The Memory Weaver - by Jane Kirkpatrick

About the book:

Eliza Spalding Warren was just a child when she was taken hostage by the Cayuse Indians during a massacre in 1847. Now a mother of two, Eliza faces a new kind of dislocation; her impulsive husband wants to make a new start in another territory, which will mean leaving her beloved home and her mother's grave--and returning to the land of her captivity.

Haunted by memories and hounded by struggle, Eliza longs to know how her mother dealt with the trauma of their ordeal. As she searches the pages of her mother's diary, Eliza is stunned to find that her own recollections tell only part of the story.

Based on true events, The Memory Weaver is New York Times bestselling author Jane Kirkpatrick's latest literary journey into the past, where threads of western landscapes, family, and faith weave a tapestry of hope inside every pioneering woman's heart. Get swept up in this emotional story of the memories that entangle us and the healing that awaits us when we bravely unravel the threads of the past.

My review:

I actually had a hard time getting very interested in this story.  I didn't like any of the characters very much and felt like there was a bit too much detail and some repetitiveness.  The fact that this was based on the true life of Eliza was interesting and that she had survived a massacre and then been taken hostage and had to interpret must have been horrifying.  She seemed to have a strong faith in God and tried to influence her husband for the better.  She went through other tough circumstances and I admired her strength and determination to make the best of things.  There were journal entries of her mother's every so often, but I didn't think those were that interesting, either.  If you like history, especially about real people, you might want to check it out.

I received this book free from Revell in exchange for an honest review.

 The Author

1. 

   Jane Kirkpatrick

   Jane Kirkpatrick is the New York Times and CBA bestselling author of more than twenty-five books, including A Sweetness to the Soul, which won the coveted Wrangler Award from the Western Heritage Center. Her works have been...
   

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Another Winner! The Mistress of Tall Acre - by Laura Frantz

About the book:

There can be only one mistress of Tall Acre . . .
The American Revolution is finally over, and Sophie Menzies is starved for good news. When her nearest neighbor, General Seamus Ogilvy, finally comes home to Tall Acre, she hopes it is a sign of better days to come. But the general is now a widower with a small daughter in desperate need of a mother. Nearly destitute, Sophie agrees to marry Seamus and become the mistress of Tall Acre in what seems a safe, sensible arrangement. But when a woman from the general's past returns without warning, the ties that bind this fledgling family together will be strained to the utmost. When all is said and done, who will be the rightful mistress of Tall Acre?

Triumph and tragedy, loyalty and betrayal--you will find it all in the rich pages of this newest novel from the talented pen of Laura Frantz.

My review:

Laura Frantz has another winner!  This was a beautiful love story that originated in a marriage of convenience.  Half of the story took place before they were married, with Sophie forming a bond with Seamus' daughter, Lily Cate, as she waits for her brother to return from the war.  Seamus and Sophie's friendship developed slowly  as we got to see their feelings develop into something more.  There's some suspense and a bit of a mystery surrounding Lily Cate and I wasn't sure how that was going to be resolved.  Then I was surprised to see who the woman was from the general's past and I wondered again how this could turn out for the good.  It was amazing to think that these men who fought the Revolutionary War were gone for eight years, if they survived at all.  I felt for all Sophie had to endure, from her father's abandonment to her mother's death, and then being shunned by the community because her father sided with the British even though she didn't.  I loved all of the characters, especially Seamus and Sophie.  They both strove to be honorable and do the right thing, no matter what.  Sophie had a strong faith and helped influence Seamus to turn back to God.  His relationship with Lily Cate was heartbreaking at first and then so sweet as they grew to know each other.  This was a well-written story I highly recommend!

I received this book free from Revell in exchange for an honest review.

 The Author

1. 

   Laura Frantz

   Laura Frantz is a lover of history, is the author of The Frontiersman's Daughter, Courting Morrow Little, and The Colonel's Lady, and currently lives in the misty woods of Washington with her husband and two sons.
   

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