Whisper of Peace, A [Paperback]

Kim Vogel Sawyer (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 1, 2011

Tender Romance from Bestselling Author Kim Vogel Sawyer

Ostracized by her tribe because of her white father, Lizzie Dawson lives alone in the mountains of Alaska, practicing the ways of her people even as she resides in the small cabin her father built for her mother. She dreams of reconciling with her grandparents to fulfill her mother's dying request, but she has not yet found a way to bridge the gap that separate her from her tribe.

Clay Selby has always wanted to be like his father, a missionary who holds a great love for the native people and has brought many to God. Clay and his stepsister, Vivian, arrive in Alaska to set up a church and school among the Athbascan people. Clay is totally focused on this goal...until he meets a young, independent Indian woman with the most striking blue eyes he's ever seen.

But Lizzie is clearly not part of the tribe, and befriending her might have dire consequences for his mission. Will Clay be forced to choose between his desire to minister to the natives and the quiet nudging of his heart?

Editorial Reviews

From the Inside Flap

Ostracized by her tribe because of her white father, Lizzie Dawson lives alone in the mountains of Alaska, practicing the ways of her people even as she resides in the small cabin her father built for her mother. She dreams of reconciling with her grandparents to fulfill her mother's dying request, but she has not yet found a way to bridge the gap that separates her from her tribe.

Clay Selby has always wanted to be like his father, a missionary who holds a great love for the native people and has brought many to God. Clay arrives in Alaska to set up a church and school among the Athabascans. He is totally focused on this goal...until he meets a young, independent Indian woman with the most striking blue eyes he's ever seen.

But Lizzie is clearly not part of the tribe. And befriending her might have dire consequences for his mission. Will Clay be forced to choose between his desire to minister to the natives and the quiet nudging of his heart? --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From the Back Cover

Ostracized by her tribe because of her white father, Lizzie Dawson lives alone in the mountains of Alaska, practicing the ways of her people even as she resides in the small cabin her father built for her mother. She dreams of reconciling with her grandparents to fulfill her mother's dying request, but she has not yet found a way to bridge the gap that separates her from her tribe.

Clay Selby has always wanted to be like his father, a missionary who holds a great love for the native people and has brought many to God. Clay arrives in Alaska to set up a church and school among the Athabascans. He is totally focused on this goal...until he meets a young, independent Indian woman with the most striking blue eyes he's ever seen.

But Lizzie is clearly not part of the tribe. And befriending her might have dire consequences for his mission. Will Clay be forced to choose between his desire to minister to the natives and the quiet nudging of his heart?

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 352 pages
• Publisher: Bethany House Publishers (September 1, 2011)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0764207857
• ISBN-13: 978-0764207853
• Product Dimensions: 5.5 x 0.9 x 8.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (64 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #810,622 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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#58 in Kindle eBooks > Religion & Spirituality

#58 in Kindle eBooks > Religion & Spirituality

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars Felt Story Could have been stronger but enjoyable September 7, 2011

By Deborah VINE™ VOICE

Format:Paperback

I love books set in Alaska because the setting is both foreign and familiar all at the same time. I actually would have loved if the story was focused more on Lizzie and Vivian. Even though the two are from different worlds, I enjoyed reading about their similarities as well as their reactions to each other. Both are coming from pasts where they've been sheltered in different ways and now must go out in the world on their own. Even though I didn't necessary agree with everything the two said or believed in, I felt that both of their "fish out of the water" stories made for good reading.

I felt nothing for Clay and personally felt like he was a hindrance to the story. He didn't add anything for me, seemed to get in the way a lot, and frankly judged people quite often. It really didn't like how he just pretty much fell in love with Lizzie from just looking at her alone and from what I read, didn't really get to know her that well. Plus he has the whole pompous missionary attitude that I didn't like as he tries to convert everyone.

