Gripping Historical Fiction -- Colors of Truth

Colors of Truth is another brilliant work of historical fiction from Tamera Alexander. As she did in her Belle Meade and Belmont series, she continues in the Carnton series to take real people, authentic locations, and actual events from near-Civil-war times, add fictional characters and events, and weave gripping stories.

A pivotal point in the history of our country -- both the good and the ugly -- and the wonderful truths of God shine through in this beautifully crafted story. The real and fictional characters come alive and jump off the page as they invite us into their lives. I don't believe you can read this book and not feel deeply for the individuals depicted.

I highly recommend Colors of Truth to fans of great historical fiction. Besides being inspired by a great story, you just might learn some fascinating fine points of history as well. I am anxiously waiting to visit Carnton again in the next Tamera Alexander masterpiece.

 

About the Book

In a town battered and bruised by war, one woman embarks upon an impossible search—and one man must face the past in the very place that almost destroyed him.

Tennessee, 1866. According to the last letter Irish immigrant Catriona O'Toole received from her twin brother, Ryan, he was being dispatched to Franklin Tennessee, where—as a conscripted Confederate soldier—he likely endured the bloody Battle of Franklin that claimed the lives of thousands. Catriona leaves behind the lush green of their Irish homeland in search of him, with nothing to her name except the sum of cash Ryan sent to the family. Now the sole provider for her seven-year-old spitfire sister, Nora, Catriona hopes to reunite the siblings—the only surviving members of their devastated family. 

Wade Cunningham is a former Federal soldier who now works for the newly formed United States Secret Service and is trying to uncover counterfeiting rings in the postwar South. In order to infiltrate their sophisticated enterprise, he must pose as a former Confederate in Franklin—a town where counterfeit greenbacks run rampant. When Wade meets Catriona, he is immediately intrigued by her and the little redheaded scamp in her care—but what he doesn't anticipate is that the cash in Catriona's possession is some of the most convincing counterfeit money he's ever seen. Soon the object of Wade's affection is also the suspect in a major crime—one he's expected to prosecute.

With rich historical detail and multifaceted prose, USA TODAY bestselling author Tamera Alexander tells a riveting tale of truth, betrayal, and unlikely romance that unveils the many shades of God's perfect redemption. 

About the Author

Tamera Alexander is the USA Today bestselling author of numerous books, including Colors of Truth, With This Pledge, A Lasting Impression, A Note Yet Unsung, To Whisper Her Name, and more. 

Her richly drawn characters and thought-provoking plots have earned her devoted readers worldwide, as well as multiple industry awards.

These awards include the Christy Award for Excellence in Christian fiction, the RITA Award for Best Inspirational Romance, the Gayle Wilson Award of Excellence, Bookseller’s Best Award, and being listed among Publishers Weekly and Library Journal’s Top Inspirational Fiction, among others.

Tamera was recently inducted into the Christy Award Hall of Fame for excellence in Christian Fiction, an honor bestowed to an author following four Christy Award wins. Her books have been translated into numerous languages. She's toured Germany and The Netherlands meeting readers and cherishes those connections.

Suspense Across the Decades -- The Haunting at Bonaventure Circus

Since I follow several authors and readers on social media, I hear about a lot of "must-read" books and "must-read" authors. Because of an already never-ending TBR (to-be-read) backlog of  books and  a constant stream of new releases by my several favorites, I just don't have the time to read every "must-read" that I see recommended.

But . . . I am so glad I caved to the pressure and decided The Haunting at Bonaventure Circus by Jaime Jo Wright was one I must read. What did I like about the book? Pretty much everything! The characters, the circus setting, the mystery, and the dual timeline all come together into a well-crafted story. There are dark, almost spooky elements that are important parts of the story, but they just serve to keep the mystery alive. At the real heart of it all, though, are deep searches for truth, love, belonging, and healing stretching across decades of history of a small town and its circus.

If this book is a good representation of this author's writing, I hope to find the opportunity to read more of her books.

I highly recommend The Haunting at Bonaventure Circus to anyone who might enjoy a deep, complex mystery carried along by hope and faith.

About the Book

Welcome to Bonaventure Circus,
where misfits go to hide.

In 1928, the Bonaventure Circus has become a refuge for many, but Pippa Ripley was rejected from its inner circle as a baby and is no longer content to leave the reason for that rejection unquestioned. When she receives mysterious messages from someone called the "Watchman," she is determined to find him and the connection to her birth. As Pippa's search leads her to a man seeking justice for his murdered sister and evidence that a serial killer has been haunting the circus train, she must decide if uncovering her roots is worth putting herself directly in the path of the killer.

