Journey Back to Freedom by Catherine Johnson (Children's, 9 years +, 8/10E)

 

September 2022, Barrington Stoke, 120 pages, Reading Age 8, 9 years +, Review copy 

Summary from Barrington Stoke

Aged only eleven, Olaudah Equiano was cruelly snatched away from his home in Africa and sold into slavery. He spent much of the next ten years at sea, travelling to the far corners of the globe, witnessing horrendous cruelty and occasional kindness, experiencing daring adventures and extreme peril. Throughout it all, he never gave up hope that one day he would be free again. But little did he imagine that the story of his remarkable life would become a bestselling book and help the cause to abolish slavery.

Nayu's thoughts

I think I knew the story when I received it for review, but I forgot, saw the pretty cover and dived in thinking it's a happy tale. I didn't get past chapter one. These days I struggle with reality stories, and I knew this wasn't for me. I've read Catherine's books in the past so know the tale will be a good one. I peeked at the end and it is happy but I just can't cope with all the middle bits knowing it's based on reality. I still wanted to feature it because Catherine is a brilliant author, plus the cover by Katie Hickey is stunning. So check it out if you like this kind of historical based read! There are the usual Barrington Stoke easy to read font on off-white pages. 

Find out more on Catherine's website.

Suggested read

Other books by Catherine include those for older readers like The Curious Tale of the Lady Caraboo by Catherine Johnson (Young Adult, 9/10E) 

The Light At the End of the Tunnel by Linda Weaver Clarke (Historical romance)

 October 2021, 167 pages, Paperback and Ebook

Book Summary

After coming to America and enduring several trials, Hannah realizes she can make something of her life by opening a hot chocolate shop. She soon finds that starting her own business isn’t as easy as she thought.

When Thomas finds out that Hannah's shop is struggling, he comes to the rescue with a clever plan. Will she agree to such an unconventional idea? Can he convince her to find room in her heart for one more person?

Nayu's thoughts

I have known Linda as an author for many years now, and while I haven't yet read her latest book, she has written a guest post for you to enjoy about it. 

Amidst Trials, is there a Light at the end of the Tunnel?

 

All of us have challenges in our lives and we feel so alone. We sometimes wonder if we are the only ones who are experiencing difficulties. Have you ever felt that each trial you have endured was so difficult that you wondered where the “light at the end of the tunnel” was? Many times we try to solve our own problems and don’t bother talking to anyone or asking for help.

 

“No matter our circumstances, no matter our challenges or trials, there is something in each day to embrace and cherish. There is something in each day that can bring gratitude and joy if only we will see and appreciate it.” ~ Dieter F. Uchtdorf

 

This was Hannah’s attitude as she tried to search for the “light at the end of the tunnel.” How many times do we search for that light, wondering where it is and hoping that the trials in life will soon end? Is God watching over us? Is He there when we need some comfort? In our darkest moment, does Jesus Christ know how we feel? I believe He does.

 

Set in 1844, The Light at the End of the Tunnel is a historical romance. Book Reviewer and Author Gail Pallotta wrote: “This romance wrapped around my heart as it took me into the struggles of Hannah, such a brave woman. The characters come to life on the page as Thomas falls for Hannah. However, Hannah is caught up in her day-to-day trials, and with her independent streak she only thinks of making a life for her and her daughter. Can Thomas get her attention and change her mind?”

 

After coming to America and enduring several challenges and trials, Hannah realizes she can make something of her life by opening a hot chocolate shop. She soon finds that starting her own business isn’t as easy as she thought.

 

When Thomas finds out that Hannah's shop is struggling, he comes to the rescue with a clever plan. Will she agree to such an unconventional idea? Can he convince her to find room in her heart for one more person?

 

“I enjoyed this sweet historical romance very much.  This story shows the western spirit of adventure in a young widow who has faced many hardships to come to this point.  This is a Christian book and a very engaging and enjoyable read. You will enjoy this heartwarming story of a strong woman forging a new life.” Sunnie Reviews

 

To buy this book or eBook on Amazon, visit https://www.amazon.com/Light-end-Tunnel-Women-Courage/dp/B09JJ97612.

 

Linda Weaver Clarke’s Author Blog: https://lindaweaverclarke.wordpress.com

Linda’s Audiobook Blog: https://familyfriendlyaudiobooks.wordpress.com

Linda’s Cozy Mystery Blog: https://cozymysteryseries.wordpress.com

Linda’s Historical Romance Blog: https://historicalromances.wordpress.com

Suggested reads

Linda has written many novels, some of which I have reviewed including Amelia Moore #7 The Lighthouse Secret by Linda Weaver Clarke (Audiobook, Cozy Mystery, 9/10E) 

 

 

Blog Tour: The White Phoenix by Catherine Randall (Young Adult, Historical)

 

 

 

28th August 2020, Book Guild Publishing, 200 pages, Paperback 

 

Book summary

London, 1666. After the sudden death of her father, thirteen-year-old Lizzie Hopper and her mother must take over THE WHITE PHOENIX - the family bookshop in the shadow of St Paul's Cathedral. But England is at war with France and dire prophecies abound. As rumours of invasion and plague spread, Lizzie battles prejudice, blackmail and mob violence to protect the bookshop she loves. When the Great Fire of London breaks out, Lizzie must rescue more than just the bookshop. Can she now save the friend she wasn't supposed to have? CAN THE WHITE PHOENIX RISE FROM THE ASHES?

