Review: The Pursuit of Tamsen Littlejohn

The Pursuit of Tamsen Littlejohn by Lori Benton

Tamsen wants to escape. Her step-father is forcing a betrothal and after his harsh treatment, she wants no man her father arranges to wed. She locates a frontiersman, Jesse Bird, to help her flee, but will running overmountain be safer?

Author Lori Benton weaves a fascinating historical tale about finding safety, love, and family. The historical background highlights a little known (or forgotten) piece of American history on the State of Franklin. During that time, many disputes were fought between Carolina and Franklin. It's also a time of civilization, wilderness, settlers, and Native Americans. All in all, the historical elements are imbedded into the tale, but are not the true highlight of this historical tale. Benton's history was well developed and enjoyable. Her end notes were interesting and helpful. I was very happy to read her resources that she used when she researched her novel.

Back to the main storyline, the verb throughout the entire tale is pursuit. Tamsen is pursuing freedom, her step-father and rejected suitor are pursuing Tamsen and her overmountian man, Jesse. In the meantime, Jesse is pursing safety for Tamsen as well as her heart. There are other characters in the settlements and wilderness who are pursuing various people, feelings, and places, but I don't want to give away everything! Faith is sprinkled throughout this piece. It was not forced, but spoken well between believers. They shared their memorized passages and the importance to laying it all in God's hands.

Tamsen's tale is a standalone novel just as Benton's first novel, Burning Sky. If you enjoyed reading Burning Sky, you will enjoy The Pursuit of Tamsen Littlejohn. If you enjoy Colonial history or little known/forgotten history, you'll enjoy this unique novel. Thank you, WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for sharing this title with me. I hope Ms. Benton continues to write more novels!

Time Period: 1787
Location: Watauga settlement, North Caroline, USA

I received this book for free from Blogging for Books for this review.

Review: Enduring Faith Series

Enduring Faith series by Susan Feldhake
#1 - In Love's Own Time
#2 - Seasons of the Heart
#3 - For Ever and Ever
#4 - Hope for the Morrow
#5 - From This Day Forward
#6 - Joy in the Morning
#7 - Serenity in the Storm
#8 - The Darkness and the Dawn

I finally found the Enduring Faith series! I originally read this series many years ago. It was one of the first series I finished when I discovered Christian fiction. Companion authors at that time included Janette Oke and June Masters Bacher.

My sister and I love to read and exchange books. Of course, Feldhake's books were one of the series we swapped. The only thing we remembered about this series was the character Alton Wheeler and our agreement about the series "ya'know, the series where everyone dies." With a character's name, it was easy to find the series at the library. Our statement is closer to a six-word memoir that wraps up our thoughts about the books.

I don't want to throw you off from reading Feldhake's books. Yes, people die in the book, but it's a series based in the 1800's. As a nurse recently stated at an inservice, "it's hard to die today." In history, it was difficult to survive because of illness, accidents, travel, etc. and Feldhake clearly covered it well.

I grew to love the families and neighbors in the Enduring Faith series. They grew together, grew apart, grew up, and grew in faith. As with every up, there were a great many low valleys, but Feldhake's message was to share that the Lord will see you through all trials and triumphs in life. As Fanny shared in book two, "After all, many a time the Good Book says: 'And it came to pass,' never that it came to stay!"

Review: The Bride Next Door

The Bride Next Door by Winnie Griggs

Book Two: Texas Grooms

Daisy's father won a piece of property in Turnabout through a poker match. Daisy claims the deed and makes her way to Turnabout to setup a restaurant and create a home for herself. The property is a bit rundown, but a little hard work will go a long way. Daisy's building neighbor, Everett, is startled by this new townswoman. He's routine has been interrupted by Daisy, but he can't decide if this interruption is a bother or a possible blessing.

The Bride Next Door is the second book in the series Texas Grooms. The couple from the previous story as well as other community members make appearances throughout the story. If readers have not read book one, Handpicked Husband, they will still enjoy The Bride Next Door. Book two focuses on Daisy and Everett with glimpses as the other characters.