I was a bit put off by the whole "Teach me to be white" dialogue. I know what Sawyer is trying to say about Lizzie but it just comes across as being very politically incorrect. I'm disappointed that the portrayal of Lizzie on the cover makes her look very white with no trace of all of her Athbascan heritage. I also get bothered at how much emphasis is place on her eye color. I swear, it's only in romance books where people who are half Native American have bright blue/green/purple eyes. What happened to genetics playing a big role and your eyes turn out brown?

Even though I had issues with how racial views were presented, I still enjoyed reading the story for the most part.... As I said, I liked reading about Vivian and Lizzie's relationship with each other as well as their own personal stories. This book does seem very Christian-y so the target audience seems to be readers who are already Christians and know the ropes. Read more ›

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars History comes to life in Alaska September 10, 2011

By Mary Hake

Format:Paperback

Lizzie Dawson, an Athabascan Alaskan native who had a white father, has survived on her own since her mother died. She gardens, hunts, traps, and cures hides. An outcast from the village and rejected by her grandparents, she finds companionship in her loyal sled dogs. When missionaries Clay Selby and his stepsister, Vivian, arrive to start a church and school, Lizzie thinks teaching white ways will have a negative effect on the community. Yet she feels attracted to the friendly pair, and a relationship is slowly forged. Vivian trades lessons with Lizzie, learning cooking and other skills while teaching Lizzie "to be white" so she can go live with her father in San Francisco.

When the tribal leaders forbid further contact with Lizzie, will Clay and Vivian obey? They long to see all of the people come to the Lord, including Lizzie. Can Lizzie make peace with her grandparents before she goes to find the father she hasn't seen for years? Will Vivian be able to find peace about her father's death and the guilt she's carried since childhood? Can Clay live up to his missionary father's legacy of reaching native peoples? What will happen to the sweet orphaned brother and sister they've befriended? The lives of all are intertwined in this endearing tale from the late 19th century.

Kim Vogel Sawyer brings history to life as she places strong characters in realistic settings and pens their experiences onto the page. Readers feel as if they're living alongside the cast of the novel, experiencing the drama, pain, heartache, thrills, and love. This story will touch your heart.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars It was okay, but not the best! November 27, 2011

By Coffee Ramblings TOP 1000 REVIEWER

Format:Paperback

A Whisper of Peace is set near Fort Yukon, Alaska in the year 1898, and follows twenty-one year old Lizzie Dawson who lives alone in a cabin after her mother's death. Her father was a trapper and married her mother who was from a tribe. The tribe didn't see eye to eye with their marriage and her mother was banned from the tribe. Lizzie wants to reconcile with her maternal family before she heads to San Francisco to reunite with her father. She soon befriends Vivian Selby who teaches her how to survive in a big city. Vivian along with her brother, Clay, are missionaries and their goal is to help the local tribes.

I have enjoyed reading other novels by Kim Vogel Sawyer, but I had trouble reading A Whisper of Peace. The picture of the woman on the book cover doesn't represent Lizzie from the book as she is suppose to be mixed race. I wished the book focused more on Lizzie than on Clay and Vivian, as I liked her character more. I didn't care for Clay at all. I thought the character was shallow and could have been written better. I did like the Alaskan setting and the conflict between Lizzie and her family. If you are a fan of Alaska romance novels, then you might enjoy A Whisper of Peace. The book is alright, but I was a little disappointed in it.

*I would like to thank Bethany House for sending me a copy to review!

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

2.0 out of 5 stars Great author but not her best book! October 18, 2012

By SusieQ

Format:Paperback

Kim Vogel Sawyer is one of my very favorite authors, and I have read several of her books. A Whisper of Peace, however was so slow and unexciting that I kept putting it down and couldn't finish it. This surprised me because I usually can't put her books down! You MUST read A Promise of Spring (my favorite) and Courting Miss Amsel. I'm currently reading Song of my Heart and love it! Kim is a great author, but this one just didn't hold my interest.