Sixteen Brides

GIVEAWAY

WHITSON, STEPHANIE GRACE
SIXTEEN BRIDES

Sixteen Civil War widows living in St. Louis respond to a series of meetings conducted by a land specialist who lures them west by promising them "prime homesteads" in a "booming community." Unbeknownst to them, the specialist's true motive is to find an excuse to bring women to fledgling communities in Nebraska, in hopes they will accept marriage proposals shortly after their arrival.

Sparks fly when these unsuspecting widows meet the men who are waiting for them. These women are going to need all the courage and faith they can muster to survive these unwanted circumstances -- especially when they begin to discover that none of them is exactly who she appears to be.

My Review:

published in 2010
My thanks to my public library for providing me with a copy of this retro read...and thanks to Pam Kellogg for recommending Sixteen Brides the last time I reviewed one of Whitson's books.

Sixteen brides (who don't know they are supposed to be brides) board a train heading for Nebraska with the promise of being able to own land. They don't discover their benefactor's subterfuge until they have nearly reached their destination. What a great premise for a story! So much scope for laughter and mayhem! And angst. Lots of angst. :-)

Trying to keep track of sixteen heroines in one novel would be impossible so Whitson has narrowed it down to five. Sally, Ruth, Caroline, Ella and Hettie all have their own POV which sounds confusing but it really isn't. I quickly bonded with each of these ladies -- all women who have suffered and struggled and are desperate enough to leave all that is familiar for the unknown. Talk about courage and spunk and determination! And I love how these ladies band together to help each other in their homesteading endeavors. And how the tight-knit community of Plum Grove rallies around them. And while these women aren't seeking husbands, romance does comes calling for a few of them.

Sixteen Brides puts me in mind of Laura Ingalls Wilder -- only a grown up version of The Little House books. That same perfect blend of drama and laughter and fascinating historical details. With the added bonus of romance!

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

If you would like a chance to win a copy of Sixteen Brides, leave a comment below or email me at kavluvstoreadATyahooDOTca. If you add your email to a comment, remember to use AT and DOT instead of @ and . in order to protect yourself from spammers. If you enter the draw via email, please add the title to the subject line. Draw will be held and winner announced on Sunday June 10 2018. Offer open to International Readers. Good luck!

The Message on the Quilt

GIVEAWAY

WHITSON, STEPHANIE GRACE
THE MESSAGE ON THE QUILT

Unravel the message behind a treasured quilt...

Emilie Rhodes had been taught to think for herself. But thinking for herself soon leads her to want to write 'real news.' Her newspaper editor father won't hear of it and fires her. When Emilie begins writing anonymously for her father's competition, interviewing speakers at the 1890 Chautauqua series, she meets and falls in love with "The Man of Many Voices."

Noah Shaw is unsettled and feels adrift, even though he is a well-respected lecturer and dramatist. He's never felt that he belongs anywhere. His professional life is only one reason he's now in Nebraska. Noah is on a quest to find answers. Everyone always said Grandma's quilt stories were just that -- stories. But Noah's not so sure...and he's anxious to discover a piece of his past.

But will the truth Noah discovers about his heritage and a treasured quilt prove to bear a message of brokeness -- or hope and healing?

My Review:

published in 2013 -- this went out of print fast. I found a copy on the clearance table at my local bookstore so the winner of this giveaway will receive a gently read copy of The Message on the Quilt.

Two heroines, decades apart in age struggle to make their way in an ever changing world.

While largely Emilie's story, the secondary plot involving Grace captivated me. I didn't know what to make of her at first and then, slowly, Whitson peels away layers until an astonishing story comes to light. Loved that unexpected gem in the midst of a 'young' love story.

And I say young because Emilie is eighteen. Full of ambition, with suffragette leanings. This is very much a coming of age story. Emilie strives for independence as she feels increasingly confined by  parental restrictions. And like every mama in the late 1800s, Emilie's mother just wants her to settle down and marry (because, eighteen is on the verge of spinsterhood...snicker.)

A chance meeting with "The Man of Many Voices" may just be the answer to a mother's prayers. Noah's profession totally intrigues me...and has left me yearning for simpler times when people viewed poetry recitations and bible readings as lively entertainment.

And can I just say that the Chatautauqua campground angle totally fascinated me? Acres of parkland on the outskirts of the city with an impressive building called the Tabernacle which was used to host a variety of lecturers and musicians on a summer circuit (our hero Noah and his many voices being one of the most anticipated acts.) Love it when a historical fiction read inspires me to do my own after-story research!

A sweet summer romance is interrupted when family secrets are brought to light, threatening young love's future. A truly captivating read!

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

If you would like a chance to win a gently read copy of The Message on the Quilt, leave a comment below ore email me at kavluvstoreadATyahooDOTca. If you add your email to a comment, remember to use AT and DOT instead of @ and . in order to protect yourself from spammers. If you enter the draw via email, please add the title to the subject line so it's easy to spot your entry. Draw will be held and winner announced on Sunday April 29 2018. Offer open to International Readers. Good luck.

A Captain for Laura Rose

GIVEAWAY

WHITSON, STEPHANIE GRACE
A CAPTAIN FOR LAURA ROSE

Laura Rose White's late father taught her everything he knew about piloting a Missouri River steamboat. He even named their boat after her. Despite that, it seems that Laura will forever be a "cub pilot" to her brother Joe, because in 1867, a female riverboat captain is unheard of. That is, until tragedy strikes and Laura must make the two month journey from St. Louis to Fort Benton and back in order to save her family's legacy, her home, and the only life she's ever known.

