Ruth: a story of friendship, loyalty and love

Her name means friendship. She was a generous, loyal and loving woman. Ruth was a woman of unusual love and loyalty. She leaves her family and her country to follow her mother-in-law to a land where she would be looked down on as a foreigner. But it didn’t matter. Where Naomi would go, Ruth would go too. She was strong, able to take risks, dealing actively with the consequences that followed. As I discussed Naomi last month, she was a woman who only saw her own grief and bitterness. But through Ruth, Naomi would find joy again. In the Book of Ruth, we are giving two examples of the generous, loyal, and loving nature of God, first in Ruth. But the story of Ruth is also the story of Boaz who displays this generous, loyal and loving nature as well. There are two important aspects of their stories: gleaning and a kinsman-redeemer. 

While we meet Ruth in Naomi’s story, Ruth’s story truly begins in chapter 2 as it is harvest time in Israel and Ruth gleans from a local field to provide for herself and Naomi. The field she happens to glean from is Boaz, a distant relative of Naomi’s. He notices her and learns that she worked quickly and effectively. Everyone in Bethlehem had been talking about Naomi’s unexpected return and her Moabite daughter-in-law who came with her. They were also talking about Ruth’s extraordinary love and loyalty to Naomi. To repay her kindness, Boaz directed her to stay near his servants and follow them as they glean. He would also instruct his men to purposefully leave stalks in her path. He would watch out for her day after day. It is discovered that Boaz is their kinsman-redeemer, which allows Boaz to marry Ruth, which he does. They would eventually have a son, Obed. Obed would become the father of David, the future king of Israel and the ancestor of Jesus. Ruth is the only woman mentioned in the genealogy of Jesus in Matthew 1:5. The stories of Ruth and Naomi are woven together and through them we see that God’s presence in a relationship can overcome differences and flourish into greater blessings. 

Gleaning is an old practice in which grain is “gleaned” or gathered from the fields. Gleaners would collect the leftover crops from the fields after they’ve been harvested. Harvesters were not allowed to reap the very edges of the fields or go over the fields a second time. Any grain missed had to be left for the “poor and aliens” (Leviticus 19:9-10, 23:22). Deuteronomy 24:19-22 adds the practice to vineyards as well. Gleaning was a :welfare system” set up to care for the needy. But it wasn’t a handout. Gleaners still had to work for their food, competing with others to gather as much as possible, which is why it was noticed that Ruth worked effectively and efficiently. Ruth worked hard,from morning to evening, only taking short rests (Ruth 2:1-23). Gleaning still exists in many parts of the world. In 1996, President Clinton signed the Good Samaritan Act which encourages individuals and organizations to donate excess food instead of throwing it away (Food Forward, 2015). As a part of the bill, food donations are protected from liability as long as they were made in good faith. Gleaning organizations recover food from farms, restaurants, grocery stories, wholesale markets, farmer’s markets as well as personal gardens (Food Forward, 2015). 

A kinsman-redeemer is first mentioned in Ruth 2:20 as Naomi tells Ruth that Boaz is their kinsman-redeemer. What is a kinsman-redeemer? A kinsman-redeemer is a male relative who has the responsibility to help a relative in need or in danger (Bolinger, 2020). This person would avenge, deliver, rescue, and redeem his relatives and their property. Leviticus 25:25-26 states that if a man is so poor that he has to sell portions of his property, his kinsman-redeemer was to come and buy back what was sold. Genesis 38:8 states that a man was to marry his brother’s widow as a kinsman-redeemer so his brother’s name would not be blotted out from the family records (Bolinger, 2020). Boaz qualifies as a kinsman-redeemer as a relative of Naomi’s and therefore of Ruth’s late husband. There was a man closer who could be the redeemer and Boaz talks with him in order to claim the right of redeemer and marry Ruth (Ruth 3:12, 4:1-12). We have our own kinsman-redeemer in Jesus. He pays our debts and marries us into the family of God (Bolinger, 2020). He bore the cost of our debts. He paid the price so that we can gain an inheritance as children of God. Just as Boaz was motivated by love for Ruth, Jesus was motivated by love for us that he paid the ultimate price to redeem us. 

