Yes, I am a huge fan of mysteries and series are a favorite. When I was asked to review the Jessica James mystery series for my site www.MysteryBookWorldLive, I was sure it would be worth my time. I was proved right. Author Kelly Oliver sends us on the exploits of heroine Jessica James in this 3-part mystery series.
Fair warning here, the third in the series is not yet released.
Reviewing Wolf and Coyote by Kelly Oliver
Wolf by Kelly Oliver
The first novel in the series, Wolf, (www.mysterybookworldlive.com/mystery-series/wolf-kelly-oliver-mystery-book-review) introduces us to Jessica James (yes, truly called Jesse at times), a Montana "cowgirl" who ends up working on her doctorate in Philosophy at prestigious Northwestern University in a Chicago suburb. It may be a far cry from her Montana small town roots, but that doesn't stop Jessica from stumbling on the murdered body of her doctorate advisor. You can read my full review of Wolf and see more for yourself. (www.mysterybookworldlive.com/mystery-series/wolf-kelly-oliver-mystery-book-review/)
The second in the series is Coyote. Author Oliver sends Jessica back to the mountains of Montana and builds an intriguing load of subplots when Jessica's beloved cousin is killed. Well, murdered is what Jessica believes. So off she goes into a world of Native American troubles, big oil fracking and corruption to solve the murder. You can read my review of Coyote, (www.mysterybookworldlive.com/mystery-series/coyote-kelly-oliver-mystery-fiction-review/) but I promise I never give spoilers.
As of this writing, I am awaiting the publisher giving me the release date of the third in the series. When I know that, I will update this review for you.
Masterful Characters in the Jessica James Mystery Book Series
Coyote by Kelly Oliver
Personally, I have no doubt that author Kelly Oliver is a masterful creator of interesting characters. She offers up characters that I want to follow. I want to see what happens to them next. And I'm rooting for them all along.
I wonder, though, is Oliver playing with us a bit in her choice of names? There is first off, Montana cowgirl Jessica James. Then we have the stunningly beautiful, but lethally dangerous with her black belt in Karate, Russian best friend of Jesse's named Lolita. Hmmm. Kelly Oliver is a talented writer and one that I wouldn't expect to accidentally name her characters so cliched. Me thinks she did this to make us think differently.
Anyway you want to think of her character names, she doesn't skimp on their personalities and dialogue.
To Sum Up the Review of the Jessica James Series
For mystery lovers, and especially those who enjoy reading about women sleuths, the Jessica James series by Kelly Oliver will be good reads. There is certainly plenty going on in both Wolf and Coyote. The publicity refers to "ripped from the headlines" plots and subplots. Certainly drugs, rape culture, corruption and more set the stage for these murder mysteries.
And there is a healthy dose of gritty realism in both novels. I could have done without all of the realism without hurting the story. But overall, the mysteries are good.
That leaves me anxiously awaiting Novel 3 in the Jessica James mystery series. And hoping Kelly Oliver won't stop at just three.
BuckHawk decribes herself as "Basically a lazy person who prefers the easy things in life." So that's what she writes about. Easy home decorating, easy recipes, easy entertaining. But, she is also a lover of animals, gardening and crafting. You'll find her writing all over the Web, but with Review This Reviews! she has the opportunity to write about all of her loves.
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I have just finished reading the book "Hide in Time" by Anna Faversham and I can easily recommend it to anyone. To be completely honest, I was actually surprised by how much I really liked this book. I am not a fan of time travel books, mostly because I don't believe time travel is possible. But, like any really good fiction is apt to do, this book caused me to "suspend reality" and embrace the plot. Because I don't often read time travel books, the beginning was a little confusing to me, but after the first few pages, I got it! Once the author smoothly lead me by the hand through a wall that separates the 1800's to the twenty-first century, I was hooked. I needed to see what would happen to Laura who found herself lost in a world that was 200 years beyond her life.
Because we can study history, I think it would be easier to go back in time, but imagine what it would be like to be cast into the world 200 years into the future.
Five years after Laura was tossed into the future, she had found her footing there. She was thriving, actually living. Although she had regrets, she was content. During the past 5 years, Laura investigated the area of her arrival and discovered the secret of time travel. She also discovered that she was invisible when she returned to the past and it was clear her future belonged in the future. Then she met Xandra.
She saw so much of herself in Xandra. They had so many things in common, even looks. She felt she had actually found someone who would be a real friend. Someone who could understand her unique ways and would like her because of them. Laura hoped Xandra could be the sister she had never had, or at least believed she had never had. However, when Xandra found herself on a murderer's hit list, she needed a safe haven and Laura had the answer. She sent Xandra back in time.
As this point the book is divided in chapters where the reader is following two stories. Laura in the future and Xandra in the past. A truly fascinating exchange of lives. It was a very interesting twist to doppelgangers trading places and I really, really liked it a lot. So much so, I plan to read it again! I feel like I may have missed some hidden nuggets in the story.
