There are times in everyone's life when we need a shelter and our home is most often our shelter. However, in the book A Shelter of Hope, Simone needs a shelter from her home. She endures regular beatings at her father's hands. Since she had never known any other environment other than her horrendous home, she doesn't know where or how to find a shelter from the evil. When her mother tried to escape to get help, she was tracked down and murdered. This knowledge completely trapped Simone. She knew if she tried to run, she would also be murdered. The book, A Shelter of Hope, was written by one of my favorite authors. I doubt I would have stuck with the book beyond the first chapter if I didn't trust the author, Tracie Peterson, to deliver her child character. A Shelter of Hope is a historical fiction set in the late 1800's in the backwoods, mountain country of Wyoming. Because of the time period and seclusion of the family, it is easy to believe the horrific details of the book could actually take place.
Synopsis of "A Shelter of Hope"
A Shelter of Hope (Westward Chronicles, Book 1)Simone Dumas had no hope of ever being rescued from her father's abuse. Her mother was murdered when Simone was only ten and Simone felt abandoned by her mother, by love itself. There were few women around and those women were just as powerless as Simone. The men in the town only leered with lust at the now seventeen year old Simone. She knew there was no one who was willing to help her escape the monster. However, even Simone didn't know how very low that man, her father, was capable of going until he sold her, along with their home and property, to a stranger in town. Louis Dumas had decided it was time for him to unburden himself. There were no longer many animals to trap in the area. Supporting himself, his daughter, Simone, and their home was simply too hard for him now. He wanted to go where he could take a new wife and earn an easier living. He certainly wasn't beyond stealing that living either. When Garvey Davis showed up in town with a lot of money, Louis saw his opportunity to rid himself of everything all at once. He sold Davis his home, his property and his daughter. Dumas assured Davis that Simone was a hard worker and would make a wonderful wife for him. Louis took Davis out to his home, introduced Simone to Garvey and announced that he was leaving. He told Simone that she had been sold to Garvey along with the rest of his property and would not be going with him. Simone knew she had once again been abandoned by a parent.
When Davis tried to force his husband rights, Simone grabbed a nearby water pitcher and hit him in the head. While Davis was unconscious, perhaps dead, Simone quickly gathered her few things, stole his horse and started riding away from the only home she had ever known.
She rode for weeks until she arrived in Laramie where she saw a train for the first time in her life. When she discovered it could take her a lot further away, a lot faster, she sold Davis' horse and bought a ticket to Chicago. Once in Chicago, she realized she needed a paying job. After all, she needed a place to live, food to eat and clothes to wear. She came across an employment ad to become a Harvey girl in the Harvey chain of restaurants along the railroad line. She took a bath, bought a new outfit and went for an interview where she realized a name change would be necessary. Jeffrey O'Donnell hired Simone "Irving" immediately without doing the normal background investigation. She looked nice and he needed servers for the Harvey House immediately. She left with him the next morning on a train bound for Topeka, Kansas and training to become a Harvey girl. Back in Wyoming, Louis Dumas realized he had sold Simone way too cheap. After all, he could have sold her many times over if he had only kept her. He decided she could be his goldmine. All he needed to do was take Simone back from Davis.
When Davis' body is found in the old Dumas home, Deputy Sheriff, Zack Matthews, embarks on a mission to hunt down Simone Dumas who he believed either murdered, or played a part in murdering, Garvey Davis.
Simone knows she is running for her life, but she doesn't realize that she is being chased by her own father and the law. Conclusion Please do not think I have given away the entire story in this review. Because there are so many developed characters, and so much happens in the first part, it was necessary to give more of the plot background in this review then I would normally write. I assure you, there is a lot more to this book, including a love story. A Shelter of Hope is quite detailed as it walks us through Simone's troubled life as she, herself, finds a shelter of hope in the Harvey House. The book also gives us a inside look at the struggle of the young woman to ever trust anyone, including God.
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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.
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The Time of Grace Christian
romance series is different than most I've read. Its overall theme
is that God himself is the great lover of the men and women who
live their lives from day to day. The secondary theme is the
difference Christians can
make in the lives of those who live in despair because they have not
experienced God's grace and have no hope.
