Customer Reviews

Angel Harp: A Novel

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
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Angel Dawn Marie was so many other things besides a 40 year-old widow, she was a gifted Harpist. Her fingers were magic on the Harps that she cherished and played believing that they gave her strength and the faith to go on. But did they give her that faith was there a journey she needed to take where she could fully know all the glories that God had bestowed upon her.

Marie decided to fulfill a dream of moving outside the safety of her life in Canada and venture into the lush, green fields of Scotland. When her husband was alive they talked of visiting and now there was nothing but loneliness to keep her company so why not venture elsewhere and be alone. After some sightseeing and wandering about the countryside Marie all too soon Marie finds a small town where it was impossible to be alone because everyone knew her business.

Just as quickly Marie becomes involved in their lives as well and discovers the history and music that has made Scotland strong and proud. Iain the pastor from the local church drew her to faith with his unconventional words of wisdom, the landlady showed her how to care for herself again by reliving the town's past, the elderly crofter who talks of his losses and still moves on, the Duke that lives in a castle and displays a humility Marie never thought possible from someone so noble and then there is Gwendolyn a young, fragile girl who showed her what unrequited love feels like. When Gwendolyn stumbled onto Marie she teaches the master Harpist what it means to play your instrument with an open heart and let all the joys and dreams that are possible through belief and faith enter your soul and set you truly free. All the people in this town needed Marie to help reconcile them in some small way in their life and they help Marie reconcile the loss of her husband, the questions about her faith and discover everything that life still had to offer. There were so many doubts, dreams unfulfilled and matters to be resolved but at some point Marie let the love of all the people in her life show her how to accept and understand that having a little faith will set you free. The unexpected bonus of finding love again never entered her mind but when you least expect a miracle that is when one appears. Never close your heart or your mind as you will miss out on something important being whispered in your ear.

What a lovely, lovely book...I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Widowed at 40, lonely, wondering what to do now after she had let years pass by since the death of her husband, "Angel" Dawn Marie decided to vacation in Scotland. Her car trip through the Highlands and towns was calming for her. She found the town of Port Scarnose to be magical, and instead of continuing to other places, she decided to remain there for the rest of her vacation. She chose Port Scarnose because of its quaintness and mainly because of a bench overlooking the sea where she first played her harp on Scottish soil...this is where the magic began for her.

All too soon, though, her three-week vacation was coming to a close. She had fallen in love with Scotland and its people, but she had to make a decision about extending her stay or heading back to Canada...what should she do? Should she stay or leave?

Her decision was definitely affected by circumstances and the people she met. Her dinner with Iain Barclay and her new-found friendship with 12-year-old Gwendolyn undeniably made the decision a little easier. She decided she "had" to stay for sweet Gwendolyn's sake....Gwendolyn loved to play the harp and had a natural talent. What she didn't know, though, was that her decision may have been more complicated than she realized because of a connection between Iain, Gwendolyn, and the Duke, who invited her to his castle to play the harp. The secrets of the relationships among these three interesting characters unravel as the story continues.

Marie's adventures continued with these characters and others, and she felt she was finding herself spiritually as well as becoming happy in the midst of the magic of Scotland's people and its landscape. To the extent that Scotland was making her blossom and was good for her, Marie was good for the town of Port Scarnose and its citizens. Everyone she came in contact with became a happier person and found things in themselves they didn't know existed.

If you enjoy Scottish history and listening/reading the written Gaelic brogue, you will fall in love with the book and definitely the characters. The characters were amazing and made you wish you could actually sit with them for the day and enjoy chatting and working along with them. Hearing the author mention different places in Scotland was also a treat knowing that I had been there as well.

The Gaelic brogue used by the town's people was the only, but minor drawback....it was a little difficult to read and understand, but you could get the gist of the exchange. Nonetheless, it did add an authentic touch to the characters during their conversations with Marie. The religious theme throughout the story will have you examining your own personal beliefs. 5/5

If Michael Phillips always writes like this, please sign me up for more! Obviously, this is the first book by him that I've read. I almost put it down, as it has a slow start. I'm so glad that I gave it a chance. It's a mesmerizing masterpiece!

Marie is a 40 year old widow out to change her life. She leaves her homeland of Alberta, Canada and sets out for Port Scarnose, Scotland with a few of her possessions, most notably, her harp. She finds a beautiful spot near the ocean and plays her harp when a beautiful 12 year old girl, Gwendolyn, comes by. She is mesmerized by her harp and before long, Marie is giving her lessons. Or is it Gwen giving the lessons? This is just the start of a beautiful friendship that will also introduce her to the curate Iain Barclay, and the Duke. Will Marie make the changes she was hoping for or is something else in the works like she'd never imagined?

So many things about this book that I love!! First of all, I have always loved harp music. The beginning of each chapter features the words to a Scottish ditty of some sort that Marie plays sometime in the book. I read this book while outside, enjoying nature and my children paying, and I believe that may have added to the beauty of the book! The story (once I got past the first few chapters) grabbed me and I read this fairly quickly. The ways the characters intertwine is mysterious and, at times, unnerving. There is suspense, romance, drama (plenty of that!), and raw emotions.

One thing that other readers such as myself may struggle with is the Scottish dialect. I finally started getting the hang of it and could read through it fairly quickly. I fear that I may have missed some of Ranald's story due to the dialect. I also wonder where he was in the end. He sorta melted into the background and I thought him to be a bit more important than that.

Warning: Kleenex needed for laughter and tears. :) I'm still a bit haunted by it all!

years ago when she was thirty-four years old, her husband died. Since his death, harpist Marie "Angel" Buchan realizes she has been drifting and not living, but turning forty is a rude awakening.

The Canadian decides to visit coastal Scotland on a vacation, but also takes her harp with her. She stops in Port Scarnose where she sits on a bench overlooking the sea and playing her harp. Enjoying her stay, she remains in the quaint village rather than travel to the other places on her itinerary. Marie feels alive for the first time since she became a widow. She makes friends with 12-year-old Gwendolyn; and when her three weeks are up she chose to stay to teach the eager tweener with talent to play the harp. Feeling magical, Marie has two men, Iain Barclay and Alasdair the Duke pursuing her, unaware this is not their first triangle. However, Marie feels like an angel who's come home; as everyone in Port Scarnose seems happier whenever the Canadian widow and her protégé play for them.

This is a terrific inspirational second chance at life saga in which not just Marie but everyone she touches feels as if they are touched by an angel. Character driven (including the local vernacular; something I do not enjoy but enhances the sense of being in Scotland), readers will appreciate the Canadian's uplifting whimsical escapades; mindful of Brigadoon without the town vanishing.

Harriet Klausner

I devoured the Shenandoah Sisters series Michael Philips wrote, so I was anxious to receive a review copy of Angel Harp. I couldn't wait to see the adventure Michael Phillips would take me on next. I love how this author develops his characters and lets the reader know them inside and out. I also enjoy how Michael, who has a second home in Scotland, was able to show the reader this country with fresh eyes. I was amazed at how he captured the innocence of experiencing this country for the first time. Michael is also gifted in how he writes believably from a female point of view. Marie is the main character I enjoyed getting to know and felt her struggle. The author let me know her from her deepest parts of heart and mind. Marie's life's been on hold since her husband died, and was going nowhere. As her birthday approaches she reflects on her life and decides to start living it. She didn't want to give up on her dreams; she finally desired to make them happen. Marie realizes, "When you let your dream die...you don't only lose the dream...you stop dreaming altogether."

Marie sets out on her dream trip to Scotland. She gets off a bus in a small town that catches her eye and starts walking until she finds a place to spend the night, determined to set out on foot to discover the land and its people in the morning. She is also on a mission to find the perfect place to play her harp and be one with the land.

Marie plays her harp in a beautiful park and meets the most amazing girl named Gwendolyn. She's 12 years old and is captivated by the harp Marie is playing. Gwendolyn is drawn to Maria and her music, but her aunt doesn't want her to talk to strangers. Marie has experience teaching children to play the harp, so when Gwendolyn says she loves the music and the harp; Marie offers to instruct her on how to play. Marie gives the harp and a quick lesson to Gwendolyn and watches in amazement. She can't believe her ears, it's absolutely magical. She has never seen anyone play the harp like this without training, it was astounding.

Marie has a plan to stay in Scotland longer than she'd thought. She has a purpose. She wants to teach Gwendolyn play on her harp every day if she could. She wanted to bring joy into this girl's life and watch her talents bloom and grow.

Marie then meets Pastor Iain Barclay. He hears her play the harp which gets them talking about spiritual matters and how music stirs the soul. Iain talks about a personal relationship with Jesus, something she knew nothing about. He tells her, "Life is a Journey, a quest for truth and understanding...God is in the business of waking people up. It's all about finding truth, walking in integrity, becoming who we're meant to be, discovering who God is. Those are the things that matter."

Word gets around about Marie's music and Alashdair, the Duke, requests her to play for him at the Castle. Alashdair says to her later, "Your music sparked something in me that I had not felt for many years, maybe that I had never felt...I thought I had never heard anything so lovely, so peaceful, so haunting...It made me both sad and happy at once...All these thoughts rushed though me in an instant. Your music forced me to confront myself..."

Maria's love for music and her ability to express herself through music is a gift everyone in this small community wanted to be part of. Maria starts to feel alive and fall in love with this town and its' people - people who aren't afraid to tell her what's on their mind. Love always brings complications. Marie finds her life has taken an unbelievable turn playing for Duke's in castles and also in a beautiful church setting. Maria must decide the direction her life should go and where she will spend it. She has tough choices and the reader feels her anguish and start rooting for her.

Once again I was whisked away into Michael Phillips world with a story that spoke to my spirit and touched my heart in so many ways. Michael knows relationships and how the power of God can move in peoples hearts like no one else can. This author has a way of describing music, how it moves the human spirit in a special way and can change lives like the spoken word can't. I enjoyed the characters and their struggle. I loved the complexity of the situation and how God provides a way when there seems to be no way out. It was a treat to read this novel and get to know these unforgettable characters I grew to love and wanted to hang out with long after the book ended. I felt my soul refreshed. You will too.

The Book Club Network [...]

The beginning was a bit slow going for me for some reason, but the rest of Angel Harp really kept my interest. It was nice to read a book about a woman not giving up on her dreams once becoming a widow. I loved the strength in the main character. I read this story on my Kindle, and once I got into the story, it was hard to put down. Descriptions made you feel as if you were there. Made me want to go to Scotland in the future! I enjoyed how the author wove Scottish history into the story. The characters made you mad, happy, sad and pulled at your heart strings. A wonderful read. I would recommend it to anyone who just wants a good book to curl up with.

It's been a while since I've read a Michael Phillips book. I was all about the Journals of Corrie Belle Hollister and the first 3 books of the Russians series back in the 90s but since then I really haven't picked up one of his books. I know he's one of the juggernauts of Christian fiction but to me he always seemed to be the type of Christian fiction that I don't read anymore. I don't fit the audience that he writes to so I had been pretty much avoiding his books. I decided to pick this one up because as it had been so long I wanted to give him another chance.

The overall premise of the story is interesting. It sort of reminded me of The Secret Garden in a way as it takes place overseas and includes a lot of heartbreak, secrets, mysteries and a sickly child. Marie plays the harp, an instrument I find extremely fascinating and beautiful. Reading the cost of how much one of them costs was eye-opening as it's going to take a lot of dedication and money to be someone who plays the instrument for a living. When she decides to go to Scotland, I was enthralled with her discoveries of the country and learning about the history and culture though the constant references to Mel Gibson and Braveheart grew old after a while.

A lot of the dialogue of this book is written in the Scottish dialect which means the words are written the way they sound. For me, this made it very difficult for me to read a lot of the book. It was taking me a very long time to decipher what the people were saying and that frustrated me. Even though there was a glossary at the end of the book to help explain the words, I didn't want to keep flipping back and forth during an entire passage. I'm really not a fan of authors doing this in books. The argument could be that it makes the story more authentic but it makes it harder to read the story, at least for me.

There were two sermons that were placed around the middle of the book. This is a technique in Christian fiction that I really cannot stand. I do not want to feel like I'm being preached at and neither do I want to read a long sermon that's placed in the middle of the story. A lot of what was said during these passages also seemed repetitive and quite boring. Maybe the characters got something out of it but I didn't. If a non Christian were to pick up the book, they would be quite bored or turned away by this section. I also wasn't really a big fan of the love triangle in this book. Actually I'm never a fan of love triangles because someone is always going to get hurt. This one didn't really make me feel like Marie truly wanted to be with either because right until the very end, she was still flip flopping between the two men. I felt that the reason why she chose who she did had some feelings of guilt attached with it.