In conclusion, the story of Ruth is a story of loyalty, love and commitment to stand by loved ones in times of need as well as times of joy. Her relationship with Naomi shows that the greatest bond in a relationship is faith in God, a strong mutual commitment to each other and a relationship in which each person thinks of the other first. The practice of gleaning was designed to help those who did not have a male figure to provide for their basic needs. Gleaning is practiced today by gathering excess food. A kinsman-redeemer is an important figure. We have a kinsman-redeemer in Jesus Christ. The story of Ruth is a story of God’s providence and his divine guidance is always at work, even in the darkest of times. She gave up the familiar in Moab for the unfamiliar in Israel because of love. Love is at the center of this story. 

References

Bolinger, Hope (December 15, 2020). The Importance and Meaning of a Kinsman Redeemer. Christianity.com. https://www.christianity.com/wiki/bible/importance-and-meaning-of-a-kinsman-redeemer.html. Retrieved May 11, 2021. 

Food Forward (September 23, 2015). What is Gleaning? Food Forward.org. https://foodforward.org/food-recovery/what-is-gleaning/. Retrieved May 13, 2021. 

Suggested Reading

In the Field of Grace by Tessa Afshar

A fictional telling of the Ruth story

The Undocumented Americans: with high hopes, it was a disappointment

The Undocumented Americans by Karla Cornejo Villavicencio was a National Book Award Finalist and set out to tell the stories of the undocumented Americans who live and work around us everyday. Cornejo Villavicencio was on DACA, a graduate from Yale,  when she decided to write about being undocumented and explores the lives of other undocumented people. From New York City and the undocumented workers who worked during the clean up at Ground Zero after 9/11 to Miami, as undocumented individuals must seek our herbs and potions as their only healthcare option to Flint, Michigan and the water crisis to Cleveland where immigrants seek sanctuary in churches to avoid deportation and Connecticut where she helps out immigrant families. Featuring stories of love, duty, family and survival, these immigrants come to America to flee war, oppression, and certain death. As she states in the Introduction, a book “for everybody who wants to step away from the buzzwords in immigration” and read about the people. Cornejo Villavicencio sets out to bring personal narratives to bring forth stories of resilience to understand what it means to be a stray, expendable, a hero, and an American. 

I was intrigued by the premises of The Undocumented Americans, with high hopes. What I got was disappointment. I expected stories of the undocumented and what I read was more of a memoir of the author’s own experience as an undocumented and her journey interacting with the individuals for this book. Everything she discusses comes back to her own experiences, thoughts and feelings that leaves the other individuals’ stories by the wayside. It’s her accomplishments, like graduating from Yale, and her good deeds. Her commentary is frustrating and annoying as she uses insensitive phrases and excuses herself by saying, “it’s not racist when I say it.” And the profanity! WOW! Nonstop! She states that she doesn’t write from a place of anger, unfortunately, she fails. She sees microaggressions everywhere. At one point she complains that Mexicans have to dial 011 to call someone in Mexico. Doesn’t she realize that’s how international calls work? If I wanted to call someone outside the US, I would have to dial 011 too. I feel the stories and people she features get lost. This book was the opposite of what I thought it would be and I do not recommend The Undocumented Americans. 

The Undocumented Americans is available in paperback, eBook, and audiobook. 

The Coordinates of Loss: a tear-jerker story

The Coordinates of Loss by Amanda Prowse is a story of a happy life, a loving marriage and a beloved son until a tragedy threatens to destroy it all. When Rachel Croft loves life, she wakes up smiling. Until one day, when she wakes up on her family’s boat in Bermuda and discovers her 7-year-old son, Oscar, is missing. Shrouded in the dark and desperate cloud of grief. Rachel struggles to move forward. While her husband, James, wants to face their tragedy together, Rachel feels with the loss of their son, the life they once had is now gone too. Convinced her marriage is over and unable to stay in Bermuda without her son, Rachel returns home to Bristol. While she is there, she begins to receive letters from Cee-Cee, their housekeeper and friend. Cee-Cee shares her own journey through grief, offering Rachel a ray of light through the darkness. Will Cee-Cee’s letter show Rachel that life can move forward? Will she and James find a way to through their grief and rebuild their life together? 

