A Noble Groom by Jody Hedlund

Song Stuck on the Brain: Hiding Place by Miranda Frigon, from the TV show Primeval New World and sung by one of the primary actresses. Beautiful song.

A Noble Groom

Bethany House Publishers (April 1, 2013)

 

by

 

Jody Hedlund

MY TAKE:



It's a grim community (no pun intended) for these German settlers in 1881 Michigan. Annalisa is from a world where women have little more value than the farm stock they help care for. The men there all make me want to beat them over the heads with a wooden spoon. So Carl is a breath of fresh air for this town. His aristocratic upbringing has taught him to see women with a different respect. This scavenged life in the New World may be rough for him, but it also brings out his better side. One that makes a mark on the small village he lives in. His secrets come close to destroying what he's built, but it's the journey to love and hope that both Carl and Annalisa find that make this book a high point on my reading list this year. It's a beautiful love story.

ABOUT THE BOOK:

Recently widowed Annalisa Werner has the feeling her husband was murdered but can’t prove it.

Alone with her young daughter in 1881 Michigan, she has six months left to finish raising the money needed to pay back the land contract her husband purchased, and the land is difficult to toil by herself. She needs a husband. With unmarried men scarce, her father sends a letter to his brother in the Old Country, asking him to find Annalisa a groom.

For nobleman Carl von Reichart, the blade of the guillotine is his fate. He’s been accused and convicted of a serious crime he didn’t commit, and his only escape is to flee to a small German community in Michigan where he’ll be safe. He secures a job on Annalisa’s farm but bumbles through learning about farming and manual labor.

Annalisa senses that Carl is harboring a secret about his past, yet she finds herself drawn to him anyway. He’s gentle, kind, and romantic–unlike any of the men she’s ever known. He begins to restore her faith in the ability to love–but her true groom is still on his way. And time is running out on them all.

Read the first chapter HERE.


Q & A WITH JODY HEDLUND:

1. Why did you write A Noble Groom?

A Noble Groom is the story of a German immigrant farming community in central Michigan during the 1880s. I was drawn to write this novel for a number of reasons. One is that I live in central Michigan and am fascinated by the history of the area. Since there have been so few novels set in Michigan, I’m delighted to pioneer the way into bringing my state’s history to life for today’s readers.

Another reason I chose to focus on this immigrant community is because of my own German roots. My father’s family emigrated from Germany and eventually many of them became farmers.

2. How did you develop the initial story idea and plot?In my research I ran across a group of German immigrants that settled in the Thumb area of Michigan. This particular group had emigrated from Saxony Germany to Sanilac County, Michigan, and formed Colonial Saxonia. As miners they had originally intended to settle in the Upper Peninsula and mine there, but due to reports on the severity of the weather in the northern part of Michigan, they decided to settle instead farther south, in Forestville.

The land around Forestville had once been a former logging community and was covered with a tangle of dead trees, stumps, and fast-growing brush. The soil was rich for farming, but it would take hard work to make it ready. In writing A Noble Groom, I wanted to bring to life this era and the difficulty these immigrants faced in settling in a strange land.

3. What is the underlying theme or message of the novel? Is this what you set out to write? There are actually several underlying themes woven throughout the story, including persevering through difficult times, not running away from your problems, and learning to let go of bitterness and forgive.

Another particularly strong theme is something that the heroine grapples with—feeling unimportant to God. As a German wife and mother living in a male-dominated society, she has always believed that God is too busy for her. She thinks God has more important matters and people to concern Himself with than a poor, lonely widow. In the end, she begins to understand the true nature of God’s love and its extent to "the least of these."

4. What is the take-away message you want readers to receive after reading your book? I pray readers will find the story of the immigrants inspiring as they persevere through their own challenges. It’s my hope that the courage of the immigrants will give readers fresh determination and hope.

Most of all, I want them to know God does indeed care for them. Even when He seems busy with more important people and matters, I hope readers will have a new awakening of His nearness, especially during their darkest moments of pain.


 ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Jody has written novels for the last 20 years (with a hiatus when her children were young). After many years of writing and honing her skills, she finally garnered national attention with her double final in the Genesis Contest, a fiction-writing contest for unpublished writers through ACFW (American Christian Fiction Writers).

Her first published book, The Preacher’s Bride (2010 Bethany House Publishers), became a best seller and has won multiple awards.

Since then she’s gone on to publish numerous best-selling and award-winning books. To read more about her writing journey click HERE.

