A Bound Heart by Laura Frantz

Review: I get so excited when I receive a Laura Frantz book in the mail. Her name alone evokes high expectations for an excellent story, characters I'm going to fall in love with, and beautiful writing that makes me sigh in envy. I expect a book that will go on my 'favourite' shelf and one that I will undoubtedly read again. 

I have yet to be handed a book by Laura Frantz that does not meet my high expectations and that includes "A Bound Heart". This lovely novel starts out on a wild Scottish Isle with a bonny lass and a brae laird.... do I have your interest yet? Haha....who doesn't love a wistful Scottish romance with all the highland/lowland drama and amazing accents?

"Speaking" of which, the accents and unique Scottish traditions, mannerisms, and word-choices are so wonderfully done in this book. I swear I was speaking with a bit of an accent after I finished reading this. It made "A Bound Heart" feel all the more authentic. 

Oddly enough, I'd like to encourage the reader to enjoy this beautiful romance without reading the back cover. It gives away a shocking amount of the plot, and I was grateful I didn't look at it until I was part way through the novel...but the choice is yours. 

For myself, I prefer to have such a good read left unspoiled.... so I will simply say that Lark and her brae Laird are meant to be together.... but their romance does not seem meant to be. Circumstances and life make it nearly impossible for them to be together, and the grace that they continue to live their lives under is wonderful as they trust God and move forward. This story feels so incredibly authentic - it is easy to forget your are reading a novel.... it feels so real. 

I'm afraid this review is making this novel sound dull. It definitely is not. Their are villains and a gripping plot that include pirates, smugglers, betrayal along with unspeakable loyalty, and much much more. You will have trouble putting down this book - it is certainly an exciting read.

Thank-you to Graf Martin Communications and to Baker Publishing House for a complimentary copy of this lovely book. 

Back Cover (SPOILER ALERT):

Though Magnus MacLeish and Lark MacDougall grew up on the same castle grounds, Magnus is now laird of the great house and the Isle of Kerrera. Lark is just the keeper of his bees--and the woman who could provide an elixir to help his ailing wife conceive and bear him an heir. But when his wife dies suddenly, Magnus and Lark find themselves caught up in a whirlwind of accusations, expelled from their beloved island, and sold as indentured servants across the Atlantic. Can they make a new beginning in this New World? Or will their hopes be dashed against the rocky coastline of the Virginia colony?

Laura Frantz's prose sparkles with authenticity as she digs into her own family history to share this breathless tale of love, exile, and courage in colonial America.

The Highest of Hopes by Sussan Anne Mason

Back Cover: After her beloved grandfather's death, Emmaline Moore is shocked to discover that her deceased father is actually alive in Canada. Having no other family, Emma decides she must find him, and so embarks on a journey across the ocean, accompanied by her best friend Jonathan. Unfortunately, Randall Moore and his family aren't thrilled by her arrival, fearing her sudden appearance will hinder his chance at becoming mayor of Toronto in 1919. Despite everything, Emma remains determined to gain their affection.

Jonathan Rowe has secretly loved Emma for years and hopes that during their trip he can win her heart. Concerned that Randall might reject her, Jonathan is ready to console Emma and bring her home. But when she informs him that she has no intention of returning to England, Jonathan fears he'll lose her forever. Is there any way to convince her that the love she seeks could be right in front of her?

Review: This book really tugged at my heartstrings. Emmaline Moore is such a boisterous character, and despite some difficulties in her past, she is a beaming optimist. Voracious and outgoing, Emmaline doesn't think for a moment that her supposedly-dead-but-actually-alive father would be anything but overjoyed to see her.

Her stalwart companion has lived through war, and he doggedly accompanies Emmaline on her mission to find her father, despite massive misgivings in his heart. No doubt that a father who abandoned Emmaline as a child would not give her the welcome that she hopes for....

Despite Jonathan's cautious warnings, Emmaline plows full-steam ahead into her father's life. Full of budding hopefulness and nativity, Emmaline struggles to reconcile the image of her father's love that she had created in her imagination and the reality of her situation. Desperate to find a place in his heart and to find the love that she believes only her father can give her, Emmaline is blind to the one person who has always loved her.

Full of misadventures, this novel kept me entertained and turning the pages. The character development in this book was wonderful and I really enjoyed watching Emmaline come into her own.

Thank-you to Graf Martin Communications and to Baker Publishing House for a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion. 

Stolen by Katariina Rosenblatt

The Story of a Sex Trafficking Survivor….

Katariina Rosenblatt was a lonely and abused young girl, yearning to be loved, wanting attention. That made her the perfect target. On an ordinary day, she met a confident young woman - someone Kat wished she could be like - who pretended to be a friend while slowly luring her into a child trafficking ring. A cycle of false friendships, threats, drugs, and violence kept her trapped.

As Kat shares her harrowing experiences, her ultimate escape, and her passionate efforts to now free other victims, you'll see that not only is sex trafficking happening frighteningly close to home - it's also something that can be stopped. Stolen is a warning, a celebration of survival, and a beacon of hope that will inspire you.

Review: Katariina tells a story that you wish was just that…. a story. A fable. Fiction. Something you could put back on the shelf and say, "Well, glad THAT wasn't real."

Unfortunately, she is telling a true story. HER story.

 She's beaten, raped, lied too, kidnapped, drugged, and betrayed by family, friends, and those that should have protected her.