Books by Amanda Prowse always prove to be an emotional journey for her readers. The Coordinates of Loss is no different. The loss of a child is every parent’s worst nightmare, how does one navigate life after such a tragedy? From the very beginning, it is obvious that Rachel and James are trying their best to work through the grief. Both characters are easy to empathize with. As I read, I hoped that Rachel and James would find a way back to each other. They still loved each other, they needed each other, would their grief blind them to that? My favorite character is Cee-Cee as the wise mentor who helps Rachel and James through their grief by showing them that life can be good again, different as their son’s loss will always be there, but they can live again. This book was a story that I didn’t want to put down. I even shed a few tears toward the end, which is common for a Amanda Prowse story. I highly recommend The Coordinates of Loss. 

The Coordinates of Loss is available in paperback, eBook, and audiobook. 

The Lost Apothecary: an enjoyable story

The Lost Apothecary by Sarah Penner is the story of three women, alive in different times, but all have suffered at the hands of men. Nella, a female apothecary and once a respected healer, secretly dispenses poisons to liberate women from the men who have wronged them. She has two rules: 1) the poison must never be used to harm another woman and 2) the names of the murderer and her victim must be recorded in the register. One February evening in 1791, at the back of a dark London alley in a hidden apothecary shop, Nella waits for her newest customer, a precocious 12-year-old named Eliza Fanning, who comes to the shop at the request of her mistress. Their meeting would set in motion a string of events that threatens to expose Nella, her shop and the women who are written in her register. Present day, London, an aspiring historian Caroline Parcewell spends her tenth wedding anniversary alone after she discovers her husband’s infidelity. When she finds an old apothecary vial near the river Thames, she is determined to find it’s origins. Will Caroline find the truth behind the vial? How is it linked to the events surrounding Nella and Eliza? 

I was first drawn to The Lost Apothecary by it’s gorgeous cover. Not knowing much about the story, I picked up the book and dove in. The opening chapter hooked me in as Nella nervously waits for her new client. The story was an easy read, fast paced story as the action picks up when Caroline discovers the vial and half heartedly searches for clues of its past. Soon she is pulled into a mystery that she can’t help but push forward to find the truth. The characters were likeable and unlikeable at times especially Caroline. Yes, she was a woman scorned but sometimes didn’t act like it. Some of the language the author uses was a bit cringey especially at one part when Caroline realizes she has gotten her period. I had to roll my eyes. Also, there were words and phrases used by the characters in 1791 that are true to the time period. As a debut novel for Ms. Penner, I found it was a good story. With time, a bit more polishing and research, I see great works in her future and I look forward to reading more of her works. Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed and recommend The Lost Apothecary.

The Lost Apothecary is available in hardcover, eBook and audiobook. 

A Light Last Seen: a story of discovery

A Light Last Seen by Grace Greene is the story of Jaynie Highsmith as she discovers that “the present is never free of the past.” Growing up in Cub Creek in rural Virginia, she wanted nothing more than to escape and the chaos that was her childhood. Desperate to leave her past behind her and make a new life, she leaves and reinvents herself, complete with a new name. Her new life has everything she wanted until she discovers it’s not what she thought it was. Jaynie is convinced that she is destined to live a life of unhappiness, making poor choice after poor choice like her mother. After seventeen years, needing another fresh start, she returns to Cub Creek, to confront her past and finally leave Cub Creek in the past. She soon discovers that she must reveal the secrets she’s kept for so long if she has any chance to find happiness. 

