Longings of the Heart (Sydney Cove Series #2) [Paperback]

Bonnie Leon (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 1, 2008

It's the early 1800s and the wondrous land of Australia is full of possibilities as settlers stake their claims. Hannah and John are settling some land in New South Wales and hoping to start a family. But their bright hopes for the future are clouded with trouble. As they try unsuccessfully to have a baby, Hannah suffers from guilt over her past. Now this haunts her and her relationship with John--she's never told her husband about this chapter of her life.
Full of the kind of emotional longings romance readers crave, Longings of the Heart is the heart-rending second book in the Sydney Cove series. Established and new Leon fans alike will finish this story wanting more.

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

They're finally starting a new life together. But will shadows of the old life tear them apart?

Hannah and John have embraced the wondrous land of Australia as their own. As they venture into the unknown to start a sheep farm, they must rely on God and each other to scrape out a living and fulfill their dreams of having a family of their own. But life on the fledgling ranch is fraught with pitfalls and hidden danger. And the past is finally catching up with them.

When a mysterious woman shows up in town, Hannah is in danger of her own dark secrets being revealed. Can John and Hannah weather the storm? Or will the harsh realities of life tear them apart?

Full of genuine longing and the promise of bright hope, Longings of the Heart is the dramatic second book in the Sydney Cove series.

About the Author

Bonnie Leon is the bestselling author of more than ten historical fiction novels. She stays busy teaching women's Bible studies and speaking at writing seminars and conventions. She and her husband, Greg, live in Glide, Oregon.

Product Details

• Paperback: 304 pages
• Publisher: Revell (October 1, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0800731778
• ISBN-13: 978-0800731779
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.5 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #543,124 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Storytelling has always been an integral part of Bonnie Leon's life. From childhood, she cherished the legends and family history handed down through her Aleut ancestors.

Throughout the ensuing years, Bonnie dabbled at writing but didn't seriously consider becoming a professional author. Instead, as a young woman, she happily stepped into the full-time profession of homemaker and mother. Pollywog hunting, finger-painting, blackberry picking, and creating fun messes in the kitchen with her children are some of her most precious and irreplaceable memories.

When her youngest child was nine years old, Bonnie decided it was time to return to the working world. She took a position in her hometown, working with the elderly and handicapped.

Then on June 11, 1991, her world was shattered when a log truck hit the van she was driving. The accident left her unable to work, and after months of rehabilitation she was told by physicians that she would never return to a normal life. Facing a daunting fight to reclaim her life and feeling as if she had nothing to offer the world, she asked God to give her something to do that mattered.

His answer came when she received a scholarship to attend the Oregon Christian Writer's Summer Conference. That conference ignited Bonnie's passion for literature and for writing, and she has been writing ever since.

Her first book, The Journey of Eleven Moons was released by Thomas Nelson in 1994 and made the CBA bestsellers list.

Since that time, she has written and published sixteen historical novels. Two of her series, The Sydney Cove Series, and The Queensland Chronicles, published by Revell, were published in Dutch-language editions by Ultgeverij De Banier bv, an organization based in The Netherlands. Her books are truly being read across the globe!

And with each book she writes, her love for the craft and the challenges of writing grows. "The learning never ends," she says, "But I relish the challenge of becoming a writer known for quality storytelling."

In addition to her work as a writer, Bonnie has a passion for teaching of all kinds, especially on the art and intricacies of storytelling. She teaches at conferences and workshops and says, "There's nothing more thrilling than to see a student's eyes light up with understanding as she grasps the concepts of the writing craft and begins to believe she can tell stories someone else will want to read."

Bonnie is also a regular speaker at women's church groups, writing groups, and business organizations. For more information on Bonnie's speaking topics and schedule, please click here.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars More like 4.5 stars, April 16, 2009

By 

Michelle Sutton (Arizona) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Longings of the Heart (Sydney Cove Series #2) (Paperback)

Issues in this book, while presented in a historical setting, are things that people deal with today and apply to contemporary families. Things such as infertility, guilt, misplaced anger, jealousy, fear, and issues related to trust. The author applies just enough pressure and angst into the lives of her characters to keep you reading until you close the book. Her emotional scenes are moving and her conflict is realistic. I loved the marital tension, especially the romantic parts in the beginning. John is a dreamy husband, yet he is all man. I did get mad at him a few times, but c'est la vie.