Decades later, an old circus train depot's future hangs in the balance--it will either be torn down or preserved for historical importance, and its fate rests on Realtor Chandler Faulk's shoulders. As she dives deep into the depot's history, she's also balancing a newly diagnosed disease and the pressures of single motherhood. When she discovers clues to unsolved murders of the past, Chandler is pulled into a story far darker and more haunting than even an abandoned train depot could portend.

About the Author

Jaime Jo Wright (www.jaimewrightbooks.com) is the author of six novels, including Christy Award winner The House on Foster Hill and Carol Award winner The Reckoning at Gossamer Pond. She's also the Publishers Weekly and ECPA bestselling author of two novellas. Jaime lives in Wisconsin with her cat named Foo; her husband, Cap'n Hook; and their littles, Peter Pan and CoCo. To learn more, visit www.jaimewrightbooks.com.

Beautiful Story of Hope and Despair -- The Refrain Within (with Giveaway)

About the Book

Book: The Refrain Within

Author: Liz Tolsma

Genre: WWII Fiction

Release Date: September 29, 2020

To save a life, would you betray everyone you love?

Hungary in 1944 is a dark place. The Nazis have invaded and turned the country upside down, their evil making its way into every life.

Clarinetist Eva Bognar is engaged to conductor and composer Patrik Kedves, happily planning her wedding. At first she doesn’t think the war will affect her directly; everyone around her can be trusted to do the right thing. Then her Jewish best friend and sister-in-law Zofia goes missing–and instead of the Gestapo being to blame, a friend says it was Patrik who led Zofia away. Has he betrayed Eva and everything the family stands for?

When the rest of the family’s lives are directly threatened, Patrik’s secrets must come to light. The Bognars flee for the border in hopes of getting out of the country to the safety of Palestine. Eva must put her life and the lives of everyone she loves in the hands of the very man who betrayed her–and they may not all make it out of the war alive . . .

Click here to get your copy!

My Thoughts

In The Refrain Within, Liz Tolsma shares another beautiful story set in Europe during the turbulent days of World War II. Eva, Patrik, and many of their friends and family find themselves in life-and-death situations as they try to navigate the dark days of Nazi invasion of Hungary. 

As in the previous books in the Music of Hope Series, the heroine of this story is a musician, as are some of the other characters. Many of their struggles to try to retain some semblance of normalcy, while working to preserve lives (including their own), revolve around their music and the instruments which are so important to them. 

This story evokes a wide range of emotions, from hope to despair, joy to heartbreak, love to distrust, as very realistic characters deal with very realistic issues. The author does a masterful job of drawing you into the lives of individuals in this bleak time in history, while still keeping bright threads of promise alive.

I highly recommend The Refrain Within to fans of great historical fiction. Thanks to Celebrate Lit for providing a copy of the book. I am happy to share my own thoughts in this review.

About the Author

Passionate might best describe Liz Tolsma. She loves writing, research, and editing. Her passion shone through in her first novel which was a double award finalist. On any given day, you might find her pulling weeds in her perennial garden, walking her hyperactive dog, or curled up with a good book. Nothing means more to her than her family. She’s married her high-school sweetheart twenty-eight years ago. Get her talking about international adoption, and you might never get her to stop. She and her husband adopted three children, including a son who is a U.S. Marine, and two daughters.

 

More from Liz

This is the third book in a series all set around music. The first heroine, Anna in The Melody of the Soul, was a violinist. The second heroine, Natia in When the Heart Sings, sang beautifully. So what did I choose for this heroine?

When I was in fifth grade, the band teacher from the middle school came to our class and encouraged us to join. She brought instruments with her for us to try. I really wanted to play the flute. I thought it was very feminine. But all the girls wanted to play that, and I would have to be really good to get a good chair. So I decided on the clarinet. I played all through middle school and high school, making first chair a couple of times. I participated in marching band and in solo and ensemble contests, earning a couple of first places in state competitions. Even after my “career” ended, I continued to play from time to time. I still play in church. I love the rich, full sound of the instrument. When played well, the clarinet is beautiful. It can be playful and happy or dark and sad. It can skip and it can cry. I’m very glad now that I chose the clarinet instead of the flute.

That’s why the heroine of The Refrain Within plays the clarinet. In fact, she comes from a family of clarinet makers, and her family stamp on the barrel of a clarinet means a great deal to her. As God would have it, my editor, Janyre Tromp, is also a clarinet player. Between the two of us, we worked hard to bring out the unique aspects of playing clarinet, like the callous that forms on the inside of your bottom lip.

