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Finding a Memory

July 29, 2022 by Emma Filbrun · Leave a Comment

29 Jul

Title: Finding a Memory
Author: Chautona Havig
Series: Sparrow Island, book 1 (Independence Islands, book 10)
Major Themes: Vietnam War, PTSD
Synopsis: A long-forgotten diary tells Mallory an intriguing story, and now she wants to find the people whose story is told in its pages.

As everyone who follows me for very long can tell, I enjoy almost anything that Chautona Havig writes. Some books are a lot better than others, of course. Finding a Memory is one of my favorites. I read it as she was writing it, and now I have just finished reading it for the second time, straight through this time. Wow. What a story. I really liked the way she wove three stories together.

When Mallory found someone’s old diary in a box of books that had been brought to her to sell, she decided to quickly skim through to try to figure out who it was. She quickly found the story sucking her in, and couldn’t put it down. The story of a love triangle from 40 years ago broke her heart. Somehow, she kept finding herself seeking comfort from Benjamin Hornigold, who was always happy to give her encouragement and support.

Meanwhile, Frank kept wondering what had happened to the woman he loved 40 years ago. He thought he had heard that Patti’s husband died, but where was Patti? Had she had a happy marriage? Would it be possible to find any of her family and connect with them, even if she was gone? Patti, too, wondered where her Francis was. Many years after Jon’s disappearance and then death, after living with his struggles with PTSD from being a prisoner of war in Vietnam, she was finally ready to start over. Was there any hope of reconnecting? Could her children ever forgive her for their father’s treatment of her and them?

I loved this story. Mallory’s story has been continued since Christmas on Breakers Point, so this is the fifth book about her. I’m very impressed by how Chautona has been able to weave Mallory’s story through all of these other books. The ending of this book hints at mysteries that will be revealed in the next book. I was really left hanging there! I really enjoyed the way the two parts of Patti’s story were woven together, too. Telling her present at the same time that Mallory was discovering her past through the diary was very effectively done. Finding a Memory offers hope and healing for family members of people who struggle with PTSD. It was nice to find a story about older people, too. Don’t miss this one!

I received a review copy of this book from CelebrateLit, and these are my honest thoughts about it.

No warnings!

Age levels:

Reading Independently—Ages 15 and Above, Adults

Links to buy this book:

Amazon: Paperback | Kindle
AbeBooks: View Choices on AbeBooks.com
Book Depository: Paperback

When Dignity Came to Harlan

July 27, 2022 by Emma Filbrun · Leave a Comment

27 Jul

When Dignity Came to Harlan by Rebecca Duvall Scott

Title: When Dignity Came to Harlan
Author: Rebecca Duvall Scott
Major Themes: Abuse
Synopsis: When her parents couldn’t care for her, Anna Beth was placed in another family’s home, where she endured much mistreatment, but also found love.

When I’m looking at books available for review any book that is not straight-up romance will catch my eye. When Dignity Came to Harlan sounded quite interesting and very different. The fact that it was based on a true story was also appealing; that is my favorite type of fiction. The description sounded like a book I would really enjoy so I requested it. When I got into it, I wasn’t sure I would actually like it, though. For the first several chapters I only kept reading because I had agreed to read and review it. I struggled with the dialect that was written out all the time; that’s just not my style of book. However, by the time I was about halfway through I could hardly stop thinking about this book. Most of the time I have less than five minutes at a time to read, and then I have to put the book down and get back to whatever it is it needs to be done. Most of the time I have no trouble doing that. But this book, however, was a lot harder to do that with than most books. I really could not tell which way the story was going to go and I just had to find out what happened to Anna Beth.

Anna Beth and her family lived in Missouri, but the lead mines had played out and her father decided they needed to move to Kentucky where there would be more jobs. Anna’s oldest sister and her husband stayed in Missouri but 12-year-old Anna and her three younger sisters traveled with their parents in a covered wagon for six weeks to what they hoped would be a better home. When they arrived the family had to be divided up because they had no food, nowhere to live, and no job. Anna Beth and her baby sister had to live with the Graingers where Anna Beth had to work hard every day to pay for their room and board.

Anna did her very best to please Mr. Grainger, but sometimes she wondered if it was even possible. She knew she had to make the best of it though, so it wouldn’t be so hard for her parents, set a good example for her younger sisters, and so she could take care of her baby sister. After a few years had passed, when she had forced herself to admit that her parents would not be coming back for her, life got even harder and she was at the point of despair. If it hadn’t been for wise Mr. Jingle, the peddler, she would not have survived. However, as Romans says, “All things work together for good.”

