To Die For

To Die For, by Sandra Byrd, is a novel about Anne Boleyn. It is told from the perspective of her lifelong friend, Meg Wyatt.  Meg and Anne have been close friends since they were children.  They shared dreams of what their lives would be like and hoped to get married and raise their children together.

Meg is with Anne throughout all of the turning points in her life:  when Anne meets King Henry VIII and during Anne and Henry's turbulent romance.  In the meantime, Meg is dealing with her betrothal to a man she doesn't love while watching the man she does love give his life to the church.  Finally, Meg watches Anne's marriage begin to fail after delivering a daughter instead of a son.

If you don't know much about Anne Boleyn or this time in history, this is a good novel to begin.  Anne Boleyn and Henry VIII's lives were fascinating.  As a Christian, it is also interesting to learn more about the Reformation and how it came about that everyone is now able to read the Bible, rather than just priests.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book.  It was a bit slower in the beginning, but really began to pick up after Anne met King Henry.  The author really made the characters come to life.  While the story is fiction, it is based from facts and actual historical events.

Another bonus of this book is that the author was able to tell the story in a way that was appropriate for Christian readers.  So many books about this time in history focus on what went on in the bedroom between Henry and Anne.  This novel is not considered Christian fiction, but the author often writes Christian novels so she kept the book interesting without going too far.

Rating:  I would give this a 4 out of 5.

Redeeming Love

"California’s gold country, 1850. A time when men sold their souls for a bag of gold and women sold their bodies for a place to sleep.  

Angel expects nothing from men but betrayal. Sold into prostitution as a child, she survives by keeping her hatred alive. And what she hates most are the men who use her, leaving her empty and dead inside.  
 
Then she meets Michael Hosea, a man who seeks his Father’s heart in everything. Michael obeys God’s call to marry Angel and to love her unconditionally. Slowly, day by day, he defies Angel’s every bitter expectation, until despite her resistance, her frozen heart begins to thaw.  
 
But with her unexpected softening comes overwhelming feelings of unworthiness and fear. And so Angel runs. Back to the darkness, away from her husband’s pursuing love, terrified of the truth she no longer can deny: Her final healing must come from the One who loves her even more than Michael does…the One who will never let her go.  

A powerful retelling of the story of Gomer and Hosea, Redeeming Love is a life-changing story of God’s unconditional, redemptive, all-consuming love."

-book description from Amazon.com


Not only is the story entertaining because it moves so quickly, but it also makes the reader think.  Angel has been through so many hard times in her life that she does not believe herself to be worthy of anyone's love.  The author, Francine Rivers, was able to beautifully tell the story in a way that will make you realize how desperately God wants to take care of you and show you His love, even if we really don't deserve it.


I really can't find enough good things to say about this book.  The first time I read Redeeming Love, I wasn't able to put it down.  By now I have reread it several times and it just seems to get better.  And every time I happen to be discussing books with some girlfriends of mine, someone always asks, "Have you read Redeeming Love?  It is sooo good!"  Try it for yourself and see what you think!


Rating:  I would give this book a 5 out of 5.

Child of the Mist

Child of the Mist is the first book in the "These Highland Hills" series.  It is the story of Anne, a young woman with the gift of healing, and Niall, a strong warrior who is the leader of his clan.  The book takes place in Scotland, where the clans are constantly battling.  To make peace between the MacGregors and Campbells, Anne's father gives her to Niall to be his bride.

Anne and Niall share nothing but contempt for each other in the beginning, but like a typical romance novel, they fall passionately in love in the middle of the book.  While the story is mostly a romance, it is also about the growing dissension within Niall's clan and a plot to overthrow him as leader.

Anne is not accepted in Niall's clan, because they are a very superstitious people and believe that her gift for healing others is a form of witchcraft, not a gift from God.  If Anne and Niall want to stay together, they must discover who is planning to betray Niall and defend Anne's life against the charges of witchcraft.

I was a bit hesitant to read this book when I read from the description that it involved witchcraft, but the author very clearly described Anne's healing as a spiritual gift from God.  Her gift was mostly just a good knowledge of healing herbs, cleanliness, and a passion for helping others.

The book was OK.  Not horrible, but not great.  I had a few issues with it.  First, it is supposed to be Christian fiction, but there was almost no mention of God (except to say that Anne's healing was a gift from him) until the end of the story.  Anne claimed to be a Christian, but she had no trouble falling in love with Niall when he clearly was not one.

