Archive | May 2018

Together Forever by Jody Hedlund

May24

Releasing The Chains

Together Forever by Jody Hedlund is a delightful Christian historical romance. It is the second book in the Orphan Train series but can be read as a stand-alone.

This novel has its roots in the orphan train movement of the mid nineteenth century. A movement set up to resettle New York City’s street orphans. Jody Hedlund has researched thoroughly and combined fact with fiction to produce a fabulous tale.

There is the theme of new beginnings. We can all have a fresh start with God. Sometimes we hold on to the baggage of the past, refusing to believe we are worthy of a second chance. “He needed to trust that God was in control and that He would… loosen the chains that had bound him.”

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Keturah by Lisa T Bergren

May22

One Limb At A Time

Keturah by Lisa T Bergren is a marvellous Christian historical romantic saga. It is the first book in the Sugar Baron’s Daughters series which promises to be fantastic.

Set in the late eighteenth century the novel moves swiftly from England across the stormy seas to the West Indies as the reader follows the fortunes of three sisters. They are strong women who are determined to survive, thrive and make a difference in a man’s world.

Slave plantations were owned and overseen by brutal men. The sisters long to be the change they want to see. “We believe that human beings respond to kindness and respect.” The sisters see the Negroes as people to be loved and cared for. They face much opposition as their thinking is counter cultural. There are some hard to read scenes of inflicted cruelty on the Negroes.

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Where Hope Begins by Catherine West

May22

Love Never Gives Up

Where Hope Begins by Catherine West is a powerful contemporary Christian novel that will take the reader on a roller coaster emotional ride.

Catherine West always writes stories that tug at your heart and this is no exception. Where Hope Begins is a gritty realistic read. It is painful. It is beautiful. It is a tale that refuses to leave the reader untouched.

This novel is about raw grief. Grief associated with loss – loss of life, of hope, of dreams, of a future. Life ended ten years earlier. The subsequent years have been existing but not living. Loss affects everyone. We all cope differently. Some are “trapped by my [their] own grief.”

In our grief we may lose sight of God. We pull away from Him. “Too many questions God hasn’t answered. Too many prayers He’s simply ignored.” God has not gone silent on us, we have simply stopped hearing. He does answer prayer but we do not always like His answers or His timing.

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The Kindness Method by Shahroo Izadi

May18

Loving Yourself

The Kindness Method by Shahroo Izadi is a self help book designed to change lives by breaking habits and being kind to ourselves. It is “Giving yourself permission to be kind to you.” Often we are our worst critic. We need to “Conquer… the habit of negative self talk.”

This book gives personal testimony as well as suggesting we mind map various topics. As we progress along the way, we will need to review our mind maps to see how far we have come.

We all have negative habits that rule our lives and need breaking. This book sets out exercises designed to help us break the cycle of our bad habits, as well as questions for internal reflection.

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