Every emotion imaginable is present in the story. Love, sadness, despair, hope, peace, and joy—I felt all of those with Anna Beth as I read When Dignity Came to Harlan. Even though she experienced severe mistreatment, she also experienced deep love. Don’t pick this book up if you want romance. It isn’t there. If, however, you like to read books about how people can overcome trials victoriously with God’s help this is a book for you. I enjoyed learning, at the back of the book, what was true and what was fiction in the story. This author has done a great job of taking stories from her grandmother’s life and weaving them together into this book. For a while, I was sure I would not like this book, but I changed my mind.

I received a review copy of this book from CelebrateLit, and these are my honest thoughts about it.

WARNING: A rape is described in chapter 14, and a beating in chapter 17. Chapter 1: Darn it. Chapter 4: gee, chewed the heck out of it. Chapter 10: try so darn hard.

Age levels:

Reading Independently—Adults

Links to buy this book:

Amazon: Paperback | Kindle | Hardcover
AbeBooks: View Choices on AbeBooks.com
Book Depository: Paperback | Hardcover

Crooked Paths Straight

July 25, 2022 by Emma Filbrun · Leave a Comment

25 Jul

Crooked Paths Straight by Elizabeth Wehman

Title: Crooked Paths Straight
Author: Elizabeth Wehman
Series: The Newburg Chronicles, book 2
Major Themes: Michigan, Pioneers
Synopsis: New challenges face the Baker family in their second year in the wilderness of the Michigan Territory.

Because I grew up in Michigan, my interest is piqued every time I see a book set in Michigan. That made Crooked Paths Straight sound very interesting, especially after I read the first book in the series, The Year the Stars Fell. When I read the author’s note at the end of that book, I realized that these books are set within a 2-hour drive of the area I grew up in, and I’ve been through there! I enjoyed reading about the history of that area.

In this book, Hosea’s family have been in the Michigan territory for about nine months, and are settling in. Both Hosea and Sally and their family, and their daughter Betsey and her husband Aaron and their baby, have their own homes now. They are enjoying a peaceful family Christmas celebration when unexpected visitors arrive—and soon life is anything but peaceful. An unhappy woman set on having her own way and making everyone else as miserable as she is, the ever-present fear of the Indians and then sickness going through the Indian villages, and the constant influx of new settlers keeps life interesting for the Baker family. Betsey faces all the challenges and joys of being a wife and mother, and then new factors enter into her life that she didn’t expect. Her sister Caroline finds herself in demand and must choose her future in a way she didn’t expect. Through it all, Hosea’s faith keeps the family strong as he continually reminds them of what God has to say about each situation that comes up.

I wouldn’t consider Crooked Paths Straight one of my top ten books for the year, but I did enjoy it. I am glad that I bought The Year the Stars Fell and read it first, because there was a lot that would not have made sense if I hadn’t. I guess what I enjoyed most about the book was the glimpse into pioneer life in my home area. I enjoyed getting to “see” what my home area may have looked like nearly 200 years ago. I am guessing it was quite similar. One thing is definitely similar—there was a trading post only half a mile from my childhood home. The roof was gone, but the log walls were still there when I was young. The local trading post is an important part of the community’s life in Crooked Paths Straight. If you enjoy history being brought to life, you will quite possibly enjoy this book. I appreciated that romance, while present, was not the main focus of this book. Speaking of the romance, it seemed to me that Caroline was inconsistent. She was eagerly anticipating marriage to a young man, and then, about two chapters later, she was afraid of it, and acting like she had never thought of the possibility. Another incongruity that I noticed was the mention of envelopes, as if they had been bought. At this time in history (1834), all envelopes were handmade.

I received a review copy of this book from CelebrateLit, and these are my honest thoughts about it.

WARNING: Darn is used once, in chapter 17. A kiss is described in chapter 15.

Age levels:

Reading Independently—Ages 15 and Above, Adults

Links to buy this book:

Amazon: Paperback | Kindle
AbeBooks: View Choices on AbeBooks.com

Unspoken Love

July 22, 2022 by Emma Filbrun · Leave a Comment

22 Jul

Unspoken Love by Christmas Carol Kauffman

Title: Unspoken Love
Author: Christmas Carol Kauffman
Major Themes: World War II
Synopsis: After a difficult childhood, Millard wanted to live for God but became discouraged by what he overheard his father say—and ended up fighting in North Africa.

