Reviewing A Royal Christmas by Melody Carlson

...from the publisher...

 Adelaide Smith is too busy for fairy tales.
She’s been working hard to put herself through law school, and she’s determined to stay focused on her goals.

 Then she receives a letter notifying her that she is a direct descendant of King Maximillian Konig V, the ruler of a small European principality called Montovia.
What? No. That’s the stuff of cheesy made-for-TV movies, not real life.
Still, curiosity gets the best of her, leading to a Christmas break trip chock-full of surprises, including a charming village, an opulent palace, family mysteries, royal jealousies, a handsome young member of Parliament, and the chance at a real-life fairy tale romance.

...my thoughts... 

Every year, Melody Carlson has a knack for writing a wonderful story to put us in the Christmas spirit.  This year is no exception.  A Royal Christmas is just such a story.  Meet Adelaide Smith, struggling law student, so close to finally finishing her degree she is leaving her barista job for good.  As fate would have it, she receives the letter that changes her life forever.  

This novella is heartwarming and yes, a bit enchanting but still contains a bit of intrigue and mystery.  All in time for the Christmas holiday season.  I enjoyed this story and  recommend this to all who enjoy a modern Cinderella story. This book, like all the other Christmas books I have by Melody Carlson will be read again and again.

Revisitng a Classic! Miracles on Maple Hill.

 My 4th grade teacher read this book aloud to us many years ago.  I eagerly waited every day after lunch recess when she would read us just one chapter.  I enjoyed it then and was happy to find this book again.   The family in the story is adjusting to the return of their father, who had been a Prisoner of War, likely the Korean War, based on the publication date of this book in the 1950's.  As fate would have it, they went to Maple Hill, the home where Lee, the mother spent many happy days as a child in the home of her late grandmother.  The family is transformed as father stays behind, fixing up the place and working with a kindly neighbor, Mr. Chris.  They work hard together on the maple sugar harvest, which heals father and brings the family closer.

This is a wonderful story of family values.  This family inspired me then as it does today because when we work hard together, the rewards are great.  I like the old fashioned notion of strong families sticking together through tough times.  It reminds me of my own large family growing up in that era, working in the garden, preserving our food and each of us having a job to do in the process, no matter our age.  It was worth it and the memories are savored.

 Some would say that some of the traditional adjectives are outmoded but frankly, the words as written are as defined in the true sense of the word. 

The cover of this book was illustrated by Beth and Joe Kush, a husband and wife team who illustrated many children's books including the five United States editions of the  Borrowers series by Mary Norton

Publishers Summary

Marly and her family are moving out to the country, back to her mother's grandmother's house, back to where she would say: "Now scoot, you two, for goodness' sakes! Up here, there's all outdoors!"

Moving so her father can start recovering from his time spent as a prisoner of war, as Marly and her family learn about the country life from their neighbors Mr. and Mrs. Chris, they do start adjusting and becoming happier. When Mr. Chris suffers a heart attack during "sugaring time," Marly's family helps to repay the kindness shown them by pitching in to keep the fires going, keep the sap moving, and bring in that year's harvest of maple syrup...even getting the whole school to join in their efforts.

Miracles on Maple Hill won the 1957 Newbery Medal.

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Reviewing: The Orchard by Beverly Lewis

...from the publishers...

For generations, Ellie Hostetler's family has tended their Lancaster County orchard, a tradition her twin brother, Evan, will someday continue. Yet when Evan's draft number is called up in the lottery for the Vietnam War, the family is shocked to learn he has not sought conscientious objector status, despite their Old Order Amish belief in non-resistance. The faraway war that has caused so much turmoil and grief among their Englisher neighbors threatens too close to home.

As Evan departs for boot camp, Ellie confides her disappointment to Sol Bontrager, the brother of her best friend and cousin to her new beau, Menno. In contrast to Evan, Sol is a conscientious objector. Despite Ellie's attraction to Menno, she finds herself drawn to Sol's steady presence as they work together in the orchard. Suddenly, it feels as if everything in Ellie's world is shifting, and the plans she held so dear seem increasingly uncertain. Can she and her family find the courage to face a future unlike any they could have imagined?

...my thoughts... 

  This book touched my my heart in a unique way. I was a young teenager during the time this book was set and I had two brothers who served in this war, as did neighbors and friends. I remember when the lottery was implemented.  I felt for Ellie's brother Evan who had probably the worst shock of his life when he landed in the barber's chair at boot camp! I have read other works of Amish fiction where Amish men who served, but as orderlies assisting medics in field hospitals, not in combat. It was a terrible time for all of us but for an Amish family who wouldn't have a phone or a daily paper, they were very out of touch with what was going on.

