Wednesday, April 15, 2015

The Beekeeper's Son

GIVEAWAY

IRVIN, KELLY
THE BEEKEEPER'S SON

Sometimes it takes a barren landscape to see the beauty of God’s creation.

Phineas King knows better than to expect anything but shock and pity wherever he shows his face. Horribly scarred from the tragic accident that claimed his mother’s life, he chooses to keep his distance from everyone, focusing his time and energy on the bees his family raises. If no one sees him, no one can judge him. So why does he start finding excuses to seek out Deborah Lantz, the beautiful new arrival in town?

Deborah can’t get out of Bee County, Texas, soon enough. Once her mother and younger siblings are settled, she is on the first bus out of this dusty town. She is only waiting on the letter from Aaron, asking her to return to lush Tennessee to be his fraa. But that letter never comes. As she spends time getting to know Phineas—hoping to uncover the man beneath the scars—she begins to realize that she no longer minds that Aaron hasn’t sent for her.

As both Deborah and Phineas try to come to terms with lives that haven’t turned out the way they imagined, they discover that perhaps Gott’s plans for them are more extraordinary than they could have dreamed. But they need to let go of their own past sorrows and disappointments to find the joy and beauty that lies just ahead for them both.

My Review:

A beautiful story about being open to following God's path instead of your own. Both Deborah and Phineas have internal conflicts that cause them to look back instead of forward. They are so mired in what could have been that they nearly miss out on the glorious future God has planned for them. I really took that message to heart. And I'll smugly admit to learning the lesson way ahead of the hero and heroine. :-) At their expense, of course.

There's great tension and conflict within the pages of this book-- so stark at times that it matches the equally stark Texan countryside. An unusual and alluring setting for an Amish story. The author has created a fascinating community in Bee County, Texas. It is struggling to remain viable despite an increasing number of families leaving for more thriving Amish communities. I loved the modern day pioneer spirit of those who stayed.  A fresh angle for this genre and it makes for a compelling read! 

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

If you would like an opportunity to win a copy of The Beekeeper's Son please leave a comment below or email me at kavluvstoreadATyahooDOTca. If you post a comment and add your email address, please use AT and DOT instead of @ and . in the address to protect yourself from spammers. If you enter the draw via email please remember to put the title in the subject line so that it's easy for me to spot your entry. Draw will be held and winner announced on Sunday April 19 2015. Offer open to international readers. Good luck!  

23 comments:

  1. I would LOVE to win a copy of this book, thank you for the chance.

    wfnren at aol dot com

    (Sorry if I have more than one comment as I was having some problems with my computer and didn't know if my previous two went through)

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    1. Only see one comment, Wendy. I find blogger has been messing with the comments lately. Grrrr blogger. But yay you for wanting this book. Good luck.

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  2. As the daughter of a real life beekeeper, I would love to read this book!

    Pattymh2000(at)yahoo(dot)com

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    1. Whoa -- that occupation kind of freaks me out --- though I do appreciate all the good work bees do for our gardens and I love honey! :-) Good luck, Patty.

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  3. This sounds like a wonderful book and I would love to read it! My late father-in-law had bees and thoroughly enjoyed his hobby.

    mauback55 at gmail dot com

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  4. "The Beekeeper's Son" sounds like a book with lots of emotion-
    which I love - and a beautiful, unusual storyline. Would love to read it!! Thanks for the giveaway opportunity!!

    bonnieroof60(at)yahoo(dot)com

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    1. It really is, Bonnie. I enjoyed the Texan setting. Very unusual for an Amish book. Good luck.

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  5. Kav, that was another great review of a book I've seen much praise. Kelly Irvin is such a talented Amish fiction author. Thank you for sharing with all of us, and offering a giveaway copy of her book.
    quiltcat26[at]sbcglobal[dot]net

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    1. You're welcome, Nancee. And I agree, Kelly Irvin is a talented storyteller. Good luck.

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  6. THIS.

    janka(dot)halcinova(at)gmail(dot)com

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    1. You do realize it's Amish, right, Janka?! Good luck!

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    2. Yes, I do :) Something is going wrong with me, I see, I see :)

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  7. I've been reading good things about this!
    pbclark(at)netins(dot)net

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    1. And with good reason! Good luck, rubynreba!

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  8. I am loving this cover! (Sorry, I'm one of those who judge a book by its cover. :) )

    campbellamyd at gmail dot com

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    1. I am right there with you, Amy. Book Covers are just as important as wall art as far as I'm concerned.

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  9. Kav, I've read some of Kelly's earlier books and loved them, so I'm going to enter this time. You get to the heart of a book with your reviews and I appreciate your thoughts, as always. Thanks for offering this book, Kav.
    cjarvis [at] bellsouth [dot] net

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    1. Thanks, Carole. I thought I had read more of her books, but according to my records this is the first. I predict more of her books showing up on retro Saturdays in the future. Good luck!

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  10. I have this one on my wish list. Love reading Kelly's books. Thank you for the chance to win a copy.
    I also subscribed to your blog by email. I have been waiting for so long to get your blog by email. Thank you.

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    1. LOL -- sorry about that, Karen. It took me ages to figure out how to do it...and in the end, I didn't, Carole Jarvis told me how. :-) Good luck.

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  11. I love Kellys writing. I like the message of this book and also find it interesting about the Amish community in Texas. Glad that you enjoyed this book Kav!
    marypopmom (at) yahoo (dot) com

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