Fascinating Historical Fiction

Jane Kirkpatrick spins a fascinating story that weaves together facts with educated-speculation about the life and times of Helga Estby and her daughter Clara in her novel The Daughter's Walk.  This amazing semi-suffragette duo made an unprecedented 3,500-mile WALK across America in 1896 in an effort to win a $10,000 prize.  The journey was not well received by their family and this book is a fictional take on what might have resulted once they returned home. 

To be perfectly honest, had I not been reading this book for the purpose of writing a review, I'm not sure I would have finished it.  There were parts of the book that seemed to drag on at a sluggish pace.  In hindsight I wish I had read the "Authors Notes and Acknowledgements" first.  (Seeing as how reading the end of the book first goes against my better judgement, it hadn't occurred to me to do so.)  However, after reading about Kirkpatrick's thorough research and gathering of factual accounts of Clara and Helga, it was made clear that some of the slower parts of the story were actually recitation of the factual accounts and documented history of the real events.  It was in truth quite fascinating and I'm glad I read the story to it's entirety.

The story of Helga and Clara is a thought-provoking conundrum.  Kirkpatrick's fictionalization allows us to learn more about this nugget of history while exploring the intricacies of family dynamics and the importance of forgiveness and reconciliation.  Overall I thoroughly enjoyed the book and would recommend it to anyone who enjoys historical fiction and to anyone who has ever had a period of family separation or exile.

***I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review I did not receive any monetary compensation for this post. Any opinions expressed are my own.***  

 

 

Book Review Time again! The Inconvenient Marriage of Charlotte Beck

This lovely novel is book three in the Women of the West series by Author Kathleen Y'Barbo.  (You can read the first two in the series: The Confidential Life of Eugenia Cooper and Anna Finch and the Hired Gun )  I was pleasantly surprised at how well The Inconvenient Marriage was penned.  The characters are vivid and colorful.  I found this book to be an entertaining "coming of age story" as we watch the main character Charlotte Beck bumble her way through trying to find her place in the world while striving to attain her father's respect and approval.  I was immediately sucked in to the Romeo and Juliet drama between the Beck and Hambly families.  I found myself "rooting" for Alex Hambly (the Viscount and heart-throb of the story).  Unfortunately, if you have not previously read the first two in the series you will be left with gaping holes in the story and character development.  The author definitely assumes you'll remember the first two stories and does not offer much in the way of "recap" for details that might have slipped your mind.  If you enjoy period pieces this is definitely a must read series for you!  I look forward to reading more from Y'Barbo.

***I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review I did not receive any monetary compensation for this post. Any opinions expressed are my own.***  

Book Review: When God Created My Toes

I was somewhat disappointed in this book.  The rhymes are endearing, and the pictures are vivid, but the scenes portrayed are not what I was expecting.  The girl in the story is shown gleefully misbehaving in several pages.  (Painting hand prints on the living room wall for example.)  This is not exactly the kind of behavior I want my children mimicking.  Otherwise the story was cute and my kids did seem to enjoy reading it.  (I just made sure to emphasize possible consequences for the "bad" behaviors depicted.)  Additionally, I wasn't particularly fond of the wording: "Did we cheer for angel bands when God created my hands?"  Angel bands?  It could potentially be a conversation starter for preschoolers to understand how God created them, but over all I don't recommend it.
 

***I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review I did not receive any monetary compensation for this post. Any opinions expressed are my own.***  

Book Review: Mine Is the Night by Liz Curtis Higgs

Reading this novel is my first exposure to Liz Curtis Higgs writing.  I have to say I'm impressed.  Once you get acclimated to the dialect, it is easy to fully delve into the story as if you're there in the middle of eighteenth century Scotland.  The story of Ruth and Boaz is one of my all time favorite Bible stories so I was especially drawn in to the story.  My only regret is that it was only after I had read the story that I came to realize this is the second book in a two-book series.  The characters are vividly charming and feel like real friends by book's end.  I am eager to read more of Higgs works. 

***I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review I did not receive any monetary compensation for this post. Any opinions expressed are my own.***  

Cute & Easy Spring Craft

We went to the story time at Barnes & Nobles today.  The "theme" was chickens and the craft was super cute.  Better yet, super easy!


