Colliding With Destiny is a non-fiction book discussing the Biblical life story of Ruth, wife of Boaz and matriarch in the lineage of David. It is author Sarah Jakes’ second book published by Bethany House in 2014, following only months after the release of her debut work. Promoted as a personal study about the journey of transformation for a Biblical woman, Colliding With Destiny actually focuses just as much, perhaps even more, on personal anecdotes, examples, comparisons and ideas drawn from Ms. Jakes’ own life and difficult past. Although this may prove beneficial to readers with a similar story, those looking for Continue reading
Month: September 2014
A Light in the Wilderness review
A Light in the Wilderness is an historical novel based on the true-life story of Letitia Carson, a former slave who made a new life for herself in Oregon. Known for fact-based historical novels from a Christian perspective, author Jane Kirkpatrick has continued her tradition with this newest title, published by Revell in the summer of 2014. Filled with details of both true and speculated events, this book would appeal to readers who love history, but are not necessarily looking for a riveting story.
The year is 1844 in Platte County, Missouri. Letitia is a freed slave, but her life is not much better than when she was ‘owned’. The trials facing a person of color seem unimaginable in this generation, but are described in detail as readers watch Letitia search for true freedom. As she wonders if life in Oregon Continue reading
The Heart’s Pursuit review
Pack your saddlebags, mount your trusty horse, and get ready for a westbound journey spanning hundreds of miles and a lifetime of emotions. In the new Christian Historical Fiction novel entitled ‘The Heart’s Pursuit’, author Robin Lee Hatcher takes readers on an old-fashioned adventure overflowing with uncertainty and danger, secrets and sacrifices, and maybe even love.
From the opening chapter, the story jumps into action when Jared Newman, a bounty hunter leading his current captive to justice, witnesses a young woman dressed in a satin wedding gown rushing from her own ceremony. Silvana ‘Silver’ Matlock was jilted at the altar, and not only did her fiancé skip town, but he took the savings and valuables of Silver’s father and stepmother with him. Without the money to pay back a debt, the Matlocks stand to lose their home, business, and way of life. In a moment of desperation and guilt, Silver resolves to bring justice to her family in anyway she can… Continue reading
What Your Heart Needs for the Hard Days review
“We all have hard days. The kind that make us want to pull the covers back over our heads, move to Hawaii, or eat a dozen cupcakes. Deep inside we know those aren’t the best options for our lives or our thighs. So what’s a girl to do?”
With these words that so many women can relate to, Holley Gerth invites readers into the tea-with-a-friend atmosphere of her newest book, What Your Heart Needs for the Hard Days, published by Revell in the summer of 2014. Written as a daily (or weekly) devotional, this mini-sized book can easily be read by itself, or as a companion to Ms. Gerth’s previously released title, You’re Going to Be Okay.
Opening the cover for the first time, readers will be delighted with one of the best features of the book Continue reading
Let’s All Be Brave review
Are you brave? According to Annie F. Downs, the majority of people would answer in the negative – including me. But what if bravery doesn’t mean doing something earth shattering in its enormity… What if instead bravery consists of small, often insignificant choices we make every day? What if we are all braver than we think? These questions, among others, are the foundation for Annie Downs’ newly released book from Zondervan entitled Let’s All Be Brave: Living Life with Everything You Have.
Formatted as a series of essays, Let’s All Be Brave contains chapters that each feel like a separate, real-life conversation with Annie about various topics – all connected to the subject of bravery and courage. With bushels of humor, Continue reading
The Butterfly and the Violin review
“She told herself that to have something of worth in a world full of chaos was the very definition of beauty. It felt like a spiritual liberation that couldn’t be silenced. These prisoners, the ones who painted or wrote poetry or played in the orchestra – they refused to let that spirit die. And this, she decided, is why the heart creates.
God plants the talent and it grows, sustained by a spirit giving strength to endure, even in the midst of darkness. It thrives in the valleys of life and ignores the peaks. It blooms like a flower when cradled by the warmth of the sun. It remains in a hidden stairwell in a concentration camp. It grows, fed in secret, in the heart of every artist.
The God-worship of every life – this was the art of Auschwitz.”
Excerpt from The Butterfly and the Violin pp. 277-278
In the summer of 2014, a new author named Kristy Cambron emerged from Thomas Nelson publishers with her debut novel – The Butterfly and the Violin. This story of incredible courage Continue reading
Prairie Sky Book Reviews 