Love Comes Softly by Janette Oke

Even though I read this book a long time ago, it was still a joy to re-read it.  Once I got started I couldn't put it down.  The dire situation Marty, the heroine of the historical Christian fiction novel, found herself in consumed me and made me stick with it until the final page.  It is also light, easy reading which allowed me to finish it in two days.

Summary:

Oke begins her story with the death of our heroine Marty's beloved husband. Soon to be a mother,  Marty realizes she has lost not only the love of her life, but she is practically destitute with only a broken down wagon and a few meager possessions to her name.  A complete stranger, Clark Davis, has also lost his wife and is left to raise his two year old daughter alone as well as work full time running his farm and homestead.  In circumstances beyond their control, the two find themselves drawn together for the sake of convenience.  The underlying question in the situation of course, is will this situation work out?  And more importantly, how will it work out, if it does?

Marty also learns about God through Clark's daily faith.  She knows little about Christianity except at weddings and funerals, so I enjoyed seeing her fresh perspective as she watches Clark pray and read scripture as a part of everyday life.  I could not wait to see how her exposure to the Scriptures would affect her life, and this propelled me on to the last pages as well.  Oke is an engaging storyteller as she wove both romance and faith into the telling of Marty and Clark's story.

Favorite Quotes:

"There's more than one way thet love comes.  Oh, sure, sometimes it comes wild like, makin' creatures into wallerin' simpletons.  I've seed 'em, I've been there myself; but it doesn't have to be thet way, an' it's no less ral an' meanin'ful iffen it comes another way.  Ya see, Marty, sometimes love comes sorta stealin up on ya gradual like, not shoutin; bold words or wavin' bright flags.  Ya ain't even aware it's a growin' an' growin' an' gettin' stronger until...  All the sudden it takes ya by surprise like, an' ya think, 'How long I been a feelin' like this an' why didn't I notice it afore?"

  "Thet wouldn't be right... We can't stay back in the past nursin' our sorrow... Christmas, seems to me, be a right good time to lay aside hurtin' an' look fer somethin' healin."

Final Thoughts:

I recommend this book.  It's simply written, yet tells a powerful story of love.  Even though it is fiction, the setting and circumstances are realistic enough to draw you in while the story keeps you turning pages. This afternoon I am looking forward to a hot cup of coffee and the second book in this series.

Love Comes Softly - This is an affiliate link to Amazon.  Any purchases will bless the owner of this blog.  Thank you for clicking.

  

The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis

 The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe 

by C.S. Lewis

Reading The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe was a valuable addition to our homeschool year.  I am so glad we did, and I felt it was a valuable way to spend our time together.

Our family read this book together in the late summer and early fall.  The hot weather kept us inside, but we still enjoyed hot coffee, tea, and homemade cookies as we read.  In fact, delving into the world of Narnia provided a perfect escape from the hot sun raging outside.  We were cool and comfortable while enjoying our read aloud.

The characters in this book stick with us even though we've finished it.  My daughter now has a small stuffed lion she carries in her purse.  During church, I noticed the lion quietly comes out to be cuddled during the sermon.  If you've read the book, I'm sure you can guess his name. Likewise, Mr. and Mrs. Beaver, Lucy, Susan, Edward, and Peter stay with us as characters in classic literature tend to do.  Their noble character, or sometimes learning of it, as well as their realistic personalities interact with our souls, becoming friends in only the way book characters are able.

What was my favorite part of The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe?  I enjoyed the scene in which the Beavers provide a cozy meal for the children.  It takes place in the Beavers' very snug little home where the tools of their daily lives are displayed efficiently on the walls.  Also efficient, Mrs. Beaver herself readily leaves her task of sewing and prepares a meal of very fresh, delicious fish upon which C.S. Lewis waxes eloquent on the necessity of the fish being fresh.  Although he tells this with humor, I must agree whole heartedly that the fish must be fresh when you cook it...  But that is another story, for another day.

 Mr. and Mrs. Beaver, Lucy, Susan, Edward, and Peter stay with us as characters in classic literature tend to do.  Their noble character, or sometimes learning of it, as well as their realistic personalities interact with our souls, becoming friends in only the way book characters are able.