My Recommendation of the Book, "Hide in Time"
When I think about it carefully, I know there were several reasons why I really liked this book and why I would highly recommend it to anyone. First, it shows us that we can completely change the course of our own lives when needed and find happiness in a new place. It might take some time to readjust, but we can survive and adapt to new surroundings and people. Second, it highlights how people are basically the same today as they were hundreds of years ago. Evil still abounds and good people still exist to maintain the balance that is our world.
And, last but by no means least, I like the concept about time travel in "Hide in Time". You can't go back! Once you have crossed into a different place in time, you can't return and just pick up where you left off. Yes, Laura returns, but she cannot be seen. She can whisper to the living and they hear her, but they believe she is what most of us would think of as a "ghost".
As I said at the beginning of this article, I don't believe in time travel, but if there were such a thing, it would have to be in a way that everyone traveling in time couldn't constantly be changing the future by visiting the past, literally.
More Books By Anna Faversham
Now that I have discovered the author, Anna Faversham, I will be reading more of her books!
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Imagine if you were given a chapter of a seventh Jane Austen novel. A novel, that is, which she never finished. Then imagine being asked to finish the book for her and you will have a basic understanding of what this book is all about.
Georgina Jackson, a struggling but published American author living in England, is given Jane Austen's unfinished novel to finish and the only problem is that she has never read a single solitary Jane Austen novel. She knows nothing of Jane Austen's work or her time period.
"You don't understand! I've never read an Austen novel in my life. Not a single one. And what's more, I don't intend to start now..." cries Georgina early on in the book and it is a cry which I could have echoed at least before I read this book.
I've literally just put down Writing Jane Austen: A Novel and I must say that I truly enjoyed it. It is another light and entertaining book with some interesting Austen elements thrown in. You will learn a bit about the much loved author, her books and the setting of her books, all from a modern perspective.
And if, like me, you have never read a single of Austen's books, fair warning that reading WRITING JANE AUSTEN may have you at least momentarily interested in reading them but that's not a bad thing, is it?
Plot Summary
The story in Writing Jane Austen revolves around an acclaimed young author by the name of Georgina. However, Georgina is stuck on the first chapter of her second book and her agent is on her trail. It turns out the agent is offering her the job of finishing an unfinished manuscript by Austen that has only been recently discovered.
Georgina knows nothing about the author and is only stopped from going home to America by her roommate Henry and his teenage sister, who happens to be a serious Austen fan. Knowing that she has to pay the bills, Georgina signs the contract but finishing the book is another issue altogether.
"Readers will be entertained by the quirky humor of Georgina's dilemma, charmed and annoyed by the well-crafted supporting characters and surprised by the eventual outcome. However, if you are expecting a drawing room drama punctuated by romance..."
Reviews of Writing Jane Austen on Amazon include comments like those from bkc327 who says she'll need to re-read the book again to revisit the characters and I agree, I need to do so, too. This book will do that to you. TeensReadToo said that this is an entertaining book, which takes a humorous look at the difficulties of writing including those employed by Georgina in the book - the need for a lot of breaks, what methods to employ to avoid writing, how to hide out from unwanted visitors. Finally, a reviewer writing as Austen Lover said she enjoyed the new direction this book takes set, as it is, in modern times. She calls it a light and easy read and it is. Lovely.
Does Writing Jane Austen sound like a book you might enjoy? You can read more about it or order your copy on Amazon by clicking right here.
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Murder. Mayhem. Fire. When I proposed Windigo Fire by M.H. Callway to my book club a year ago, they were instantly taken by the action-packed storyline, which goes as follows:
Native Canadian Danny Bluestone, takes a job for some easy money at a kid's retreat in Red Dog Lake in Northern Ontario. A local offers him the chance to be a scout for wealthy tourists and hunters. Danny realizes that this business is a cover-up for a grow-op but he takes the job anyway and it turns out that he has been recruited for a bear hunt that is illegal. However, he awakens and finds all of the tourists except one dead. The two survivors have to join together to escape even though the other might be the murderer. He uses his shaman knowledge to survive in the bush and from the Windigo, an evil spirit.
Little did I know that when I read this book I would be vacationing on a remote and isolated lake in Northern Ontario not far from Timmins where this story is set. I was lucky though that I did not experience any murder, mayhem or fire. I did, however, encounter the beautiful wilderness outdoors that is part of Canada's north. There were other cottages on the lake but we could not see a single one of them from my sister's cottage. We spent many hours swimming, canoeing and yes, reading Windigo Fire.
It is rare to have a consensus at my book club, especially one that is positive. This time everyone, bar none, enjoyed the book. It is an action packed book that was hard to put down. Perfect for an entertaining summertime read and for time spent in the wilderness.
Do not get me wrong though. This book was not perfect. Members of my group found a few inconsistencies or missing points in the book, and decided that it seemed almost like little bits had been removed, perhaps to make this story "book size."
In terms of what to be aware of, know that this book has drugs, alcohol, sex, a strip club, language, fighting, murder and fire. However, I have certainly read many books that are worse. It definitely has an interesting variety of characters that range from vulnerable to flawed to incorrigible and leaves you with a few puzzles to decipher at the end.