Daisy and Everett is a story about opposites. Everett wants to move and Daisy wants to set down roots. Daisy wants a family and community involvement while Everett would be comfortable cutting ties and keeping people (and God) as acquaintances. As their friendship grows they see each others' strengthens as well as ways to help each other. A stiff friendship grows to appreciation and love.

Time Period: Western, 1895
Location: Turnabout, Texas, United States

Reviewed from a NetGalley copy. Thank you, Harlequin Love Inspired!

Review: Beauty for Ashes & Amorelle

Grace Livingston Hill is making a comeback! I read (and collected) many of her titles when I first stumbled upon Faith Fiction. I enjoyed the sweet romances and honest messages. As more Christian authors came into the reading scene, I set aside GLH for other stories. Finding Barbour's new editions of old classics was surprising and refreshing. I recently enjoyed Beauty for Ashes and Amorelle.

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Beauty for Ashes by Grace Livingston Hill

I recall the stories, but not the details when I reread these stories. I distinctly remember returning Beauty for Ashes to the library and thinking, "This is one of my favorite books." I can't recall the original why, but I still think it is an outstanding novel.

Gloria Sutherland's world turned upside down in one moment - her fiance dead in the arms of another. How does one move on from emptiness? Gloria and her father take a trip and end up at the old family homestead in the country. Gloria opts to stay, but doesn't know how she will overcome the boredom and emptiness that lies ahead. Unexpectedly, a neighbor's young son arrives and befriends Gloria. He offers a new look at life and a lifestyle of hope and joy.


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Amorelle by Grace Livingston Hill

Amorelle needs to make a new start. Her father's sickness takes him away and she needs to move from the church parsonage. She goes to her uncle's home faraway and adjusts to a new lifestyle with her step-aunt, step-cousin, and uncle. A young man from her cousin's crowd soon becomes enamored with Amorelle because of her different ways from the other girls. Amorelle agrees with her new relationship, until circumstances draw her away from her uncle's household and fiance.


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Each of the novels take place around the 1930's, but the messages are true to today's audiences. In both novels, Gloria and Amorelle are searching for answers and looking for a place to call home. After so much upheaval, they want a direction for their life.

Gloria's worldview is slowly changed by the neighbors who befriend her. They show her the difference between men of the world and men of God. I was impressed with the education of Murray MacRae. In addition to his business classes, he also took theological courses in college because he thought all Christians should understand their Bibles. I agree that it is important, too. Murray and his friend invited Gloria (and later her sister) into their lives and never forced their faith on them. They shared their lives and answered questions about their lifestyles and beliefs.

Amorelle's adventure went from small town girl to woman of the world very quickly. After loosing family who loved and cared for her, she found love in an unexpected corner. Love can be wonderful, hurtful, selfish, and giving. It comes down to the root or base of their love. Gathering advise from trusted friends can be very beneficial. Returning to God's Word will also open the heart to understanding love.

Reviewed from a NetGalley copies. Thank you, Barbour Publishing, Inc.!

Plot Twist! Hard Drive Edition

A "Plot Twist Moment" has come to Miss Pippi.

I had big plans for 2014 and some high hopes for new blog material. It will still appear, but not in the timely fashion I imagined a few months ago.

I had a hard drive crash and it sucked a bit of life out of me. (Yes, I have heard the "back-up speech," so I would rather not rehash the details.) I cannot let it stop me! It's time to get back to writing and stop dragging my feet. Crashes happen. It is time to make a new plan and create new posts. Here's to moving forward!

Review: Echoes of Mercy

Echoes of Mercy by Kim Vogel Sawyer

Caroline Lang needs to go undercover at Dinesmore's World-Famous Chocolates Factory. She wants to find out how the manufacturer threats the employees from adults to children. Unbeknownst to Caroline, the heir of Dinesmore's, Oliver, is also undercover to learn more about the family business.

