Showing posts with label Quakers in Early American History. Show all posts

Sunday, July 29, 2018

Another Success: Minding the Light by Suzanne Woods Fisher

Minding the Light (Nantucket Legacy Book #2) by [Fisher, Suzanne Woods]

Suzanne Woods Fisher's Minding the Light will capture your imagination from page one onward. The characters are lively and not what you might expect from the black and white pages of your history books about Quakers.

A coveted journal from one of the first white settlers on Nantucket Island makes its way into book two of the Nantucket legacy series. Written by Mary Coffin Starbuck, who wrote about her life in the 17th century, her days seemed to parallel the life of her forbears.

Captain Reynold Macy had much to look forward to when he returned home after a six year voyage. What waited for him on arrival was more than he bargained for. The story unfolds it is certain that the life he dreamed of with his young wife Jane was never going to be what he imagined. The ship's hold was full and should turn a profit. His cousin and business partner Tristram Macy, had looked after his business affairs so all would be well.

His young sister-in-law, Daphne, was about to become engaged to Tristram. She had been helping Jane manage the large house on Orange Street where all fine captains lived. Her heart was with her family, and although her mother was pushing her engagement, she was reluctant to set her heart fully on the match.

I meant to read only a few pages as the hour was late when I began, but soon found the time had moved along until I was well into the third chapter before I had to put it down. I was looking forward to this book since I read the sneak peek in Phoebe's Light. The Quaker faith in this series is inspiring as it relates to bringing forth the light. Jane, and her sister Daphne have a strong faith and live their lives accordingly. However, while the Quakers considered themselves "Friends" they also do not welcome the native population or blacks into the polite society of their meetings. This is very evident with their own mother, Lillian Coffin, whose standards are so different than her daughters.

I recommend Minding the Light with 5 stars for those who love historical fiction. The characters are engaging and the plot well written.

Wednesday, February 28, 2018

Phoebe's Light A Bright Beginning for Nantucket Legacy Series

About the Book

Title: Phoebe’s Light
Author: Suzanne Woods Fisher
Genre: Historical romance
Release Date: February 6, 2018

Phoebe Starbuck has always adjusted her sails and rudder to the whims of her father. Now, for the first time, she’s doing what she wants to do: marrying Captain Phineas Foulger and sailing far away from Nantucket. As she leaves on her grand adventure, her father gives her two gifts, both of which Phoebe sees little need for. The first is an old sheepskin journal from Great Mary, her highly revered great-grandmother. The other is a “minder” on the whaling ship in the form of cooper Matthew Mitchell, a man whom she loathes. Soon Phoebe discovers that life at sea is no easier than life on land. Lonely, seasick, and disillusioned, she turns the pages of Great Mary’s journal and finds herself drawn into the life of this noble woman. To Phoebe’s shock, her great-grandmother has left a secret behind that carries repercussions for everyone aboard the ship, especially her husband the captain and her shadow the cooper. This story within a story catapults Phoebe into seeing her life in an entirely new way—just in time. In this brand-new series, bestselling author Suzanne Woods Fisher brings her signature twists and turns to bear on a fascinating new faith community: the Quakers of colonial-era Nantucket Island.

Click here to purchase your copy!

my thoughts:

I am a long-time fan of Suzanne Woods Fisher's books so it was with pleasure that I received this book in return for an honest review from Celebrate Lit. Phoebe's Light is a departure from Suzanne's beloved Amish Fiction, so I was curious how this transition would be for me as a reader. I have to say that Phoebe's Light is a wonderful book that will captivate Suzanne's fans worldwide.

Be prepared to be transported to Nantucket Island. Within the community Phoebe Starbuck lives, women worked hard to keep the home fires stirring while their seafaring men were off on the whaling ships. Life was hard for those left behind without knowing when or if their husbands and sons would return. It was because of this the women started small businesses along what became Petticoat Row to help support their families and to fulfill the needs of their neighbors.

I was intrigued by the hand written entries Phoebe read from Mary's Journal and curious about why it was so important. Life captured on aged pages in the journal were much more than an account of a young woman's day to life on a secluded island. The reader will have to discover its worth on their own lest I spoil the plot.

I learned many things about the Quakers in this novel and look forward to the next book in this series. The little teaser at the end of the book wasn't nearly enough! Time after time, Suzanne Woods Fisher's work is impeccable. Since I am a history buff I love the extra efforts she makes bringing these periods alive through people. We tend to forget that they had lives and loves...just like us.

About the Author

Suzanne Woods Fisher is an award-winning, bestselling author of more than two dozen novels, including Anna’s Crossing, The Newcomer, and The Return in the Amish Beginnings series, The Bishop’s Family series, and The Inn at Eagle Hill series, as well as nonfiction books about the Amish, including Amish Peace and The Heart of the Amish. She lives in California. Learn more at www.suzannewoodsfisher.com and follow Suzanne on Twitter @suzannewfisher.

Guest Post from Suzanne Woods Fisher

A Stroll down Petticoat Row Thirty years ago, I talked my sister into going on a trip to Nantucket Island. It’s one of those places that had always intrigued me. As a girl in the 1930s, my mother’s family vacationed in Nantucket; she even has a lightship basket to show for it. I expected the island to be interesting and beautiful, and it certainly did not disappoint. But something else happened as I walked down Centre Street one morning. This island captured my imagination in a way that’s hard to put into words. At the risk of sounding a tiny bit sun touched, I could practically see 19^th century people on the roads, hear the “thee’s and thou’s” in their speech, even smell the strong scents of a bygone century—the musky perfume of rendered whale oil, the burning wood of the blacksmith, all mingled with the bracing sea air. Centre Street has a local nickname: Petticoat Row. It comes from the 1800s, when men were at sea for long periods and women stepped into their shoes to keep businesses going. Nantucket women gained a reputation for being strong and capable. Their competence was encouraged by the Society of Friends (Quakers), the island’s dominant religion, which believed in the equality of men and women in all aspects of life. That hasn’t changed. Today, half of all Nantucket businesses are run by women. Petticoat Row stuck in my mind, and eventually became the hook to contract a series of historical fiction with Revell Books. The ‘Nantucket Legacy’ series covers the rise and fall of Nantucket’s whaling period, when it became the wealthiest port in the world. First up is Phoebe’s Light, releasing in February 2018, a novel about a spirited young woman who seeks her fortune only to find out she already had it. After reading about Phoebe, I hope you’ll consider planning a trip to Nantucket (though try to go off-season. The population swells five times in the summer!). When you go, include a stop at the Petticoat Row Bakery (35 Centre Street)—the very location where Phoebe grew up, albeit a few centuries ago. Don’t leave the island without trying the Morning Glory Muffins, an island favorite. So worth the trip! Nantucket’s Famous Morning Glory Muffins Ingredients: 1 ¼ cup sugar 2 ¼ cup flour 1 tablespoon cinnamon 2 tsp baking soda ½ tsp salt ½ cup shredded coconut ½ cup raisins 2 cup grated carrots (4 large) 1 apple, shredded 8 oz. crushed pineapple, drained ½ cup pecans or walnuts 3 eggs 1 cup vegetable oil 1 tsp vanilla Instructions: Sift together sugar, flour, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt into a large bowl. Add the fruit, carrots and nuts and stir to combine. In a separate bowl, whisk eggs with oil and vanilla. Combine with dry ingredients and blend well. Spoon batter into cupcake tins lined with muffin papers. Fill each cup to the brim. Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 35-40 minutes. These muffins needs 24 hours to ripen their full flavor. They freeze extremely well.

Recipe courtesy of Pamela A. McKinstry, Sconset Café