Is Windigo Fire recommended? Yes, it is by me and by the other members of my book club. I will be passing it around to all of my family members some of who live in the north, others who love camping in the wilderness or at least the campgrounds of northern Ontario.
Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN) and/or Esty (Awin) Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”
In this Christian novel by Vikki Kestell, young Tabitha had to deal with situations so horrible that it hurt to read about them. Yes, Tabitha did bring it on herself by running away from home with Cray for a more exciting life than she had with her parents in their home near a Texas creek. She was fourteen and bored with her monotonous life. Cray promised riches and adventure.
Tabitha knew her parents did not approve of Cray. They had warned her that he had no sense and that he was a wild dreamer. Still, he was able to persuade Tabitha to run away with him to the Arizona gold fields. Even though Tabitha knew running away wasn't right, Cray's flattery about her beautiful red hair and milky complexion, as well as his promise to marry her in a church wedding as soon as they made their fortune, convinced her to ignore her conscience.
She had learned the difference between right and wrong from her parents. She knew she was rebelling when she left with Cray. What she never dreamed was that he would so completely betray her that only the grace of a God she hadn't met could save her.
Palmer House, a Denver ministry to young women and girls such as Tabitha, rescues them. When we meet Rose Thoresen, the administrator and counselor of Palmer House in 1911, she is 63. Tabatha, who is the oldest of Rose's “girls,” is now thirty. She has nine weeks to go before her new nursing school term begins in Boulder and she wants some project to keep her busy. Rose convinces her to tell her story of her journey to faith in Christ, including the mistakes she made before her rescue and arrival at Palmer House.
Rose said she would help by writing down notes as Tabitha told her story. It would then be edited and Tabatha could read it and suggest any changes before it was made into a small book to keep at Palmer House and for the use of other residents who had not yet entered a relationship with Christ. Much of what follows is part of her story. (Image above from Open ClipArt-Vectors on Pixabay, text added on PicMonkey)
Arizona and Beyond
We first see Tabitha in Arizona as she waits in the heat of the desert beside Cray's tent for him to come home for the dinner she has prepared. But he doesn't come. The claim he had paid for in this uninhabitable land had no gold left to find, so Cray had spent all he had in the nearest mining town of Fullman on supplies. They had only a two-week supply of food and water. They had found a patch of land near the only stream and camped there. When we meet Tabitha there, she has been there for two weeks. There are no other humans around. She is in the desert alone.
By this time Tabitha had been with Cray for a few months. He had kept saying he'd find the gold and then go back to Texas and buy land and cattle. Tabitha was the only one who continued to speak of marriage. They often quarreled. Cray was finding no gold, though he went to look for it every morning and returned sullen and distant. On the morning of the fifteenth day on the campsite, Cray seemed happier as he left. He packed his gear on the mule, along with extra water for her. He ate the breakfast Tabitha had prepared, and took the lunch she had packed for him. He even said goodbye to her, which he'd not bothered to do for a while. As he left, he'd told her “Goodbye, Tabitha. You wish me well now.'
Cray did not come home that night. The next morning Tabitha walked to his dig to find his tools and the mule gone. She knew then he would not come back. He had left her alone in the desert. She crouched in her tent for the rest of the day, alternately sobbing and ranting in anger over his desertion. She tried to figure out how to survive. She knew her only hope was to walk back to Fullman, a day's journey. It was not a reputable town. Tabitha thought that maybe she would find Cray there and he would take her back.
Instead, when she thought she had been rescued by another woman, she learned that Cray had sold her into prostitution as payment for new supplies. She also learned that escape only brought beatings and threats of worse punishments. She died inside and at one point was tempted to take her own life.
Rescued by the Grace of God
Although Tabitha had not yet met the Lord, she heard a street preacher while she was being transferred from one brothel to another. She did not know the meaning of what she heard, but the preacher had looked right at her and said that Jesus could save even her. She held onto those words and cried out to this Jesus she did not know for help. One night that help came, and she arrived at Palmer House. While there, as Rose and the other staff loved her and taught her, she finally trusted herself to Jesus and decided to spend the rest of her life following him.
After Palmer House
I don't want to reveal more of the plot here because I don't want to spoil it. Much of the action occurs during World War I. We watch as Tabitha faces enemies during her nursing school education, and as she decides what to do about a very persistent suitor – a rich man who is a benefactor of Palmer House, the nursing school, and an orphanage. Even knowing her background doesn't discourage him. Later they both go overseas separately to serve in the war in different locations.
How Reading Tabitha Affected Me
The book's theme – how the grace of God can overcome evil – was well executed. I found myself thanking God again for the blessing of a normal childhood with parents who loved me and the opportunity to learn about Jesus while still young.
I was outraged to see how young women, still in their early teens, were enslaved as prostitutes with no hope of escape. I'm even more outraged that this still happens today, outside of novels, in our large cities, as pimps befriend runaways and then bully and enslave them. I just read today that in a county where we once lived and still own property detectives just broke up a ring of suspected human traffickers. In this case the victims were Chinese and here on visas.