I enjoyed reading Ellie's story and her love for the family orchard.  Her love for the orchard was personal.  She would have loved taking over the orchard when her father retired, yet as a woman, that would have been unrealistic in her culture.  Throughout the story she grows into a wonderful young woman who changed from a young woman with dreams.  She dreams of the orchard and dreams of her beau, Menno.  Her feelings are as natural today as they would have been for any young woman in the 1960s.  As a reader, it is satisfying when the story wraps up neatly just as we think it should go.  Beverly Lewis, has, time and again written beloved characters whose situation we can identify with, even though we are not Amish.  I recommend this book to all who enjoy immersing themselves into a good story.

 

It's True....Everything Tastes Better from Scratch!

Everything Tastes Better from Scratch and this cook book reminds the reader and cooks nearby that this is just what we need to get the family back around the table.  I loved this book and recommend it to all who want to cook better food for themselves and their families.  A treat for all.  Applesauce  Oat muffins, Taco Pie, Breakfast Casserole, yum!

 A Quilt for Christmas is a heartwarming story that will melt the heart of any Ebenezer who has turned their back on life.  Melody Carlson has a tradition of writing Christmas stories that put me into the spirit of the season.  This story has been added to my "To be read each Christmas:" list. Melody has the gift of finding just the right characters we love and although they are fictional, if you look around you, there will be that special child or mother who needs you. 

Enjoy

Reviewing: Remember Me by Tracie Peterson

 from the publisher:

From the Yukon to Seattle, the hope of a new beginning waits just around the corner.

Addie Bryant is haunted by her past of heartbreak and betrayal. After her beau, Isaac Hanson, left the Yukon, she made a vow to wait for him. When she's sold to a brothel owner after the death of her father, Addie manages to escape with the hope that she can forever hide her past and the belief that she will never have the future she's always dreamed of.

Years later, Addie has found peace in her new life as a photographer, training Camera Girls to operate and sell the Brownie camera. During the Alaska-Yukon-Pacific Expo in Seattle, Addie is reunited with Isaac, but after the path her life has taken, she's afraid to expose the ugliness of her former life and to move toward the future they had pledged to each other.

When her past catches up with her, Addie must decide whether to run or to stay and face her wounds in order to embrace her life, her future, and her hope in God.

my thoughts: 

Once again Tracie Peterson  delivers a story of a golden era in the history of our west.  This time, the story begins in her beloved Alaska, introducing us to Addie Bryant.  Addie endures a hardship life in Alaska with her brutal brothers and a father who looks on her as a disposable piece of goods.  She overcomes the unthinkable brutality of her brothers after the death of her father, becoming a strong woman.  Her character, developed after years of abuse was not that of a cowering woman afraid of shadows but that of a woman who is driven by a vow to never be abused again.

This is a book that gives the flavor of Alaska when the gold rush brought ruthless men into the wild, chasing after the riches gold fever promises.  Some are smart, and know when to quit and go home.  Isaac Hanson left Alaska with his family after satisfying their successful run.  He left behind Addie, who remains in his heart.

Addie, a beautiful woman determined to be successful in her own right, escapes her brothers, leaving Alaska for Seattle and a new life.  In that life, she uses her initiative to become the top photographer at the Alaska-Yukon-Pacific Expo in Seattle.  Addie embodies the successful woman who creates a life using all her talents and gifts.  In her heart, though, there is Isaac, who was her long ago love.

I liked this book for the glimpses of Alaska and Seattle, areas of our country the author has researched and written about extensively.  The scenery and events are so well written, her books entice the reader, perhaps, for a visit.  I have never been to Alaska, but it comes alive in this book, as does the Seattle in days gone by.  But most of all, the people in this book emerge as  vibrant and alive. I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys rich characters and beautiful scenery.  I had a hart time putting it down. 

 

Sold On Love by Kathleen Fuller

Cute story for a dose of light fiction. Believable characters with struggles and joys. Friendships are valuable and sorting through true friendships can be a tough road. Kathleen Fuller has another entertaining book with a dose of reality on life's lessons. I enjoyed Harper and Rusty and their path through several hurdles to see each other for who they are. The blessings are that when the polish is wiped away, the person inside is even better than you originally wished them to be.

This is the third book in the series and this one leaves one more young friend in the C.C.'s group, and I hope Kathleen writes about her next. I am curious who will be the lucky young man in Maple Falls to discover her.