Sawyer's recent novel caught my attention right away because of the setting. I have a sweet tooth, so I couldn't wait to sink my teeth into a novel taking place in a candy factory. I focused so much on candy theme, that the larger Labor Commission theme took me by surprise. I would say that there is a definite advantage to knowing next to nothing about a storyline. The reader's reactions are genuine because there is no prior knowledge.

I have read few historical fiction books that include a Labor Commission topic, so that was very refreshing. The double undercover slant was fun! There was a great tension between Caroline and Oliver because they were working for far bigger outcomes and agendas. It threw me a little to the story broken up between different points of view, but as I read further into the story, it read very well. It was good to see the different points of view to understand the character backgrounds and their future goals.

I would recommend Echoes of Mercy to anyone who has a sweet tooth! For more serious readers, Sawyer wrote up a fun and mysterious turn-of-the-century tale. Mystery readers and historical fiction readers will enjoy this novel. (If you'd like to read a preview, please click here.) I am so thankful Blogging for Books sent me a free copy to review. Thank you!

Time Period: Turn of the Century, 1904
Location: Sinclair, Kansas, USA

I received this book for free from Blogging for Books for an honest review.


















I received this paperback for free from Blogging for Books for this review. Thank you, Blogging for Books!

Review: Boy Soup

Boy Soup by Loris Lesynski


Big G. the Giant woke up with a terrible cold. He reaches for his copy of the Giants Home Medical Guide for a cure. The best thing to fix a cold - Boy Soup!

Lesynski weaves a rhyming tale that offers humor, danger, and heroism. Humor in the secondary silly soup and the restaurant outcome at the end. Danger in the stolen children and the primary soup. Heroism in the great escape! Boy Soup would be a great read-aloud for elementary students. It also lends itself to additional activities about reading recipes, following directions, and cooking food together.

Readers might question if Boy Soup is by Robert Munsch, but Munsch and Lesynski share the same illustrator: Michael Martchenko. If readers enjoyed Munsch tales, they will enjoy Boy Soup as well.

Reviewed from a NetGalley copy. Thank you, Open Road Integrated Media!

Review: The Cadence of Grace Series

The Cadence of Grace Series by Joanne Bischof
#1 - Be Still My Soul
#2 - Though My Heart is Torn
#3 - My Hope is Found

 The Cadence of Grace series is three separate books that are closing linked together. Each one flows swiftly into the next one. They are best read together in order, since they pick up so quickly.

Be Still My Soul features the beginning relationship of Lonnie Sawyer and Gideon O'Riley. Gideon is the playboy of the Appalachian hills and pressures Lonnie for a kiss. Lonnie's father discovers them together and a shotgun wedding takes place. Gideon resents Lonnie while Lonnie is seeking a refuge.

Lonnie finds a refuge in the Lord and Gideon begins to turn his life around when his past returns to haunt him. Though My Heart is Torn shares the grief of love being torn and lives being changed. The answer to peace rests in the Lord. Faith's journey is never an easy one, but the Lord will never forsake those who seek Him.

My Hope is Found wraps up the series with rebuilding trust and repairing relationships. Consequences and broken trust cannot be fixed over a day or a month. Healing takes time, but the Lord is sufficient and He watches over His children.

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I was so happy to read these books one right after the other. It would have been difficult to wait between books. Bischof wrote a captivating, emotional, and faith-filled series that amazed me.  I thought I would be able to predict parts of the storyline but every twist and turn brought new insights and layers. Gideon had his storyline, while Lonnie had hers and then their relationship together was a whole different storyline. Those three components are only the beginning - add in their families, neighbors, bosses, and enemies into the mix and it is a powerful load of information. These are stories that beg to be read quickly to find out what happens next, yet read ever so slowly to relish every detail.

I would highly recommend Bishof's trilogy. Her Appalachian books are books that you can sink your teeth into and savor for moments to come. They take the reader on a journey that follows the ridge line - the ups and downs of life - of sin and grace. It brought to mind the Bible story of Jacob, Leah, and Rachel.