This is my first book by Grace Greene and while I heard great things about A Light Last Seen, it wasn’t the story I expected. The story was slow moving with lackluster action. Jaynie was a hard character to like as she often acted more like a child throwing a tantrum than a grown woman. The only characters that I enjoyed were Jaynie’s neighbor, Ruth Berry and her grandson, Wyatt. Ruth has some great pearls of wisdom for Jaynie, some she remembered and others she forgot to live by. My favorite one is the one I quoted above. We are always influenced by the past, it is up to us to determine how much the past influences our present but we are never truly free. Overall,  A Light Last Seen was a decent story; however, I expected more. Even though the book didn’t speak to me, I feel there is someone that it will. I recommend A Light Last Seen. 

A Light Last Seen is available in paperback and eBook. 

Where The Crawdads Sing: an entertaining story but I wasn't blown away

Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens is a story of survival set in the marshlands of North Carolina. The town of Barkley Cove, a quiet fishing village, heard rumors of the “Marsh Girl,” For the most part, it was just talk, as Kya Clark is barefoot, wild and clearly unfit for normal society. Until 1969, when Golden Boy, Chase Andrews, is found dead and Kya is immediately suspected. But Kya is not what the rumors claim. A born naturalist, she takes life’s lessons from the land. She has learned to live in solitude, only rely on herself to get what she needs to survive. As she gets older, she is drawn to two young men from town. Both men are intrigued by her wild beauty and Kya begins to open herself to the possibility of not being so alone anymore. It all falls apart when Chase Andrews dies and Kya is arrested for his murder. Told between two timelines, beginning in 1952 when Kya is introduced and 1969 with the police investigation, the story weaves a mystery that slowly unravels. Who killed Chase Andrews? Did Kya kill him? 

I have heard many rave reviews of Where the Crawdads Sing. I finally picked up a copy. I settled in to read and the opening chapter set a lyrical tone as the author describes the wildness of the marsh and the animals who live there. The first half of the book moved slowly. I knew there must be a connection to the death investigation and Kya, so I pressed on. The second half of the book moved more quickly as the trial began. When I finished, the mystery solved, I sat silent, underwhelmed. It wasn’t the book I expected. The “gotcha” moment fell flat for me. I liked the book. It was entertaining but I wasn’t wowed by it as I expected from hearing so many rave reviews. There is a movie in production based on this book, set to be released in 2022. After reading the book, I’m not sure I’m interested in seeing the film. Maybe that will change in time. Overall, I enjoyed the story. It was good and the descriptions of the landscape are beautiful. It’s not a “oh my gosh, you have to read this book!” But I recommend Where the Crawdads Sing. 

Where the Crawdads Sing is available in paperback, eBook and audiobook. 

No Thanks: One woman's journey to live life on her own terms

No Thanks: Black, Free and Living in the Martyr-Free Zone by Keturah Kendrick is a collection of eight essay as Ms. Kendrick chronicles her journey to freedom. She shares her stories as well as the stories of other women who have freed themselves “from the narrow definition of what makes a ‘proper woman.’” Ms. Kendrick especially puts a spotlight on the cultural bullying  that puts pressures on women to become wives and others and the expectation that one must follow the spiritual traditions of previous generations. Through her wit and humor, Ms. Kendrick speaks directly to black women as she imagines a world where black women can like choices that center on their needs and desires rather than the choices society offers them. No Thanks is a mixture of memoir and cultural critique to paint the 21st century black woman free from the chains of someone else’s expectations. 

Even though I am not Ms. Kendrick’s target audience, I enjoyed her candor and wit as she examines her fight to live her life her way. Right off the bat, she tells her readers that our families, mothers, fathers, sisters, brothers, etc, are not entitled or allowed to edit the “blueprint” or path of our lives in order to suit their wants and desires. She even dives into the growing criticism of the selfishness of women who choose not to have children. While I have always known that I wanted to be a wife and mother, I have never thought of another woman who didn’t want the same as selfish. The essays are short and easy to read. I found her very interesting and even when I didn’t agree with all of her premises, she was clear about her reasons. I recommend No Thanks. 

No Thanks: Black, Free and Living in the Martyr-Free Zone is available in paperback and eBook.  

