Travel back in time to 1943 and meet Anna Zadok, a Jewish Christian and concert violinist whose career is ended because of Nazi occupation in Prague. Don’t miss the new historical novel, The Melody of the Soul, by Liz Tolsma. This is the first book by Liz that I’ve read and I thoroughly enjoyed it. […]
All She Left Behind by Jane Kirkpatrick
As women, we often feel torn between our dreams or careers and our families. That’s the struggle Jennie Pickett faces in Jane Kirkpatrick’s novel, All She Left Behind. While Jennie dreams of becoming a doctor, it seems an impossible goal for her, first as a single mom with a son to raise, and then remarried […]
False Love, True Love by Gladys Krueger
I enjoy fiction set in places I know. I also enjoy fiction that tackles tough topics. Gladys Krueger’s novel False Love, True Love does both of these. The story is set in small-town Saskatchewan, not too far from where I grew up in Alberta. Through a teacher’s point of view, Gladys addresses the topic of child […]
This Road We Traveled by Jane Kirkpatrick
Up until this last century, most histories of the world have been written by men about themselves. We know little about the lives of women centuries ago because their stories haven’t been told. One of the reasons I love Jane Kirkpatrick’s books is that she brings alive the stories of women in America’s history. Her […]
The Chief Factor’s Daughter by Vanessa Winn
Victoria’s history is written in her streets and landmarks, from Mount Tolmie to Begbie Street. Living there, I knew that many of the names were based on historical figures. Other than reading the occasional historical plaque, I never took the time to find out more. Then I picked up The Chief Factor’s Daughter by Vanessa […]
The Loyal Heart by Shelley Shepard Grey
I love historical fiction; it’s one of the best ways to learn about history. It seems, though, that some time periods are more popular than others. When I saw The Loyal Heart by Shelley Shepard Gray, I thought, “I haven’t read much post-Civil War fiction, other than Gone With the Wind.” So I picked up […]
4 Fantastic Historical Dramas from G. A. Henty
One of my first thoughts when planning our trip to Alberta this summer was what we’d listen to. Audiobooks have proved to be the best way to keep the girls happy and occupied for the 12-hour (or longer) drive from here to Grandma’s. I needed something we’d all like and something reasonably long. Then I […]
Like a River from Its Course by Kelli Stuart
Seventy-five years ago this summer, Nazi troops invaded the Soviet Union. Families were torn apart as sons joined the army, daughters were shipped to Germany, and Jews were shot over mass graves. Kelli Stuart’s gripping novel Like a River from Its Course follows the stories of three young people as they endure the next six […]
Best Books of 2015
Ah, it’s that time of year again—time to look at the books I’ve read and think about which ones I’d like to read again someday. That has become my marker of a “good book,” because there are always so many more books to read! The ones that I really like end up on my bookshelf, […]
The Memory Weaver by Jane Kirkpatrick
Since first meeting Jane Kirkpatrick at a writer’s conference in 2008, I’ve read quite a few of her books. Her newest book, The Memory Weaver, just might be her best book yet. It tells the story of Eliza Spalding Warren, the daughter of Eliza and Henry Spalding, who were missionaries to the Nez Perce and […]