After finishing the book, though while written beautifully, I still don't think I'm the right target audience for Phillips' books. I feel like I've outgrown this type of Christian fiction because I want something more than just romance and discovering God. I want more meat in my story and see characters acting like I would have. Other readers will probably love everything that I didn't so if you are a fan of harps and Scotland, you will enjoy this book very much.

f I could have rated this book above five stars, I would have done so. I have not been so deeply touched by a book in many years. Since I have a great desire to see Scotland, I find myself reading many books about that country. Michael Phillips has been one of my favorite authors since I read his Stonewycke series, set in turn of the century (1800-1900) Scotland back in the late 1980's.
This is a story of a woman, Marie, who is widowed, and has always loved Celtic music, and loves the harp. She has become rather lonely since her husband's death, and decides to invest in a trip to the northern highlands of Scotland. Her first plans are to stay for a week or two, but she becomes involved in the lives of many people in a tiny town on the North Sea named Port Scarnose, and ends up extending her stay and renting a cottage. She meets two interesting men, a minister and a duke, and becomes unwittingly, a part of a triangle that had existed many years ago, and caused the boyhood friends to become estranged. She also meets a special young girl who is in poor health, who loves the harp and they also become great friends. Marie finds herself drawn inexorably into the lives of these people, and also soon caring about the two men, whose lives she has been brought into by her harp playing. There is also a bit of a mystery interwoven into the book which finds Marie entangled in finding out just what really happened.
I was so sure the way the ending was going to turn out that I was totally surprised at how it did. For those of you who know my love for "The Phantom of the Opera" movie, I found a lot of Phantomesque things in this book. The lives of the perfect man and the emotionally scarred man who both become so dear to her heart. I will not spoil the ending, but will say that I was in tears several times while I read. I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves Scotland, who love a beautiful story, and who loves the "Phantom of the Opera."

I have read a couple of Michael Phillips' books but usually find them somewhat long and tedious especially his historically set novels. Therefore I hesitated before I bought this one but glad that I did. Although this book brought in some of the historical aspects of Scotland (and England for that matter) into the narrative, these only served to enrich the book. I think the more contemporary time period was more to my liking. I also think the detail that this author brought to the writing served him well this time.
I could picture myself with the various characters by the sea (or in the church yard) and feel the wind blowing through my hair and almost hear the harp music (the mark of a good book for me). This book is a Christian novel and explores faith or more aptly the loss of faith due to tragedy. It is also a love story, not only of human love (the main character is torn between two men that she meets and falls in love with and ultimately has to choose one of them to marry) but also of the love that God has for His people. One cannot stop bad things from happening but those things do not have to destroy one's life, but sometimes does.
I was a little taken back by the description of an alleged assault, rape, and death of the wife of one of the main characters (one of the love interests of the main character) but suppose it was necessary to the story. For me, it seemed a little out of place within the book and thought the author could have developed the story in another way and still retain the story line he wanted to convey (but this is just my opinion).
Overall though, I found this a very good read that kept my interest.

Feeling that life is passing her by and that her life has been on hold since her husband's death. Marie decides to go on her dream trip to Scotland for her birthday. As she is touring Scotland she decides to stop at a small town that catches her eye. She sets out walking to find a place to spend the night. She is determined to find the perfect place to play her harp on the morrow. She wants to "experience" the land and its peoples.
Marie plays her harp in the local park where a twelve year old, Gwendolyn, is enthralled with the music that comes from Marie's nimble fingers. Gwendolyn is drawn to Marie but her aunt doesn't want her to talk with strangers. Marie then asks Gwendolyn if she would like a quick lesson. Gwendolyn is amazed at the music that comes from the beautiful instrument. She is hooked! Marie can't believe how well Gwendolyn plays. She plays as one who has had lessons!
Marie then decides to stay in Scotland longer than planned so that she may instruct Gwendolyn in how to play the harp. She feels that Gwendolyn will bloom and blossom with instruction.
Marie then meets a local pastor, Iain. They begin to talk of life, music and spiritual lessons. Iain explains that anyone can have a personal relationship with Jesus. This is the first that Marie has ever heard of a relationship with Jesus.
Marie's love for music and her gift in expressing herself through her playing becomes a gift in this small town. Marie begins to fill alive again. She falls in love with the people who aren't afraid to tell her the truth; however, love brings some tough choices.
Marie then is asked to play for the church and for the Duke's in the castle. She is astounded how her life's decisions have turned her life to the fullest.
Michael Phillips brings a wonderful story of love, forgiveness and music. I believe that I could hear the beautiful music coming from this read~ Michael Phillips, also, has a gift for describing the music, so much so, that the reader feels he is there in the room listening to beautiful notes!
If you've not read any other books by Michael Phillips then this should be your first!
*This book was provided for review by the Hachette Book Group*