Most Christian
romances I read have two main characters who fall in love but
encounter obstacles on the path to marriage. These are often due to a
misunderstanding on the part of one or both of the characters. Maybe
they overheard some gossip they accepted as fact, or saw something
that was different than it appeared to be. The main action in these
romances is getting the two people together and married so they can
live happily ever after. We don't usually see what comes after.
The three books in
the Time of Grace Series are not like that. The main
character, Jesus, is never seen except in the lives of his people and
their efforts to reach out to those have not yet accepted his free
gift of grace and salvation. We see God dealing with the main
characters as families and as individual members of those families.
The three Christian
historical romance novels in this series are set during the
depression years in Rhode Island. Book 1, The Fragrance of Geraniums,
begins in 1934. In it we first meet fifteen-year-old Grace Picoletti,
as she auditions for the school chorus, humiliated because the rubber
band holding the sole of her saddle shoe has burst, and her shoe is
flapping. Her family is destitute. We also meet her teacher, Mr.
Kinner, who is conducting the auditions. He and his wife, Emmeline
live in a lovely home and Emmeline grows geraniums from hanging pots
on her porch. Grace looks forward to seeing the beauty of these red
geraniums every day as she comes home from school. We also meet
Paulie Giorgi, one of Grace's classmates, son of a prominent doctor.
The Picoletti family
is destitute. Grace's mother Sarah lives in despair. Her husband
Charlie is unfaithful and abusive. As the book opens Grace's oldest
brother Ben makes a surprise visit. He tells Grace
their father is planning to bring his latest mistress home to live on a cottage on their property. He reveals he has fought with his father about this and has just punched Charlie out because of it. He tells Grace he
has to leave again.
The other four
children are minor characters in the book. Sarah finally sends her
favorite, Evelyn, to live with her wealthier sister so she can have a
better life. Grace's two older sisters leave home to get jobs and
live on their own to get away from the violence. Then they get married and we don't see much of
them after that. Cliff, the younger brother, is out of control and
often gets into trouble.
The author focuses
mostly on Sarah and Grace, both of whom have little hope. There is
not enough to eat, Charlie publicly humiliates them with his blatant
infidelity, and they can't afford decent clothes or shoes. Sarah has
let herself go physically, since Charlie pays little attention to her
anymore except to demand she cook, clean, and take care of his
laundry – or else. The family is Catholic, but they don't connect
what happens in church to their daily lives. They have no notion of a God that loves them personally. They have no hope of improving their lives.
Grace is highly
intelligent, but Sarah is expecting another baby and insists Grace will
need to quit school to help her. The baby is born 85% of the way through the
book, and Emmeline, who has become a friend to Sarah, stays to help
her. Charlie shows no interest in the baby and wants no part of him.
This crushes Sarah. Charlie's mistress Gertrude leaves him and takes
everything of value that was in the room they shared. Charlie goes to
town, gets drunk, and is killed in an accident. He leaves Sarah no
source of income and much debt, since he has not paid the bills or
the mortgage in months and the bank is about to take the house. She
sees no solution except to move in with her brother in New Jersey,
taking Cliff and Grace, and leaving friends and her grown children
behind.
The Kinner Family
Geoff and Emmeline
Kinner attend the First Baptist Church. They are a middle class
family and economically well off enough to share what they have with
others. They are kind to all. Geoff is Grace and Paulie's teacher, is truly interested in his
students, and prays for them.
To outsiders, Geoff and Emmeline appear to have an ideal life. But they want to start a family, and Emmeline has
never been able to carry a child to full term. At the beginning of
this book she has told her husband she is four months pregnant, and
they are ecstatic, since Emmeline has never carried a baby this long.
But when Emmeline sees the doctor the next day, he dashes her hopes
and tells her she probably will lose this baby, too.
Doctor Samuel Giorgi
and his son Paulie, seventeen, live in a mansion with a staff of
servants. Samuel's wife, Julie, Paulie's mother, died of an aneurysm six years ago, and Samuel and Paulie miss her terribly. They also
attend First Baptist Church.
