Category: Books

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Book Review: Gideon’s Call

Tad, a small slave boy on a Carolinian island, is destined for a unique and impressive future. As the Civil War approaches the island, the white masters flee, but the slaves stay. The new community of freedmen is swiftly selected to host a government experiment to see if the freed slaves can become contributing members of society. Tad’s smarts and entrepreneurial initiative soon catch the attention of Edward Pierce, leader of the experiment. As the war progresses, both Tad and Pierce are in for many adventures. Can Pierce’s connections and Tad’s firsthand experience of the brutality of slavery win the freedman a chance for a fresh start and a brighter future?

The Civil War is one of my favorite periods of history, and I have researched it extensively. Mr. Leavell wrote about an element of the time period I never heard about before. That was enough to hook me! The story is well written and the characters are sympathetic and compelling. There is a bit of a love story between Tad and a girl from the same plantation, however this sub-plot remained a sub-plot and did not dominate the story. This is a good book about an important period of history.

Author: Peter Leavell
Audience: Adults
Genre: Historical Fiction
Pages: 359
Publisher: Worthy Publishing

What are your favorite stories set during the Civil War?

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Book Review: El Dorado

Roll up your sleeves and get ready to dive into another adventure with Sir and Lady Blakeney! As promised, here is a review of a sequel to The Scarlet Pimpernel. Don’t ask me what a Spanish sounding title has to do with a story of the French Revolution. I haven’t figured it out yet. I tried looking up what “El Dorado” means the other day, but Google translate didn’t know. Any ideas? Anyway, here’s the review. The quote should should sound familiar. 😉

“Dear heart,” he murmured, “do not look on me with those dear, scared eyes of yours. If there is aught that puzzles you in what I said, try and trust me a little longer. Remember, I must save the Dauphin at all costs; mine honor is bound with his safety. What happens to me after that matters but little, yet I wish to live for your dear sake.”

Only one thing matters more to Sir Percy Blakeney than his wife, Marguerite. His honor. And his honor is bound to his newest mission. The French revolutionaries hold their young prince captive. The young Dauphin’s life is in danger, and Sir Percy (also known as the Scarlet Pimpernel) determines to rescue the lad. The mission is fraught with danger, especially now that Citizen Chauvelin knows the identity of the Scarlet Pimpernel. Marguerite’s love struck brother, Armand, isn’t helping matters either. Are the reckless adventures of the Scarlet Pimpernel about come to end?

I haven’t read all of the sequels to The Scarlet Pimpernel, but this is one of my favorites out of the ones I have read. (I think I might say that about all of them, though.) Sir Percy Blakeney is doing crazy things to rescue people. What’s not to like? 😀 For anyone who hasn’t read The Scarlet Pimpernel, these books can be pretty heavy on the romance, but there’s nothing explicit, and Percy and Marguerite are married, so it’s not inappropriate either. If you’re not big on this period of history, don’t let that stop you from reading these books. I had the same reservations and The Scarlet Pimpernel won me over. Enjoy your reading!

Author: Baroness Emmuska Orczy
Audience: Tweens and Up
Genre: Classic Adventure
Pages: 341
Publisher: My copy is from Dover Publications

What are your expectations for this sequel to The Scarlet Pimpernel? Do you think it can live up to the first book?

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Book Review & Giveaway: Sir Bentley and Holbrook Court

*Giveaway Closed*

Big day today! I don’t know if any of you have noticed the countdown box in the sidebar, but today marks the beginning of another book giveaway. This time the book is a signed copy of Sir Bentley of Holbrook Court. I hope you’ll take the time to read the review and leave a comment. Leaving a comment will automatically enter you in the drawing for the book*. The winner will be announced in a week on Thursday, November 22.

Bentley mounted Silverwood, look down at his parents, and launched the powerful steed into the kingdom…a kingdom waiting for one young knight to discover the truth of a Stranger.

When Bentley refuses to kill two Followers, his fate is sealed. His days as a Noble night have ended. Now he must leave Chessington in search of the Truth. He learns that the man called The Stranger was, and is, the Prince. The Son of the True King. In his pursuit to follow in the footsteps of his Prince, Bentley becomes a peasant and ventures into Holbrook. He becomes one of the farmers and discovers oppression, injustice, love and a cause to fight for. The day is coming when Holbrook will need a knight of the Prince.

This may well be my favorite book in the Knights of Arrethtrae series. Bentley’s quest for Truth and desire to serve the Prince illuminate truths about God and our responsibilities as Christians. A paragraph from the back cover of the book sums up the reason I love this series so much. “Journey to Arrethtrae, where these knights of noble heart live and die in loyal service to the King and the Prince. These knights are mighty, for they serve a mighty King.” I think that we, as Christians today, often forget to walk in the truth that we are in a battle and should and can fight that battle as mighty warriors, for we serve a mighty King. Never forget, the King reigns…and His Son!

Author: Chuck Black
Audience: All Ages
Genre: Christian Allegory/Adventure
Pages: 208
Publisher: Multnomah

Come back on Wednesday for an author interview with Chuck Black!

What do you like about the Kingdom Series or the Knights of Arrathtrae Series? Why would you like to win a copy of Sir Bentley and Holbrook Court?

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*Due to cost of shipping, this book cannot be mailed outside of the continental United States.

