Book Review - An American Immigrant

Starting at surface level, Johanna Rojas Vann’s debut novel is a quick, easy, enjoyable read. Melanie Carvajal has always been too Colombian to be American and too American to be Colombian, spending her youth ashamed of all the things her family didn’t have and all the ways she was different from her peers. Never really thinking beyond herself and her goals, Melanie holds her mother at arm’s length and has no interest in visiting her Colombian family, until dire circumstances in the world she has created for herself force her to come face to face with everything she has worked so hard to keep separate from her life. What should have simply been the catalyst to save her career does just that in a way that has no regard for Melanie’s ten year plan. An American Immigrant has plenty to keep the reader turning pages.

Below surface level, though, is where the Rojas Vann truly shines. She writes with passion for the children of immigrant parents and for those parents who risk so much to come to America, knowing what they come to is going to be hard and coming here is going to be difficult, knowing they may be one of the many who don’t survive the journey, and knowing still that all of it means a chance at life they will never remotely achieve by staying home. She explores the ripple effects of one individual’s sacrifice on the generation to come, as well as all those left behind. And she explores the value of getting to know your family’s immigrant story. This novel is one part enjoyable novel, one part love letter to cultural identity, and one part homage to the value to getting to truly know your own immigrant story. I read every page and kept hoping for just one more bit, so I promptly preordered the audiobook and snagged the preorder goodies.

An American Immigrant by Johanna Rojas Vann is available tomorrow (8/15/23) from your favorite local bookseller or online:

Christian Book        Barnes & Noble        Amazon

Thank you to the author and publisher for allowing me a copy to read and review. All opinions expressed here are my own and are completely genuine.    

Book Review - Potiphar’s Wife

Are you a fan of the bad girls of the Bible? Do you like to see how God’s purpose is fulfilled even though evil seems to triumph? Do you like to think about what might have gone on behind the scenes of the events you read about in your Bible? 

Mesu Andrews pries open the tale of Potiphar’s wife in her new release and makes us wonder if she was genuinely horrid or if her circumstances shaped the woman we blame for Joseph’s time in prison. Potiphar’s Wife centers around Princess Zuleika, a strong and capable young woman whose father is king of the Zakros district of Crete and whose beloved husband will become king. Her world is turned upside down by a tragedy which rips her husband and mother away at the same time as it cripples the districts of the island she loves. The only hope to save her home is for her father to offer his most beloved possession in marriage to Egypt’s king. To fulfill her duty to her homeland, Zully is also ripped from her homeland and carried to Egypt before she the chance to mourn her losses.

Adding insult to injury, the beautiful and talented princess is handed off to Pharoah Khyan’s second in command. Potiphar is a crusty old soldier with no desire for a wife, and yet that is exactly what Zully must become. Torn from her family, passed over by the Egyptian king, and scorned by the noblewomen of her new homeland, Zully finds herself spiraling into the depression and madness she fought to resist. If not for a small group of slaves who are especially kind to her, there’s no telling how far she might fall.

This is the woman who flings herself at Joseph in desperation and seizes upon the opportunity to shame him. Yet this story is actually filled with strong women who work together. Ahira is one of those women, a Hebrew slave who is maid to Zully, and a woman both in need of healing and whose care heals others. Ahira’s devotion to her mistress is an opportunity for both to grow through their circumstances. Her care for Joseph is a ministry to him and to those who witness it throughout his dark days.

Potiphar’s Wife by Mesu Andrews is absolutely a must-read and is available now from your favorite local bookseller or online.

Christian Book                Barnes & Noble                Amazon

Thank you to the author and publisher for allowing me a copy to read and review. All opinions expressed here are my own and are completely genuine. 

Book Review - What Remains True

Merry Anna’s quick stop in Antler Creek was not supposed to last months. But after living her life all planned according to her family’s wishes and married to the high school sweetheart who lived off Merry Anna’s success and broke their marriage vows, she has decided to start embracing new opportunities. First with a new job at an adorable little boutique and renting an old cowboy bunkhouse as her new home, then by making friends and learning new and valuable lessons on friendship, she embraces new opportunities. The handsome cowboy neighbor was not supposed to be one of those things, but the way he looks at her and the way she feels when she is around him make her want embrace Adam Locklear.

If only this was not the year he decided to focus on winning the professional bull riding championship to set up his future outside the arena. If only Merry Anna was sure her future is in Antler Creek. If only complications from the past would stay in the past and not complicate their future. Nancy Naigle writes a romance with just the perfect balance between sweetness and strife, proving her prowess once again in her new release, What Remains True.

What Remains True by Nancy Naigle is available now from your favorite local bookseller or online:

Christian Book            Barnes & Noble                Amazon

Thank you to the author and publisher for allowing me a copy to read and review. All opinions expressed here are my own and are completely genuine.

Book Review - No Journey Too Far

How far would you go to find the ones you love? In No Ocean Too Wide, Carrie Turansky gave us the story of a family torn apart by the child welfare system and spread across the ocean. The younger McAlister children were taken into care as their mother fought for her life in a London hospital, but instead of being restored to their family when she recovered, Garth, Katie and Grace were sent to Canada as orphans. In No Journey Too Far, Turansky tells us just how far the McAlister family will go to restore their loved ones to the family.

