A Perilous Proposal (Carolina Cousins #1) [Paperback]

Michael Phillips (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 1, 2005

Two years have passed since the conclusion of the Shenandoah Sisters series, and Katie and Mayme are young women with big dreams, running Rosewood with the help of their two uncles and their friends Emma, Josepha, Jeremiah, and Henry. Jeremiah proposes to Mayme, but she is hesitant to accept. She loves him but does not want to give up her life at Rosewood. Local whites are furious at the Daniels brothers for harboring blacks at Rosewood and treating them like equals. The newly rising KKK kidnaps Jeremiah and plans to hang him. Will the brothers rescue him in time? Or will Mayme live to regret not saying yes to Jeremiah when she had the chance? Carolina Cousins Book 1.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"...touches the heart and helps us to understand the horror behind prejudice and how it affects us all." -- Bookloons

About the Author

Michael Phillips has written three dozen books, most of them novels, with sales totaling over four million copies. He also has edited George MacDonald novels for today's reader including, The Curate of Glaston. He and his wife make their home in Eureka, California.

Product Details

• Paperback: 352 pages
• Publisher: Bethany House Publishers; Reprinted edition (July 1, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0764200410
• ISBN-13: 978-0764200410
• Product Dimensions: 8.6 x 6.3 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #419,480 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

In 1970, while students at Humboldt State University, Mike and Judy Phillips began what would become the One Way BookShop as a small, informal source of Christian books and materials for their fellow students. Over the next two decades God prospered those small beginnings, and now the bookstore is a thriving part of the Humboldt County Christian community.

Mike's first published book was about his wife's pregnancy and the birth of their twin sons. After several more nonfiction titles, Mike undertook a lifelong dream to renew the popularity of Scottish writer George MacDonald, whose teachings had been central to Mike and Judy's spiritual growth. Mike began editing some of MacDonald's lengthy novels, heavy with Scottish brogue, into shorter and more readable editions, with some of the work being done right at the bookstore counter between customers.

Through the years, God has continued to guide Mike in the production of books emphasizing strong spiritual values and unforgettable characters. In addition to being best sellers in Christian bookstores all across the country, Mike's books have been offered through several book clubs, have been translated into a number of foreign languages, and have been published in over 120 editions in all, with sales of over 3 million. Mike is today recognized as one of the Christian bookselling industry's most prolific and versatile authors.

Family is very important to Mike. He and his wife, Judy, have taught their three sons, Patrick, Robin, and Gregory, at home throughout their education. Home schooling enables the family to frequently accompany Mike in his work-related travels.

It has always been Mike's desire in his writing that all who read his books will find a closer and more real walk with God through the characters and stories. Both he and Judy enjoy responses from readers and find great encouragement from the letters they receive.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good storytelling and excellent writing make this a delight to read, May 23, 2006

By 

Michael Dalton (Eureka, CA United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: A Perilous Proposal (Carolina Cousins #1) (Paperback)

In A Perilous Proposal, Michael Phillips does the hard work to make it easy for the reader.

The good storytelling and excellent writing make this a delight to read. There are few unnecessary words. The smooth flow effortlessly carries the reader along.

Phillips can turn a phrase with the best of them. He writes, "It was a time of the year when the earth seemed fresh and alive and full of hope, and when you just couldn't help thinking that no matter what happened, somehow everything was going to turn out all right."

The realism gives a glimpse of life through the eyes of a runaway slave. The cruelty and hardships that Jake Patterson experience as a boy leave him with deep-seated anger and resentment. He blames his father for leaving when in reality his dad was deliberately sold to separate Jake's family. After his mother dies from an attack by a drunken white man, Jake flees out of fear that someone will find out about a terrible secret that he carries. It's one that haunts him on his journey to reconnect with his father and find himself.

Jake begins to soften when he experiences the kindness of others. He learns that not all white people are oppressors. Along the way he meets two young women, one white and one black, who struggle to keep a plantation going. The black woman, a former slave, takes up the narrative half way through the book. This is a classic coming of age story in the post-Civil War south.

It's also the first book in the Carolina Cousins series, which is related to the popular Shenandoah series.

Occasional reflections are especially rewarding. One character offers an observation on an overlooked response to hardship. "Anger's not a pretty thing. It makes people miserable inside. Then there's other folks that get sad and discouraged at all the hardships that come in their lives. Maybe they don't get angry, but they go around being sad and miserable and letting people know it. They want people to feel sorry for them, and that's not too pretty to see either."

Another section includes an insight on what it means to be a man. "Most men go through life trying to prove how brave and tough they are. But a real man is one with courage to face what's inside where no one else sees. Growing into a man with that kind of courage is a hard thing. But it's the only way to be a whole man."

Phillips has honed his writing skills to near perfection. He is at the top of his craft, which is why I enjoyed this as much as any of the books that he has written. It's a light, pleasurable read.

11 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars exciting inspirational Civil War tale, August 16, 2005

By 

Harriet Klausner - See all my reviews
(#1 Hall OF FAME REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: A Perilous Proposal (Carolina Cousins #1) (Paperback)

During the Civil War slave child Jake detests his yoke and though young shows open signs of rebellion against his master in spite of the warnings from his father. Jake's anger explodes when his dad vanishes as he assumes foul play. Out pf control, he kills a white drifter who he caught molesting his mother. Knowing that in the Confederacy, no black can get justice when a white is involved, Jake runs away.

Confederate soldiers capture Jake, but he escapes and joins the Union army. There he meets a kind mentor, Micah, a black soldier, who counseled the lad to let his anger go. Holding a grudge, he deserts the army heading to North Carolina where he is shocked to meet up with his father and a young black woman Mayme who he falls in love with. Even in this southern state Jake goes out of his way to alienate whites who burn crosses on their lawn.

Using the Civil War as a backdrop, Michael Phillips provides a rousing exciting inspirational tale that makes a strong case that racism destroys everyone even the innocent. Jake is a fabulous protagonist struggling with devastating blows to his heart. He knows he must forgive his father for deserting his mother and him, but finds it difficult to do so in spite of the encouragement of several women including Mayme to let it go so that he can move on. The cast makes the tale as readers will obtain a taste of how crippling hatred is.

Harriet Klausner

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic Christian fiction, December 14, 2005

By 

J. Lawrence (Frankfort, IN United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: A Perilous Proposal (Carolina Cousins #1) (Paperback)

Michael Phillips has done it again. A wonderful yet heart wrenching tale from the south after the War between the States. If you enjoyed his Shenandoah Sisters series, you will like this too. My recommendation is to read the entire Shenandoah Sisters series first.