Book Review: Courting Trouble by Deanne Gist

"Tired of waiting for a match made in Heaven, she'll settle for one made in Texas."



"It's 1894, the year of Essie's thirtieth birthday, and she decides the Lord has more important things to do than provide her a husband. If she wants one, she needs to cat him herself. So she writes down the names of all the eligible bachelors in her small Texas town, makes a lists of their attributes and drawbacks, closes her eyes, twirls her finger, and . . . picks one. But convincing the lucky "husband-to-be" will be a bit more of a problem."
(quotes from the back cover)

It's summertime and the reading is good :)

I just finished Courting Trouble by Deanne Gist, and I was very impressed!

The story covers about 8 months in the life of a 30-year-old single woman, Esther (Essie) Spreckelmeyer, in the small town of Corsicana, Texas in 1894. Essie is the only child of the town's judge, and beloved by almost everyone in her delightful little hometown.

This book is well-written and obviously, thoroughly well-researched; however, through the first few chapters I was afraid that I was not going to like it. This was mostly because I got that "I'm so embarrassed for you" feeling on almost every page reading about Essie's attempts to catch a husband. I should have realized that that was actually a very good sign - I was already emotionally connected to Essie.

Throughout the rest of the book, we follow Essie as she wrestles with God's plan for her life, and at some points, takes matters into her own hands - with some heartbreaking consequences. I'm pretty sure that the people at the laundromat thought I had lost my mind. There I was, folding clothes and reading simultaneously, and weeping as Essie and her family worked through some of the more serious issues together. (I'd make that a much better sentence, but I'd hate to give away the good parts :D)

This was such a beautiful story of God's grace and redemptive power in a person's life. It was also a wonderful, realistic look at how the choices we make effect everyone around us, not just ourselves. The author also did a fantastic job of looking at God's forgiveness and the importance of accepting His forgiveness by forgiving ourselves.

All in all a great, emotional read that I would highly recommend! I both shed some tears and laughed out loud, and I can't wait to get my hands on the sequel: Deep in the Heart of Trouble.

Hope you have a tremendous Tuesday!

Book Review: Prague Counterpoint by Bodie Thoene

Okay, so I am LOVING this series, and I'm bummed that I had to leave it back in Iowa :S I think the fact that I read both Prague Counterpoint (Zion Covenant, Book 2) and Vienna Prelude (Zion Covenant, Book 1) in less than a week should indicate how great these books are! (And it was a busy week at that, lol!)

This installment in the Zion Covenant series covers the period of history right after the Anschluss of Germany and Austria and before the invasion of Czechoslovakia. Although this is a dramatic and compelling time of history in and of itself, Prague Counterpoint (Zion Covenant, Book 2) kept me turning pages into the wee hours of the morning! Again, Thoene weaves an intricate and engrossing plot in the midst of fascinating and accurate historic, political drama!

The book itself belonged to the church library, so it had to be left in Iowa, so I do not have any "favorite quotes" for this review, but there were many!

I am so excited to keep going with this series, and I'm thrilled that the third book in the series, Munich Signature (Zion Covenant), is available for the Kindle, so I'll be able to read it on the road! :)

What's on your summer reading list?

Book Review: Vienna Prelude by Bodie Thoene

I used to do book reviews pretty regularly on my 100 things in 1001 days blog, but due to the added craziness of our new lifestyle, I'm no longer posting over there; therefore, I bring the book reviews here :)

I just finished reading Vienna Prelude by Bodie Thoene. This book, the first of the Zion Covenant series, was absolutely phenomenal! Set in pre-World War II Europe, the book follows the life of Elisa Lindheim (alias Linder) a Jewish-German violin player who lives and works in Vienna.

This period of history has always fascinated me, so this series is right up my alley. On top of that, I LOVE Thoene's work. Many of her books are written with her husband, Brock, and in fact in the next book in this series, Prague Counterpoint (Zion Covenant, Book 2), he is credited as having done the "Research & Development," so it's fun to know that they do such amazing work together. I read their book First Light (A. D. Chronicles, Book 1) last summer, and I am continually impressed by how historically accurate - without being the tiniest bit dry - their work is! Vienna Prelude (Zion Covenant, Book 1) was no exception! Thoene expertly weaves historical report of fact into a gripping, exciting plot that kept me turning pages until the wee hours of the morning :)

Another thing that brings me back to her writing again and again is how she is able to move her characters to the understanding of God's love and sovereignty despite the chaos around them. It's always a good reminder for me!

Some of my favorite quotes:

"Gott soll allein mein Herze haben." She sang the words so softly that no one in the crowded room could hear her. "God alone shall have my heart. . . . ." ... The answer whispered back to her, joyfully and without a doubt: "Was Gott tut, das is wohilgetan! What God has done is rightly done!" ... Somehow it was those last lyrics that came back as a challenge to Elisa. What she had questioned before must now be accepted and believed. If her heart was to belong to God alone, then she must have faith that He did not make mistakes. Men might fail miserabely - that was in evidence all around. But that which was done by God would not fail.

p.277

"Pity them, Jacob. Pity them for the evil they worship and the end that will surely come to them. Weep for our tormentors who have forgotten that they are also eternal. There will be a moment when it is too late to beg forgiveness . . ."

p.320

"No. It is not fear of hell that turns my heart from evil." Theo smiled to himself as though he had discovered a secret. "We have been privileged to see what becomes of men who give themselves over to darkness. They are no longer men. They are the creatures; we are still men." He reached out to touch the arm of th eprofessor. "And yet, we all began exactly alike, like lumps of coal, maybe in different shapes and sizes. The fire and the pressure of hatred consumes some men until they consume others around them in a white-hot fire. And others, trapped in the same fierce pressure and terrible heat, become diamonds to glisten in the hand of God. To shine bright when the blackness is all around, to find love when others are burning in their hatred. Isn't that the essence of God?" ... "A long time ago I gave up hope of ever seeing my Anna again. Or the children. And in that moment, I suppose I died to what I was." ... "Yet when I let go even of life and put myself in the hands of God, I became free, Julius! And I said to God that in this darkness, I want to become a shining light. The men who have imprisoned me changed my name to Stern. Like your name. Stern means star. Do you think that the Gestapo knew how much I wanted to shine! ...

p.339-340

This is one book, series, and author that I would recommend to anyone, any time, with no reservations whatsoever!

Have a great evening!