I will read anything Heather
Blanton writes because of her ability to engross me in the characters’ lives. Each
character is unique, and often deeply flawed and dealing with serious issues,
but not to the point that I can’t relate.
The book conveyed the gospel message
as well as themes like God’s sovereignty, forgiveness, and the joy one can have
as a believer without being preachy. The story also made me consider my own
life and how I can do a better job of sharing my faith with others in a loving,
but non-intrusive way.
I read historical fiction because I enjoy learning, and
The Vaquero’s Heart taught me a lot about the Spanish/Mexican influence in the
cowboy culture/ranching industry of the Old West.
The unusual premise of the Uncharted series, historical fiction combined
with fantasy, drew me in from the first book.
I enjoy reading about the late
1800s era, and the flavor of that time period is maintained because the
characters have discovered an island hidden away between time and
place. Uncharted Grace is especially appealing because of the secrets each
character carries and how they are intertwined. Secrets never stay hidden
forever, so the anticipation of when and how they will be revealed kept me
turning pages.
I liked the main characters, Caroline and Jedidiah, and the
information the author sprinkles throughout the story about the medicinal uses
of herbs and the fictional gray leaf tree.
This is an “older” book (2014) that I stumbled on while researching a novel.
I’ve not seen many WWII stories about the German homefront, so was pleased to
find the story.
The premise is fascinating: a German-American woman stuck in
Germany during the war. The book is well-researched, but it is the writing that
kept me engaged. Descriptions and the sprinkling of German words evoked the era
and the country.
This is not a typical romance story which was refreshing, and
the ending is “happy for now” rather than “happily ever after,” but there is
closure to the plot as well as leaving me with a desire to read the next book.
The main character and her family are Quakers, a group I knew little about, so
I enjoyed learning about their beliefs.
Beth Bridgewater, a German American, finds herself in a nightmare as World War II erupts―a war in which she takes no side, for she is a Quaker pacifist. Just as she gains opportunity to escape Germany, Beth decides to stay to help the helpless. Meanwhile, Josef Buch, a passionately patriot German, is becoming involved in his own secret ways of resisting the Nazis. . . . Despite their differences, Beth and Josef join together in nonviolent resistance―and in love. Does their love stand a chance. . .if they even survive at all?
On my YouTube Channel, Moments in History, I
share the intriguing people, places, and events I discovered while
researching my historical novels.
Although helpful to ensure historical
accuracy and inform my writing, most of the information doesn’t end up in the
story. Therefore, I created the channel to share these tidbits to
bring history to life.