She also does not leave the reader hanging at the end of My Hope is Found. More adventures would be welcome to read, but it's an excellent pause for Gideon and Lonnie's journeys, trials, and celebrations. I am content as are the O'Riley's. I would love to hear more about the other people who came into the lives of Gideon and Lonnie, especially Toby McKee and Cassie Allan. Perhaps a follow up will be coming in the future? I will be waiting to hear!


Time Period: Turn of the Century, 1900
Location: Appalachian hills, Virginia, USA

Reviewed from a library copy (#1), a library copy (#2), and a free book from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review (#3).

Fa La La La Films

During the Christmas Season, The True Book Addict runs a Christmas Spirit Reading Challenge. There are numerous levels of participation for holiday reading as well as options for movie viewers. This winter I've been viewing movies rather than reading holiday books.

This month I have an enjoyed a traditional Rankin/Bass marathon with Little Drummer Boy Book 01, Little Drummer Boy Book 02, Pinocchio's Christmas, Frosty's Winter Wonderland, 'Twas the Night Before Christmas, Rudolph's Shiny New Year, A Year without a Santa Claus, Jack Frost, The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus, as well as the Leprechaun's Christmas Gold.  These movies feature retro cartoon animation and stop-motion animation. Their most known piece was Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer.

More family friendly flicks are Disney's The Small One, Pluto's Christmas Tree, and Mickey's Christmas Carol. Disney's Christmas Carol features well-known characters from a wide variety of Disney features and cartoons. Dreamworks also featured Shrek in a holiday flick called Shrek the Halls where Shrek discovers how to celebrate the season for the first time. If live acting is more family-friendly for your viewers, find a copy of Elf, Christmas Eve on Sesame Street, or Shining Time Station Holiday Special. Shining Time Station might be hard to find, but that series was the American version of Thomas the Tank Engine. (The predecessor to today's Thomas adventures.)

Moving on from children's films, other holiday movies included The Holiday, Last Holiday, Holiday Day Inn, White Christmas, New in Town, While You Were Sleeping, and Meet Me in St. Louis.

It's a been a full and fun holiday movie extravaganza! What Christmas movies do you enjoy over the holidays? I hope to view a couple more before the Christmas Spirit Reading Challenge ends on January 6, 2014. Happy viewing, friends!

Review: Wanderville

Wanderville by Wendy McClure

Are you familiar with orphan trains? Children from New York (or other big cities) were sent out West to live "better lives" with families and big open spaces. Yet, many children were fearful of the unknown.

Jack, Frances, and Harold were a couple of children sent out to Kansas on an orphan train. They didn't want to leave, but they couldn't escape their traveling fate. After hearing awful orphan stories on the train, they decide to "jump ship" in the middle of Kansas. They meet up with another orphan named Alexander who gives them a new look at life in the prairie wilderness.

When I began reading this story, I thought it would be historical fiction mixed with fantasy. I was completely wrong. The magic of Wanderville and the letdown was realized at the same moment as Jack, Frances, and Harold. It was rather ironic and heartening to relate so well to the characters. Just as the children came to grips with their new situation, I knew that this wouldn't be a fantasy story, but reality (albeit in history). Don't let the knowledge of no fantasy elements steer you away from reading Wanderville!

McClure mixes historical fiction with a kid's today approach. The book is set in history, but the children face many emotions and circumstances that kids' today can encounter. The emotions of loss, fear, hope, friendship, and survival are very relate-able to today's audience. The theme of overcoming circumstances is largely woven throughout the text in different ways, but not overpowering. The story ends with a gentle cliffhanger - one that will have readers imagining what's going to happen next. I'm looking forward to reading the next installment in 2014!

I think this story would be very appropriate for 3-6 graders. The author offers many different situations that can open the floor to great classroom, book club, or family discussions.

Reviewed from an Edelweiss copy. Thank you, Razorbill!