Wisteria Lane

        Today's book review is on Shadows of Swanford Abbey by Julie Klassen. I enjoyed this book immensely! Almost every spare minute of the last few days were spent reading it. I finished it in two days and comprehended all of it. I believe that may have been a personal record. Needless to say, go read this book.  Genre: Mystery/ Historical Fiction/Romance Publisher:  Bethany House Publishers (2021) Series:  Stand alone novel Time Period:  Regency era Setting:  England Summary:   After many years away, Rebecca Lane returns to her home village- and to an odd and desperate request from her brother, John. He begs her to go to the nearby Swanford Abbey and deliver his manuscript into the hands of an author staying there. Rebecca feels responsible for his desperate state and reluctantly agrees.  Once she gets to Swanford Abbey, a medieval abbey turned grand hotel, Rebecca begins to notice strange happenings, including a black hooded figure gliding down a corridor. She wonders if the r

  Today we have A Sparrow Alone by Alicia Petersen.  Genre: Historical fiction Series: Stand alone novel Time Period: approximately 30  to 33 AD Setting: Israel Summary: "Two Jewish orphans living in a small village attempt to earn their livelihood in Roman-occupied Jerusalem. Mala sews for the wives of wealthy Roman aristocrats and watches in dismay as her brother, Abdon, becomes deeply entrenched in a life of crime. Then, suddenly, the whole village is rocked by the transformation of one of its residents- and the name that seems to be on everyone's lips."  (The summary is from the back of the book) Characters:  Mala- 17 years old Abdon- 19 years old Tahath- 19 years old   Writing Style:  written in third person, solely from Mala's perspective. At times the writing feels a bit strained, with prolonged pauses between words shown with ". . ." or lots of dashes, but overall, the writing is well done and intriguing. A Sparrow Alone had a quiet, simple feel to i

The first book review of this blog is Raiders from the Sea by Lois Walfrid Johnson.  This by far one of my most favorite books. Medieval Ireland, Vikings, main character who is close to my age... what could get better? Genre: Historical Fiction Publisher: Moody Publishers (2003) Series: Yes, 1st book of 5 in  The Viking Quest series Time Period: 10th century Setting: Ireland/Norway Summary:   When walking in the mountains near her home, Briana O’Toole rescues a young stranger from drowning, not expecting the consequences of her action. One terrifying day soon after, Viking raiders capture Briana and her brother, Devin. Together they sail towards slavery in faraway Norway. Their only hope of escape lies with finding a weakness in their captor, the arrogant Mikkel. When Devin is released, the two siblings must embark on separate journeys. Both of which require tremendous amounts of courage. Can Briana and Devin find the courage they need, forgive their captors, and trust in God through t