Following Dreams -- The Invention of Sarah Cummings

Once again, Olivia Newport's vivid imagery and masterful intertwining of historical fact with fiction transports readers back to late 19th-century Chicago in grand style.  The Invention of Sarah Cummings, book three in her Avenue of Dreams series, continues the story of the wealthy Banning family and their servants -- specifically Sarah Cummings, a young maid who has dreams of finding her way out of service into the privileged life of those she serves.

Olivia's characters are so well developed that you can almost imagine yourself in attendance at the high society events with Chicago's elite, as well as sharing time in the kitchen and servants' quarters with the Bannings' staff.  The descriptions of the political climate of the day and the disastrous fires that ravaged parts of Chicago help bring reality to the story in ways that almost blur the lines between truth and imagination.

Sarah's attempts to create a new "reality" for herself and the lessons she learns about love from others and from God make for a very engaging story.  I enjoyed book two (read my review here) but found this story even more interesting.  Each of these books can be read as stand-alones, but reading the continuing story is even better.  I hope soon to find time to read book one and learn more of the background of the Banning family.

If you are a fan of historical fiction -- or if you are willing to give a new genre a try -- I highly recommend The Invention of Sarah Cummings
 

Thanks to the publisher for providing a copy of this book free of charge in exchange for my honest review.

Available August 2013 at your favorite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.

About the Book

In a world where everyone is putting on a show, there is a love that is genuine.

Sarah Cummings has one goal in life--to break into Chicago's high society. Desperate to stop serving dinner to members of the wealthy Banning family and to start eating at society tables, Sarah spends her meager free time altering cast-off gowns to create the perfect wardrobe for her future life.

When opportunity knocks at a chance meeting, she presents herself as Serena Cuthbert, weaving a fictitious past to go with her fictitious name. But as she gets closer to her goal--and closer to Simon Tewell, director of St. Andrew's Orphanage--Sarah finds that she must choose between the life she has and the life she dreams of.

Can she piece together the perfect life from scraps? Or will it all come unraveled in the face of true love?

About the Author
Olivia Newport is the author of The Pursuit of Lucy Banning and The Dilemma of Charlotte Farrow. Her husband and two twentysomething children provide welcome distraction from the people stomping through her head on their way into her books. She chases joy in stunning Colorado at the foot of the Rockies, where daylilies grow as tall as she is. Find out more at www.OliviaNewport.com.

Enjoyable Conclusion -- Eventide

Eventide is an enjoyable conclusion to Shelley Shepard Gray's The Days of Redemption series.

Elsie is the main character in this installment of the Keim family's story, and her strength of character shines through.  It becomes clear early in the story that she is much stronger and more determined than her family members are willing to admit.  Although her sight is failing, Elsie learns to better see how to really live in the present and prepare her heart for the future. Both Elsie's parents and grandparents come face to face with results of their own past choices and find some surprises along the way.

Shelley's characters are realistic and face true-to-life challenges.  Throughout the series, she shares enough about each person's story to encourage her readers to care about the characters and the choices they make.

I recommend this entire series to fans of good Amish fiction.

Thanks to Litfuse Publicity Group for providing me a copy of Eventide in exchange for my honest review.

See what other reviewers think about Eventide here. 

About the Book

A young Amish woman harbors a difficult secret. Does she dare share the truth with the man she hopes to marry?

Elsie Keim doesn't want to be left behind. Her twin sister, Viola, and her older brother, Roman, have both found love and are building lives of their own. But Elsie? She's still stuck at home, being treated like a child. No one seems to consider her a capable woman-all they see are the thick lenses of her glasses, constant reminders that Elsie suffers from keratoconus and is slowly going blind.

Elsie knows there's much more to her than her disease. That's why when a new neighbor, Landon Troyer, shows some interest in her, she doesn't want anything to scare him away . . . even if it means keeping her condition a secret.

Landon is ready to start a new life and feels like Elsie may just be the right woman to start it with. But when Roman steps in and shares the truth about Elsie's illness, Landon is floored. His job is demanding and takes him away from home, sometimes for days at a time. How could he keep up with his responsibilities and take care of Elsie?

Purchase your copy here: http://ow.ly/oBHhP

Meet Shelley

Shelley Shepard Gray is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of the "Sisters of the Heart", "Seasons of Sugarcreek", "Secrets of Crittenden County", and Families of Honor series. She lives in southern Ohio, where she writes full-time, bakes too much, and can often be found walking her dachshunds on her town's bike trail.

Connect with Shelley here: http://www.shelleyshepardgray.com/
 




Shelley Shepard Gray is celebrating the release of the final book in The Days of Redemption series, Eventide, by giving away FIVE sets of the series. 

Five winners will receive:

• Daybreak, Ray of Light and Eventide by Shelley Shepard Gray

Enter today by clicking one of the icons below. But hurry, the giveaway ends on September 21st. All winners will be announced September 23rd at Shelley's blog.

Don't miss a moment of the fun; enter today and be sure to visit Shelley's blog on the 23rd to see if you won one of the book sets!

Lily's Adventures Continue -- A Surprise for Lily

A Surprise for Lily is book four in Suzanne Woods Fisher's and Mary Ann Kinsinger's delightful Adventures of Lily Lapp series.  

Lily is now 11 years old and continues to find adventure in her day-to-day activities.  As she encounters big changes in her family, her school, her church, and her community, readers get an inside view of Lily's Amish life and learn more about a lifestyle both similar to and different from their own.

Lily's stories, while entertaining for adult readers, are especially suited for 8-12 year olds.  The book functions well as a whole; or the chapters can be read in individual sittings, much like a collection of short stories.

The fact that Mary Ann Kinsinger grew up Amish lends an extra measure of credibility to the book.  And Suzanne Woods Fisher's expert writing brings the stories to life for readers of all ages.

Young readers can have more fun with Lily at www.AdventuresofLilyLapp.com.
                                                            

Thanks to Revell Publishing for providing a free copy of A Surprise for Lily in exchange for my honest review.

About the Book

Change is in the air!

Eleven-year-old Lily Lapp wants her life to stay just the way it is. Instead, it's constantly changing. New jobs, new schoolmates, and new challenges sure keep life interesting. It seems like the only thing Lily really wants to change--Effie Kauffman's mischief making--is the one thing that never does. Effie is up to her old tricks, and Lily is her favorite target.

With each chapter in Lily's life comes another ever-more exciting adventure. But no one could have prepared Lily for the biggest surprise of all!

About the Authors

Suzanne Woods Fisher is the bestselling author of The Letters, the Lancaster County Secrets series, and the Stoney Ridge Seasons series, as well as nonfiction books about the Amish, including Amish Peace. She is also the coauthor of an Amish children's series, The Adventures of Lily Lapp. Suzanne is a Christy Award finalist and a Carol Award finalist. She is the host of internet radio show Amish Wisdom and a columnist for Christian Post and Cooking & Such magazines. She lives in California. For more information, please visit www.suzannewoodsfisher.com and connect with her on Twitter @suzannewfisher.

Mary Ann Kinsinger was raised Old Order Amish in Somerset County, Pennsylvania. She met and married her husband, whom she knew from school days and started a family. After they chose to leave the Amish church, Mary Ann began a blog, A Joyful Chaos, as a way to capture her warm memories of her childhood for her own children. From the start, this blog found a ready audience and even captured the attention of key media players, such as the influential blog AmishAmerica and the New York Times. She lives in Pennsylvania.