Garth has fulfilled the terms of his indenture and been discharged from his military service at the end of the Great War. Now it is time to return to Canada, claim Emma as his bride, and find little sister Grace. But life has been exceedingly difficult for Emma in Garth's absence, and she's beginning to wonder if he will indeed return for her. Since he hasn't replied to her letters in months, she isn't even sure if he will be able to find her, and a murder charge is just one more roadblock to happiness for this orphan. Grace, on the other hand, remembers that she has a loving family out there somewhere. She also knows that her adoptive parents have always tried to conceal the fact that was not born to them. On the cusp of adulthood and her entry into the marriage market, Grace's greatest challenge is understanding her identity. For all they have endured, there are still more hurdles to clear before they can see the Lord's plan for their lives.

With the McAlister Family series, Carrie Turansky has shown us just some of the benefits and great costs of the British child emigration system. She has created a family for whom we can cry in the pits of their despair and rejoice in their triumphs. There is certainly no journey too far for this family, and through them we can see there is no journey too far for our loving Father to restore His loved ones to His family.

No Journey Too Far by Carrie Turansky is currently available from your favorite local bookseller or online:

Christian Book        Barnes & Noble        Amazon

Thank you to the author and publisher for allowing me a copy to read and review. All opinions expressed here are my own and are completely genuine.

Book Review - To Read or Not To Read

A LITERARY JOURNAL FOR THE BOOK LOVER'S SOUL

I'm a book lover! I have a soul! To Read or Not To Read was created just for me!

This beautifully bound volume fits perfectly in the hand and the richly jewel toned cover hints at the treasures within. The wide open spaces of the table of contents allow the user to create their own record of the book titles detailed within, and journaling spaces for each book give space to document and reflect upon each one's finer points. Quizzes and author highlights, quotes and reflective spaces, create a book lover's paradise between the covers. Book lists of several types and a list of bookish holidays open a wide array of possibilities for literary exploration and celebration.

To Read or Not To Read is a fully interactive book journaling experience that should not be missed. I've already been gifting copies of this beauty, and you can order your own copies to keep and to share at your favorite local bookseller or online in the following locations:

Christian Book: https://tinyurl.com/CBToRead

Barnes & Noble: https://tinyurl.com/BNToRead

Amazon: https://tinyurl.com/AZToRead

Thank you to the publisher for allowing me a copy of this book to read and review. All opinions expressed here are my own and are completely genuine.

Book Review - The Librarian of Boone's Hollow

Addie Cowherd is precisely where she intends to be along her path to becoming an author when the realities of the Depression Era bring her to what seems to be a screeching halt. With her options limited to none, it seems hopeless until she learns of a traveling librarian position in the Kentucky hill country. She is an outsider and her welcome to Boone's Hollow is lukewarm, at best. What is to become of her and her dreams if she can't find a way forward alongside these people?

Just because Emmett Tharp grew up in Boone's Hollow doesn't mean he fits in. The Depression ruined his big city opportunities and his education isn't much help in the mining community he used to call home. How will he make a living when he can't find a desk job and he isn't cut out for work in the mine? And how can Addie and Emmett work together to open up new worlds and new understanding to the people around them?

Kim Vogel Sawyer's latest release felt a little familiar when considered in the scope of, "What happens when the world closes a door on our plans?" And, "How do I trust God to make a way when it seems there is none?" I really enjoyed the story line of The Librarian of Boone's Hollow, as well as the way the author's thoroughly considered characters build a world in which I could become immersed in order to feel the frustration, distrust, affection, and joy woven throughout. The idea that understanding can break down walls and one person can make a difference are timely reminders to us all.

The Librarian of Boone's Hollow releases September 15, but you can pre-order your copy today from your favorite bookseller.

Thank you to the author and to the publisher for allowing me the opportunity to read and review this book. All opinions in this review are my own and are completely genuine.

Book Review - Isaiah's Legacy

Book Review - Isaiah's Legacy

From the Cover:

Eight year old Shulle has only known life in a small village with her loving but peculiar father. When Uncle Shebna offers shelter in Jerusalem in exchange for Shulle's help tutoring King Manasseh, Judah's five-year-old co-regent, she's eager to experience the royal court. But Shulle is soon disillusioned with Yahweh, the God of her father, when she discovers He's given King Hezekiah only ten years to live. When Uncle Shebna threatens her father's safety and demonstrates the starry hosts' power, Shulle begins the subtle swaying of young Manasseh, using her charm and skill on the boy no one else understands. Will Shulle free Judah from Yahweh's chains? What role will she play in Isaiah's legacy?

Years later, tragedy thrusts an embittered and ambitious twelve-year-old Manasseh onto Judah's throne. When an even darker influence seeks to twist his brilliant mind toward cruelty, Shulle begins to wonder if the gods they've worshipped so freely have led their hearts into captivity... and if anyone can be too far gone to experience the sovereign love to the one true God.

