Paperback: 352 pages Genre: Christian, Historical Romantic Fiction, Publisher: Revell 2008 Source: Oxfam Charity Bookshop, Salisbury. First Sentence: The harsh clang of the meetinghouse bell shattered the peace of the night. Review Quote: The author of Orchard of Hope and Summer of Joy offers a glimpse of a bygone era in which the Shakers lived together in chastity and faith. With an appealing heroine and an intriguing plot, Gabhart’s latest novel deserves a place in all public libraries. – Library Journal Review for The Outsider, June 1, 2008. Main Characters: Gabrielle Hope, Dr Brice Scott Setting: Kentucky, USA Literary Awards: 2009 ECPA Fiction Book of the Year Finalist My Opinion: An unlikely love and unwanted gift threaten to destroy a quiet Shaker girl of the 1800s. This was an ok read but not quite what I had expected, I had been hoping to learn more about the religion and how they live. My sympathies were with Gabrielle and her confusion over life in the outside world. Basically it is just a love story conducted under very restricting circumstances. If you want to learn more about the Shaker way of life maybe this is a good series to read as this is the first in the Shaker series. Précis Courtesy of Goodreads: She thought she was content--until a love from the outside world turned hers upside down. Gabrielle Hope and her mother joined the Harmony Hill Shaker community in 1807. The community promised stability and devotion that Gabrielle wholeheartedly embraced. But when a local doctor must be brought into Harmony Hill from the outside, he sets into motion a chain of events that will challenge Gabrielle's loyalty to the Shakers. As she falls deeper into a forbidden love for this man of the world, Gabrielle must make a choice. Can she experience true happiness in this simple and chaste community? Or will she abandon her brothers and sisters for a life of the unknown? Author Profile
Ann H. Gabhart was born in Lawrenceburg, Kentucky, USA and grew up on a farm there. By the time she was ten she knew she wanted to be a writer. She's published over twenty novels. She and her husband have three children and nine grandchildren. She still lives on a farm not far from where she grew up. She loves playing with her grandkids, walking with her dog, reading and, of course, writing. Her Shaker books, set in her fictional Shaker village of Harmony Hill in the 1800's, are popular with readers. The Outsider was a Christian Fiction Book Award Finalist in 2009. For a fuller biography visit her Official Website Photographs, Trailer and Biographical Information courtesy of the following sites. Goodreads - Author ProfileAnn H Gabhart - Twitter AccountAuthor Official Website Ann Gabhart - Facebook ProfileAnn H Gahart - Amazon Author Page
Genre: Christian Fiction Publisher: Hodder and Stoughton 2013 Source: Tywyn Public Library First Sentences: Some years in Portland, Oregon, winter is a bully, spitting sleet and spewing snow in fits and starts as it violently wrestles days from spring, claiming some archaic right to remain king of the seasons-ultimately the vain attempt of another pretender. Favourite Quote: “There is always risk in relationships, but bottom line? The world has no meaning apart from relationships. Some are just messier than others, some are seasonal, others are difficult, and a few are easy, but every one of them is important.” My Opinion: Comforting at the time of reading. My Review : Prior to being given this book to read for one of the Book Clubs I belong to I had never heard of this author and my initial reaction was that this was a book I very much doubt I would have read from choice. Like many of us I struggle to understand the world and the meaning of life, so when I first read the blurb for this novel I felt it may be a comforting read. Indeed it was but only at the time of reading, not in a life changing way. A story of relationships, participation and the choices we make at the crossroads in our lives. A very complicated story but simply put it is about a businessman who after being involved in an accident is left in a coma. The protagonist Tony is broken and bitter after the loss of a loved one, he does not really have any faith. Even without a strong belief in God, he finds himself not just meeting him but carrying out a mission on his behalf. Mysteriously inside other bodies, yes they know he is there, he is able to examine his life in retrospect. Difficult to comprehend but then so is life, The one thing that slightly concerned me is that maybe some devoted Christians may well find this 'possession' offensive. A Christian book but absolutely no need to be a believer to benefit from reading. The author writes (obviously his own beliefs) about life and death in a compassionate way. You really do need to read this for yourself!
Précis: Courtesy of Goodreads: Anthony Spencer is egotistical, proud of being a self-made business success at the peak of his game, even though the cost of winning was painfully high. A cerebral hemorrhage leaves Tony comatose in a hospital ICU. He 'awakens' to find himself in a surreal world, a 'living' landscape that mirrors dimensions of his earthly life, from the beautiful to the corrupt. It is here that he has vivid interactions with others he assumes are projections of his own subconscious, but whose directions he follows nonetheless with the possibility that they might lead to authenticity and perhaps, redemption. The adventure draws Tony into deep relational entanglements where he is able to 'see' through the literal eyes and experiences of others, but is "blind" to the consequences of hiding his personal agenda and loss that emerge to war against the processes of healing and trust. Will this unexpected coalescing of events cause Tony to examine his life and realize he built a house of cards on the poisoned grounds of a broken heart? Will he also have the courage to make a critical choice that can undo a major injustice he set in motion before falling into a coma? YouTube : Official Book Trailer
Author Profile:
William Paul Young was born in Grande Prairie, Alberta, Canada on May 11th 1955. The eldest of four children but the majority of his first decade was lived with his missionary parents in the highlands of Netherlands New Guinea (West Papua), among the Dani, a technologically stone age tribal people. These became his family and as the first white child and outsider who ever spoke their language, he was granted unusual access into their culture and community. An extended biography can be read here
The biographical information and photo used in this post are with thanks to the following websites, where you can also find more information about the author and his writing.