After Julie's death,
Samuel hired Mrs. McCusker as a house keeper to run his household and
help out with Paulie. Sam is a prominent obstetrician who often has
to leave to deliver babies at all hours of the night. In the last
chapters of The Fragrance of Geraniums we learn that Samuel had once
been engaged to Sarah before he left for college. His family had
disapproved of her, and said if he married they would not pay for his
education. He had intended to get get through medical school and then
come back and marry her. She had felt betrayed because he had chosen
his education over her, and had married Charlie. Sam later met Julie
and fell in love with and married her.
Three Books, One
Story
After reading what's
above, you can probably guess a lot of the plot. Paulie and Grace are
classmates and fall in love despite their different economic
classes. Emmeline and Grace become friends, and through that
relationship Emmeline also meets Sarah and reaches out to her. When
Charlie badly burns his face badly in the last quarter of the book,
he comes to Sarah for help. She sends Grace to get the regular
doctor, but he's away at a conference. They can't afford the hospital
or an ambulance, and even though Grace is trying to avoid Paulie, she
sees no option but to run to his house to see if his father will
come.
Mrs McCusker answers the door and says the doctor cannot be
disturbed, but Paulie hears the conversation and gets his dad. Mrs.
McCusker treats Grace shabbily. Sam and Paulie drive Grace home. As
Sam treats Charlie, Sarah is holding his head. Sam and Sarah
recognize each other. She did not know he had returned.
By the end of the
first book, Grace has finally understood that Jesus does love her and
has given her life to him. Sarah has been listening at home in her
darkest hours to a Protestant radio station, mostly for the music.
What she hears conflicts with much she has believed as a Catholic,
but she wants to believe that Jesus loves her and can change her. She
just isn’t sure how to approach him. Emmeline has shared her faith
and how Jesus helps her through her grief over the loss of her child.
The book ends with
Charlie's funeral. All three families are there. We have seen God's answer to the prayers of Emmeline and Geoff. The reader is left
hanging as to what will happen to the Picoletti family. Will Sam and
Sarah renew their relationship now that Charlie is dead? Do Grace and
Paulie have a future together? Those questions are answered in the
last two books, which I had to purchase because I couldn't stop
reading until I reached the last page of the last book.
The Books' Themes
Several themes
play out in this series. First is God's unconditional love. This
theme pervades all the others. Christians need, by God's grace, to
forgive those who hurt them physically and emotionally, in order to be whole themselves.
Love is sacrificial.
This theme comes to a climax near the end of the last book. God's
love is redemptive. Sam shows us this in the last book very vividly.
God's love
persistent. Both Paulie and Sam persist in reaching out to members of
the Picoletti family even when their efforts are rejected.
God seeks and saves
those who are lost in despair and bitterness. He uses his people to
help, as he used Sam, Paulie, and Emmeline in this book. They prayed,
and they shared their faith, but first they listened and helped
physically with unspoken needs.
An example: Emmeline initiated a
relationship with Grace just because she knew Grace always paused at
her house to look at something on the way home from school. She used
that knowledge to reach out to Grace and get acquainted. She
suspected Grace didn't get enough to eat, so she made sure there were
fresh cookies and milk whenever Grace visited. She suspected that
Grace was ashamed of her home so she invited Grace and Paulie to have
their tutoring sessions at her kitchen table, along with refreshments.
The author shows
that only people who get their sense of worth from the knowledge that
God loves them are secure enough to be who they really are. Since
they know God accepts them, they do not need to live for the approval
of or fear the judgment of others.
A good part of The Fragrance of Geraniums consists of passages from the Bible that the characters share with each
other or encounter in radio or church sermons. This might be a bit
much for some people, but each passage is relevant to the themes.
The characters share their reactions, not always positive, to these
passages.
Overall, the series held my
interest because from the beginning I cared about the characters. I
empathized with Sarah and Grace. I wanted Paulie and Grace to
straighten out their friendship when it became strained. I wanted
Sarah and Grace to experience the grace of God. And I wanted Ben to
surrender his bitterness and false pride and answer the nudging of
the Holy Spirit. I wanted to see how God would accomplish his plan in
each life.