Supplies:
Safety Scissors
Stick Glue
Paper (White, orange, yellow, blue)

Cut out oval "eggs" on the white paper.  Have the kids color & decorate their egg however they want.  While they're coloring, you can prep the other pieces of paper.  Tri fold a half piece of 8X10 blue page.  The yellow piece should be approximately the same size as your egg.  The orange is for creating the "beak" so not much is needed.  (As you can see in the picture below, my kids went a little overboard on their beaks!)



Have the kids cut out their "chick" (my kids are preschoolers so their chick was a basic oval shape but older kids can be as detailed as they'd like).  Paste the "chick" in the middle of the tri-fold blue page.  Paste on the "beak" and decorate eyes or other chick details as desired.  Cut a simple "zig zag" in the colored egg.  Paste the egg on the outside of the tri-fold blue page.  (You may need to do some trimming on the blue page so the egg shell pieces fit together when folded over.)  My kids really got a kick out of the egg "cracking" open to reveal their chick inside.  So cute!

Kid-friendly version of Jambalaya

Here is my family's version of a Jambalaya in honor of Fat Tuesday.  (Mine is in the crock pot as we speak! Yum!)  First let me preface with this: Traditional Jambalaya is made with chicken or shrimp and some recipes add the addition of sausage.  We prefer the taste and texture of the kielbasa so this is how we make it.

Here's a simple and budget-friendly recipe for kielbasa, slow cooked with pineapple chunks and a tangy vinegar and brown sugar sauce.

Ingredients:

• 1 can (20 ounces) pineapple chunks
• 2 pounds kielbasa
• 1 large onion, quartered, sliced
• 2 bell pepper, cut in chunks (I like to use one orange and one red for the beautiful color)
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 2 tablespoons cider or balsamic vinegar
• 1 tablespoon low sodium soy sauce
• 1/3 cup brown sugar, packed

Preparation:

Drain pineapple chunks and reserve juice. Put chunks in the slow cooker. Cut kielbasa into 1- to 2-inch lengths; add to the slow cooker along with the onion and bell pepper.

Combine reserved juice with the cornstarch, stirring until smooth. Stir in the vinegar, soy sauce, and brown sugar. Pour over the kielbasa.
Cover and cook on LOW for 4 to 6 hours.

Serve:

 Serve over a bed of Jambalaya rice (I use a box mix bought from Aldi) or for less spice make a batch of white or brown rice to mix with the Jambalaya to your taste preference.  

Very Emotional Read

 

I just finished reading When the Heart Cries (Sisters of the Quilt, Book One) by Cindy Woodsmall.  The title should have tipped me off, but still somehow I was unprepared for the depth of emotions this novel would trigger.  This is far from an "easy" read in that it is emotionally taxing.  I've grown accustomed to heartwarming Amish stories that may have a few twists and turns and heart wrenching moments, but overall still leave you with a pleasant feeling and a happy heart.  This was NOT one of those stories.  From the very beginning of the story the main character is caught up in one tragic occurrence after another.  This story begins with a "Romeo and Juliet" romance at the base of the story followed by several gut wrenching events compounded by secrets and half truths.  To say that this story left me feeling depressed might be an understatement.  I was in tears for much of the book, and spent equal amounts of time experiencing feelings of utter frustration at the injustices of the circumstances Hannah finds herself in.

That being said, however, the characters are so vivid and the story so thoroughly developed I'm anxious to read book two in the three book series.  Perhaps I'm in for a disappointment, but I'm hopeful to set my mind at ease by reading the rest of the story.  I'm hopeful that the author will bring positive conclusions to the plot.   

I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review I did not receive any monetary compensation for this post. Any opinions expressed are my own.

God Gave Us the World

I am reviewing another book today:

 

God Gave Us the World (by Lisa Tawn Bergren art by Laura J. Bryant) is part of a series of "God Gave Us..." books about a Polar Bear family.  This story illustrates how it is in God's nature to be creative and therefore He created all kinds of bears who live in all kinds of places.  The story encourages "Little Cub" to compare and contrast the differences in all the bears she sees while walking through a "bear museum."  It furthermore encourages her to see God's creation as creative and beautiful even when the other bears are different from her.  It goes on to point out how the earth is God's gift to us and it would make him sad if we hurt it. 

This story would be a great conversation starter for young school age kids (K-2 perhaps?).  It was a little too wordy to hold the attention of my three year old, but my five year old listened with interest.  I'm not sure she quite grasped the overall concept, but with repetition, I think she'd likely catch on.


I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review I did not receive any monetary compensation for this post. Any opinions expressed are my own.

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