Her story is raw. She tells it as it was. Laying the facts bare for all to see. She doesn't use extra words or waste time embellishing the story - there is no need. Her life is story enough without any extras.

"Stolen" really bothered me - which I consider a good thing. Katariina's story made me think, made me uncomfortable, and gave me a desire to see things change. It also made me more aware of an evil that I may never have recognized before - even if I'd seen it happening. I can't believe such atrocities happen to boys and girls - mere children! Sex trafficking is a horrid, horrific thing…the trafficking of children is beyond imaginable. Perhaps what is most awful about Katariina's life is the fact that her abuse happened in the USA and in such a deceptive fashion. She was getting used, sold, and horrifically treated right under the noses of so many people that should have noticed - even her own mother.

This book is something every mother and father should read. It gave me an insight into how these kind of rings work and how they prey on children. Their methods are evil and so easy to overlook.

I am sure Katariina's story will help save many lives. Read this book and encourage others to do so as well. As much as this book focuses on her story, she makes it clear that victims are not just girls, but little boys as well. Every parent should read this story.

Katariina's destroyed childhood lead into a life of domestic abuse as she found herself pregnant and then married to an abusive husband for 20 years. As she often says, she was fortunate. Most children that are brought into prostitution don't live past their early twenties.

Through the years of domestic abuse and raising two children virtually on her own, Katariina earned her high school diploma, a college education, and a PhD in law. Today, she is a force in educating people on sex trafficking, protecting children, and helping those caught in prostitution to find a way out.  Visit www.StolenOnes.com to find out how you can help.


"Book has been provided courtesy of Revell and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc.
Available at your favourite bookseller from BakerBooks, a division of Baker Publishing Group"

The Emancipation of Robert Sadler by Robert Sadler with Marie Chapian

Back Cover:  So many thoughts twirl in my head... I want to think back as far as I can rembmer - think on things I had long ago buried and let stay buried. There were things I never told anyone. Now is the time to tell it, though. Help me remember it, Lord, so I can tell it just the way it was.

Over fifty years after the Emancipation Proclamation, Robert Sadler was sold into slavery at the age of five - by his own father. Originally published in 1975, this is the no-holds-barred tale of those dark days, his quest for freedom, and the determination to serve others borne out of his experience. You won't forgt this poignant true story of good triumphing over evil, of God's grace, and of an extraordinary life of ministry.


Review: It is very difficult to describe this book, but in a word? Incredible. Thinking back on Robert Sadler's story I am flooded with a tumultuous sea of emotion - horror, sadness, grief, anger, awe, thanksgiving, and finally joy at God's miraculous workings. It is unbelievable to think that men and women were still kept as slaves even after the emancipation, but Robert's story proves that horrific fact to be true. The first half of this book made me sick as I read the horrific details of Robert's life as a slave - a life that he was thrust into by his own father at the tender age of five. How can people be so cruel to each other? How can family fail in such a dramatic way? Robert's life story is so awful I didn't want to believe it was true. But just when I thought there was no hope left for Robert, God enters into the story. Even when an earthly father fails like Robert's did our Heavenly Father never does. God's grace and miraculous workings in Robert's life will probably move you to tears - as it did me - and leave you in awe at the mighty power and incredible providence of our Lord. This truly is an amazing story, and I cannot recommend it highly enough. Everyone should read this book.

"Book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc. 
Available at your favourite bookseller from Bethany House, a division of Baker Publishing Group"

Behind the Veils of Yemen by Audra Grace Shelby

Behind the Veils of Yemen
by, Audra Grace Shelby

Back Cover:

"Women began to arrive in entry hall, peeling away their black outer coverings. I watched in amazement as shimmering bodies emerged from the black shrouds. One woman sparkled in a purple silk caftan, her arms gleaming with gold jewelry. I smiled to myself. If people only knew what was under those veils. I looked at their faces, artfully painted with makeup, not at all how they appeared in public: dark eyes in narrow black slits. They were like the beauties of Arab folklore. I was awed by the transformation." 

    With only prayer and a faith that always seemed too small, Audra Grace Shelby departed with her husband and children on a one-way flight to Yemen....deep into the heart of conservatives Islam.

With honesty and passion, she shares her harrowing journey as a Christian woman thrust into a culture dangerously different from her own. From the friendships she forged, to her gnawing doubt and fear, to her offers of hope when her new friends' religion failed them, she gives us glimpses of a world most have never seen: behind the veils of real Muslim women -- and how the grace of God touches lives in the midst of an Islamic stronghold.

Review:
I curled up on the couch to read Behind the Veils of Yemen and ended up perched on the side of the couch, book clutched in my hands, until I had turned the last page. This book really struck a cord within me. I am not going to lie - I like to read fiction - but thoughts about this book are still tumbling around in my head a week after I finished reading it. Audra's brutal honesty and transparency into her convictions, her frustrations, her doubt, her joy, her grief, and her faith came across with completely clarity. She is a woman that I can relate to. She struggles with doubts and questions just like I do even though she is a missionary. But what is incredibly encouraging and joy-inspiring is how she grows in her faith through the book, how she perseveres, and how God provides. Our God is amazing! Through Audra's words, I also experienced life in Yemen for a few brief hours. The life that women live there is almost incomprehensible to me... A very, very worthwhile read. 

"Book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc. 
Available at your favourite bookseller from Chosen, a division of Baker Publishing Group"