Book Review - The Dancing Master by Julie Klassen

Finding himself the man of the family, London dancing master Alec Valcourt moves his mother and sister to remote Devonshire, hoping to start over. But he is stunned to learn the village matriarch has prohibited all dancing, for reasons buried deep in her past.

Alec finds an unlikely ally in the matriarch's daughter. Though he's initially wary of Julie Midwinter's reckless flirtation, he comes to realize her bold exterior disguises a vulnerable soul—and hidden sorrows of her own.

Julia is quickly attracted to the handsome dancing master—a man her mother would never approve of—but she cannot imagine why Mr. Valcourt would leave London, or why he evades questions about his past. With Alec's help, can Julia uncover old secrets and restore life to her somber village . . . and to her mother's tattered heart?

Filled with mystery and romance, The Dancing Master brings to life the intriguing profession of those who taught essential social graces for ladies and gentlemen hoping to make a "good match" in Regency England.

REVIEW:

I love Julie Klassen's writing and this book did not disappoint! Her style of writing keeps me coming back to the story every time. In The Dancing Master, I found all of the characters entertaining and I was interested to find out how the story resolved - each story line made the book very interesting. The relationships that Julia Midwinter had with her mother, father, Barlow, Alec and others made the story come alive. The pasts of the characters were intriguing and how their lives were intertwined with one another was great. The Dancing Master is a story that shows how conflict and secrets can impact people's lives but it also shows how forgiveness and healing can give a new outlook for the future. I particularly enjoyed the character of Desmond and was moved by his interaction with Julia Midwinter - especially the passage where he talks to her about where to find her "worth." It was not in the manor that she would inherit or in the secret past that she find out about.

It would be great if Julie Klassen wrote a follow up book to further explore the lives of these characters! A great read!

"Book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc.  Available at your favourite bookseller from Bethany House, a division of Baker Publishing Group".  

Book Review - Pilgrimage by Lynn Austin

An Intimate Look at a Bestselling Author's Journey to Deeper Faith
With gripping honesty, Lynn Austin shares with readers a private and intimate look at her own struggles with spiritual dryness in a season of loss and unwanted change. As she journeys through Israel, Austin turns to Scripture at each site she visits. Then with a fiction writer's eye for detail, she seamlessly weaves events and insights from the Word as she finds hope, renewed faith, and a sense of direction for the future.


REVIEW:
I have read a number of Lynn Austin's books - her series the Chronicle of the Kings was excellent and I read the first book in The Restoration Chronicles. Being a fan of her writing I was interested in reading Pilgrimage because she was writing about her own personal journey to the Holy Lands and how it impacted her at a time of transition in her life. I have not been to the Holy Lands but she described it in a way that made it come alive. I can imagine that those who have been on such a journey would be able to relive their own steps in the places Jesus walked.


I was personally encouraged by this book. I read it while I spent many hours by my Dad's bedside following surgery. In one passage, she described how brilliantly a Christian's light should shine because of their view of life, sickness and death when in a hospital bed next to an atheist. This was particularly encouraging to me as I watched my Dad be so kind and easy to get along with as he interacted with nurses and doctors. It reminded me that despite the stress I was feeling the light of Christ still needed to shine and my actions had to reflect that light. The way Lynn Austin made practical application to the places she visited in the Holy Land was very good and it is a book I will return to at times.


"Book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc.  Available at your favourite bookseller from Bethany House, a division of Baker Publishing Group".

Book Review - Chasing Hope

A story of shattered dreams and second chances
A talented runner fully committed to Olympic dreams, Sabrina Rice’s future was shattered by a devastating diagnosis. One forfeited scholarship and several years later, she has new goals and dreams that have nothing to do with running–something that’s become far too painful to think on.
Until the day she sees Brandy Philip running across the community college campus, easily outpacing security. Sabrina immediately recognizes world-class speed, and it’s all the more painful that it belongs to a teenage graffiti artist.
When a chance encounter brings the two young women together, Sabrina becomes Brandy’s best hope for staying out of juvenile hall. Soon, Sabrina begins to feel an uncomfortable nudge that her new life is just about to be toppled…that God may be calling her to minister to this talented but troubled girl.

REVIEW:

This book is a story of realizing that your dreams are not what you imagined them to be and its about starting over with new hopes and dreams. Sabrina had great promise as a runner and had a college scholarship to prove it. But an illness prevented her from continuing with the dream of running in the Olympics. Her life started down a new path with school and her eventual life's work.

Into her life comes a promising runner named Brandy who has her own issues in life. Sabrina was reluctant to coach Brandy but together they find God's path of life. While Sabrina and Brandy are the main players in this story - two special grandmothers, parents, a developing relationship for Sabrina and others find their place in this story.

I enjoyed reading this book. It reminded me that sometimes the plans we have for our lives are not the plans of God. We realize this when things happen and we have to make another plan. They key as is clearly shown in this story is not to give up but to continue searching for the call of God. The goals we set sometimes have detours but we realize that God is ultimately charting our course through the ups and downs of life.

"Book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc. 
Available at your favourite bookseller from Bethany House, a division of Baker Publishing Group".