Review:

Isaiah's Legacy, the third installment in the A Novel of Prophets and Kings series by Mesu Andrews, follows in a grand tradition of inspired biblical fiction that enlightens as it carries the reader to Judah for a turbulent ride through the reign of King Manasseh. A thoroughly researched and well crafted novel, but not an easy one to read, it examines a level of spiritual darkness and depravity that is often danced about, implied, but rarely addressed directly. However, these issues are very real and are critical to a true understanding of the evil that gripped King Manasseh's heart until Yahweh broke the chains that bound him and redeemed him in a glorious way.

This novel picks up after the conclusion of Isaiah's Daughter, at the end of King Hezekiah's life, as his son Manasseh prepares and eventually becomes king. We are subject to the conflict of loving certain characters while we hate the evil that works its way into their lives and shackles them apart from the loving God. Shulle had my heart from the very beginning, and my heart broke for her over and over again as she was tricked and manipulated into the sorcery that bound her while masquerading as power. Manasseh's reign of terror against the prophets and Yahwehists is a horror that was foretold, but not any easier to bear as it unfolded. Through it all, Queen Hephzibah can only pray and hope that her previous boy will someday see Truth and turn from darkness. And her abba, the prophet Isaiah, foretells his own demise at the hands of his grandson, knowing that it must be done as Yahweh says to ultimately give Him the glory.

Dear reader, know that Isaiah's Legacy is not a bit of fiction to be undertaken lightly. As Mesu Andrews toiled to bring it forth, so you will toil to digest it. And yet, it is certainly one of the most valuable and eye opening novels I have ever consumed. The understanding that comes from the scripture and the exploration of the spiritual, social, and political turmoil within reveals what is possibly the greatest prodigal story ever told. And if Shulle and Manasseh can be unchained by Yahweh, then nobody is beyond His redemptive love.

About the Author:

Mesu Andrews is the Christy Award-winning author of Isaiah's Daughter and numerous other novels, including The Pharaoh's Daughter, Miriam, Of Fire and Lions, and Love Amid the Ashes. Her deep understanding of and love for God's Word brings the biblical world alive for readers. Mesu lives in North Carolina with her husband, Roy, and enjoys spending time with her growing tribe of grandchildren.

Links:

Find Mesu online at MesuAndrews.com

Follow Mesu on Goodreads * Instagram * Facebook

Purchase Isaiah's Legacy at Amazon (Release date February 18, 2020)

Disclaimer:

Woman By the Grace of God received a book to facilitate this review. The views and opinions expressed here are 100% honest and my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the FTC's 16 CFR, part 255 Guidelines, concerning Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in advertising.

Launch Party Info:

Join Mesu on Facebook Live for the Isaiah's Legacy launch party! Come prepared to hear about Isaiah's Legacy and to ask questions about the research and writing of this awesome novel! Click here to select GOING and receive reminders prior to the party, February 18 at 8pm EST. (I'm pretty sure a little birdie mentioned giveaways!)

Speaking of Freebies:

Did you know that Mesu has written FOUR short-story prequels that have been combined into a novella prequel to Isaiah's Legacy? It's called Adnah's Legacy, and it's FREE to Mesu's newsletter subscribers. Just go to any page on her website, and you'll find a sign-up widget in the right-hand column.

Book Review: Isaiah's Daughter by Mesu Andrews

"So gather near, friend,
to hear of a daughter beyond imagining.
She had the heart of a lion.
Braver than a soldier.
Wiser than a king.”

Mesu Andrews grabbed my attention with that line in the

beginning of this story and she held it through as we

walked with little Ishma, who toiled and grew to become

worthy of those words. The child introduced to us in the

beginning chapters, orphaned and hopeless,

had no idea of the plans Yahweh had for her.

But as He has promised us, His plans are greater than

ours and they are beyond our current circumstances.

Ms. Andrews is an excellent storyteller,
setting scenes for us that take us into
the lives and struggles of biblical characters
we only thought we knew. We are there
when Ishma is broken, when Hezekiah's
words are stolen, when Micah and his fellow
prophets are in hiding from the angry pagan
king. She gives us the whisper of the dove's
coo and terror that envelops our dear Ishma
at the sight of the sword. We feel the impishness,
the curiosity, and the innocence of the dear
girl's first encounter with the mourning Hezekiah.
We celebrate and we hurt for Hephzibah and
Hezekiah as they grow and grapple with Yahweh's
plan for them and all that entails. Our hearts soar
and tremble, celebrate and weep with the
characters we come to relate to so intimately
through the inspired words of an author who has
carefully researched and prayerfully crafted a story
that will both entertain and enlighten.

I have long been a fan of Mesu Andrews, thoroughly
appreciative of the insights that are revealed within
the pages of her every work. Isaiah's Daughter does
not disappoint, and is yet another excellent read from
an author I've come to trust for a well balanced blend
of novel and soul searching.

I was given a copy of this book by the publisher.
The thoughts and opinions expressed in this review
are my own.