Tag: American historical fiction

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The River Queen, by Stephenia H. McGee, 2023, The Vine Press, Ebook

The River Queen plunges readers into the scenario of American rivers a hundred years ago, when travelling theatres on luxurious boats brought entertainment to cities and towns along their routes. It sounds so fun!

The story features pirates, smuggling, and amusing and dastardly characters of all sorts. Marijuana, then called muggles, was starting to come to the States from Mexico.

Stephenia McGee keeps it light, amusing, and mysterious, with romance in the forefront. Click here to view my comments on other books by her: https://pearladapridham.com/?s=Stephenia+McGee

I read The River Queen as an E-book, but I must admit I much prefer paperbacks. To hold a book in my hands, smell the paper, and look again and again at the beautiful cover really contributes to my enjoyment. So, here is the Amazon link to the paperback: https://www.amazon.com/River-Queen-Christian-Historical-Romances/dp/1635640687/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1PDFURGZMTS7W&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.D66bsqaE7tOf1MlDhdD61wlwibee7pcRMnb4uwrpaL0UO4ZsSEhnzZ0ehZXxQZKlTokhxF8Lm7k9K-b3GlHwzXmd8DRq479WgdQlxunsKAo.1442iwEo4iUQQnn5jGwnjyzVvUgFscVko8sh-bki9wE&dib_tag=se&keywords=the+river+queen+stephanie+mcgee&qid=1713464899&sprefix=The+River+Queen%2Caps%2C163&sr=8-1#detailBullets_feature_div.

Or, download the E-book and read from your cell phone whenever you have a few minutes of down time. Though it may not be as satisfying, it’s definitely more convenient. Personally, I find it not as easy to keep track of characters that way. With a paperback in hand, it’s easy to flip back to where they first came on the scene and refresh your memory. Pros and cons…

I hope you enjoy the story as much as I did.

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All Her Dreams of Love, by Mary Lou Cheatham, 2023, Amazon Plus Publishing

All Her Dreams of Love


All Her Dreams of Love

Nancy’s dreams of love are threatened as she wonders day after day what has become of her husband. It’s rural Mississippi after the civil war. The virgin woods hold dangers of outlaws and wild animals. Days stretch into weeks and months. Without him there, her only protection is her gun. What will become of her and their young son, and the child inside her growing belly? How can she harvest their crops and care for their animals alone?

Some people appear to be friendly and helpful, but who can she trust? Surely someone must have some idea what happened to her husband.

Mary Lou Cheatham grew up in Mississippi and draws from the experiences of her great grandmother for this story.

Although dangers and threats were real and scary, neighbors and church people pitched in to help one another.

I recommend this heartwarming story by an author I met online through American Christian Fiction Writers. Mary Lou Cheatham was one of my critique partners. We continue to keep in touch through our newsletters, and encourage one another. I appreciate her historical fiction and Biblical fiction stories, which are based on real events. Readers can experience life in other times and places.

Download the book on your Kindle at All Her Dreams of Love eBook : Cheatham, Mary Lou: Amazon.ca: Books, or buy the paperback at All Her Dreams of Love: Cheatham, Mary Lou: 9798858411437: Books – Amazon.cahttps://www.amazon.ca/All-Dreams-Love-Mary-Cheatham/dp/B0CG82CZZG/ref=sr_1_1?crid=CX697NJFJGPJ&keywords=Mary+Lou+Cheatham+All+Her+Dreams+of+Love&qid=1704927059&s=books&sprefix=mary+lou+cheatham+all+her+dreams+of+love%2Cstripbooks%2C128&sr=1-1.

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The All American, by Susie Finkbeiner, 2023, Revell (Baker Publishing Group)

The All American
The All American

The All American features two sisters growing up in the 1950s. I love this story, as I can relate to a lot of it, having also grown up in that era. The home economics classes for girls. The etiquette and expectations around ladylike dress and behavior. The books we read. The dread of encroaching communism like it was the devil himself. The ultimate enemy.

This is the second book I’ve read by Susie Finkbeiner. The other one was The Nature of Small Birds. Both are post WWII historical fiction. They encapsulate glimpses into that period, exposing its blind innocence and charm. Zealous Christian Americans staving off the evil commies. Finkbeiner uses fiction to bring to light the blunders that caused hurt and sadness. The hypocrisy of the scared self-righteous. Which, in the end, is not different or better than the opposite political pole of Communism carried too far.

