Promise Me This by Cathy Gohlke

 

Have you been looking for a book that you have trouble tearing yourself away from? Or have you been looking for a book that is a work of fiction, but ties together the fiction story with true life events? What about a book that you will feel like you are right there with the characters - sharing in their joys and their sorrows? Or maybe you've been looking for a book that will show you just how much God loved us and that His Son sacrified everything for us so that we could have eternal life? If any of these reasons resonates with you, then be sure to read this wonderfully written book by Cathy Gohlke.

I've always been fascinated with historical fiction. Some of my favorite events and time periods to read about are the Civil War, the sinking of the Titanic, World War I and World War II. This book doesn't touch on the Civil War or World War II, but it encaptures what life would have been like for the survivors of the Titanic all the way through World War I.

This book begins with Michael Dunnagan - a young boy, who has been badly mistreated - trying to escape from his current life situation. He boards the Titanic before it is even taking passengers and stows away until it ports in Southhampton where its journey is to begin. Once in Southhampton, he meets Owen Allen who is preparing to sail to America onboard the Titanic so that he can hopefully find a better place for him and his little sister Annie with relatives in New Jersey. Owen takes poor Michael under his wing and for the week he has remaining in Southhampton feeds him and gives him work. Annie remains in England until Owen has enough money to pay for her to come over to New Jersey.

Michael decides to once again flee his current situation and stows aboard the Titanic for a second time. Also for a second time he finds himself being rescued by Owen Allen. The two become like brothers in a short time and Owen feels the prompting of God to teach Michael everything he knows about plants and gardening which is what he was going over to America to help with. Since we all know the story of the Titanic, I'm sure you can imagine that this story isn't going to end well.

Owen sacrifices his life so that Michael can start his life over with Owen's family. Here we see the beautiful picture of what Jesus did for us! Owen makes Michael promise that he will save money and bring Annie over as soon as possible.

Without giving the whole book away - Michael works to bring Annie over, but many years pass before he is able to do so. This book shares the story of Michael learning to get over "survivors guilt" and Annie to stop blaming Michael for her beloved brother's death. They start to write to each other and it continues throughout World War I.

So much of this book really tugged at my heartstrings. It was just so beautifully written detailing the feelings that must have been going on for those that survived the sinking of the Titanic to the details of what it must have been like to live in Europe during World War I. I really felt like I was right there! I have not read a book that I enjoyed this much in a very long time! If you ever have the chance to read this book, I highly recommend that you grab a copy and read it. You will not be disappointed!

I'd never read any works by Cathy Gohlke, so you can imagine my surprise that this book was such a great read! I'm looking forward to reading more books from her. If you'd like to learn more about the author and other books that she has written or is planning on writing, you can visit her website here.

In closing, I did want to mention that I received this book for free for an honest review through Tyndale House Publishers, you can find out more information about them by clicking on this link. I was under no obligation to give a positive review, though I did absolutely love this book!

If you would like to read the first chapter of this book for yourself, you can click here.

Book Review - Deadly Ties by Vicki Hinze

I had a really hard time getting into this book. I felt that at the beginning there were a lot of characters introduced in a short amount of time and it was somewhat confusing to follow which character was who. That being said, once I got into it a little bit, I had a hard time putting this book down.

This book follows the story of Lisa Harper who has had a very difficult life and through the trials she has endured she learns that God is faithful and is always there for her. During her time of trials, she meets Mark Taylor who has also been through many trials and together they learn to trust God even more. This book is excellent in taking the characters and showing how the hard things they had to endure have molded them into greater use for God.

This book was a good reminder of what a great God we serve and how He uses each of us with our own unique abilities and trials to further serve Him in a great way!

I received this book for free from the publisher to review, and am in no way obligated to give a positive review. In accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255.

Book Review - Outlive Your Life: You Were Made to make a Difference by Max Lucado

When I first picked up this book I wasn't sure what to expect. I mean who doesn't want to live a life that is successful and that will live on even after you do? And as this book's title says, "Outlive Your Life: You Were Made to Make a Difference" you would expect to read about how you could do just that.

This book takes a whole new look at ways that you can live unselfishly and thus give you a way to make a difference in this world. Of course, many people automatically think of giving to charities as a means to this end and once you've given then your social obligation is done. But this book gives so many more ways to reach out to others, to show them Christ's love, to truly make a difference on the poor and needy in this world. If you are looking for a book "feel good about yourself" book, then skip this book. But, if you are looking for a book that will challenge the way you view life and others then by all means this book is for you.

Another great thing about this book is that it has a study guide that goes along with each chapter. This is extremely helpful if you are reading this book through in a group, though could be used effectively for personal use as well.

I received this book for free from the publisher in conjuction with the BookSneeze program, www.booksneeze.com. I am not obligated to give a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255.

Lady in Waiting by Susan Meissner - Book Review

I had never heard of Susan Meissner before, so I wasn't sure how I would like her book "Lady in Waiting." I must say I was pleasantly surprised. From the moment I started reading this book I found it hard to put down. The book says that it is considered contemporary fiction and while it does have elements of contemporary fiction, it also ties in a very good historical fiction story as well. As far as I'm concerned, this is the best of both worlds. You have a very interesting contemporary story that also has a very compelling historical story as well.

Modern day Jane has just had her husband leave her and is dealing with handling the loss of their relationship after twenty-two years. She feels like everything is out of her control and must learn to wait and take control of her life. Historical Jane is essentially a political pawn and learns the same lesson. As the back of the book states, "Love is a choice you make every day."

I really enjoyed reading this book and felt like I could probably relate more with modern day Jane than with the historical Jane. Part of this could be that even though the story in the past was about Jane, it was written from the stand point of her seamstress Lucy Day. This book goes back and forth between the two time periods, but does so in a very interesting way. While sometimes this method of storytelling can detract from the story, in this book it enhances the overall story. If you are looking for an interesting book that will keep you wanting to know what will happen next, this is the book to read.

I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review.

BookSneeze Book Review - Love and Respect for a Lifetime

I recently received a complimentary copy of the book "Love and Respect for a Lifetime" written by Dr. Emerson Eggerichs, so that I could review it for the BookSneeze Review Program. This book is a beautiful hard copy book that is perfect for giving to any married couple. I didn’t realize that I was reviewing a condensed version of the book until I received this book in the mail. Because it is condensed, it is a very quick and easy read. I received it on Monday night and started reading it right away and managed to finish it up the very next night. This book touches on the differences between men and women's communication styles and how these can lead to conflicts. The solution is so simple, yet if you have ever been in a relationship you probably have found at one time or another can be so hard. The front of the book simply states the solution: “Women absolutely need love. Men absolutely need respect. It’s as simple and as complicated as that…” While a lot of the book seemed like a no-brainer to me, it was helpful in opening my eyes on ways that I may not always say or do things that make my husband believe I respect him. In the same token, it also equally focuses on ways that husbands may act that makes the wife now believe that he still loves her. Overall it focuses on the fact that when we have a right relationship with God, it helps us have a right relationship with our spouses.