Friday, May 5, 2017

"The Ebb Tide," by Beverly Lewis

"The Ebb Tide," by Beverly Lewis
Sallie Riehl has dreamed of traveling at least once before settling down to join church, so she is thrilled at an unexpected summer opportunity to nanny in Cape May for a well-to-do family. However, saying even a temporary good-bye to Paradise Township means forgoing baptism another year, as well as leaving behind a would-be beau. Yet the weeks in Cape May soon prove unforgettable as Sallie meets a Mennonite young man whose friendship she quickly begins to cherish. Has she been too hasty with her promises, or will she only find what her heart is longing for back home?

Once upon a time, I loved reading books about Amish and Mennonite people; and read stories with them in none stop.  I then got totally fed up with the same old story lines, so didn't read any for a few years.  I have read many of Beverly Lewis' books over the years, so thought I would give this one a try and I was pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed it.

I guess what made this one so different was that although Sallie was Amish, she had hopes and dreams that were not centred around her day to day Amish life.  I don't ever remember reading a book about an Amish woman wanting to travel the world?  Also what made this story so different is was set at the sea side in a real place called Cape May; a place I had never heard of before reading this book.

There was enough detail in this book on various topics away from the Amish culture that it would appeal to a number of people, not just people interested in the Amish.

Stars out of 5 : 4.5 Really enjoyed it.  Enjoyed the authors notes.  Learned something new about various marine life species and the book's lead characters lives were interesting.  Well worth the read.

"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
".

"The Chapel Car Bride," by Judith Miller

"The Chapel Car Bride," by Judith Miller
After a sheltered life in Pittsburgh, Hope Irvine is ready for a new adventure. When her father takes a position as a preacher in a railroad car converted into a traveling church, she's thrilled at the chance to accompany him. While accommodations in their new chapel car home are tight, Hope couldn't be happier putting her musical skills to good use and ministering to the people of West Virginia alongside her father. But when their chapel car arrives in Finch, West Virginia, they find a coal mining community that has hit hard times and is suspicious of outsiders.

Luke Hughes works for the coal mine when he can, but the struggling company doesn't always offer steady work. When Reverend Irvine and Hope arrive in town, Luke is intrigued by what the reverend can teach him--and by the lovely and kind Hope.

When Hope's desire to bring supplies and Sunday school classes to neighboring counties leads to her traveling with a flirtatious young mine manager, Luke is hard-pressed to suppress his jealousy. But when he begins to suspect the manager's motives are less than charitable, can he prove it without hurting Hope, or worse, putting her in danger?


This was one of those books that touched on a number of subjects, all equally as interesting to me.  I had never heard of Railroad Chapel Cars, so this was something new for me.  If you would like to read more about them, here is a link.  I found the details about the "hill country" people also interesting, and how hard their lives were made you stop and think.

The main story of Hope and Luke was lovely and made good lead characters.  Their hearts were in the right places for doing both God's work and serving others. Add a "villain," and the plot becomes more interesting.

Stars out of 5 : 4.5 I knocked off half a star as I had hoped that Judith would have added some author's notes to the back of the book, about how this book came about?  Overall though, I loved the book, Judith is a great storyteller and this book flowed along seamlessly.  Being a fan of Judith's writing already I knew I would be reading an interesting book.  Really well worth the read.

"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
".

"The Hidden Palace," by Dinah Jefferies

 "The Hidden Palace," by Dinah Jefferies 1925.  Among the ancient honey-coloured walls of the tiny island of Malta, strangers slip...