CFBA: A Heart Most Worthy by Siri Mitchell

Song Stuck on the Brain: God is God by Steven Curtis Chapman

This week, the Christian Fiction Blog Alliance is introducing:

A Heart Most WorthyBethany House (March 1, 2011)

by

Siri Mitchell

MY TAKE:

One of the things I enjoy most about Siri Mitchell's writing, is the depth of insight placed in every story. A Heart Most Worthy is really 3 novels carefully woven in to one grand story. Each girl has their own story. Their own hopes, dreams, fears and struggles. Luciana, Julietta and Annamaria are 3 very different personalities, and yet they share so much in common. Siri Mitchell has done an amazing job of sharing all of the girls personal journeys set against the very realistic background of 1918 Boston.

Anarchy, Spanish Influenza, bigotry and racial tension; common and invasive to the time period. But with practiced hand, the author shines a light on a past that looks very much like a time we live in now. The terrorists may go by another name and the illnesses have changed, but it's an eye opening look at where we've been as a nation and where we could go again if we aren't careful.

Lest I leave you thinking the story is all terrorism and hate, remember that there are three beautiful love stories woven into the fabric of this tale. That means three times the happy endings. Definitely worth the read.

ABOUT THE BOOK:

The elegance of Madame Fortier's gown shop is a far cry from the downtrodden North End of Boston. Yet each day Julietta, Annamaria, and Luciana enter the world of the upper class, working on finery for the elite in society. The three beauties each long to break free of their obligations and embrace the American dream--and their chance for love. But the ways of the heart are difficult to discern at times.

Julietta is drawn to the swarthy, mysterious Angelo. Annamaria has a star-crossed encounter with the grocer's son, a man from the entirely wrong family. And through no intent of her own, Luciana catches the eye of Billy Quinn, the son of Madame Fortier's most important client.

Their destinies intertwined, each harboring a secret from their families and each other, will they be found worthy of the love they seek?

If you would like to read the first chapter of A Heart Most Worthy, go HERE.



ABOUT THE AUTHOR:


Siri Mitchell graduated from the University of Washington with a business degree and worked in various levels of government. As a military spouse, she has lived all over the world, including in Paris and Tokyo. Siri enjoys observing and learning from different cultures. She is fluent in French and loves sushi.

But she is also a member of a strange breed of people called novelists. When they’re listening to a sermon and taking notes, chances are, they’ve just had a great idea for a plot or a dialogue. If they nod in response to a really profound statement, they’re probably thinking, “Yes. Right. That’s exactly what my character needs to hear.” When they edit their manuscripts, they laugh at the funny parts. And cry at the sad parts. Sometimes they even talk to their characters.

Siri wrote 4 books and accumulated 153 rejections before signing with a publisher. In the process, she saw the bottoms of more pints of Ben & Jerry’s than she cares to admit. At various times she has vowed never to write another word again. Ever. She has gone on writing strikes and even stooped to threatening her manuscripts with the shredder.

Her ninth novel, A Heart Most Worthy, follows prior Bethany House releases: A Constant Heart (October 2008), Love's Pursuit (June 2009), and She Walks in Beauty (Apr 2010). She Walks in Beauty won the inaugural INSPY Award for Historical Fiction in Dec 2010. Two of her novels, Chateau of Echoes and The Cubicle Next Door were Christy Award finalists. Love's Pursuit was a finalist for the ACFW Carol Award.

Publishers Weekly proclaimed, "Mitchell delivers the historical goods."