Daniel Walker, who worked undercover for many nonprofit organizations to rescue today's enslaved prostitutes, has written God in a Brothel to describe his experiences freeing women and children from the sex trade in the United States. You can read it for a nonfiction perspective on how Christians still rescue those who cannot help themselves.
I often found myself in tears as I watched Tabitha's struggle with the consequences of her wrong choice so early in life and as I later watched her grieve the loss of the one she loved.
My Review
Although some may find the style sentimental and Tabitha almost too good to be true in her later life, she does model servant leadership. She is serious about making up for the lost years with her obedience in her later life as a Christian. Toward the end of the book she faces the ultimate test of her faith, but I won't be a spoiler.
The biggest weakness I saw in the book was that many characters seemed unrealistically good or evil. Yet I know that very godly and very wicked people do exist. Tabitha was the most well-developed character, and I found myself wanting her to be successful and eventually marry Carpenter. We don't see enough of Mason Carpenter, her benefactor and love interest, to get to know him very well, since most of the time the two are away from each other. We do see that he's the perfect gentleman, always helping everyone and doing good. I couldn't help but like him, but it was hard to believe he was so perfect.
The author was very good at tying all the loose ends of the plot together in a satisfying way. I was able to predict some plot elements I was sure would be there, and I was happy that the author agreed with me.
This historical Christian romance reminds Christians of how God reaches out to all of us. Those who may be searching for meaning in life, who have no hope left because of their past mistakes, may find hope as they read this book. Tabitha illustrates the power of God to cause a person be reborn to a new and living hope.
Vikki Kestell also wrote the A Prairie Heritage Series. It explains some of what occurs before and after the events in Tabatha. You will see some of the same characters' stories unfolding in A Prairie Heritage Series. Tabitha fits between Stolen and Lost Are Found. You might want to pick up the entire series and read Tabitha where it fits best chronologically.
Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN) and/or Esty (Awin) Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”
Journey's End by Renee Ryan is one of those books that once you start reading it, you simply can't put it down until you have finished the entire book.
I started this book after a very long and tiring day. I was immediately drawn into the story and hated the idea of putting my Kindle down. I kept drifting off to sleep and forcing myself to wake back up because I wanted to see what was going to happen next. Needless to say, I finally gave in to sleep, but as soon as the morning light filtered through the window, I grabbed my Kindle and started reading again.
Few books can keep me from my morning work, but I simply had to get back into the "pages" and join Caroline on her journey once again.
Brief Synopsis of Journey's End by Renee Ryan
Journey's End (Gilded Promises)The story begins with Caroline St. James disembarking from a ship that has just docked at Ellis Island. At 22 years old, she set out from London, her home for her entire life, to avenge her mother's long-suffering and eventual death. She plans to seek out the wealthy grandfather who abandoned her mother and herself when they were in desperate need of help. The one man who could have prevented an entire childhood of begging, stealing, and lying just to care for her sick mother.
With both of her parents dead, Caroline had no home or family, so there was absolutely nothing that could stand in the way of her planned vengeance. She no longer had any loved ones who could be hurt by her actions. She was determined that the old man would suffer for his callous disregard for the lives of his daughter and granddaughter.
Caroline changes her last name and ingratiates herself to her innocent cousin as a means to gain access to her grandfather. She is thrilled when her cousin, Elizabeth, invites her to dine in her home. She is so close to meeting the man who ruined her life and ensured the early death of her beloved mother by ignoring her repeated pleas for help.
When she arrives in the doorway, all eyes fall on her and there is complete silence except for the shattering of glass. She finds herself facing her aunt & uncle who clearly recognize her. Actually, it is not her they recognize, but who she looks like. For a moment, they believe she is her mother. After all, they haven't seen her mother, Libby, since she herself was 19 yrs. old. When her grandfather enters the room, he is shocked, yet clearly elated to see her. When she tells him that her mother is dead, the man is devastated.
Caroline soon realizes that her grandfather had not abandoned his daughter. He knew nothing of her father's death and he had no idea he had a granddaughter. He has not seen, nor had any word from his daughter since she disappeared in London while they were on a vacation. That could only mean that someone in the household intercepted her mother's many letters and returned them unopened.
Conclusion
That's as much as I am going to tell you! If you wish to unravel the mystery and find out who was the villain, you will have to read Journey's End for yourself.
This Christian fiction book is more than just a mystery. There is also a love story intertwined throughout the pages of this novel, but it is also more than just a love story. The love, the loyalty, the deception, the betrayal are all a part of what makes this a wonderful book to read.
Journey's End Reviewed by:
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We meet Kate Evans, protagonist of Touching the Clouds, on the day that was supposed to be her wedding day. A week before, she had told Richard, the man she was to marry, that she feels a need to move to Alaska to become a bush pilot. Richard is hurt and not ready to give up on marrying her. Her parents don't completely understand, either, and it's hard for Kate to explain. She likes Richard a lot. She doesn't enjoy hurting him. She just doesn't think she loves him enough to marry him.
Kate wants to get away from all that reminds her of the awful day she "killed" her best friend Alison. Kate was seventeen then. She had talked her friend into flying with her in her father's plane. The weather had been fine, with clear skies, when they started out. But when they got to Rimrock Lake it was foggy. She didn't turn back even though she knew she should. They had crashed into the lake, which sucked the plane down into the icy waters. For seven years Kate has blamed herself for Alison's death and is sure everyone else in town blames her, too. She want to go where no one knows about the accident.
Image in Public Domain Edited with Text from Touching the Clouds by Bonnie Leon.
Created on https://getstencil.com/app/
Right after the accident, she was afraid to fly again, but her dad, an excellent pilot who had taught her to fly, helped her to get back in a plane and resume flying once again. Now she is 25 and wants to do something she believes matters -- something more than just getting married and having babies. Her mother warns that she can't let her past rule her present. She replies,
As long as I stay here, everything is about the past. I need to start over in a place where I can prove myself, a place where I'm free to live without shadows of that horrible day dogging me.
Now, as she's about to get into her Bellanca Pacemaker and head for Alaska, she leans against her father Bill -- the one who taught her to fly and has always understood her. Her feelings are mixed as she prepares to leave her parents and the apple farm in Yakima. The angry roar of Richard's truck as he left moments ago, after one last attempt to keep her home, still sticks in her mind. She wonders if she will regret her decision.
She climbs into the plane. Her father cranked it for her, she pulled on her helmet, and checked the gauges one last time, and took off. The year was 1935.
When Kate landed in Anchorage, she spent the first night in a hotel she could not really afford. The next day she applied for a job at the local mercantile. She knew she probably wouldn't get a job as a pilot right away and meanwhile she would need to support herself.
When Albert Towns, the owner of the store, interviewed her, she admitted she really wanted to be a bush pilot, but recognized that probably would take some time. Albert and his wife Helen were OK with that, saying that if she found work as a pilot, she could work part-time around her flying hours. The couple also said she could stay in a room at the back of the store. The arrangement worked well for all of them. They became close friends.
One of the first customers Kate helped in the store was Paul Anderson, who lived in Bear Creek in a rather isolated cabin. He came to town a couple of times a year to stock up on supplies. He had come from San Francisco but no one knew much about why he came to Alaska. The reader learns his wife back home, Susan, had died. No one knew how he had earned his living in California. In Bear Creek he was trapping animals for their meat and fur.
The reader can sense that Paul finds Kate fascinating, and Kate admits to herself he is handsome and intriguing. One wonders if this is the beginning of a possible new romance.
When Paul learns that Kate wants to work as a pilot, he suggests she try the new airfield at Lake Spenard. She had already tried Merrill Field with no success. They didn't need any more pilots. Kate applies at Lake Spenard. Although the interview was tough, Sidney Schaefer tests her in the air, and hires her part-time for a mail run. The current pilot filling in for the mail run, Mike Conlin, was to train her the next Monday.
Kate Begins Taking Passengers
This is the terrain of the Chugach MountainsKate flew over near Anchorage.
Kate soon got used to the mail run, and looked forward to giving people their mail, especially Paul and his neighbors -- Patrick and his wife Sassy and their daughter Lily. Paul felt uncomfortable with Lily because he knew Patrick and Sassy wanted him to marry her and he didn't want to. Sassy was always sending Lily over with food, or to help. Paul was polite, but he didn't want to encourage her.
Paul was fighting his attraction to Kate because he didn't want to give his heart away again. Falling in love would make him vulnerable to hurt again. He knew Kate's work as a pilot was dangerous, and he could lose her, just as he'd lost his wife.
Kate proved herself capable on the mail run, and Sidney began to let her carry passengers. Her first opportunity was a rescue flight to check on hikers at McKinley Park who should have gotten in before the sun went down. She was called in early morning to go search for them. She found them just before her fuel got low enough to necessitate turning back. That made her more sure than ever that she would not return to Washington and Richard, who was still writing and begging her to come back. She knew she belonged in Alaska, flying as a bush pilot, fulfilling her dreams.
Kate got to play Santa Claus before Christmas. She flew to Kotzebue, 549 air miles northwest of Anchorage, to bring Christmas packages to that small town. She had made friends with the owner of the airfield Joe Turchick and his native wife Nena on her first visit. She had arrived on Halloween and Nena invited her to go trick or treating with her and her children. Since then she'd stayed overnight with them on her trips there. It was like her home away from home in Kotzebue.
Nena was afraid to fly. After the Christmas trip, though, she asks if Kate will take her to visit her sister in Candle, who is about to have a baby. She overcomes her fear when she sees how beautiful it is to look down at the scenery. She decides she actually likes to fly.
Flying Wasn't All Fun
Most of Kate's trips were uneventful, but some passengers put her and everyone else on the plane at risk. It's hard to handle drunk hunters bigger than you are and fly a plane at the same time, especially when the drunkest one opens the door in the back of the plane . One woman lied about about how far her pregnancy had advanced and actually gave birth in the plane. Kate knew nothing about bringing babies into the world, but she had to find a place to land and deliver the baby.
Kate had many close calls. On one occasion she left on a mercy flight with a nurse to pick up a miner in Hatcher Pass who had fallen, was seriously injured, and needed to get to a hospital. The weather conditions were so bad that Jack, the other pilot there on call refused to go and called Kate a fool for going.
Kate wound up agreeing with him when after flying in the fog she discovered she was off course. Her compass was malfunctioning. She had to find a safe place to land and wait for the fog to clear. Meanwhile, everyone at home was worried. Unfortunately, when the fog cleared they found that the miner had died. None of the pilots could afford radios in their planes, so when pilots had trouble, there was no way to contact anyone to report their locations.
After each close call, Mike, who was getting to be a close friend, comforted Kate. His interest in her was obvious. Paul's reaction to Kate's close calls was to withdraw. One of Kate's fellow pilots, one of the best, crashed and did not survive. The loss hit Kate and the other pilots hard.
Nena finally made it to Anchorage. She had a wonderful time. As Kate was taking her back home to Kotzebue, they passed Mt. Susitna, also known as the "sleeping lady." Kate veered from the flight plan a little to give Nena a closer look. That's when Nena smelled something, and Kate saw a drop of oil on her windshield. Memories of Rimrock Lake came rushing back. Below is a photo of Mt. Susitna from Cook Inlet, the location Kate was flying over when this happened. You will have to read the book to find out what happens next.
The first decision, the one Kate had already made, was to stay in Alaska and fly. She had learned that she did not want to live an ordinary life. She had told Richard she would not be coming back to him. She knew he would not want to live in Alaska.
Kate had been dating Mike, her fellow pilot. He was protective of her and a good friend, but she did not think she was in love with him. She was eager to know Paul better, but although he sometimes seemed attracted to her, he would keep withdrawing. They had some great experiences together, but then he would avoid her again. She knew she was attracted to him.
She is pretty sure Mike wants to marry her. He has given her plenty of hints, but she just isn't ready. She knows she needs to decide soon, because she doesn't want to lead him on if she knows it won't work.
Recommendation
I found it hard to put his book down. The characters were well-developed, and every one of them was necessary to the plot. I appreciated that I had time to get to know them in small batches instead of having too many being introduced at the beginning and having to try to keep them straight. I enjoyed learning more about Alaska and aviation in 1935.
I enjoyed getting to know Kate. She is the sort of person you can imagine having as a friend. She is brave, kind, and stubborn. She is willing to take risks, and sometimes takes foolish risks that land her in trouble.
The characters are realistic and complex. Kate and Paul individually have guilt and fear to overcome in order to become whole again. Kate trusts in God. Paul has given up on God. Even minor characters, such as the drunk hunters, and the pregnant woman come alive through Bonnie Leon's words. So do the other pilots, Jack and Frank.
One of the mysteries in the book is Paul. No one knows why he came to Alaska. No one knows much about him. Patrick knows his wife died. Paul eventually also shares that information with Kate under duress.The author gives the reader enough clues to get close figuring out who he really is.
The author is very good at foreshadowing what will happen without really telling the reader. An alert reader is able to pick up the clues and be on the alert for what will follow.
I would recommend this Christian novel to anyone who likes adventure stories, aviation, strong women, Alaska, and/or a touch of romance. I am anxious to read the rest of the series. I hope I've been able to interest you in these books, too. I would suggest you get the set so you can just keep reading after you finish Touching the Clouds. I don't think you will want to stop. Just click below if you want to buy them.
Here's one last photo that's designed to Pinterest specifications if you'd like to pin it.
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Water For Elephants is a fictional novel by Sara Gruen that is set in the Depression. It follows the story of a young man whose circumstances are suddenly altered and who finds himself homeless and jobless. He jumps aboard a passing train and discovers he has landed on the train of a travelling circus. He is given a job with the animals because he has veterinary skills and falls in love with the star of the circus. Is it a bit cliched? Perhaps but it is still a good book.
Water For Elephants Fast Facts
AUTHOR: Sara Gruen
COVER ARTIST: Charles Mason
GENRE: Historical Romance
PUBLISHER: Algonquin Books
PUBLICATION DATE May 26, 2006
Is Water For Elephants A True Story?
Water For Elephants is a period drama and romance story based on real circus history. It is a work of fiction but does include factual information about the history of the circus based on accounts of circus life in the Depression years, a time when men were desperate for jobs. They were so desperate in fact that they would take and stay on at jobs where the work was extremely hard and unpleasant and where the pay was not necessarily delivered when it was supposed to be.
I found the author's note at the end of the book very helpful. In that section, Sara Gruen answered the numerous questions that I had when I was reading the book.
The note also tells how Gruen came to write a story based on the circus. She read a story in the Chicago Tribune about travelling circuses in the 1920s and 1930s and the accompanying photo took her fancy. She subsequently purchased two photographic circus-themed books: Step Right This Way by Edward J. Kelty and Wild, Weird and Wonderful: the American Circus by F.W. Glasier. This was the start of an obsession (my word, not hers) that eventually included a large collection of circus-themed books; visits to The Ringling Circus Museum, Circus World and the Kansas City Zoo; and, a large knowledge bank about conditions and life in the circus.
