Sunday, March 29, 2015

An Amish Man of Ice Mountain

Title:                    An Amish Man of Ice Mountain
Author:                Kelly Long
Publisher:            Zebra
Market:                Christian
Genre:                 Contemporary Romance
Series:                 Amish of Ice Mountain
Length:                352 pages
Pub. Date:           April 8, 2015

Description (from Amazon):
Joseph King has good reasons to work an oil rig far from his beloved Ice Mountain . . . and to mind his own business. He hopes to protect his younger brother Edward from worldly influences. And maybe he can finally forget how yielding to temptation forced him to leave home in disgrace. Still, no honorable Amish man would let Priscilla Allen and her four-year-old daughter remain homeless, living out of their car. And how can he not be drawn to the feisty waitress's bravery and hidden strength . . .

Offering Priscilla a home on Ice Mountain as his wife-in-name-only gives her a place to start again. For Joseph, it's also an unexpected chance to regain his reputation and standing in the community. But Priscilla's warmth, caring, and determination to adjust to Amish society are renewing Joseph's long-buried hope. Now as his guilt and her wrenching secrets threaten the fragile trust growing between them, they will need the riskiest of miracles to put the past to rest--and fulfill a promise only love and renewed faith can bring.

My Review:
Overall I liked this book.  The story line was interesting, and I appreciated that the characters each had a past that they didn’t want exposed.  Isn’t that true of most of us to some extent?  I liked Pricilla’s character.  Although I don’t personally know anyone who has experienced her type of abuse in a relationship, her sweet, submissive character seems to fit that role well.   I also liked Joseph’s character – strong, protective, and loving.  He reminds me of my dog Jack (yes, that’s a compliment) – a gentle giant, and that image proves true to the end of the book. 

My favorite part of this book was Joseph rescuing Pricilla.  It’s a lesson that many could learn today – help those who are in need.  I also appreciated Pricilla’s willingness to help others.  I didn’t love the intimate scenes, but I’m pretty conservative.  I did read Beth Wiseman’s 2014 interview with Kelly Long.  In it, Long stated that she had an Amish reader, Dan, who advised her not to “neuter his people”.  Hence, we have some very intimate scenes, which I didn’t expect.  Surprise!  J

Something else I appreciated about this book was the Amish mountain viewpoint.  We have a couple of Amish communities near my home, and I forget that culture is different in each of these communities.  They have the same core beliefs, but overall they’re different.  Long’s depiction of the bishop made him seem like a normal guy.  He seemed to be a bit fun and eccentric, too.  In my area, the Amish wear black, blue, and dark green.  Long’s Amish wear more colors.  The healer in this book was also unlike any Amish healer I’ve ever read about.  Wow!  This woman was on fire for the Lord, and what a relationship she must have had with Him to have such open communication with the Lord.  This book reminded me that all Amish books won’t be the same either.  Thank you Kelly Long!

I live in a rural setting, and this Ice Mountain sounds like a great place to visit.  I’d love to see the ice mine.  I wouldn’t want to get stuck in there, but I would like to see it.  The rigs, on the other hand, hold no interest for me.

Scripturally, I feel the message of this book could be from Psalm 34:22 that says, “The LORD redeems the soul of His servants, And none of those who take refuge in Him will be condemned.”  We may hide from our past sins, but God can take them and use us to help others.  I would recommend this book for anyone who is interested in Amish culture and romance.  However, I caution the sensitive reader that there are intimate scenes.

Pros:  Interesting story line, interesting insights into the Ice Mountain Amish community

Cons: A little too intimate for me


My Rating: 3 out of 5 stars (Good)

Tuesday, March 3, 2015

Then Sings My Soul

Then Sings My Soul
Author:  Amy K. Sorrells

Number of Pages: 360
Publisher: David C. Cook
ISBN-13:  978-1434705457
Release Date: March 1, 2015
Market: Christian
Genre: Fiction

My Rating: 5 of 5 Stars

Description (from the back cover): When Nel Stewart returns home due to the sudden death of her mother, she realizes her beloved father, Jakob, is struggling with dementia.
With the reappearance of a high-school sweetheart, deliveries from Ukraine addressed to her, and the discovery of a mysterious, vintage aquamarine gemstone, Nel senses God is pulling her into the past to restore their faith and their futures. Told partially through Jakob's flashbacks of fleeing genocide-ridden eastern Europe at the turn of the twentieth century, the novel combines elements of mystery, history, faith and romance to reveal how God redeems the broken years ... and our future.

How and Why I Acquired this Book
I received a free copy of the book from the publisher David C. Cook in exchange for an honest review.  I did not receive any monetary compensation for a favorable review.

My Expectations
The Holocaust and events leading up to it intrigue me.  My expectations were high because of it.  Also, I really like the simple cover, and I wondered how the title would play into the story.  I appreciated the author addressing that very issue after the story was over.

Were My Expectations Met
Yes, yes, and yes!  I absolutely love this book.

The Writing
The story is split between the father’s experiences as a boy and 1994-1995.  There are dates at the beginning of the chapters to alert the reader to the time change.  Sorrell definitely has a gift for writing.  Excellent job!

The Storyline
To sum up the story in one word: beautiful.  This is about a family, mainly the father and daughter, who have issues with letting people be too close to them.  They both have walls for different reasons.  This story evokes so many emotions that the reader should have tissues handy.  It’s a story of letting go, overcoming, and accepting that God never leaves us. 
 
Spiritual Aspect
God does not lie.  When He says “I will never leave you nor forsake you,” (Heb 13:5) He meant it.  Nothing can separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus (Ro 8:39) no matter how alone we seem to be.  Great ending!  I love the vision (Should I call it that?).

Audience Appropriateness and Appeal
Anyone who likes stories about surviving horrific conditions will appreciate this story.  I would caution parents to read it before their tween or teen picks it up.  Although the story is not graphic, there are a few historic scenes that my mind was able to visualize the horror of the moment.

Conclusion
This book is historic, realistic, and amazing.
Pros:
§  History comes alive
§  The writing is amazing and stirs up emotions

Cons:

§  None