"And when each person had got his (or her) cup of tea, each person shoved back his (or her) stool so as to be able to lean against the wall and gave a long sigh of contentment.  Then Mr. Beaver takes his own cup of tea, lights his pipe, and says, "why, now we can get to business."

He and his wife are an excellent example of hospitality.  I am reminded of Jesus feeding his hungry disciples' breakfast on the beach before they began the business of sharing the gospel.  And so, satisfied with a meal and companionship in this strange land of Narnia, the children are ready to begin their own business at hand.

They believe their business is to locate Mr. Tumnus, the creature Lucy met in her first visit to Narnia, but Aslan has a much more important quest for the young people.  It will take a lifetime to complete, beginning with their brother Edmund's betrayal.  In fact, his betrayal sets in motion a series of actions to not only save the boy's life, but the life and health of the whole land of Narnia.  But not without sacrifice.  In the midst of this adventure, the children must grow in character and the rewards of that growth and their faithfulness to Aslan are immense.

Even if you have watched the movie, I would encourage you to read the book.  The imagery that points back to the life of Christ is remarkable.  We had lots of heart discussions about this book during our lunches.  Reading The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe was a valuable addition to our homeschool year.  I am so glad we did, and I felt it was a valuable way to spend our time together.

Here is a link to The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe.  This is an affiliate link from which I will receive a small percentage if you choose to make a purchase.  Thank you for taking a peek!

Tea Rose

Tea Rose is the second installment in the Tea Room Mystery series in which I find myself intrigued with the setting of this Maine lakeside series. The main characters  are widow ladies in their mid- fifties who began their own tea room business in a delightful Victorian home they purchase during their first mystery, Tea Room for Two, which I recommend here.

I was excited to find Tea Rose on our local library shelves, after reading Tea Room for Two and quickly added it to my stack.  However, I was concerned when I discovered later that these two books in the same series are written by different authors!  Could a different author pull off the same wonderful setting while developing an interesting story line?

A Little Concern...

Now I was curious to see if the book would be as good as the first mystery in the Tea Room Mystery series, as it had a different author.

A Possible Road Block?

I began the book but soon ran into another problem of my own making.  Since studying Charlotte Mason's philosophy of education, I tend to read three books or more each at a sitting.  One chapter at a time, and then take a break before reading the next chapter..  Unless it's a real page turner.  So a I began Tea Rose and a young adult fiction read, Angel's Command.  And I really had the worst time focusing on the two.  I believe I continued this routine for about a week.  I felt I was getting nowhere and began to dread reading two very interesting books.  I am not sure if it was mixing the two genres which didn't work or exactly what was wrong.  By the end of  this past week, to avoid quitting both books, as I was tempted to do, I allowed myself to focus on one book, Tea Rose.  And this weekend I found myself enjoying this gentle read much more.  When I reached the turning point of the book, I did not want to put it down.  I am so glad I made the decision to stop reading both books at once and focus on one at a time!

Tea Rose Summary

A beautiful three story Victorian home, complete with its own tower continues to be the setting in this series.  The lovely first floor parlors become the home for much of the mystery to unravel.  Main characters Jan and Elaine help their co-worker Rose look for answers to her confusing past that has ties to far away Germany.  Into the Victorian tea rooms come characters from the delightful small town they live in, including some friends and at least one mysterious stranger who catches the tea drinking detectives' attention as the plot thickens. In fact, small town life is further woven into the mystery when Rose's father, running for election as selectman , faces complications from his daughter's past possibly shedding a bad light on his campaign.  Suspicions grow when he and Rose find their home broken into and find themselves questioning the motives of people in their own community as well as summer visitors who flock to the lovely Maine lake.  Jan and Elaine, while baking sweets and serving tea, find themselves helping to sort out the many threads of this cozy mystery.

Final Thoughts

I enjoyed this read for the setting as much as the mystery.  I felt that I knew the characters well by the end of the story and I liked the overall coziness of the mystery in how the mystery details were handled - such as the break-in as well as the detailed descriptions of the lives of the characters.  It was my cup of tea!

Here is a link to Tea Rose on Amazon.  This is an affiliate link which will provide a small percentage for me, the author of The Mysterious Bookshelf.  Thank you for taking a peek!