Tuesday Tales: Reviewing The Innocent

I have read a few of Ann H. Gabhart's books and I have to say that The Innocent is quite a change for me from Summer of Joy or Love Comes home. Imagine you are a young woman waiting two years for the return of your missing husband from the Civil War. Although the war is long over, she keept alive the hope thathe is still alive.  After all, He was eported only missing, not dead. Barely able to survive on her own and care for their farm, she persisted in working hard only to lose her home.

The story unfolds into a bittersweet tale of one lone woman against the odds. Unable to support herself after losing her farm, Carlyn Kearney makes a decision to join the Shakers at Harmony Hill.  I was surprised to learn everything she had to give up to to move into the quiet, secure Shaker community, including her dog.  Life is peaceful there until strange, unsettling things began to happen within the village that cast newcomer into a Carlyn a natural suspect.

Sheriff Mitchell Brodie knows that there are strange things happening at Harmony Hill and he believes everything goes much deeper than the arrival of a young, beautiful widow. He is determined to solve the mysteries, prove her innocence and, hopefully, safe.

I have been  having a hard time not spilling out the whole story but you will want to read it yourself. I read it in two days with a lot of interruptions. Ann is a master at hooking you into a story and tackling difficult topics. I have no prior knowledge of the Shaker lifestyle and associate them with beautiful wooden boxes and a calm demeaner. I believe a good witer influences us to dig deeper into part of the story. I plan to do a little research on the Shaker lifestyle.

Fiction Friday: Hearts Made Whole

Hearts Made Whole is a story of courage, trust and finally love. The second in the Beacon of Hope series by Jody Hedlund will capture your heart from page one until you turn the last page. Our story unfolds at Windmill Point Lighthouse in Michigan. The lightkeeper and the doctor are leaving the shores of Lake St. Claire as a storm brews. Afraid for her father, Caroline Taylor wills him to come back but all her pleading cannot convince him to abandon a trip that will bring much needed medicine for her invalid sister Sarah. As he set course, she watched in horror as his rowboat sinks, sending him to a watery grave. Her two sisters and young twin brothers depend on her skills developed as her father's lighthouse assistant to support them. Her one  hope is that her skills will convince Mr. Finick the district supervisor to give her the job full time.

Set just after the Civil War at a time when men were returning home to rebuild their lives, The lighthouse districts will hire returning veterans as thanks for their service. Ryan Chambers is one such veteran and arrives to begin his new position as new keeper of the Windmill Point Lighthouse. Badly injured in the war physically and spiritually, he believes this job is his last chance. He surprises the Taylor's, who believed they had a full week to pack up and find a new livelihood. As he comes to quickly realize their dire circumstances, he agrees to give them their full week to prepare for the move. He hadn't dreamed that this capable young woman lost her job and he was the one who was taking it!

What follows is a story full of second chances for people who would not have met for the tragic events that unfolded at the start. It is brought them together. The characters are well developed and the story is very engaging.  I recommend Hearts Made Whole and the Beacons of Hope series. the books are good as stand alone books, but if you are like me, when you find an author you like you want to keep reading more.