BH: The Lady of Bolton Hill by Elizabeth Camden

This week, I'm reviewing on behalf of Bethany House. They were kind enough to send me a free copy of this book.




The Lady of Bolton Hill

Bethany House (June 1, 2011)


by


Elizabeth Camden

MY TAKE:

Elizabeth Camden did a masterful job with this story of love and forgiveness. I was sucked into the story from page one and barely breathed through the rest of the tale. There was so many heartbreaking incidents woven through the lives Daniel, Clara and Alex. Things that made you cringe and wonder if you really could have handled things any differently. But Clara is a true light for God and her selfless love does change lives, even her own. And despite the heartbreak, the book never feels heavy or overwhelming. In fact it's lit with humor and hope and a lot of fantastic suspense. The overall message of love and forgiveness is strong, but it never felt preachy or too heavy handed. Well done.



ABOUT THE BOOK:

Female journalists are rare in 1879, but American-born Clara Endicott has finally made a name for herself with her provocative articles championing London's poor. When the backlash from her work forces a return home to Baltimore, Clara finds herself face-to-face with a childhood sweetheart who is no longer the impoverished factory worker she once knew. In her absence, Daniel Tremain has become a powerful industry giant and Clara finds him as enigmatic as ever. However, Daniel's success is fueled by resentment from past wounds and Clara's deeply-held beliefs about God's grace force Daniel to confront his own motives. When Clara's very life is endangered by one of Daniel's adversaries, they must face a reckoning neither of them ever could have foreseen.

When Clara Endicott and Daniel Tremain's worlds collide after twelve years apart, the spark that was once between them immediately reignites into a romance neither of them thought possible.

But time has changed them both.

Daniel is an industrial titan with powerful enemies. Clara is an idealistic journalist determined to defend underprivileged workers.

Can they withstand the cost of their convictions while their hearts, and lives, hang in the balance?

If you would like to read the first chapter of The Lady of Bolton Hill, go HERE.


ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

A research librarian and associate professor, Elizabeth Camden has a master’s in history from the University of Virginia and a master’s in library science from Indiana University. She has published several articles for academic publications and is the author of four nonfiction history books. Her ongoing fascination with history and love of literature have led her to write inspirational fiction. Elizabeth lives with her husband in central Florida.

A word from Elizabeth: I am a college librarian in central Florida by day, but by night I can be found pounding out inspirational historical novels the moment the sun goes down. I love writing books about fiercely intelligent people who are confronted with profound challenges. As a rather introverted person, I have found that writing is the best way for me to share my faith and a sense of resilience with others.

As for who I am? I love old Hitchcock films, the hour before sunset, a long, sweaty run through the Florida countryside, and a glass of good wine. After spending my entire adult life on a college campus (either as a student or a librarian) I have finally been able to pursue my ultimate goal of writing professionally.

A Rush of Wings by Kristen Heitzmann

Song Stuck on the Brain: If I Were a Rich Girl by Gwen Stefani

Bethany House Publishers sent me a free copy of A Rush of Wings by Krisen Heitzmann to review, and I'm so glad they did. Wow, I love Kristen's work. She has such emotional and spiritual depth to her stories and characters.

In A Rush of Wings, Noelle St. Claire flees her wealthy and elite life in New York to escape her ex-fiance and a terror she doesn't fully comprehend. Running on pure instinct, chased by fragments of memory and horrifying images, she lands at the Rocky Mountain horse ranch owned and run by Rick Spencer. Noelle wants to hide and find a new life for herself. Rick and his brother, Morgan, are both willing to help in their own ways, all while falling in love with her. But Noelle's past is darker and more twisted than even she realizes, the more Morgan and Rick pick at her protective shell, the more wounds she finds. Wounds that no human love can heal.

Noelle's journey to find her independence, faith and healing is emotionally stunning. Rick and Morgan are like two sides of the same coin, just as in life and faith we must choose one of two paths, so does Noelle. Will she choose Morgan and his busy, world driven life? Or Rick and his solid faith?

I loved this novel. Every image is carefully formed to be crystal clear, where you can smell the dusty horses and see the gold aspen leaves against the clear blue sky. The characters are fully fleshed and compelling. Even Rick and Morgan's extended family. Although the Christmas spent with the Spencer family almost felt too perfect, it was a good contrast for the life Noelle used to lead; showing her just how different life could be with Jesus as your Savior. It made me wish I could celebrate with them this Christmas.

Rush of Wings isn't a Christmas specific story, but what better way to honor the birth of our Savior, than a story of healing, redemption, hope and the ultimate love?

A.