Many years ago I read a book, titled One Boy’s Battle. Many years later, I came across the book Unspoken Love and read it, and realized that the first book had been about one-third of the story, mainly the last part. I enjoyed the book much more now that I had the whole story!

Millard had a loving mother but for some reason, his father always seemed to resent him. Their life was not easy; The family moved frequently and it seemed like they could never get ahead. Not only did the frequent moves make it difficult for Millard to get the education he wanted, but his father also seemed to be trying to keep him away from home by sending him to work for other people. Though Millard dedicated his life to the Lord, he did not go on to baptism because of a conversation he overheard between his father and the pastor. To his mother’s great dismay Millard joined the army and went off to fight in World War II.

While fighting in North Africa, in about a dozen of the bloodiest battles of the war, the carnage Millard saw changed him for the rest of his life. He came to the end of himself and suddenly found real happiness for the first time in his life. He also knew that he could no longer fight. What could he do though, since he was an enlisted soldier with no way out? And never far from his thoughts what is a beautiful young woman from his home area, a good friend of his sister. Would he ever be worthy of her love?

This is an incredible story of a troubled family, the results of a father’s favoritism and hypocrisy, and what can happen when God really gets control of a person. Though the ending of the story takes a totally unexpected twist there is joy amid sadness. The theme of this story seems to be how much effect a father’s words can have on a young man’s decisions, whether for good or for bad. Millard had to come to a point where he knew he needed God no matter what his father said or how he acted. Forgiveness is a big part of the story. Nonresistance is, too, and it’s also a beautiful love story—but with a twist. The best part though? This is actually a true story. A lot of it is quoted from Millard’s own writings, his letters and diary entries. This is a story that you will remember for a long time.

WARNING: Chapters 33 and 34 contain fairly vivid descriptions of battle scenes and someone killing a man.

Age levels:

Reading Independently—Ages 15 and Above, Adults

Links to buy this book:

Amazon: Paperback
AbeBooks: View Choices on AbeBooks.com

Caddie Woodlawn

July 20, 2022 by Emma Filbrun · Leave a Comment

20 Jul

Title: Caddie Woodlawn
Author: Carol Ryrie Brink
Major Themes: Wisconsin, Pioneers
Synopsis: Caddie and her brothers enjoyed many adventures around their farm and in the local community, and learned many lessons along the way in their pioneer settlement in Wisconsin.

When someone chose Caddie Woodlawn for a read-aloud recently, we were startled to realize that neither of us had ever written a review of this wonderful book for our website! Obviously, it’s been a number of years since the last time we read through it. It was high time to read it again for the benefit of the younger ones (and some of the older ones who had forgotten it!). This book has been a favorite in our family.

Caddie and her family lived in Wisconsin (incidentally, very near where Laura Ingalls Wilder lived in Little House in the Big Woods). This book describes the Woodlawn family’s life during the last year of the Civil War. Caddie, at 11, spent her time running around with her two brothers, to the despair of her mother who wanted her daughters to become ladies. The three of them waded across the river to visit the Indians and harvested nuts in the woods, went hunting with their uncle who loved to play pranks on them, and plowed the fields together. The settlers in the area banded together for protection against an Indian massacre, and Caddie had to find a way to protect her friends in the Indian village from frightened white people. Many other stories are told of Caddie and her family in this true story of the author’s grandmother.

One thing that really stood out to some of us as we read through Caddie Woodlawn this time was her father’s discussion with her about womanhood. He clearly explained to her how important women are, and the role they play in making the world a better place—by being feminine. Up until that time, Caddie scorned womanly things, but this talk from her father, coming on the heels of a very memorable event, changed her life.

Some other important themes enter into this fascinating account of pioneer life, as well. Caddie saw the effects of racism on others’ lives. She also saw the effects of the English class structure, and helped her family make a choice between two vastly different lifestyles. These are stories that will stick with you for a long time. The book is not all serious, though. Some of the stories are very funny—and if you read the story about the school recitations you’ll never forget a famous saying (or a variation of it).

WARNING: Golly in chapters 1, 2, 4 (twice), 7, 11, 12. 15, 16, 18, 19 (twice), 20 (twice), 22 (twice). A fight in chapter 6.

Age levels:

Read Aloud—Ages 5 – 8, 8 – 12, 10 – 13, Family Read Alouds
Reading Independently—Age 7 – 9, 8 – 12

Links to buy this book: