The Ride of Her Life by Lorna Seilstad
Review by Kara Grant
Minor Spoilers
My Review
I had a short visit with my pastor today and he asked me if I would be blogging. I responded, not for today. Pastor Jose, you were right, today is a day for another posting :) This is my first book by Seilstad and the cover/title alone are enough to pull you in! This story takes place in 1906 and the roller coaster described was the first of its kind. It was fascinating to read the historical value of this book while enjoying the characters in Lilly's story!
Lilly is a widow, but she's also a former lady's maid and struggles to become truly independent for the first time. She has the determination and heart, but she has difficulties trusting others, even those closest to her. That initially made the story tough for me to enjoy because Lilly is so blessed with friends and family that love her, but after learning of her background I started to understanding why she is so fierce in not trusting anyone. What she must deal with in this story: a precocious 6 year old son who LOVES to play with insects and critters, two best friends who like to meddle in a loving way, rich in-laws who meddle in a negative way, a clueless yet sweet employee who needs constant patience in the kitchen, and Nick Perrin who instantly connects with Lilly yet must learn to win her heart over while trusting God to be in control.
Even though the romance in this story is sweet and even comical, my favorite scenes were with Lilly and her two best friends. They get one another, they support each other in everything, they pray for one another, and they are real with each other. It's rare to have such close friends who are more like sisters than friends and I deeply enjoyed the girl time they share.
I was surprised by the betrayal and sabotage in this book, but it made for quite the page turner! Lilly's former in-laws are determined to get custody of her son and send him to a boarding school for a proper education so that he can one day take over the family business, a law firm. Lilly refuses to give up her son and this causes more trouble than she realizes. Lilly also believes that she needs to act more proper, but it makes for a cuter story. How many of us girls have believed that we're not enough and need to act more ladylike, more refined? However, I quite enjoyed the tomboy in Lilly as much as I enjoyed her way of creating wonderful meals at the diner. There's one scene where Lilly and Nick ride a camel together. Lilly decides to ride side saddle, not quite the best way to handle such a ride, and the results are very humorous!
There's also a pleasant scene with a red-tailed boa snake, an alligator, Levi (Lilly's son) plays with worms, small spiders, a small snake, ants, a toad, and a salamander (I think), and there's a funny scene with a skunk. So even though this is such an enjoyable read, there are many insects and critters as well. The only detailed scenes however were with the red-tailed boa, the camel, and some ants that get away :) Most of the scenes are with Lilly in the diner and how Nick deals with the roller coaster. There are also several roller coaster rides in the story that bring both excitement and adventure to this great story! Lilly must deal with releasing Ben (her late husband) so that she can have the freedom to enjoy Nick's company and both main characters have to learn to trust God more with their romance/future. There are also a few scenes in church, but it doesn't feel overbearing or preachy :) There's one reference to Susan B. Anthony and the cause of Women's Suffrage, which was such a treat for this reader to witness!
This book was a much lighter read that I needed and I won it from Kav's Blog, [...], but decided to review it because of how enjoyable it was for me (thanks again Kav). I highly, highly recommend this book for anyone looking for a great ride with flawed and funny characters that will both surprise you and warm your heart. Here's part of what Lorna wrote in the acknowledgements section:
"Saying goodbye to Marguerite, Emily, Lilly, and Lake Manawa has been harder than I expected, but I am excited about the new characters already filling up pages on my computer. Thank you, dear reader, for sharing in these women's stories and joining me on this journey. Your letters and notes have brought me so much encouragement. Please know that I'm praying for all of you."
Add this book to your TBR shelf today and be prepared for nonstop enjoyment, a great roller coaster, romance, faith and a side of meddling that makes this book unconventionally entertaining and sweet. Don't miss upcoming books from Lorna Seilstad, check out her website [...]