Maybe You Should Talk to Someone: a look inside a therapy session and the emotional issues we all face

Maybe You Should Talk to Someone by Lori Gottlieb is the story of a therapist, her therapist and the answers we all look for in our lives are revealed. Ms. Gottlieb, a psychotherapist and national advice columnist, takes the readers into therapy sessions as she helps her patients find the reasons why when she realizes she needs those answers herself. After a devastating break-up, Gottlieb finds herself in the office of Wendell, a quirky but well-seasoned therapist, dressed in a cardigan and khakis; he seems to be the stereotypical therapist; she soon learns that he is anything but typical. Gottlieb opens the therapy doors and invites the readers into her world as a clinician and a patient, examining the truths and lies we tell ourselves and others as we walk the tightrope called Life. Battling questions of love and desire, meaning and mortality, guilt and redemption, terror and courage and finally finding hope and change. What lessons can we learn from Ms. Gottlieb’s patients and her own experience in therapy? 

Maybe You Should Talk to Someone was highly recommended to me as a witty and honest look into the human experience. As Ms. Gottlieb presents her journey with patients and the road that leads her into therapy herself; it was easy to see people we have encountered in ourselves as well as our own questions and struggles. I enjoyed Ms. Gottlieb’s candor and openness when discussing the mental health of her patients and herself. There is a stigma around our emotional struggles. She makes the observation that we can easily talk about physical health, our sex lives (“or the lack thereof”), but we actively and purposefully avoid talking about mental health. Throughout each patient’s story, we learn the universality of what it means to be human as well as the power to transform our lives lies within each of us. I recommend Maybe You Should Talk to Someone. 

Maybe You Should Talk to Someone is available in hardcover, paperback, eBook and audiobook

 

 

 

Favorite: a haunting story

Favorite by Karen McQuestion is a thriller young adult novel in which no one and nothing is what it seems. On her 11th birthday, 16-year-old Angie Favorite’s mother disappeared without a trace. Five years later, Angie is abducted from a mall parking lot. She narrowly escapes and her attacker is arrested but takes his life in jail before he can answer for his crime. When Lillian, the attacker’s mother, contacts Angie, begging forgiveness on her son’s behalf and offers any help Angie may need. She agrees to meet Lillian. When she arrives at the woman’s massive estate, she can’t help feeling uneasy and unable to shake the feelings of foreboding. Something is not right and despite her urges and warnings, no one is listening to Angie. Can she finally figure out what’s wrong before it’s too late?

Favorite was an easy read, fast paced as the reader is taken on a journey with many twists and turns. I was able to finish the story in one day as I could not put it down. Every time I tried to find a good stopping point, something would happen to fuel my interest to find out what happens. I did not see the ending coming! There were hits and misses with the characters. I enjoyed Angie who acted and behaved as someone who has been through a traumatic event. Her family, despite being concerned for her when she was in the hospital, seemed to focus on their own desires as Angie raises her concerns. While I enjoyed the book, I feel the target audience of young adults may enjoy it more. I recommend Favorite. 

Favorite is available in paperback, eBook, and audiobook.

Celia and the Fairies: a sweet story for all ages

Celia and the Fairies by Karen McQuestion is a story of magic, imagination and the power of kindness. Ten-year-old Celia Lovejoy  is excited to learn that her Grammy will be moving in with her family. She no longer has to go to Paul’s house, her neighbor, after school anymore. Grammy has the best stories filled with magical fairies that live in the woods behind their house. She believes that they are just stories until she receives an unexpected visit from Mira, a real, live fairy! Mira needs help. Celia’s house and the woods are in danger of being demolished. The person who is behind this horrible danger is someone who holds a grudge against Celia’s father. And while fairies can fight against evil, they need Celia’s help. With Paul’s help, Celia starts her danger-filled journey that takes her deep into the woods at night and faces her greatest fears. 

