The Lady with the Dark Hair - by Erin Bartels

 

About the book:

A charismatic man with a legacy that long outlives him

A forgotten woman whose fate is forever tied to his

And the family whose history is still being written

***

Toulouse, France--1879

Catalan orphan-turned-fugitive Viviana Torrens has found sanctuary serving in the home of an aging artist in Southern France. It is in his studio that she meets Francisco Vella, a Gibraltarian merchant who sells artists' pigments. When her past catches up to her, she is compelled to pose as Vella's sister and join him on his travels or be deported back to Spain to stand trial. Along the way she will discover that the many parts she has been playing in order to hide her identity have far-reaching implications she never could have foreseen.

East Lansing, Michigan--Present Day

Esther Markstrom and her artist mother have always been proud of their ancestor, painter Francisco Vella. They even run a small museum and gallery dedicated to raising awareness of his scandalously underappreciated work. But when Esther reconnects with her former art history professor, she finds her once-solid family history on shaky ground as questions arise about Vella's greatest work--a portrait entitled The Lady with the Dark Hair.


This dual-timeline story from award-winning author Erin Bartels takes you on a captivating journey across time and continents, where past and present converge in a relentless search for truth, identity, and the freedom to follow one's dreams.

My review:

I'm still not sure quite what I thought of this book.  On one hand, it was fascinating to learn about these different cultures and time periods and what a different and difficult life Viviana led.  Esther didn't have it so easy, either.  Esther's difficulties dealing with a mentally ill mother must have been frustrating and tiring as the only caregiver.  I love looking at paintings and I especially love impressionism so I ended up reading about some of the artists mentioned that Viviana met in France and looking at their paintings online.  It was a fascinating time and strange to think that that style was so controversial then.  It didn't feel like there was much about faith in the story.  Viviana mentioned having faith in God but I don't remember if Esther ever talked about it.  The story really dealt with identity and being who you are, not trying to be someone else or who you think someone wants you to be.  It's about discovering how to be content in your own skin, which is a great place to be.  I enjoyed the book and I think you'll especially like it if you love art!

I received this book free from Revell.  I was not compensated for this review.  All opinions are my own.

THE AUTHOR

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   Matthew Mitchell Photo

   Erin Bartels

   Erin Bartels writes character-driven fiction for curious people. Her readers know to expect that each of her novels will tell a unique story about fallible characters so tangible that it's hard to believe they are not real people. Whether urban, rural, or...

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Eye-Opening! 'The Ark and the Dove' - by Jill Eileen Smith

 

About the book:

Experience the story of the great flood as you never have before

Zara and Noah have walked together with the Creator for their entire lives. They have done their best in an increasingly wicked and defiant world to raise their three sons to follow in their footsteps. It has been a challenge--and it's about to get much, much harder.

When the Creator tells her husband to build an ark to escape the coming wrath against the sins of humankind, Zara steps out with him in faith. But the derision and sabotage directed their way from both friends and extended family are difficult to bear, as is knowing that everyone she interacts with beyond her husband, her sons, and their wives is doomed to destruction.

When the ark is finally finished and the animals have been shut up inside, Zara and her family embark on an adventure that will test their patience and their faith as they await deliverance and dry ground.

My review:

 After seeing the Ark in Kentucky a couple months ago, I was excited to see this book become available and that I'd get a chance to review it.  The Ark Encounter was fascinating and huge and it's amazing to think Noah and his sons built an ark that size so many years ago and that it took decades!  I think in my mind it was built quickly and seeing how the book brought that difficult time to life was something to see.  Noah and his family were made fun of and sometimes feared for their lives, which seems likely given the evil times.  There was a ton of work to do to get everything prepared, from getting all the supplies they needed just to build the ark to getting what they needed to survive on board.  Sometimes people didn't want to sell to them; I just never truly thought about the logistics of it all.  Seeing Noah's wife, Zara, as a human just like us but forced to go through such a difficult experience of seeing other family and friends lost in the flood and then trying to navigate relationships with her daughters-in-law in close living conditions must have been extremely difficult so it was inspiring to see her faith and patience.  Ham's wife is depicted as difficult and seeing how that could explain later choices they made was interesting; she did get on my nerves, though.  Reading about what their different personalities could have been like and how they interacted with each other truly made them human, which is what they were!  Seeing the genealogies come to life was fascinating, too!  I would recommend this book just to see what they truly went through and to make the Bible come to life!

I received this book free from Revell.  I was not compensated for this review.  All opinions are my own.

           The Author

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   © J. Lynn Perry Photography

   Jill Eileen Smith

   Jill Eileen Smith is the bestselling and award-winning author of the biblical fiction series The Wives of King David, Wives of the Patriarchs, and Daughters of the Promised Land, as well as The Heart of a King, Star of Persia: Esther's...