Second, it was a pretty sappy romance.  Anne and Niall seemed to be almost obsessed with one another, yet they could launch into a screaming match over a simple misunderstanding.  (This happened several times throughout the novel.)

Third, I thought the novel was a tad too racy for a Christian novel - more so than any I've ever read from that genre.  Anne and Niall did agree to wait until they were officially married (they were handfasted for their first year together) to consummate the marriage, but it was more steamy than I thought was appropriate.

Obviously, I had a lot to say about this book!  While not terrible, I was glad that it was bought for free on my Kindle.

Rating:  I would give this book a 2.5 out of 5.

Written on the Wind

Written on the Wind, by Judith Pella, tells the story of three sisters:  Cameron, Blair, and Jackie.  It is the first in the series of four books.  The story begins at a party being held for the sisters' father, Keagan, and right away the reader begins to learn about each girl's individual personality and interests.  Keagan is a domineering and bossy parent and each daughter responds to his "tough love" in different ways.

This book focuses mostly on Cameron, who hopes to prove to her father that she can make it as a journalist without his help.  It is 1941 and she is sent to Europe to report on the war. She meets Alex, a Russian doctor, and some of the book focuses on their developing relationship.  I really enjoyed reading about her reporting the news throughout the early years of the war and there are lots of suspenseful moments when her life is placed in danger.

The middle sister, Blair, has high hopes of becoming a Hollywood star.  She is beautiful but self-centered and makes poor choices.  Blair meets a kind Christian soldier named Gary and has to decide whether giving up her wild lifestyle for him is worth it.

Jackie, the youngest sister, is a faithful Christian and college student.  She meets a young Japanese American man, Sam.  As Jackie and Sam become closer, they get a first hand glimpse of the hatred some people feel towards people of another race.  And this is before Pearl Harbor - imagine what they will go through after the Japanese attack!

For me, this book was a great read.  I am a huge fan of historical fiction and I especially like books set in the World War II years.  The book has almost 3 different plots going at once (one for each sister) but the way the author writes it, it is not difficult to keep up.  When this book was over, I went straight to the library for the next one - and that's always a good sign!

I have finished the entire series, and in my opinion, the books only get better.  Give the Daughters of Fortune series a try!

Rating:  I would give this book a 4.5 out of 5.

Crocodile on the Sandbank

"Elizabeth Peters's unforgettable heroine Amelia Peabody makes her first appearance in this clever mystery. Amelia receives a rather large inheritance and decides to use it for travel. On her way through Rome to Egypt, she meets Evelyn Barton-Forbes, a young woman abandoned by her lover and left with no means of support. Amelia promptly takes Evelyn under her wing, insisting that the young lady accompany her to Egypt, where Amelia plans to indulge her passion for Egyptology. When Evelyn becomes the target of an aborted kidnapping and the focus of a series of suspicious accidents and mysterious visitations, Amelia becomes convinced of a plot to harm her young friend. Like any self-respecting sleuth, Amelia sets out to discover who is behind it all."


-book description from Amazon.com

Amelia is a one of a kind character.  She is a smart, take-charge woman who knows what she wants and carries her trusty parasol to poke anyone who is in her way.  Throughout the entire story, she goes head to head with Radcliffe Emerson and the banter between the two characters is very entertaining.  The author has also done an incredible amount of research into Egypt's history, and I felt like I was learning a lot along the way.


Crocodile on the Sandbank may not have the most difficult mystery to solve, but it is a really fun read.  In fact, I think it's one of my favorites! It will leave you wanting to read the next book - but be warned - there are 18 in the series!

Rating:  I would give this book 5 out of 5.

Christy

Christy takes place in 1912 and is about a 19 year old girl, Christy Huddleston.  After hearing a speaker tell about the people living in the Smoky Mountains, Christy feels called to move there and teach school.  She goes to live among the mountain people and discovers that she has a lot to learn from these poor and uneducated people.  Christy's faith is challenged on several occasions, and the story does include a bit of romance when she is torn between two of the men she meets on this journey.

I thought the author did an amazing job of describing the setting.  The characters who lived in the Smoky Mountains lived such a primitive lifestyle, and it was fascinating to read about some of their superstitions and methods of healing.  Reading about some of these children just made my heart melt.  If you like historical books, and would like to read a heartwarming story, I would try Christy.

Review:  I would give this book a 4.5 out of 5.