Review: The Shadow on the Quilt

The Shadow on the Quilt by Stephanie Grace Whitson
My rating: 0 of 5 stars

The Shadow on the Quilt

Book Description
Juliana Sutton’s life looks perfect—from the outside. Until her husband’s untimely death reveals a devastating truth. . . . Cass Gregory is carrying his own dark secrets and feels unworthy to offer comfort to a woman of Juliana’s standing. When circumstances force them together, both Juliana and Cass are wounded and afraid to trust. Will the shadow of her dead husband’s name stand between Juliana and Cass, or will Juliana choose a love she never thought possible?

My Review
This story was much deeper than it initially appeared. In the face of an embarrassing betrayal, Juliana is faced with many choices on how to deal with her husband's death. Not only is she stuck with a behomoth of a house, she is also charged with the care of his elderly aunts. It was quite a pleasure to read through this tale of faith and fortitude. While Juliana went through many different feelings, she grew in her faith and was able to find forgiveness for her husband and others. The Shadow on the Quilt was not what I expected but brought tears to my eyes when it was revealed. Definitely a wonderful read.

From A Christian Perspective
This was a delightful Christian read! Throughout the bible we are taught that forgiveness is important, even for those things we feel should not be forgiven. Matthew 6:14 tells us "For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you."  Juliana was faced with a very difficult choice, to forgive the husband that betrayed her, to reject the woman he betrayed her with and to leave a helpless child alone.   While she struggled, Juliana chose to be obedient to the word of God.  Through this obedience, she was able to draw strength from the Lord and make choices that would reflect His glory in her life.  I think the shadow of the signature left on the quilt was a good reminder of how we can let unforgiveness create a shadow over our lives.  When the signature was added back to the quilt, it represented freedom!

This was a book I received from NetGalley for the purpose of review.  I was not compensated or encouraged to provide a positive review.

Love and Blessings!
Margaret

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Review: Once Upon a Summer

Once Upon a Summer by Janette Oke
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Book Summary from Amazon

Josh Jones realizes his family isn't typical, but it's the only life he's ever known. Aunt Lou, Gramps, Uncle Charlie, Grandpa--they all have shaped the young man he has become. But as he grows into manhood, Josh begins to face important questions about life, love, and faith.

My Review

I enjoyed this historical fiction book. The story is told from the point of view of Josh, who is a young man that lives on a farm. Josh was a very likable boy and I fell in love with him and his spirit. Being a young man, Josh faced a lot of uncertainties and was a little bit loss. Thankfully Aunt Lou, Grandpa, Uncle Charlie and later Gramps were there to help him grow and shape him as a young man. I really enjoyed how this story was just about family and how in times of trial, they work together and become stronger. Throughout the book, I could tell how important each member of this family was to the other. I loved that even the men showed emotion and love in tangible ways. Definitely a nice, sweet read and I look forward to reading more in the series.

From a Christian Perspective

This book falls under the Christian fiction genre. Throughout the book, Josh is fighting with God, seeing Him as an enemy rather than an ally. He has that selfish outlook that many of us have when we forget about grace and look at God as only a giver. As I read the book, I recognized some of Josh's struggles as my own. In the end, Preacher Nat helps Josh to find his way to Christ and freedom from all of the anger and hurt. As Josh wept and confessed, he released those burdens that were weighing him down. He finally experienced the rest Jesus told us about in Matthew 11:28: Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

This was a book in my personal collection. I was not compensated to provide a positive review.

Love and Blessings!
Margaret

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Book Review: The Whipping Club by Deborah Henry

The Whipping Club by Deborah Henry
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

From the book:

Deborah Henry's new historical novel, THE WHIPPING CLUB (T.S Poetry Press, March 2012, available in print and e-book formats) is a literary page-turner and a tale of redemption, set against the backdrop of violence and deeply entrenched prejudice in 1960s Ireland as told through the heartrending experience of one inter-faith family. In it, an Irish Catholic woman, Marian, in love with a Jewish journalist hides the birth of her out-of-wedlock child to save her future marriage. The child she has relinquished does not end up with an American family as promised. Instead, he is committed to a notorious Catholic orphanage where there is little hope for his survival.

Tormented by feelings of remorse and guilt that have plagued her throughout her marriage to the boy's father, the woman must confront the truth and reveal her long-buried secret. While putting her marriage and family at risk, she determines to save her son and in so doing correct the terrible wrongs of her own past and challenge a system that chronically serves up children to abusive clergy.

My review:

This was a very interesting read for me, something that was completely outside of my comfort zone.

I felt that the author did a very good job of developing her characters from the good Catholic mother Marian, the Jewish father Ben, sister Johanna and Adrian, the child that was given away. It was easy to relate to their personalities and behaviors. The story begins with Marian being rejected by Ben's mother and deciding to enter a "convent" to deal with the baby she felt was unwanted. As the story goes on, it's revealed that Ben knows more than he let on. Johanna, the "kept" child, begins to sense that there's something going on and gets involved when she overhears some conversations. Adrian has no clue that he has a family and it comes a surprise when they come to visit. Unfortunately this is not a happily ever after story and there are quite a few horrible scenarios spelled out.

I thought the book was a bit long. It took 40 chapters (although some were really short) to get to the point of the title. I think the story could have been told in much less words. I related to the characters and enjoyed the development of the personalities. I did think this was something that could and probably did happen during the time period related to the book. Overall, I thought the book was well done and the story was told in an engaging manner.

I received the galley of this book from the publisher on NetGalley, for the purpose of review. Opinions expressed are my own.

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