The only way for her to overcome the nearly insurmountable odds is with the help of her brother's disreputable friend Finn MacKnight, a skilled pilot with a terrible reputation. Laura loathes having to accept MacKnight as her co-pilot, especially when she learns she must also provide passage for his two sisters. Straight-laced Fiona has a fear of water, and unpredictable Adele seems much too comfortable with the idea of life in the rough and tumble environment of the untamed river and the men who ply it. Though they are thrown together by necessity, this historic journey may lead Laura and the MacKnights to far more than they ever expected.

My Review:

Whitson's characters come alive against a panoramic backdrop that kept me riveted.I love a book rich in historical detail and this one certainly is. And such a great angle for a historical -- the details of steamboat life are fascinating. A Captain for Laura Rose is the kind of book you can't pull yourself away from. In fact, it's the kind of read that makes you miss your bus stop so you ride the loop around so you can read some more and when you arrive late to work you don't even care. You're only concerned about the fact that you can't continue reading until the bus ride home later in the day. :-)

Giveaway Opportunity:

 If you would like an opportunity to win a copy of A Captain for Laura Rose 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 . to protect yourself from spammers. If you email me, please be sure to put the title in the subject line so it is easier for me to spot your entry. Draw will be held and winner announced on Sunday April 12  2014. Offer open to international readers. Good luck.

The Key on the Quilt

GIVEAWAY

WHITSON, STEPHANIE GRACE
THE KEY ON THE QUILT

From a distance, the building may resemble a castle, but it's the last place Jane Prescott, Mamie Dawson, and Ellen Sullivan thought they'd be, and the last place they expected to see love grow.

Broken in spirit and wondering if God has abandoned her, Jane is serving a 10 year sentence at Nebraska State Penitentiary, even as she hides a startling secret. How will one caring physician help unravel the hidden meaning behind Jane's courthouse steps quilt?

Mamie told God she'd go anywhere, never dreaming He'd send her to nurture women the world had forgotten as a prison matron. But while helping those around her, will she stubbornly keep the attentions of a kind guard at arm's length?

Ellen was never going to leave Kentucky, but the marriage made her a Nebraska warden's wife. Can she reach past uncertainty and fear to find God's purpose in it all?

Together, these three women form an unlikely friendship that takes them to the end of themselves and, ultimately, on a journey that proves prison walls can neither frustrate God's plan not keep love out.

My Review:

Stellar for so many reasons.  The unusual plot for one. And the complexity and variety of characters. And how those characters interact and develop relationships with one another. Everything about this book is impeccably written with a unique twist. And that includes romance. Steadfast comes to mind. Enduring. A depth of regard that survives far beyond the first blush of attraction. Definitely makes for a soul-satisfying read.

Fascinating historical details took on new life as the story progressed and caused me to reflect on my own misguided viewpoints. This book made me stretch and grow, both as an individual and a Christian. It's about finding God wherever you are and accepting His children wherever they are. Profound. Fulfilling. Emotional. A journey to remember. This one goes in the keeper pile.

 Giveaway Opportunity:

If you would like a chance to win a copy of this book please leave a comment below or email me at kavluvstoreadATyahooDOTca. Please remember to put the title in the subject line so your entry is easy for me to spot. Draw will be held and winner announced on Sunday April 1 2012. Offer open to international readers. Good luck!

A Most Unsuitable Match

GIVEAWAY!

WHITSON, STEPHANIE GRACE
A MOST UNSUITABLE MATCH

Miss Fannie Rosseau is a young woman of privilege traveling west to uncover the truth behind a family secret.

Mr. Samuel Beck is on a mission to atone for past failures that still haunt him.

Their meeting aboard a steamboat to Montana sparks an unlikely attraction. They are opposites in every way...except in how neither one can stop thinking about the other.

Will the end of the journey bring the end of their relationship or is it just the beginning?

My Review:

In a word. Rich. In detail, in language, in characterization, in the layers upon layers of plot. All that wealth of richness combine to make A Most Unsuitable Match a decadent read!

Whitson already had a solid plot for a best-selling story, but she went deeper, bringing characters and situations to life in such an amazing manner. I wasn't just reading about Sam and Fannie, I was experiencing every single moment with them. And their story took me on such a surprising journey. I had no idea that the Missouri River was a viable route to the west or that Montana had a gold rush or that steamboats traveled along that river.

And Whitson penned it all with a passion that pulled at my heart and made this a very emotional read. In fact there were way too many times that my anguish fueled a reader's lament. I would shake my fist at the closed book and cry, "As God is my witness, I will not read another word, Stephanie Grace Whitson!" Of course I did. (I'm such a drama queen when it comes to books!)

I don't think I have ever read a more profoundly touching account of one man's developing testimony. It is intrinsically woven into the very fiber of the story but without dominating it. As he grows so does the reader and both come to the same realization at about the same time: resiliency comes from placing your trust in the Savior above all else.

And don't be fooled by the title. You might think this is the story of two people who appear  to have nothing in common and therefore would make A Most Unsuitable Match. But once again, Whitson goes deeper and readers will discover that the unsuitable match also refers to the fact that we often don't see ourselves the way God sees us and because of that, we think we're an unsuitable match for Him. Talk about profound. You could hold a whole book club discussion on just that one topic! But you won't have to limit yourself -- there is so much action and drama and romance along with endearing characters that you'll want to talk about A Most Unsuitable Match long after you've finished the compelling story. A definite must read for every TBR shelf!

Giveaway Opportunity:


If you would like to win a copy of A Most Unsuitable Match by Stephanie Grace Whitson, please leave a comment below or email me at kavluvstoreadATyahooDOTca. If you email, please put the title of the book in the subject line. Draw will be held on Sunday August 14. Good luck!

"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".