True Events Included In Water For Elephants
The circus has a rich and somewhat loose history. The line between fact and fiction is somewhat blurry. The following are three simple stories that author Sara Gruen uncovered in her research and incorporated into her book.
Legend has it that there was really a hippo pickled in formaldehyde.
Legend has it that there was a 400-pound strong lady displayed in an elephant cage.
Circus lore also says that there was an elephant like Rosie who pulled up her stake in order steal lemonade.
Reviews of Water for Elephants
Reader Lisa on Amazon said that this book was unusual in that it was an enjoyable read and factual at the same time. I agree as it was a great story that also imparted the history of the circus.
The New York Times says, "With a showman's expert timing, she (Gruen) saves a terrific revelation for the final pages, transforming a glimpse of Americana into an enchanting escapist fairy tale."
If you are fascinated by historically based stories, I believe that you will enjoy this book. If you have always been interested in the history of the circus and you enjoy period pieces, you will not want to miss this book. I thoroughly enjoyed it and yes, I recommend the movie, too. A copy of the book and the movie bundled together would make an interesting gift idea for any woman who is interested in circus history.
Have you read Water For Elephants? What did you think? If you are interested in the movie, you can read my movie review here.
Author's Note: This page was originally written elsewhere in 2011.
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Elsa is seven-going-on-eight, and different. Granny is
seventy-seven years old, and nutty. They are best friends and love each
other dearly. Elsa admits only to herself that her granny is her ONLY
friend, as her school chums think her strange and are mean to her. Elsa's
strangeness is only in the fact that she is extremely smart and very grown-up
for her age (constantly looking words up on Wikipedia!). Her world revolves
around her grandmother, her parents, adventures in the fairy tales granny
tells, and her admiration for superheros and Harry Potter.
Elsa's parents are divorced and she sees her dad every-other-weekend.
The rest of the time she lives with her mom, who is expecting a baby, and
George on the top floor of a 4-story flat across the hall from her
grandmother. The rest of the apartment building is filled with a strange
mixture of people we learn about as time goes on.
The Land-of-Almost-Awake
For quite some years, Granny has been telling fairy tales to Elsa to help her
go to sleep and get her to practice Granny's secret language. The fairy
tales take place in the "Land-of-Almost-Awake" and the
"Kingdom of Miamas" where everybody is different and nobody needs to be normal.
Later, Elsa's grandmother dies and leaves behind a series of letters
apologizing to people she has wronged. The letters are entrusted to Elsa
to deliver, bringing about her greatest adventure ever. The stories of
the people who live in the apartment building, including a brave dog who is
very much like the 'wurse' in the Kingdom of Miamas, are revealed to us one by
one. As each letter is delivered we learn the truth about fairy tales
and kingdoms and a grandmother like no other. My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You She's Sorry
was written by Fredrik Backman, a native of Sweden who lives in Stockholm.
This is only his second novel, but you get the feeling from this well-written
story that he has been writing for a very long time.
His first novel is
A Man Called Ove, which became a #1 bestseller in Sweden.
*Note: When Backman's second book was first published in England in 2014, it
had the title:
My Grandmother Sends Her Regards and Apologises.
My Grandmother Asked Me To Tell You She's Sorry
My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You She's Sorryis an absolutely charming story filled with humor and wisdom, and with a
glimpse into a fairy tale world we all wish we could visit. I took Elsa
and her grandmother so much to heart that when I finished the book I wanted to
immediately go back to page one and read it all over again. You'll laugh,
you'll cry, and you will fall in love with these delightful characters. I
highly recommend this book.
*Wednesday Elf
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Those who emigrated beyond the American Frontier in the 1800's were a special breed. They knew they would have to conquer an untamed land in order to survive in their new homes. Laura Snelling puts us into their shoes as we read An Untamed Land (Red River of the North #1). This historical Christian novel follows two Norwegian brothers who emigrated from Norway to America with their wives and children in 1880. They wanted to homestead in the Dakota territory. One of the children was born on the ship during the journey to the United States.
The book opens with the entire family gathered together to discuss whether the brothers should emigrate. There was a great deal of emotion, since everyone knew that if the brothers left, it was unlikely they would ever see their families again. Gustav's younger brother was already in America. Roald and Carl had read his letters.
You will pick up the sadness of Gustaf as he thinks of his family separated by an ocean. Yet Gustaf and Bridget knew their younger sons had no real way to work on their own land if they stayed at home.
Why Did the Brothers Want to Emigrate?
The brother were part of a large family in Norway. It was traditional for the eldest son to inherit his father's lands. The other brothers would have to work the land belonging to others. A Norwegian journalist, Paul Hansen, who had immigrated to the Red River district of North Dakota and Minnesota, wrote glowing descriptions of free flat land for those willing to homestead it. Carl and Roald Bjorklund, sons of Gustaf and Bridget Bjorklund, wanted to go and build their future on their own land in the Dakota country.