Because it’s not about whether you adhere to right or left-wing politics. It’s about adhering to God our Creator, who made and loves us all, and loving our neighbors, including our enemies. And trusting God as we endure and learn from tragedy. Quote from page 322: “I can’t change the pain, but I can fight to remember the good in everything.

Thanks to Revell for sending me this book at my request. This is my honest review.

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This Is Where It Ends, by Cindy K. Sproles, 2023, Revell (Baker Publishing Group)

This Is Where It Ends

This is where it ends. Minerva Jenkins has lead a lonely existence atop her beautiful mountain since her husband, Stately, died, some 30 years ago. Were it not for the secret she’d promised to keep for him, she might not have spent all this time fending for herself. In fact, she has never even known what the secret was.

Told from Minerva’s Point of View, the story gradually comes to light. Something she’d never wanted to realize is forced to the surface. It starts when a young reporter arrives asking questions about her past. He needs a place to stay, and she has prayed not to die alone. He’s just what she needs–someone to care for her as her health fails, who even banters with her and enjoys her company. But then there’s his friend, a nefarious character.

Their questions send her into reverie, and she must settle matters in her mind. “Things that were pushed clear to the back of my soul wiggled their way to the front.”

She’d married at fourteen, told that the two shall become one, and not wanting to become a a burden to her parents. “It would have been a disgrace to marry after sixteen and have my folks be the parents of a spinster.” That was the last time she saw them.

Stately took her away to a lovely place on a mountain. “I took in a breath, and the scent of pine filled my senses. The birds set on the branches of the oak trees, and their song was like a choir singin in harmony. Through the trees, I could see the sun slowly restin itself on the summit. There was hardly anything prettier than the yellow hue that glistened over the mountain at dusk. I rubbed my eyes, dreadin the day my sight would leave me altogether.”

The book is full of beautiful scene descriptions. Minerva loves this place, but has been ever so lonely. She loved Stately and remained faithful to him, but as the story unfolds she comes face to face with reality. As she deals with it, she forgives for her own freedom, and finds that in the end she has a circle of loving friends after all.

Sproles paints lovely word pictures, and gets the reader into the mind of Minerva. A mix of loving her home, and realizing her time is drawing nigh, guarding her territory and letting go to this stranger who has entered her life . Choosing forgiveness over resentment.

It’s a lovely story. However, it took me a long time to get through it, although only 259 pages. Minerva seemed to take forever to die as she sorted out her past.

You may like this book if you enjoy reading descriptive, slow-paced, reflective stories about the elderly. I did enjoy it myself, but have been distracted lately by several things going on in my life that made it hard to concentrate.

Get to know the author by clicking here: CindySproles.com, where you can read her blog and sign up for her newsletter.

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In the SHADOW of the RIVER, by Ann H. Gabhart, 2023, Revell (Baker Publishing Group)

In the shadow of the river, the mystery of Jacci’s life plays out.

In the Shadow of the River
In the Shadow of the River

The mystery of Jacci Reed’s life plays out in the shadow of the river. Who is she, and where did she come from? Her true identity is really a mystery, to be revealed gradually in the shadow of the river.

Gabe Kingston becomes her protector from the first time they meet, under scary circumstances, when he is 13 and she’s one brave five-year-old.

I love this intriguing tale set in the late 1800s on the rivers of southern states. Before the time of roads and automobiles, paddlewheel boats transported people and goods and even entertainment from one town to another along rivers and tributaries.

Families, such as they were, worked and lived on these boats. Not a fancy life, though in some respects romantic and adventurous.

Characters come to life in the shadow of the river.

Ann Gabhart brings characters alive so readers can experience riverboat life and its dangers and joys in the shadow of the river. Not everyone is cut out for such a lifestyle, unmoored from a land address. But the people running the boats become family, some for the season, others for a lifetime. And you know how families are. Some members likeable, some not always, and some with a mysterious past. Who to trust?

As in previous books by Ann Gabhart, she excels in writing characters and setting, and intriguing plots keep you reading. I find the pacing comfortable, easy to follow, and not confusing. In the dark shadows, characters find strength in turning to God and trusting their lives to Him.

Thanks to Revell for sending me this beautiful paperback for my honest review.

Learn more about Ann Gabhart and her writing at www.annhgabhart.com.

