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97 of 98 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
One amazing book!, March 2, 2010
Customer review from the Amazon Vine™ Program (What's this?)
All I can say about this one is, WOW! This is a Christian historical novel, set in America right after the Civil War. What goes on after that is quite shocking, I had NO idea that child prostitution was going on during that time, and that many of our immigrants had children sold into that mess. This is set in New Orleans, which probably gives you a good idea of what was going on then. Anyway, without spoiling everything in the story, this girl from an Irish immigrant family, rises to the occasion and finds a way out of the prostitution ring. What happens in her life afterwards is nothing short of amazing. A family of 4 girls were separated by their drunk uncle after their parents died, and this is the story of what happened to one of them. The sequels appear to be addressed to what happens to the other 3.
Honestly, more books like this one NEED to be written to remind us of how many of our ancestors sacrificed so much so that we can now be stuck into our Iphones and all other electronic gadgets. This author is a New York Times bestselling author and believe me, you'll understand why when you read this book. It is the first in a series, and a small introduction to the next book is included in the end. Can't wait for that!
Don't grab this book if you're looking for some light reading - this isn't that kind of book. However, you'll definitely learn quite a bit about America's South after the Civil War, along with what these poor folks had to endure to remain free. My only complaint with this book is that I think the author could have done a better job of showing that although the heroine's life was about as bad as it gets, that God was there all along, with a plan for her life, which is summarized in the end. The end of the story is awesome, and deals with self respect, honor and forgiveness.
This could definitely be a mini-series on television and I would not be surprised if we see it soon. This author is a fabulous writer, one of the best I've read lately. Definitely a writer's writer. I stayed up to 1:00 a.m. until I finished it, if that gives you some idea of the quality of this book. Great, great book, really well-written and thought out. Highly, highly recommend!
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34 of 34 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
An Excellent Christian Novel, March 9, 2010
This review is from: Heart of Stone ABA: A Novel (Irish Angel Series) (Paperback)
When I was 18 years old, I read a book called "Redeeming Love" by Francine Rivers, and ever since then, I have been looking for a Christian novel that could hold a candle to that book. I honestly never thought I would find it. Until now.
The character of Laura Foster, from the beginning, reminded me of Rivers' Angel. Similar childhood stories, similar adult responses. But different enough that I no longer think of them as similar. What I appreciated so much about Laura Foster was the realness of her heart. She reacted to the life she had been given in a way that I believed and that I could resonate with. That's unusual in romance novels, for me. Typically, the heroine seems like a charicature of what novelists think readers want to read. But Laura Foster felt like a real person to me. She had a life that seemed so unbelievable, and yet I believed her. She was courageous and deeply compassionate. She felt tied to her past, and ashamed of who she had been, and frozen by the life she'd led.
And Brand McCormick was exactly the kind of man she needed. From the first time you meet him in these pages, you know that he's the kind of man we all need to meet someday. Not just attractive, not just loyal, but genuinely good. Genuinely compassionate and deep. He loves completely, and doesn't hold any part of himself back. He is the kind of man who would die for you. I seem to have read something about a Man like that before...
When I was offered a copy of this book for review, I was skeptical, as I always am, of Christian novels. I'm occasionally surprised in a pleasant way, but not often. I just can't say enough about this book. Does it have its flaws? Of course. Every book does. And I'm sure there will be plenty of people who can't get past the flaws. But when I look at this book, I see the product of a good writer and a good message.
Because of the depicted response of the Church in this novel, we as the readers are presented with an opportunity to choose love and not judgment. It is an important call to those of us who profess to believe in the restorative love of God. When faced with the options, this book forces you to make a decision. Will you side with the Pharisees, or will you side with the Lover? Do you have the courage it takes to extend forgiveness the way you should? That is the true message of this book that is so beautiful: yes, wrong behavior is inevitable, for us all. But it does not define us. Not for us, and not for God, and not for each other.
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47 of 49 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Pastor meets Harlot-turned-Businesswoman, March 20, 2010
Customer review from the Amazon Vine™ Program (What's this?)
We all have skeletons in our closets that we'd rather not share with the world. Irish immigrant, Laura, is no different. She comes from a harsh past that includes her parents dying, surviving the abuse of her aunt & uncle before being sold into a brothel with her young sister as a child - further saddened by her becoming a partner of said brothel for the better part of 18 years. Having earned enough money in the prostitution business, Laura sells her share in the business and heads west to make a new life for herself. She succeeds in starting a first class boarding home. 4 years pass with her constantly looking over her shoulder and trying to lay low lest she see a character from her past who can expose her for her ugly truths.
Enter a young widower pastor who can't get enough of beautiful and quiet Laura. He tries his hardest to court her, but she remains aloof - having shut off her feelings to survive her life as a child prostitute. You get the impression that a storm lays just below the surface as she squashes whatever feelings might be floating up to the surface for this young pastor. When a person from her past arrives in town, the truth is exposed about Laura's history and she is forced to shine a light on her past.
Once Laura goes through the fire, so to speak, she comes out ready to find her three sisters. One, as mentioned before, was sold into a brothel while the other two were taken to orphanages. To obtain the goal of finding her sisters, she hires a Pinkerton Agent. You will find the beginnings of her sister's story at the end of the book. Although, I noticed that some mention of her was here and there throughout Laura's story. I would assume it was done to build interest in the rest of the series.
On a side note:
While the genre of this novel is Christian Historical Fiction, I didn't feel that the book was necessarily drenched in religious viewpoints or "mini-sermons." In fact, God is mentioned (not in prayer) about 3-4 times, "faith" is used as is "belief" when describing religious conviction (not in detail) and a scripture verse is alluded to towards the end when the pastor says something along the lines of "He who is without sin, cast the first stone." Honestly, without the Zondervan label, I would have assumed this was just a cleanly written book - a mild romance novel.
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