I felt there were
some weaknesses that we see in many Christian novels. Although there
was a lot of showing in the lives of the characters, there might have
been a bit too much telling. It was preachy. Sam and Paulie were so
godly they were unrealistic. I loved them, but they were almost too
Christlike. They were both very good at turning the other cheek and
praying for those who hurt them when most people would at least say
something hurtful back and ask forgiveness later. They did sometimes have thoughts that weren't loving, but they hardly ever gave voice to them. I can't think of one example where they really lost it, even though they were tempted.
The author was good
at foreshadowing future events. She dropped enough clues to enable the
reader to predict why there was a problem between Grace and Paulie in
the last book. To say anymore would be a spoiler.
The relationship
between Paulie and Sam was one any father would envy. It contrasted
with the terrible relationship between Ben and his father Charlie.
Emmeline and Geoff showed Grace that all men were not like her father
and that a marriage could be healthy and loving.
Unlike most
romances, the books in this series are serious and deal with heavy
subjects like abuse, bereavement, and rebellion. The marriages are
not always the “live happily ever after” kind – even when the
man and wife are Christians. Even forgiven sins have consequences
that make life hard. God works his plan out even in these marriages
that aren't ideal. The main love is between God and the characters,
and until they are rightly related to him, the human love affairs
don't go very smoothly.
As you read the looks, you may find yourself grappling with issues instead of escaping into a pleasant world with a happy wedding at the end. There are plenty of dark valleys to walk through before you see a rainbow. It's still a journey I'm glad I took -- realistic or not. Book 1, The Fragrance of Geraniums, is free for your Kindle as I write this. I hope it will hook you and that you will want to read the other two books, as I did. I would suggest you get all three books at once. Just click on the book covers above.
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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I recently read and reviewed the first book of the series, MacPherson Brides. I loved The Rose and the Thorn and could hardly wait to read the next books in the series. The second book, The Scar and The Star, was a good book, but I am going to skip reviewing it and move right on to the third book of the series.
The Hawk and The Eagle had a very unique plot which is always the best reason to review and recommend a book. You would know by this selected genre to expect a budding romance. We all expect trials of some sort to develop in the plot and we anticipate the couple ending up together in the end. What we don't know when we first pick up a book is whether or not the plot will seem believable or if we will like the characters.
In a series of books, we have often been previously introduced to the characters. That was the case with Nia and Adam. Adam Lone Eagle is Thorn's best friend and the tracker who helped Thorn when needed. Nia is Thorn's sister and it was alluded to in the first book that Nia was in love with Adam so it came as no surprise that their relationship was the foundation for one of the books in the series. What was a huge surprise was that Nia married someone else.
Synopsis of "The Hawk and The Eagle"
The Hawk and The Eagle (MacPherson Brides Book 3)Adam was an accepted part of the MacPherson clan. He was considered a member of the family instead of just Thorn's friend. As a matter of fact, Thorn MacPherson was more like a brother to him. Adam had known for several years that he would marry Thorn's sister Nia once she turned 21. He had already built a house for them that required only the finishing touches. His business partner, Clay, and Clay's wife, Caitlin, lived in a house on the same property. They could easily see each other's homes across the yard that separated them. Caitlin was also Nia's cousin, which is one of the reasons Adam chose Clay as a business partner. Clay kept the books, while Adam handled the horses. When Adam was called away on business, he fully expected to return and marry Nia. Their lives only had to follow the plan, but we all know plans can be interrupted by life.
Caitlin and Clay already had one son, Sam, and Caitlin is close to the delivery date of their second child when she falls and goes into labor. When Caitlin realizes she is dying, she pleas for a promise from Nia that she will care for her children. With Clay lying in the next room very close to death himself, Nia doesn't hesitate to make the promise. She loves Caitlin, Sam and her newly born niece, Lily.
Shortly after Caitlin's death, Nia is called into Clay's room where he begs her to marry him and adopt the children immediately so they are assured a protected life. That is a difficult decision for Nia. She loves Adam, but she and the family are certain that Clay is dying. Acting quickly is a necessity. She agrees and marries Clay. This is were life interrupts Nia's plans because Clay does not die.