Click on this link to see further information and reviews or to purchase: https://amzn.to/3OL1aiN As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

One more link; click on this one to see what your reader friends on Goodreads say: Pearl Fredericksen’s review of In the Shadow of the River | Goodreads

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the SWINDLER’S DAUGHTER, by Stephenia H. McGee, 2023, Revell (Baker Publishing Group)

The swindler’s daughter never even knew he was still alive.

the SWINDLER'S DAUGHTER
the SWINDLER’S DAUGHTER

The swindler’s daughter never knew him. In fact, her high society mother always claimed to be a widow.

Suddenly Lillian Doyle is sent to a small country town to claim an inheritance from him. Mid-twenties and away from her mother for the first time in her life. People staring at her fashionable clothing and taking her propriety as pretense.

What kind of person had her father been? And what is the nature of her inheritance? Furthermore, how will she fit in (or not) with her father’s family and their close friends, whose manners, thoughts, and ways are so different from hers?

Such strange choices the swindler’s daughter must now make.

The swindler’s daughter doesn’t have a clue what she’s been plunged into, but her life is turned upside down. Will she choose to return to a pretentious high society life in Atlanta, or fall in love with these sincere, straightforward, country people? What are the dangers?

Will she be seen as herself, or as a pretentious city woman, or as the swindler’s daughter?

In the context of Historical Fiction concerning smuggling moonshine during prohibition, Stephenia McGee portrays a complex picture of the times and the consequences of prohibition on families. Interwoven into the story is a romantic thread of attraction and love developing between two opposites, as well as a clear spiritual message about trusting God and waiting on Him in prayer.

Roles of mothers.

How apropos, with three mothers playing important roles in the story, that the book is being published right around Mother’s Day. Since my sons weren’t with me that afternoon, I enjoyed sitting on the beach reading, inspired to be a godly, steady, influencing force in the lives of those around me like Jonah Peterson’s mother, Melanie.

Thanks to Revell for sending me this delightful book so I could write my unbiased review. Stephenia H. McGee has a unique voice with pacing that’s easy to follow, and an amusing sense of humor. I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Learn more about the author at www.stepheniamcgee.com. Click here to find out more about the book and to purchase: https://amzn.to/3BAmtMt. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

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Counterfeit Love, by Crystal Caudill, 2022, Kregel Publications

Counterfeit love is worse than counterfeit money.

Cou;nterfeit Love
Counterfeit Love

Counterfeit love is an even worse farce than counterfeit money. It’s a crime against one’s own heart. Why would anyone do that? Perhaps for security?

Theresa finds she must question her motives and her heart when she realizes that the man she has promised to marry is not the man she truly loves. But the one she still loves has repeatedly told her there is no future for them. So, what’s a gal to do?

And WHY has God put her in this situation? If God truly loved her, would he have allowed her parents to die? And many more fates that befall her? Is there anyone at all she can trust? Must she fight all her battles alone? Can she still believe in God even if he continually seems to fail her?

Counterfeit money was common. If you need money, why not just print some?

This novel, on the surface, centers around counterfeit money–a real thing in 1884 Cincinnati, where the story takes place. Hidden danger and intrigue keep you flipping pages as characters escape one danger after another right to the end. But what really gets you pondering are the dangers of the heart.

And in case you didn’t take time while reading to consider such reflections, Crystal Caudill includes a list of discussion questions. They’d be perfect for a book club, or to sift through soul stuff during your own quiet meditations.

The writing

I love Crystal Caudill’s writer’s voice. It’s easy to follow and keeps the story moving. Her descriptions are unique, and she throws in good words, like ‘catarrh’ and ‘thwack’. “Catarrh or not, she could no longer delay the completion of her commissions.” “Something large thwacked her back…”

She appeals to animal lovers with Theresa’s odd menagerie, from Cordon Bleu the chicken to Tipsy the three-legged goat. However, though Theresa finds comfort in her animals, readers may not. I won’t give away spoilers by divulging their fate. It’s no worse, though, than the fate of some of the human characters. The story reads like a thriller movie. Verging briefly on horror before returning to scenes of tender, self-sacrificing protection between characters, and yes, even some swoony love scenes.

Crystal Caudill is a very personable author, who loves to connect with readers. Find out more about her and her writing at www.crystalcaudill.com/books.

My thanks for this beautiful paperback, which I had the good fortune to win through a give-away for Caudill’s newsletter subscribers. I enjoyed it thoroughly, and hope to read the other two in the series.