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Another Winner! 'Embers in the London Sky' - by Sarah Sundin

 

About the book:

London, 1940

As the German army invades the Netherlands in 1940, Aleida van der Zee Martens escapes to London to wait out the occupation. Separated from her three-year-old son, Theo, in the process, the young widow desperately searches for her little boy even as she works for an agency responsible for evacuating children to the countryside.

When German bombs set London ablaze, BBC radio correspondent Hugh Collingwood reports on the Blitz, eager to boost morale while walking the fine line between truth and censorship. But the Germans are not the only ones Londoners have to fear as a series of murders flame up amid the ashes.

The deaths hit close to home for Hugh, and Aleida needs his help to locate her missing son. As they work together, they grow closer and closer, both to each other and the answers they seek. But time is running short--and the worst is yet to come.

My review:

This was a fascinating story from a couple angles, first learning more about the BBC's work during the war and the goal to boost morale but trying to figure out what's the role of censorship.  I also enjoyed learning about what the volunteers did after bombs fell, rescuing people, putting out fires, etc.  It's unimaginable what mothers endured sending their children to the country to save them but having to be separated and then learning some of the children were mistreated was heartbreaking to think about.  Aleida was a wonderful character who goes to extremes to find her son, searching everywhere she can think of and never giving up.  She struggled with some OCD tendencies, though, as a means to gain some control over her life.  She also had a very hard time trusting men because of how her husband had acted.  Hugh was incredible, a talented radio correspondent who cared so much about people but struggled with wanting the approval of his parents who didn't approve of his job.  He also worried that a health condition he had would be the end of his career if it was discovered so he questioned whether his calling was real.  He had a strong faith and a tender heart and I loved that he rescued a cat!  He was also so patient with Aleida while she encouraged him in his work and to reveal his secret and they really made each other better.  Their love story was sweet to witness.  Then to see Aleida make an incredible sacrifice was amazing; I had tears in my eyes.  The murder mystery was intriguing, too.  I always highly recommend Sarah Sundin's stories and this is no exception!

I received a free copy of this book from Revell.  I was not compensated for this review.  All opinions are my own.

About the author:

           The Author

1. 

   Marci Seither

   Sarah Sundin

   Sarah Sundin is the bestselling author of When Twilight Breaks, Until Leaves Fall in Paris, The Sound of Light, and the popular WWII series Sunrise at Normandy, among others. She is a Christy Award winner and a Carol Award winner,...

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Powerful Conclusion! 'The Rhythm of Fractured Grace' - Sedgwick County Chronicles 3 - by Amanda Wen

About the book:

Is Siobhan too far gone to respond to the song of a God who's calling her back to him? When a new customer brings a badly damaged violin into Siobhan Walsh's shop, it is exactly the sort of challenge she craves. The man who brought it in is not. He's too close to the painful past that left her heart and her faith in shambles. Matt Buchanan has had a rough start as the new worship pastor. A car accident on his way into town left him with a nearly totaled truck, and an heirloom violin in pieces. When he takes it to a repair shop, he's fascinated with the restoration process--and with the edgy, closed-off woman doing the work. As their friendship deepens and turns into more, they both discover secrets that force them to face past wounds. And the history of the violin reveals more about their current problems than they could have ever expected. On the nineteenth-century frontier, a gruesome tomahawk attack wiped out most of Deborah Caldwell's family. Her greatest solace after the tragedy is the music from her father's prized violin. Given her horrendous scars, she'd resigned herself to a spinster's life. But Levi Martinson's gentle love starts to chip away at her hardened heart, until devastating details about the attack are revealed, putting their love--and Deborah's shaky faith--to the ultimate test. Full of forgiveness and the message that no one is too damaged for God's healing touch, the final book in the split-time Sedgwick County Chronicles will thrill fans of Rachel Hauck, Lisa Wingate, and Kristy Cambron.

My review:

This was an incredibly powerful story about forgiveness and God giving you the strength to forgive what you thought was unforgivable.  I love split-time books and I've loved both books in this series but I had a little harder time with this one due to the subject matter in the contemporary part of the story.  The historical story had tragedy and unthinkable sorrow; I can't even imagine losing almost your entire family but also having to endure horrible scars.  It was beautiful seeing Deborah's love story, however, and what a wonderful man Levi was.  And to read that this family was based on real people is amazing!  The contemporary story was about a woman who needed healing and to forgive and to stop blaming herself for being manipulated and groomed into a toxic relationship.  Siobhan had turned her back on God and her faith after being hurt and rejected and it was wonderful to watch Siobhan and her sister discover Deborah's story as they researched the violin's history and what it ultimately meant for Siobhan's healing.  Matt was also an amazing man of faith and integrity in the contemporary story and it was wonderful to see how he encouraged Siobhan in her faith journey and toward healing.  I loved seeing characters from the prior books show up in both timelines but you don't have to have read the other two books to enjoy this one.  I suggest you don't miss out on them, though, because they were wonderful!  I highly recommend this book, also!

I received a free kindle copy of this book from Netgalley for Just Read tours.  I was not compensated for this review.  All opinions are my own.