Celia and the Fairies is a fun, sweet story filled with magic and the message that every day kindness can help change the world. It is the first book of The Watchful Woods series. It is written as a Young Adult novel but I think readers of all ages would enjoy this story. Celia is a little girl whose parents have not allowed her to believe in imaginary things like the Easter Bunny or any sort of magic, rather teaching her the realities of the world. When her Grammy moves in, Celia learns that magic does, in fact, exist and it can help with the realities of the real world. I enjoyed the story as it has the message that even the smallest child can affect change. Change starts close to home before spreading to the wider world. Kindness to others is a simple change we can all do. I recommend Celia and the Fairies. 

Celia and the Fairies is available in paperback, eBook and audiobook. 

 

 

A Summer to Remember: a story of secrets, family and finding home

 A Summer to Remember is the debut novel by Erika Montgomery. For 30-year-old Frankie Simon, selling movie memorabilia in The Memory Shop on Hollywood Boulevard with her mother is more than a job, it is a connection to the only family and life she has known especially since the tragic death of her mother the year before. When a package arrives containing a photograph of her mother with famous movie stars Glory Cartwright and her husband, Mitch Beckett, at a coastal film festival the year before Frankie’s birth. She is left with so many questions, she journeys to the Cape Cod film festival to find the answers to those questions. There she meets Gabe Beckett, the adopted son of Glory and Mitch, and Russ and Louise Chandler, the couple’s closest friends. Soon the journey reveals buried family secrets, betrayals, and the bonds of friendships. Will the answers to her questions bring the closure that Frankie wishes? Or will the answers lead to more questions? 

A Summer to Remember is a story of the power of memories. The nostalgia we feel when we watch a favorite movie and the emotions tied to that movie. Some movies speak to us and stay with us long after the screen goes black. When we see a piece of that movie, whether is it a piece of a costume or a set location, those emotions and memories come rushing back and we remember. That is what Frankie and her mother sold. They sold more than just memorabilia, they sold important reminders for those fans. I enjoyed this book. It wasn’t overly dramatic but felt real and relatable. The questions, the regrets, and the doubts of the characters are ones we have all struggled with and dealt with. Switching between the present and the past, the events unfold as secrets are revealed and each character must come to terms with the decisions made and secrets kept.  I highly recommend A Summer to Remember. 

A Summer to Remember is available in hardcover, eBook, and audiobook. 

The Fairweather Sisters series: madcap Regency romances?

The Fairweather Sisters series by Anya Wylde is a Regency romantic series featuring three sisters as they try to navigate the London Season and catch a husband. Described as humorous adventures of three sisters as they navigate life, love and London society. Featuring sisters, Penelope, Celine and Dorothy, the series is described as filled with comedy, adventure and “toe-curling romance.” I will recap each book first then give my impressions at the end. 

Penelope is book one in which Penelope is sent from her country home in Finnshire to Blackthorne Mansion as she is to be sponsored by the Dowager Blackthorne during the London Season. She hopes to find a husband so that she never has to return to the home of her father and stepmother. First, she must refine her rustic ways which proves to be quite a task. Second, she has only one London Season, three months to accomplish her goal. Penelope finds herself in a series of misadventures as she navigates the moonlit balls, fancy clothes while dealing with the sneers from the other ladies and the wrath of the devilishly handsome Duke of Blackthorne. Will she be able to learn the manners of London society? Will she find herself a husband? Or will she be forced to return home? 

Seeking Philbert Woodbead is book 2 and is the story of Celine Fairweather, the sensible and practical sister. She comes to London to find out the whereabouts of her lost love Philbert Woodbead. Her only clues are a series of poems and a painting. The search is slow and dull until the ex-pirate and flirt Lord Elmer offers to help. She reluctantly accepts his help as Elmer is hiding from a vicious group of pirates. He hopes to hide out at Blackthorne until the heat is off. With his checkered past and his happy-go-lucky attitude, Elmer brings life and chaos to the very ordered Celine. She soon realizes that there’s a difference between affection and true love. Will she find Philbert? Is Elmer using her as a diversion while hiding from his enemies? Will he be gone when the heat is finally off?  