Eva is a special character to me because we share this passion for the clarinet. There have been many times throughout my life that my clarinet has skipped with me and plenty of times when it has cried with me. Music is God’s beautiful gift to us, and I thank Him for the opportunity to share some of that with you in The Refrain Within.

Blog Stops

Book Reviews From an Avid Reader, October 23

Among the Reads, October 23

Maureen’s Musings, October 23

Babbling Becky L’s Book Impressions, October 24

Texas Book-aholic, October 24

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, October 25

deb’s Book Review, October 25

21st Century Keeper at Home, October 25

By The Book, October 26

lakesidelivingsite, October 26

A Baker’s Perspective, October 26

Inklings and notions, October 27

CarpeDiem, October 27

Mary Hake, October 27

For Him and My Family, October 28

Reflections From My Bookshelves, October 28

Emily Yager, October 28

Locks, Hooks and Books, October 29

Older & Smarter?, October 29

Genesis 5020, October 29

Betti Mace, October 30

Christian Bookaholic, October 30

Sara Jane Jacobs, October 30

Artistic Nobody, October 31 (Guest Review from Joni Truex)

Simple Harvest Reads, October 31 (Guest Review from Mindy Houng)

Rebecca Tews, November 1

Ashley’s Bookshelf, November 1

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, November 1

Connie’s History Classroom, November 2

Where Crisis & Christ Collide, November 2

Splashes of Joy, November 2

Book Bites, Bee Stings, & Butterfly Kisses, November 3

As He Leads is Joy, November 3

Bigreadersite, November 3

Pause for Tales, November 4

Hallie Reads, November 4

Southern Gal Loves to Read, November 4

Amanda Tero, author, November 5

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, November 5

A Good Book and Cup of Tea, November 5

 

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Liz is giving away the grand prize of a $25 Amazon gift card!!

Be sure to comment on the blog stops for nine extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.

https://promosimple.com/ps/102a9/the-refrain-within-celebration-tour-giveaway

Beautiful Story of Acceptance -- The Librarian of Boone's Hollow

The Librarian of Boone's Hollow is another treasure from the pen of Kim Vogel Sawyer. 

The step back into the Great Depression era of mule or horseback delivery of books to the backwoods communities of Kentucky is interesting all on its own. But the people, the characters from this author's mind and heart, are what makes this one more gentle story of hope from one of the greats in Christian fiction.

Addie -- a young girl from the city who finds herself in challenging times that are not of her own making but who determines to follow her love of reading and writing to move forward for herself and her family

Emmett -- a young man forced to move back to his family's little mountain home while trying to find a job that makes use of his recently earned college degree

Bettina -- a poor, uneducated girl who sees marriage as her only hope for escape from a difficult home life

Nanny Fay -- an older woman who lives alone, with most of the community's residents avoiding her at all costs because of fears and superstitions

I highly recommend The Librarian of Boone's Hollow to all fans of inspirational historical fiction or to anyone who wants to get lost in a story of hope, faith, community, and acceptance.

Thanks to Kim Vogel Sawyer and her publisher for providing a digital copy of this book. I am happy to share my own thoughts in this review.


About the Book

A traveling librarian ventures into the mining towns of Kentucky on horseback—and learns to trust the One who truly pens her story—in this powerful novel from the best-selling author of A Silken Thread.

During the Great Depression, city-dweller Addie Cowherd dreams of becoming a novelist and offering readers the escape that books had given her during her tragic childhood. When her father loses his job, she is forced to take the only employment she can find—delivering books on horseback to poor coal-mining families in the hills of Kentucky.

But turning a new page will be nearly impossible in Boone's Hollow, where residents are steeped in superstitions and deeply suspicious of outsiders. Even local Emmett Tharp feels the sting of rejection after returning to the tiny mountain hamlet as the first in his family to graduate college. And as the crippled economy leaves many men jobless, he fears his degree won’t be worth much in a place where most men either work the coal mine or run moonshine.

As Addie also struggles to find her place, she’ll unearth the truth about a decades-old rivalry. But when someone sets out to sabotage the town’s library program, will the culprit chase Addie away or straight into the arms of the only person who can help her put a broken community back together?

(Get a sneak peek at the first chapter of The Librarian of Boone's Hollow here.)

About the Author

Kim Vogel Sawyer is a highly acclaimed bestselling author with more than one million books in print in seven different languages. Her titles have earned numerous accolades including the ACFW Carol Award, the Inspirational Readers' Choice Award, and the Gayle Wilson Award of Excellence. Kim lives in central Kansas with her retired military husband, Don, where she continues to write gentle stories of hope. She enjoys spending time with her three daughters and her grandchildren.