If you are looking for happily ever after endings this book may not be for you but if you are looking for an ending that leaves the protagonists with hope then this will be a good read.  Alisa has lost one son to tragedy and is in the process of losing the other in the aftermath of that tragedy.  The events that unfold leave her questioning all the premises her life is based on.  When push comes to shove and she has the choice of following her Christian principles or protecting her remaining son, at first she chooses the latter.  As events continue to unfold, however, she realizes that the right thing to do, in fact the only thing to do is step forward with the truth.  It all very painful and traumatic but the people she loves step up and support her and her faith in God is strengthened through the process.  This book is well written and there is enough suspense to keep you turning the pages.  The characters are believable and all too familiarly human.  This is definitely not a “feel good” book, but it is certainly a thought provoking one and well worth reading.

The Carousel Painter by Judith Miller

This is the first book I have read by this author and I was very pleasantly surprised.  I had read a couple of her collaborations with Tracie Peterson but nothing that she had written alone.  I was a little worried at first when the book proved to be in the first person, but that actually worked well for this story.  The heroine had an annoying aberration whereby whenever anyone did or said anything for at least the first half of the book, she had an unexplained urge to giggle which she stifled each time with a cough or some such.  I’m sure the author intended for it to be an endearing quirk but it was overdone.  Other that that, the story was well crafted and was a real page turner.  There was enough of a mystery to keep me wondering how everything would turn out and enough romance to keep me happy about the whole thing.  The setting in a carousel factory was wonderful and it was very interesting to find out how the carousel animals were designed and crafted.  I look forward to reading more of Ms. Miller’s work. 

I recently read the book by Jim Burns titled God Made Your Body. I sat down and read it with my 4 year old daughter. I have read books similar to this one before so I was interested to see the approach that Mr. Burns would take. He starts out talking about the differences in people in regard to eye, hair, and skin color. Then he talks about the differences in height. He also mentions how children have different talents and likes. He then talks about how boys and girls are made different.  He uses simple black line drawings to show the difference. They are very tasteful. The rest of the book is full of great color photos of real people.  The pages are very glossy. He speaks about how the baby is made by a mother and father who are married. making love.  I enjoyed how the book showed the growth of the baby in the womb by comparing it to everyday objects. That is great for kids to really understand the size and changes the baby goes through. I feel the book gives a basic description that is age appropriate. Just remember that all parents don’t share this information with their children so your child should be reminded to talk about this with mom and dad if he wants to discuss it further. This is a good book to add to your home library for you to teach your children that God Made Your Body.

(This book review is actually by my daughter)

A Surrendered Heart is book 3 of Tracie Peterson and Judith Miller’s Broadmoor Legacy series.  Since I had not read book 1 or 2, I wondered if I would be missing something with this story but the authors filled in the blanks very well.  I would probably enjoy reading those books in the future even though they would be out of chronological sequence for me.  I also wondered when I started reading this book if it would be like another Peterson/Miller collaboration I listened to on audio last summer.  In that story the characters never got a break – it just kept getting worse and worse with no good in between and none in sight for the entire story.  It was very frustrating.  This book did have that feel for a while as well but it came to a very satisfying conclusion and I loved all the characters and their interwoven lives.  The setting of the Thousand Islands was interesting to me too since I visited there as a child and remember it fondly.  The peek into high society and emerging independence for women was fun too.  The thing I most enjoyed was how the characters’ faith was an integral part of the story without being preachy.  All in all, I would say this was a very enjoyable read. 

In That Certain Spark we once again get to see what’s happening with the characters who have become our friends from previous books by Cathy Marie Hake.  And, as always, the story keeps us enthralled until the end.  This time it felt a little episodic and contrived – as if the author were trying too hard to make a point or two or maybe to just add another book to the series.  It didn’t flow as well as previous books.  But for all of that, if was not a disappointment and I am still anticipating Cathy Marie Hake’s next effort. 

This book is rich in historical fact and it is clear that the author did her research well.  Those interested in Elizabeth Barrett Browning’s work will find it fascinating, I’m sure.  Personally, I was bogged down by all the gloom and histrionics of the main character well into the story and did not find the heroine to be at all likeable.  Add to that the fact that I rarely even pick up a book that is written in the first person and it made for a tedious read.  The book was well-written and well-researched, I just did not find the subject all that fascinating.  Just like Moser’s book, Mozart’s Sister, it looked like a great book to read but turned out to be the wrong choice for me. 

This story of a Puritan girl in Massachusetts Bay Colony in the 1640s is rich in historical detail and provides the reader with a real feel of what was like back in that place and time.  That alone makes the book worth the read, but the story itself is riveting and I found it difficult to lay the book down.  This book is definitely worth your time and I highly recommend it.  I’m looking forward to reading more from this author.