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Book Review: Saving Levi

Hopefully by the end of the month, I’ll be able to pull together a list of my favorite orphan/foster care/adoption books in honor of National Adoption Awareness Month. In the meantime, I figured I’d do an extra book review. This will be the first non-fiction book review for the blog. Enjoy!

It would be 24 hours from the time Levi was left to die in the field until I first saw him.

Lisa Bentley and her family were serving in a small, Chinese orphanage when they met the little boy that would become their son, Levi. He had been found in a field, left to die. Seventy percent of the baby’s body was covered in third to fourth degree burns. His survival seemed doubtful. As he fought for his life, Levi drew people from around the world together.

I’d been eyeing this book in CBD catalogs for some time and I finally purchased a copy at a homeschool conference several months ago. It’s a riveting story. Of course, when adoption and orphan care is involved, it doesn’t take much to make me like it! 😉 There are so many stories out there that showcase the very real truth that God cares about orphans. This book is one of those stories.

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Book Review: Prisoners of the Sea

Today’s book review is written for us by “Maiden-in-Waiting”, a friend of mine and one of my blog readers. Some of you may have read her comments or noticed her name in the “Guess a Quote” posts. This is the first guest post (not counting author interviews) for this blog! Hope you enjoy.

“You are right, mother,” said Madeline in a low voice. “We are in a horrible strait; disaster
seems to threaten us in whichever direction we turn; but let us do anything, rather than
commit ourselves into the power of the dreadful sea.”

This vividly compelling novel defines the term “being in an agony of suspense.” Masterfully written, Prisoners of the Sea unfolds during the intolerant rule of France’s Catholic King Louis XIV, who renounces the Edict of Nantes and bans Protestantism.

Abandoned to drown by the cowardly crew of their sinking ship, a small company of the now illegal Huguenots are thrown upon the mercies of the sea, their own ingenuity and the arms of their God. When the regal and gracious Madame de Langres, and her lovely and spirited daughter Madeline, the bold and chivalrous gentleman Balliot, and the incorrigible but resourceful sailor Jack Winters find refuge on the mysterious shores of an unknown island, they hardly suspect the perils that lie ahead. Midnight kidnappings, abandoned mansions, covetous pirates, agonizing miscommunications, a blossoming romance, and an ancient mystery swirl into a tapestry of unyielding tension and suspense, forcing us to wait until the last chapter for an astonishing conclusion!

Author: Florence M. Kinsley
Audience: Teen to Adult
Genre: Classic/Historical Fiction
Pages: 394, of pure enjoyment
Publisher: Lamplighter Rare Collector’s series

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Book Review: Flight Into Spring

Even though Sally Day had just consented to become his wife, Charles left for the North the next day.

At sixteen years old, Sally Day Hammon, a vivacious and incorrigible southern-belle, marries Charles Horne, a stoic and quite Yankee soldier from Connecticut. When she moves to New England with her husband, Sally Day finds that her new life is much different from her old life. Her free-spirited ways clash with the more repressed Northern lifestyle. Can Sally Day adjust to her new family and new surroundings?

This was a fun read with a slightly frivolous feel. It was interesting enough to keep me reading, but I was unsatisfied with the main character, Sally Day. She doesn’t fill the Biblical role of submissive help-meet very well! That said, it’s a clean read with some interesting historical elements. If you can borrow it, I’d say go ahead and read it. If you’re looking for a book to buy, I recommend spending your money elsewhere .

Author: Bianca Bradbury
Audience: Tween–Young Adult
Genre: Historical Fiction
Pages: 184
Publisher: Bethlehem Books

Have you read Flight Into Spring? If so, what did you think? Are there any other post Civil War books you recommend?

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Book Review: Gabriel’s Horses

When Pa shows me something, I take note. Pa’s the best horseman in Kentucky, and I aim to follow in his path.

Horses and horse racing are Gabriel’s life. He is the son of a freedman and a slave woman, making him a slave. He enjoys jockeying for his master and learning about horses from his father. He is happy until war sends his world spinning. His father leaves and a new horse trainer with harsh training methods arrives. To top things off, Confederate soldiers begin stealing horses. Gabriel must make sense of his new life while trying to protect the horses he loves.

This is the first book in the Racing to Freedom Trilogy. I read the trilogy several years ago. My library purchased the second book in the trilogy. After reading that book, I begged the librarians to buy the first and third book to add to their collection. They did and I enjoyed all three books. The story is fast paced and provides an unusual look at a popular period of history.

Author: Alison Hart
Audience: Middle Grade–Tween
Genre: Historical Fiction
Pages: 160
Publisher: Peachtree Publishers

What are your favorite historical horse stories?

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Book Review: The Other Side of Truth

Sade’s father is a bold journalist speaking against the corrupt Nigerian government. There are many people who want him silenced. After their mother is murdered, Sade and her brother, Femi, are smuggling to Britain. Nothing goes as planned. Sade finds herself struggling to find the right path in a new country. Will she ever see Papa again?

This book was dedicated to young people who want to know more, and it’s a good story for doing just that. The dangers of standing up for the truth and the cost some people pay for doing so is eye opening. Well worth reading.

Author: Beverly Naidoo
Audience: Tweens–Young Adults
Genre: Multicultural Fiction
Pages: 272
Publisher: Amistad Publisher

Have you read any stories about refugees? If so, share the titles in the comments section below.

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