The setting was also well done. I sweated right along with the characters and itched when they were bit by those stinking bugs, too. Overall I adored this story, and in particular I enjoyed how the story ended. I almost felt like giving a standing ovation to those brave souls. That scene was soooo well done. Then I got a sneak peek at the content in the third book and the conflict presented and I was like....WHAT!!! Now I have to read it and find out how John deals with the mess he finds himself in. Just when you think all is well down under...sigh. If only these characters didn't seem so real to me, then maybe it wouldn't BUG me so much that they find themselves in another seemingly impossible situation that only God can help them out of!

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Newlyweds in the Outback, February 26, 2009

By 

Deborah "Books, Movies and Chinese Food" (Fairfax, VA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 500 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Longings of the Heart (Sydney Cove Series #2) (Paperback)

Hannah and John have settled down and gotten married in their new home in Australia. Now down with their prison sentences, they are ready to move on and start a new life and family together. However starting a family just isn't happening for the two of them. Hannah is worried that it's her fault, and that what happened in the past is coming back to haunt her. She knows she has to tell John but is scared as to what will happen. Then her secret gets out and is being used to blackmail the couple. Will they be able to survive this or is life as convicts starting to look easier than life as newlyweds?

Australian history has always been fascinating to me. It just is amazing that the country was colonized to be a place for prisoners. It's an amazing history and in my opinion, more interesting that the US! This book however focuses more on John and Hannah's relationship than on the Australian history. It was fun reading about how they were adapting to being newlywed's and having to adapt to each other. Being in the environment they were in, made life stressful so having to add a new marriage on top of that would have added more fuel to fire! I found Hannah's reaction to being an adoptive mother very surprising for a Christian novel. Normally everyone is all about hugs and being 100% loving from the beginning. However, I found her response to Thomas to be more realistic especially with what she had been going through. I enjoyed the story very much. As in the first book in the series, it's an engaging tale with memorable characters in a unique setting. The only thing that bugged me about the story was John getting angry with Hannah about what had happened to her. I can understand his being mad about her keeping it a secret from him. She should have told this to him after they got married so he could understand her feelings. What I didn't like was that he acted like she had committed a terrible sin for what happened to her in the past. It wasn't her fault and I wanted to smack him for even thinking about blaming her! I got so frustrated with him to the point that I was actually glad to read how guilty and distressed he was for not being there to protect Hannah in her time of need. Luckily he soon regained my approval later on in the book. The ending of the book was quite satisfying. People got what they deserved and the book did not have a cliched "everyone forgives" ending. I quite prefer what happened because it rings more true than the aforementioned ending. I was thinking, what would be totally awesome is if somehow this series and the Queensland Chronicles series was connected. I would have to go back and check on the dates between the two series but it'd be fun to have a cameo of someone from the Queensland series pop up in this set. I've always enjoyed Bonnie's books and this one was no different. I'll be eagerly looking forward to the next book in the series!

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Sweet Story, October 18, 2008

By 

Keli Gwyn "Keli Gwyn" (California, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Longings of the Heart (Sydney Cove Series #2) (Paperback)

Bonnie Leon transports us to a time to when prisoners were being deported from Britain to Australia. Longings of the Heart, the second in Leon's Sydney Cove series, picks up the story of John Bradshaw and his new wife, Hannah. Having survived the harsh conditions aboard a prisoner ship, they embark on their new marriage with full hearts and high hopes--but not without shadows of the past clouding their future.

Hannah's kept a secret from her new husband, one that rears its ugly head in this book. Plagued by guilt over her past sin, she's convinced she'll never bear John a child. Their failed attempts to start a family threaten to drive a wedge between them emotionally while the challenges of building a sheep ranch in dangerous territory test them physically.

The book begins slowly and is a sweet gentle story punctuated with four major turning points that increase the suspense and draw the reader in deeper. I felt for Hannah as she struggled to forgive herself and a friend and for John as he endeavored to stand by his wife despite the risks to his ranch and his reputation. Both are likable characters, as are the numerous secondary characters. The faith element is handled well and plays a significant role in the outcome of the story.

I enjoyed reading a historical set in a location I rarely encounter and thought Leon did a nice job of bringing Australia and the era of prisoner deportation to life. I'd not read the first book in the series, and I found myself wanting to read that story to find out about life aboard the prisoner ship and how this fine couple got together. I anticipate the third book in the series because I'm eager to see how John and Hannah make peace with the past and find out what the future holds for their family.