Once the family had given their reluctant blessing, everyone worked to raise money for the sea voyage to America. Roald and Carl took jobs on a fishing boat. Roald's wife Anna moved in with the Bjorklund family to help Bridget and save money on rent. When they moved out, they sold everything from the house they would not need in America. Roald and Carl's sister Augusta then got a job outside the home to help raise money.
It was with great reluctance their parents let them go. Roald had married Ingeborg after his first wife, Anna, had died in childbirth. Thoriff is their first son, now five. Although Roald and Ingeborg respected each other, Roald was still grieving over Anna, and Ingeborg liked, but did not yet love Roald. Carl was in love with Kaaren Hejelmson, and married her before they left.
So why did these young couples emigrate? Why did they leave all they had known to face hardship and danger settling in a foreign land where they didn’t even know the language? Because they wanted a better life for their children where they could have their own land and live free.
New York
The author skips telling us about the ocean voyage, except for sharing the vivid memories the family members had as they were preparing to go ashore. You can only imagine how hard it was for Karen to give birth on the ship. She had been seasick for most of the voyage, and had been sick since the baby was born. She was so sick when they reached New York that Carl had to carry her off the ship. Ingeborg helped to look after her and the new baby and encouraged Kaaren not to give up hope. Ingeborg has discovered she is also pregnant.
As they prepared to leave the ship, Roald told Ingeborg to wait below to avoid the crowds, even though she was dying to see the ship land. Below it was so crowded with belongings one could barely move. There was no fresh air and it stank, for many had been seasick.
Once off the ship the families were amazed to see the tall buildings and the busy, crowded dock. The families' first stop was to be Castle Garden, where they were to go through immigration. Kaaren was afraid she'd be turned away because of her illness.
Castle Garden, By Unattributed [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons
Roald started walking with a load of luggage, asking Ingeborg to follow with Thoriff. Roald was walking so fast, without looking back, that she lost him. She also lost Thoriff in a crowd and not knowing English made it hard to get help. Finally someone who understood Norwegian came to her aid, and they found Thoriff, but he was already in trouble. Ingeborg meets a new friend -- a wealthy man who becomes important in the rest of the book.
The Journey West
Travel was hard.There were no fast food places along the way to stop for meals. Tired women had to get out of the wagons after a hard day of travel and prepare a meal over an open fire using whatever they had left of provisions and whatever meat or fish could be procured by the men. When the families finally reached their land, no home was waiting. They had to continue to live in the covered wagon until they got a home built. They had to share a cabin until they could spare time to build another one.
Since I’ve read more than handful of memoirs by pioneer woman, little in this book was new to me. But it struck me again how hard these women worked physically compared to most of us today. Their very lives depended on how well they could plan ahead what they needed when the general store might be an overnight trip or longer.
Survival on the Land
By Solomon D. Butcher [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons
The couples got along well, and they shared the first home they built -- a sod house such as was common on the prairie. They shared the work of turning the sod, planting a garden, and later, caring for livestock. Remember, Kaaren had been sick to start with and Ingeborg was also feeling the effects of carrying a child. They were dependent mostly on each other for medical care.
There are some treatments I could not have stood to watch were they on film. We take so much for granted today -- anesthetics, antibiotics, and other modern treatments. We wouldn't want to have to sew up someone we love without them, let alone be the patient. The only help they had was a woman who was half Indian and half white who thought the land they were claiming was really hers, since she was squatting there and thought her dead husband had title to it. She knew how to use native plants to treat illness, and without her knowledge and care Ingeborg would have died after falling and hitting her head while fishing. She lost consciousness and it was hours before anyone discovered her.
When the families finally had neighbors they were able to help each other build barns and homes and do seasonal jobs in the fields. One family could buy a cow and the other a bull for and they could share them for breeding. Best of all, they could experience friendship again in their new land.
For the first years settler families had to put all their efforts into survival -- building, planting, harvesting, food storage, and gathering wood and water. Getting a well was a big event. Schools and churches would have to come later, after basic needs were met. Everyone worked, even the children when old enough, to help care for animals, do chores, and produce food. All the while, there was the feeling of loss because family and old friends were far away in the land they had left. Later they replaced sod homes with wood homes with real floors, like this pioneer house, built 1873 in Cass County, North Dakota for Johannes Hellestvedt from Hardanger, Norway. It is a log cabin.
Was Coming to America Worth the Cost?
That's a judgment you, the reader, will have to make. The Bjorklund families did get free land as they had hoped, but it exacted a very high non-monetary price from them. Their faith was seriously tested, especially that of Ingeborg. This is not your typical historical prairie romance. It is a realistic look at marriage, family life, and pioneer life on the American frontier. I would classify it as Christian historical fiction. After you read it, you will very much appreciate your life today, no matter how rough it may be.
An Untamed Land is the first in a series. I first read this book a couple of years ago, and I reread it before writing this review. I am anxious to read the other books in the series when I can find time. If you finish the first book, you will want to continue reading to see what happens next.
If you found this review useful, please share it with friends who might appreciate this book. The image below is just right for sharing on Pinterest.
Please pin me.
What would have been the hardest adjustment for you as a homesteader in this Dakota Country?
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