To preview or order this book, or the series of three, click here: Counterfeit Love. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

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where the ROAD BENDS, by Rachel Fordham, 2022, Revell (Baker Publishing Group)

Follow where the Road Bends

"...follow where the road bends. You can have a different life."
where the ROAD BENDS

Follow where the road bends. You can have a different life. That’s the advice Norah gave Quincy, but could she do that herself? Here she was, engaged to someone she wasn’t in love with, in order to save her farm. It was all she knew, and she loved it there. It held happy memories of her parents. But alone, she found it impossible to maintain.

This is the first book by Rachel Fordham that I’ve read, and I’ll definitely read more. The characters are well defined; the main characters are refreshingly human and likeable, the villains despicable. The plot twists and turns and bends like the road in the title.

The characters, plot, and setting would lend themselves to a series. I wonder what happens next in the lives of secondary characters, and in the growing establishments in the setting of the book.

Thought-provoking

As I read, I found myself rehashing the choices I’ve made at the twists and turns in my own life. As the characters struggle between secrecy and honesty, holding back and being forthright, I wonder how my own life might have been different had I shared from my heart rather than putting up fences. The path of life is very tricky, isn’t it?

At the end of the book there’s a list of questions for readers that would make an interesting discussion for a book club. Even just by myself, I found them thought-provoking. Could I be brave enough to change my life by following where the road bends?

Thank you to Revell for sending me this beautiful book to give my honest review. I’m so glad I chose it. Be the first to hear about new books from Revell. Sign up at RevellBooks.com/SignUp.

Meet author Rachel Fordham at RachelFordham.com.

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when the MEADOW BLOOMS, by Ann H. Gabhart, 2022, Revell (Baker Publishing Group)

A meadow in bloom is a vast bouquet of love from our heavenly Father.
when the MEADOW BLOOMS

A meadow in bloom

A meadow in bloom is a vast bouquet of love from our heavenly Father. A sensual treat, enveloping in joy. Ann Gabhart makes you feel it in this novel. Her word pictures put you in the meadow, a magical place lit up by moonlight. Natural, health-giving comforts of God’s creation, away from the institutional jails of the city.

Rose and her daughters, Calla and Sienna, have no place to go. The girls have been in an orphanage for two years while their mother is treated for tuberculosis in a sanitarium. It’s 1925. With no one else to turn to, they reach out to her husband’s brother, a recluse who they barely know. But alas, he has a heart. Or at least a sense of duty. And space for them in his house, situated in beautiful Meadowland.

Wonder, danger, mystery

The author skillfully brings readers into their lives, with their worries and fears. Some wonder, some new experiences, some danger and fighting for their lives. An old mystery threads through the story, to be solved at the end. The characters are alive, with their distinct personalities. I do hope this becomes a series. I want to know what happens to them later. And I want to visit Meadowland again.

Animals included

Not all the characters are human. A pair of crows are integral in solving the mystery. The dog plays a role too, and a loveable cat comforts Rose. Even chickens contribute to the healing of this family. Perhaps in the next book Sienna will meet the mouse she hopes to befriend.

My thanks to Revell for sending me this beautifully made paperback. The cover is gorgeous. I’m so glad I chose this book to review. I can honestly say I loved it! It inspired me to visit the meadows in bloom near my own home, and bask in the vast bouquets of love from my heavenly Father.

Learn more about Ann Gabhart and her books at AnnHGabhart.com.

This website is a participant in the Indigo Affiliate Program which allows it to earn commissions from Indigo if you make a purchase on indigo.ca after linking through this website.

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Catching Katie, by Robin Lee Hatcher, 2003, RobinSong Inc., ebook edition 2018

Fighting for women’s rights while struggling with personal desires is the theme here. It’s 1916, and Katie has returned home after living in Washington DC where she got caught up in the Women’s Suffrage movement.

Catching Katie

Back home in small-town Idaho, women have already been granted the right to vote. She hopes to motivate them to exercise this right and to fight for nationwide rights and equalities.

Little does she realize how influential she is. Smart-looking, vivacious, and dynamic, she soon has many followers of both sexes. Including her closest childhood friend, Ben, now a swoon-worthy man. As the publisher of the local newspaper, he agrees to let her write a weekly column, which attracts much controversial attention.

Katie and Ben instantly fall back into their old friendship. However, it’s been years, and things have changed for both of them. Yet, despite their differences, they can’t escape their magnetic attraction to one another. What their heads tell them is contrary to their heart’s pull. What to do?

Katie has a strong calling to dedicate her life to fighting for women’s rights. But this doesn’t seem to jive with her heart’s desires. Is it possible to reconcile the two? Can Ben catch the woman he loves, and must he modify his own desires to do so?

