Most of my book marks for my notes are in the section of Joan and the Notes. The Notes are also part of the book, so readers should read this thoroughly.
I found this book more historical than a biography. Lots of dates, events, places and people make up this book. The names of the characters are a great assistance in reading.


I kept reading about Joan in men's clothes and did find in the Notes section the reason; "For the Old Testament prohibition on cross-dressing, see Deuteronomy 22:5- ' A woman shall not wear that which pertaineth unto a man, neither shall a man put on a woman's garment; for whosoever doeth these things is an abomination to the Lord thy God.' "  (page 268)  In the section, Joan, many mentions are made of her clothing.

I did email to the author, Helen Castor, and asked if Joan could write because I kept reading the Joan had "written". She replied the next day and said a clerk would have written for her. On re-reading my notes, I found I had marked "As she directed, the clerk added the inscription 'Jhesus Maria" before her name. 'Jeanne la Pucelle': Joan the Maid". (page 108)

I was not aware that Joan's ashes had been thrown into the river near Notre Dame. I have been in that Cathedral and would have felt differently when I had looked into the river Seine if I had known. (page 221)  My information: go to http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=7038d

It has been years since I have read about Joan and forgot the times she was in prison and so many hardships.

The book is dedicated to : For Luca.

The acknowledgement pages list many names that helped with this book.

I give this a 5 star rating. It is a book I would read again and will look for more readings about Joan of Arc, Joan the Maid.
My daughter would call me and ask what I was doing and I would say "Reading my history book" and she knew what I meant.

I was given a complimentary copy to read and review. The opinions are my own. I thank the author, Helen Castor, and the publishers, HarperCollins.
HarperCollins email is harpermarketing@harpercollins.com


Helen Castor may be reached at: http://www.helencastor.com . From goodreads.com: Helen Castor is a historian of medieval England and a Fellow of Sidney Sussex College, Cambridge. She directed studies in History at Sidney for eight years before deciding to concentrate on writing history for a wider readership.

Leona Olson
http://www.mnleona.blogspot.com

 

Book review of Mine is the Night by Liz Curtis Higgs

 

Mine is the night by Liz Curtis Higgs

From goodreads.com:
Mine Is the Night (Here Burns My Candle #2) by Liz Curtis Higgs (Goodreads Author)
4.27 of 5 stars 4.27  ·   rating details  ·  1,598 ratings  ·  250 reviews
SHE LOST EVERYTHING SHE LOVED.
HE HAD EVERYTHING SHE NEEDED.
BUT COULD SHE FIND THE COURAGE TO TRUST HIM?

Stepping from a battered coach on a rainy April eve, newly widowed Elisabeth Kerr must begin again, without husband or title, property or fortune. She is unafraid of work and gifted with a needle, but how will she stitch together the tattered remnants of her life? And who will mend her heart, torn asunder by betrayal and deception?
   Elisabeth has not come to Selkirk alone. Her mother-in-law, Marjory Kerr, is a woman undone, having buried her husband, her sons, and any promise of grandchildren. Dependent upon a distant cousin with meager resources, Marjory dreads the future almost as much as she regrets the past. Yet joy still comes knocking, and hope is often found in unexpected places.
  Then a worthy hero steps forward, rekindling a spark of hope. Will he risk his reputation to defend two women labeled as traitors to the Crown? Or will a wealthy beauty, untainted by scandal, capture his affections?
   The heartrending journey of the Kerr women comes to a glorious finish in Mine Is the Night, a sparkling gem of redemption and restoration set in eighteenth-century Scotland.
 
Leona's Review:

I listened to the audio book.
This is my first listen/read by Liz Curtis Higgs and one of the best I have heard/read. This is the second book of the series, Here Burns My Candle.

The readers are take back to the 1740s in Scotland with the words, food, clothing, transportation, church and customs of the time.  The author reads the book with the pronunciation of the words really adding to the times and location of the novel. We read of cobbled stone streets; a cameo pin; the words, nigh upon them; mourning clothes of black; turnip soup; bannocks; banns of marriage and more.

Elisabeth and Marjory Kerr are leaving their home and going to Selkirk after King George took their home. The sons of Marjory, Daniel and Andrew, were fighting for Bonnie Prince Charlie and the women were considered traitors. Both brothers and the father, Sir John, are dead, leaving the two women widows.
They move in the very small home of their cousin Ann, who is a lacemaker.
Now, a different way of life for them


There is a history lesson in the book about the Jacobites; which I know little. The book has stirred my interest.

http://www.contemplator.com/history/jacobite.html

http://www.scotshistoryonline.co.uk/charlieb.html


I personally did not find a lot of romance in the sense we read in other "romance" books, but close and special feelings of the characters to the ones  they love. To me, this spoke of the times.

I also did not find it too religious but loved that God was included; He was called The Almighty many times. The work Kirk is used for Church.
I found this on the Internet:
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kirk - Similarto Kirk - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia[edit]. As a proper noun, The Kirk is an informal name for the Church of Scotland, the country's national church.


I do not want to leave out the cat, Cherborne, ( not sure of the spelling) in the book that belonged to the master of the house, Admiral Jack Buchanan (not sure on spelling of the last name). There is always something extra where an animal is included in the book.

This audio book gets a 5 star from me and I look forward to the other books from this author. I checked out this audio book from my local library.

Liz Curtis Higgs many be found at:
www.goodreads.com/lizcurtishiggs and also www.lizcurtishiggs.com

Leona Olson
http:www.mnleona.blogspot.com