The Icecutter's Daughter

Merrill Krause is responsible for her house full of brothers and her father since her mother had died ten years ago.  Between that and working for the family horse business, little time is left for Merrill or developing a feminine side, something not quite so acceptable to ignore in the late 1800's, even through she does long for someone in her life besides her brothers and father.  But her brothers have scared off any potential suitors through the years.

When Ruruk Jorgenson is called by his Uncle Carl to leave Kansas and come to Minnesota to help with the furniture making business, he leaves behind a "fiance" he's not certain is the woman for him since he loves her like a sister, not the way he hopes to love a wife.   When he meets Merrill, he is drawn to her strength and isn't bothered by her brothers or lack of trivial femininity.  But Ruruk's past isn't going to be easy to leave behind when his former fiance and brother show up, bringing questions about Rurk's integrity.  Merrill thinks she truly knows Ruruk's heart but it may prove to be a challenge to trust.

As always, Tracie Peterson authors a book hard to put down and a delight to read.  You will love the characters and, if a historical fiction fan, the time period and setting--not your typical one.  I also thoroughly enjoyed Merrill, a pretty tough, nonconforming girl in a time where sitting around visiting and drinking tea was more the norm. There was enough action and suspense to keep you turning the pages and not so many characters that leave you scratching your head wondering where that person came from.  While some might say "The Icecutter's Daugher", the first in the Land of Shining Water series,  is one of Ms. Peterson's best, that might be difficult for me to say as I haven't read anything by her I didn't thoroughly enjoy and she writes enough differing types of books that you are certain to find one that pleases. 

I did receive this book free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.  I was in no way obligated to write a positive review.

Letters to Katie

Katherine Yoder yearns for a marriage and family like most young women. The fact that she is surrounded by happy marriages and the anticipation of new babies only deepens that longing. She is never idle, working at Mary Yoder's restaurant, helping her parents, sewing, needlework....but that doesn't fill the hole in her life.  But perhaps God has plans that are different from hers.

For most of her teenage and adult life, Katherine has loved her best friend's twin brother, Johnny Mullet, but that love was never returned.  Currently, Johnny is busy making his own way as he buys a farm which needs an overhaul and sets up his business raising horses.  When a stranger arrives in town, Isaac, it makes Katherine wonder if perhaps she has been looking in the wrong direction for God's plan.  Suddenly, he leaves but begins the two begin to write letters to one another. When illness strikes Katherine suddenly, each of these character's eyes open to what is truly important as they begin to seek God first, a lesson each of us can learn from.

Letters to Katie by Kathleen Fuller is the third installment in the Middlefield Family series following Treasuring Emma and Faithful to Laura but don't let that stop you from reading this delightful Amish centered story if you haven't read the other two.  I started the series with this one and found that filling in any missing gaps was fairly easy to do and didn't detract from the story.  There are quite a few characters in the book to keep up with that may have been easier to keep track of if I had read the other two books first but, again, did not keep me from enjoying the story itself.  If you enjoy Amish fiction, Kathleen Fuller currently has about 10 to choose from.  I found her style very easy and enjoyable to read and hope to have opportunity to read more of her writings.

I did receive this book free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.  I was in no way obligated to leave a positive review.

A Clearing in the Wild

A Clearing in the Wild by Jane Kirkpatrick opens on Christmas Day, 1851, in the colony of Bethel, Missouri, an isolated community of German immigrants dedicated to their faith where all wealth was common wealth so that no one would have to be concerned about the future.  They were historically known as Harmonists who tried to achieve Christian perfection beginning their colony in Pennsylvania, then moving to New Harmony Indiana, Missouri, and then west.

This life is all seventeen year old Emma remembers but yet she longs for more and begins to question the ways of the teaching of their leader, Father Wilhelm Keil. While the new thoughts within the colony are to remain single so that one can devote their time to the Lord, Emma hopes this will be her last Christmas as a single woman and she can't seem to escape the thoughts of  independence and being able to speak her mind and make her own decisions, all characteristics considered undesirable for Bethel women.  When the grumblings of potential war between the North and the South begin to make their way into the Bethel community, a decision must be made as to whether or not the colony can remain in Bethel or must move farther west to escape being drawn into the war that seems inevitable.

Typically, Jane Kirkpatrick takes a real historical character and weaves a believable story about their lives, filling in with fictional details that history books and biographys don't tell.  She has done the same with the colony of Bethel, MO.  Ms. Kirkpatrick has proven to be an author who thoroughly researches the time period she is representing and A Clearing in the Wild is no exception.  I very much appreciate her attention to detail and accuracy even though it does sometimes bog down the story a bit.  In reading, I tend to be more of a "let's get the story moving and let my imagination fill in some of the details" kind of reader.  This isn't Ms. Kirkpatrick's style but I love historical fiction so enjoy her books as well even if they aren't ones that "grab" me. For more on the author, visit http://www.jkbooks.com/

I did receivet shi book free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. I was in no way obligated to leave a positive review.

Dealing with idolatry

From the very beginning in the introduction, Kyle Idleman has you hooked in his most recent book gods At War.  Whether you struggle with spending too much, greed, working too much, worrying, .....there is a false god inside each of us that is at the root of all of them in the form of idolatry.  Idleman is so bold as to say that idolatry isn't just one of many sins, it is the one great sin that all others come from.  The other struggles are just the mask for idolatry.  Idolatry is always the real issue. It's the "trunk of the tree" , and all other problems are just branches.

Proverbs 4:23 tells us "Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it." Your heart determines it all--what you do, say, and think.  Because of that, your heart is the front line for gods at war.  In order to deal with our idol issues, we first must deal with the heart since that is the root of all our thoughts emotions, and actions.  What good would it do to simply deal with the "mask" of the idol (greed, for example) if we never deal with the source  of the problem?

It is hard to see ourselves as idol worshipers but Idleman has some keys questions that may bring out the truth:
      - What disappoints you? When you feel overwhelmed by disappointment, it is a good sign that something has become way too important to you and you have placed your hope in something other than God.
      -What do you complain about the most?  What we complain about reveals what really matters to us.
      - Where do you make financial sacrifices? Where your money goes shows what is winning your heart.
      - What worries you? Whatever keeps you awake at night has potential of becoming an idol.
      -Where is your sanctuary? A friend? Food? God is our help in time of need.  Does your life reflect that?
     - What infuriates you? Maybe your temper reveals your true idol. Yourself.
     - What are your dreams? What is your motivation for those dreams? Your glory or God's?

But God is a jealous god. There is room for only one in our lives. So what do we do about all the  idols in our lives?  We are made to worship.  It is in our make-up.  Will you worship the idols in your life or the one true God?

In gods at War, Idleman addresses many of the things that tend to become idols on our lives and helps the reader deal with the root of the issue.  I can't say enough about the book as it will be one I read a number of time rather than passing it on or gathering dust on a shelf.  It helped open my eyes to my own idols, even ones I didn't know existed or could be idols.  A must read for every Christian.

I did receive this book free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review and was in no way obligated to leave a positive review.