I received this book as a free download from Kindle, and enjoyed it very much, as I do all of Robin’s books. Her writing is pleasant to read, and always thought-provoking. Find out more about the author and her books at www.robinleehatcher.com.

This website is a participant in the Indigo Affiliate Program which allows it to earn commissions from Indigo if you make a purchase on indigo.ca after linking through this website.

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The Spark of Love, by Amanda Cabot, 2022, Revell (Baker Publishing Group)

1957 Small Town Texas

1857 small town Texas with a mix of charming and nefarious characters. Alexandra arrives from New York and must keep her wits on alert. Having escaped from a threatening suitor, she has come to be with her father. Sadly, she is not welcomed by him.

The Spark of Love

However, Mesquite Springs is a very friendly community. As is the guardian angel, in the form of Gabe, who feels compelled to protect her. He takes her under his wing, but all isn’t as it seems.

Who Can She Trust?

He happened to travel on the same coach, and both were surprised to find the hotel still under construction. The townspeople immediately find them lodging and befriend them. But they aren’t the only newcomers, and some are not to be trusted.

My Favourite Kind of Story

This is the third in the Mesquite Springs series. I read the first book, Out of the Embers, but missed the second one. It was nice to run into some of the characters again. I wish the series could carry on.

Amanda Cabot has a very likable writing style. I love her use of words. The characters are charming and the plot intriguing. The setting makes me wish to live in a place like that.

Visit AmandaCabot.com to learn more about the author, sign up for her newsletter, and see what other books she is writing.

Thanks to Revell for sending me this beautiful paperback to review. I’m so glad I chose it–it’s my favourite kind of story.

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Tidewater Bride, by Laura Frantz, 2021, Revell (Baker Publishing Group)

Early America

Tidewater Bride, by Laura Frantz

Tidewater Bride, by Laura Frantz, transports readers to early 1600s Virginia. We’ve all heard of the legendary Pocahontas, a true love story of that era between a native girl and a white settler. How did they come to fall in love? Frantz brings alive the situations and circumstances of several characters in this book. Many peoples are at odds in the unstable times of the setting. It’s not just settlers and naturals (the term Frantz uses for natives). Several interesting and intriguing subplots bring readers into this new world.

Skillfully Written

Frantz creates suspense on several levels. The romance between the daughter of a merchant and a tobacco grower includes characters from the various peoples who inhabited Virginia at the time. Tensions simmer between settlers and natives. African slave owners abuse them. White settlers include British elite, Scottish indentures, Puritans who keep to themselves, doctors, merchants, innkeepers, and shiploads of brides. Many male settlers have already arrived. Some married native girls. Imported brides are never enough for the men who want wives.

Colloquial Lingo

The author makes extensive use of the colloquial lingo of the era. It took a couple of chapters to get used to it. The flowery way of speaking almost seems poetic. It helped put me into the viewpoint of the main character. I felt for all the different people of her world.

I chose this book to write a review on, and the publisher sent me a free copy. Frantz has researched well, and I recommend the book to readers of early American historical fiction.

www.revellbooks.com

www.laurafrantz.net

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The Christmas Blessing, by Melody Carlson, 2017, Revell, (Baker Publishing Group)

This is the third Christmas novella by Melody Carlson that I’ve read this season, I’m enjoying them so much! So glad my church library has a good stock of them!

The Christmas Blessing

It’s 1944. Amelia Richards and her newborn son are setting out to make an attempt at becoming part of his father’s family in another state. Shortly after little Jimmy was conceived his father’s plane had gone down over the Pacific Ocean. Amelia doesn’t know whether he has even had a chance to tell his family about her, as theirs had been a whirlwind romance.

They had met in San Diego at a New Years Eve dance for the service men where she was a hostess, and had fallen madly in love. Now she is alone in the world with his son. Will his family accept them? She is unprepared for the cold Montana weather and has never actually seen snow. Mixed emotions of hope and trepidation swirl around in her mind as she looks for James’s family.

But then things get worse and Amelia finds herself in dire straits. What will she do? She must take a risk and hope for the best. What will be the outcome?

Amelia is a courageous character. She doesn’t know what to expect in James’s parents. What will they be like? The author has done a good job of bringing out the personalities of each character, which is what really makes this story. They are not perfect people but they do hope in God and have care and kindness in their hearts.

This is an intriguing story and I’m looking forward to reading one more of Melody Carlson’s Christmas novellas this week during the holidays.