When Adam returns home, he is devastated to find Nia married to Clay, plus he has to watch from a close distance as his fiance struggles to make her marriage work for the sake of the children.
My Conclusion & Recommendation
The Hawk and the Eagle is another excellent book written by Mischelle Creager that takes a close look at a Christian life that is far from perfect. Just as I said in my review for the first book in this series, the author does not paint a fantastical life around her characters. She digs much deeper and allows her characters to be human and to make mistakes. In this particular book, I also appreciate the illustration of how other lives can be drastically impacted by those mistakes, even if the mistakes were made based on good intentions. This is something we all need to be reminded of on occasion.
The Hawk and The Eagle (MacPherson Brides) Book Review & Recommendation Written by:
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I was initially drawn to this book because of the title, The Rose and The Thorn. I was not familiar with the author, but decided to give the book a chance. After all, I needed a new book to read and the title piqued my interest. Since it was in the romantic Christian fiction category, I felt pretty safe.
As it turns out, I am really glad I took a chance and read this book! I finished reading it last night and immediately downloaded the next two books from the series. I never want to be without a book and finding a series I enjoy is always exciting!
It turns out that the book title was a play on the main characters names, Sarah Rose Greer and Thornton MacPherson. Unlike many of the Christian fiction books I read, this book delved into some really painful experiences including rape and spousal abuse. As a rule, I prefer books to be more lighthearted. I have oft said there is enough sin and pain in the real world, I don't want it in my entertainment. But, this book was more insightful about the impact of those actions on the victims. In my opinion, the author struck just the right balance. Nothing got too graphic to handle and the victims weren't wimpy, whinny little creatures. They were strong women with real issues that they confronted.
Synopsis of "The Rose and The Thorn"
The book takes place in the 1800's when women were not considered equal to men. It was also a time of arranged marriages, or at least marriages that were established based on social and economic background. Marriages that were beneficial to families and not founded on love were much more commonplace. Such was the marriage that was forced upon Sarah.
The Rose and The Thorn (MacPherson Brides Book 1)At 16, Sarah's parents died. She and her little brother moved in with her wealthy grandfather who immediately made marital arrangements for Sarah with an older man who was deemed a good business partner for her grandfather. Against her wishes, she married a stranger who turned out to be a real monster behind closed doors. The inescapable marriage lasted 13 years. After her husband was murdered by the mother of one of his rape victims, Sarah, her brother and the child she adopted, moved away from her grandfather and Boston. As the named heir to her husbands wealth, Sarah was able to purchase a home for her little family and start a new life in the small, but growing, mining town of Central City. Unfortunately, her brother still worked for their grandfather. Not because he wanted to, but because it was his "duty" to expand their business into Central City. Even though he was out of his grandfathers home, he was still controlled by him through his grandfather's manager, Stanley. Stanley had plans himself for the new wealthy widow. He knew that if he married Sarah, he would not only control her money, but he would have equal standing with her grandfather, not just his employee. His scheming backfired on him though and Sarah ended up being forced to marry Thornton, but this time it was a decision she made to protect her reputation and her adopted daughters future. However, Thornton was just as much a stranger to her as her first husband had been when they "walked the aisle". The analogy of the rose and the thorn became obvious almost immediately after Mr. and Mrs. MacPherson were united. Both Sarah and Thornton had survived their previous spouses, but they still struggled with issues from their past. Those experiences tainted and affected their relationship.
Conclusion
As I have previously stated, Christian fiction is my preferred genre, but I am often annoyed by how an author will present life as being easy for Christians. They want readers to accept that God is going to make everything wonderful in their lives and that everyone will live happily ever after. Since Christianity is not a fairy tale, neither is the life of a Christian.
I appreciated the fact that this author, Mischelle Creager, did not paint a fantastical life around her characters. As a reader, I may not want to be bludgeoned with horror and gore, but I also don't wish to be assaulted with stupidity and completely unbelievable characters. For the most part, this book was realistic without being too real.
The Rose and The Thorn (MacPherson Brides) Book Review & Recommendation Written by:
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