Dorothy is the third book and is the story of Dorothy May Fairweather. The Fairweather sisters have always loved and adored each other. But when circumstances force Dorothy to marry Lord William Edmund Huxley, the man her best friend is in love with and the Duke of Blackthorne’s arch enemy, it all changes. With one foolish mistake, Dorothy manages to anger and hurt all those who mean the most to her. She finds herself alone and miserable. Dorothy must find a way to win back her sisters while winning over her in-laws and her new breathtakingly handsome new husband. Can she accomplish her goal? Can she and her sisters be the way they were before? 

The Fairweather Sisters series was marketed as a humorous Regency Romance. First, they were not humorous at all. I found the antics of the sisters cringey and I never laughed once. I rolled my eyes a few times. Second, I found it hard to believe that these stories took place during the Regency Era (1795-1837). I found no indication of any particular time period. If there was, it was so subtle, I missed it. Third, like most romances, you know who the heroines end up with. The predictable romances, the fall flat humor and a lack of a time period left the series lacking. One redeeming factor is they were fairly easy to read as I read all three books in one day. I do not recommend The Fairweather Sisters series. 

The Fairweather Sisters series is available in eBook. 

A Kingdom's Cost: the Black Douglas and the Scottish War of Indepedence

A Kingdom’s Cost by JR Tomlin is the first book in The Black Douglas trilogy. It is the story of James Douglas aka The Black Douglas and the first Scottish War of Independence. In 1305, 18-year-old Jamie Douglas watches helplessly as the Scottish freedom fighter William Wallace is hanged, drawn, and quartered. Despite the brutal English conqueror in King Edward I, the people of Scotland yearn for freedom and one man, Robert the Bruce, the rightful king, is the hope for freedom. The Bruce, a king without a kingdom, is soon a fugitive and Scotland is occupied. Yet James believes their cause is not lost. With a driving determination, James wages a guerrilla war to restore Scotland’s freedom. He knows that he risks sharing Wallace’s fate but could he become as ruthless as the tyrant he fights? 

I love stories and books which feature Scotland, so I was excited to pick up A Kingdom’s Cost. I've heard the name of the Black Douglas before but I didn’t know the man or his story. I worried that it would be filled with overly military jargon and battle strategy rather than a story about the men who fought to gain their freedom. I was surprised at how easily the story flowed and grabbed me as I read the battles, the lives lost and the sacrifices made. While Mr. Tomlin took a few licenses with the historical facts, the story grew my curiosity to look into the historical figures and learn more about them. I look forward to reading the rest of the trilogy. I recommend A Kingdom's Cost. 

A Kingdom’s Cost is available in paperback, eBook, and audiobook. 

Hurricane Summer: a coming of age story set in a Caribbean paradise

Hurricane Summer by Ashe Bromfield is a coming of age story dealing with colorism, classism and explores the father-daughter relationship. Tilla has spent her life trying to make her father love her enough to stay with them. But every six months, he would leave them to return to Jamaica, his true home. When Tilla’s mother tells her she’ll be spending the summer on the island, she dreads the idea of seeing him again and yet longs to discover why life in Jamaica was more important. The minute she arrives, Tilla is met with opposition from her relatives as a foreigner. She tries to make the most of the summer, hanging out with her cousins and the locals, discovering the joy and pain of summer love. As she faces an impending hurricane, Tilla is forced to confront the storm that threatens to unravel in her own life as she learns the dark secrets of her family and those hidden by the veil of paradise. It is a story which takes the reader into the heart of Jamaica and into the soul of a young girl coming to terms with her family, herself and the discovery of finding your voice. 

The gorgeous cover is what caught my eye as I was invited to read this debut novel by Ms. Bromfield. I was intrigued by the story, but when I started reading, I was sure if I would like the book. But I continued and I’m so glad I did. The story soon burst open and became a beautiful coming of age story. Set in a Caribbean paradise, it is a story of a storm. A storm of nature and one of the heart and soul. From the very beginning, I felt for Tilla as she is fighting for her father’s affections as well as trying to navigate a world that is against her. I cried when she came to the conclusion that she is fighting an uphill battle against the pull of Jamaica. The island will always be his first choice. Written as a young adult novel, I feel all ages could relate and learn from Tilla's hurricane summer. The themes of summer love, jealousy and finding your voice are all experiences most of us have faced and can relate to Tilla’s confusion, her heartbreak and her determination to fight back. I highly recommend Hurricane Summer. 

Hurricane Summer is available in hardcover, eBook, and audiobook. 

The Bookshop of Second Chances: when a new life starts in the most unexpected places

The Bookshop of Second Chances by Jackie Fraser is the story of a woman’s desperate determination to find a new direction in her life. Nothing is going well for Thea Mottram. she was let go from her job with no notice and then, her husband of nearly twenty years has decided to leave her for one of her closest friends. It is an understatement to say that Thea has been left bewildered and completely lost. A surprise letter which informs her that her great uncle has passed away and left her his home and his worldly possessions, including an extensive antique book collection. She heads to the Scottish coast and immediately falls in love with the quaint cottage and the nearby village of Baldochrie, where the locals are warm, quirky, and inviting. The only person who she doesn’t quite win over is the local bookshop owner, Edward Maltravers. His gruff attitude tests Thea’s patience and they are soon engaged in a battle of wills. Thea soon finds the bickering with Edward thrilling and exciting, she begins to find a courage and direction she has been missing. Will she ever leave the Scottish village? 

From the opening chapter to the final pages, I fell in love with Thea and Edward. Their bickering made me laugh and smile. I eagerly read as I waited to see if they would finally acknowledge their sexual tension and act on it. Do they? You’ll have to read it to find out. It is a great book about second chances at life and love even when you think you are beyond the need or desire. It was funny and while the language may be a bit crude for some, it reminded me of British television. One of my favorite parts is when Thea explains how she found out that her husband was cheating on her. It was definitely an “oh my!” moment. I especially loved the descriptions about the bookshop and the various books on the shelves. There were moments when Edward and Thea talked about books, some I was familiar with and others I wasn’t. I was intrigued enough to make a list to look up when I finished. Overall, The Bookshop of Second Chances is a great book with relatable characters filled with humor and drama. I highly recommend The Bookshop of Second Chances. 

The Bookshop of Second Chances will be available on May 4, 2021 in paperback, eBook and audiobook. 

The Restarting Point: friendships, adventures and starting over

The Restarting Point by Marci Bolden is the first book in her new Chammont Point series. Jade Kelly is an accomplished woman. As a wife, mother of 2 and successful marketing executive, she can now add cancer survivor to her life. While everything seems great in appearances, she realizes that she and her family need to reconnect after the stress of her treatments left Jade and her husband, Nick, basically housemates and her children are almost strangers. Jade is determined to start over, to start fresh with her new chance at life. She schedules a family vacation at a lakefront carbon. When her kids bail and Nick stays home to handle a work crisis, Jade heads to Chammont Point alone. Her vacation turns into a life-altering moment as secrets, lies and old wounds open new adventures and new relationships for Jade. With the help of family and her new found friends, Jade learns that starting over isn’t always what you thought it would be. 

The Restarting Point is my first Marci Bolden book, although I have two of her books from the Life Without Water series on my To-Be-Read list. It is a great story with plenty of drama and humor. Jade was a hard character to care for as she is very blunt and rough, almost that there is no softness to her. I felt for her as she faced certain death and survived, only to be dealt a devastating blow. However, she is surrounded by a wonderful cast of colorful characters that start to soften her rough edges, especially the flashy and outgoing Darby and the flirty Liam Cunningham. She begins to see where she sacrificed too much and the price she paid for those sacrifices. Overall, I enjoyed The Restarting Point and I am looking forward to reading more in the Chammont Point series to find out what new adventures the residents of Chammont Point can get into. I recommend The Restarting Point. 

The Restarting Point is available in paperback and eBook.