 

Nayu's thoughts 

This is just an information post, it's not my kind of read at the moment but I have read similar books and thought you'd all like to know about it! 

 

Find out more on Catherine's Twitter page 

 

Goodreads Link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/55101887-the-white-phoenix
Amazon Link: https://www.amazon.co.uk/White-Phoenix-Catherine-Randall/dp/1913208877 

 

 

Cry to Dream Again by Jane Hawking (Contemporary fiction, Historical, 7/10E)

 

June 2018, Alma Books, 480 pages, Paperback, Review copy

Summary from Alma Books 

Book 2 in the Immortal Souls series

In 1930s Greater London, Shirley is a talented ballerina who dreams of becoming a principal dancer at the Sadler’s Wells Ballet Company. Yet one summer, on the way back from staying with her grandparents in France, she meets a handsome young man, Alan, for a fleeting moment and her life changes for ever. Finding him becomes an obsession for Shirley and now she longs to fulfil her dreams in the ballet simply so that he might see her name in lights and know where to find her.

With the outbreak of the Second World War, and those she loves in danger, Shirley’s priority becomes to help in the war effort, but with Alan appearing once more in her life, and the war threatening to part them for a second time, she knows that she cannot cope if she were to lose him again.

Nayu's thoughts

 While I've given the book a grade, this isn't a full review because I couldn't finish the book. I tried hard, because I love most characters who are determined to dance. It took a bit of time to get to grips with Shirley and the type of people her family are, and once I did I enjoyed learning about her life before World War 2 happened. I have to say that the idea of searching for a guy she saw briefly felt fairly ridiculous to me, but Shirley is relatively young so following her heart is normal for her. Her passion for ballet is clear, and it's sad when certain large obstacles stand in her way, forcing her to at least entertain the thought of not being a ballet dancer. 

There are many other hardships in her life, but some of it is good. She has a brilliant relationship with her dance teacher, and the blossoming true friendship she develops with her brother was a delight to read. Her family support her dreams to some extent, although when various issues occur they don't always fully understand just how much ballet means to her. I confess to needing to look up the first hardship, because I had no clue what it meant, and it's meaning made a lot of sense - I'm deliberately not saying the phrase because I don't want to spoil the story for you. It created many challenges for Shirley, but I think they make her an even more determined young lady. 

There were many characters I didn't like, but I wasn't supposed to like them because of how they behaved. The reason why I finished the book half way, and then skim-read parts so I knew what happened, was primarily plot pacing. It's a really thick book, 450+ pages, with rather small font compared to a lot of books I read. |Book length isn't an issue normally, but I felt that there was too much description for my taste. It reminded me of classic books such as those by Jane Austen, where absolutely everything is described. I usually can just skim the parts that waffle on, but what I struggled with this book was that situations got repeated a bit too much. Something would happen, and it would be described, but then further on it would be repeated looking at it from a different perspective, but mostly literally repeating what had happened which I felt was unnecessary. I kept going as long as I could, but I reached the point where it was annoying me too much. 

As I've already mentioned I did then skim read until the end to understand what happens and to see if I could keep going after a break. Shirley definitely goes through more hardships, but there's joy to be found even if it meant she suffered intense grief. I wasn't overly keen how the perspectives changed from time to time, and the ending is plain weird. It's a to be continued ending, but what happens honestly brought me out of Shirley's story and I sat staring at the book wondering what on earth was going on I know I didn't read all of it, but for my personal tastes it was odd and I couldn't make sense of it. It didn't seem to matter it was book 2 in a series, I understood everything well enough.

I think that maybe this style of writing isn't for me, which is fair enough. My thoughts are my own, it's by no means a bad book. I had no idea who Jane was until I got the book and realised she was the late Stephen Hawkings wife. She definitely knows a lot about ballet: I don't do ballet but I read a lot of ballet stories, and she included a lot of detail in Shirley's passion for even the simple exercises, and how auditions for ballet companies take place. It was interesting learning about life before the war occurred knowing it would happen despite characters hoping for the best. It was equally interesting to learn about life in the French countryside, which wasn't a walk in the park for Shirley, but did provide great joy for her brother. Overall it's a good read (of what I read), just not quite what I expected. 

Suggested read 

If you like stories set in the near distant past then try out The Lost Garden by Katherine Swartz (Contemporary fiction, 10/10E, short 'n' sweet review)

 

Guest Blog Post: Historical Romance: Stories of Rebels, Adventure and Mystery by Linda Weaver Clarke

Today's  post is a little different  because it's about a series I haven't read, but want to feature because I've enjoyed Linda's Cozy Mystery Amelia Moore series which ended with Amelia Moore #7 The Lighthouse Secret by Linda Weaver Clarke (Audiobook, Cozy Mystery, 9/10E)

 

So I hope you check out these and the historical romance books after hearing about them below from Linda! 

Historical Romance: Stories of Rebels,

Adventure, and Mystery

Here's Linda!

My favorite time period is historical because it’s during a time when men defended a lady’s honor and treated women with respect. The women, on the other hand, were not frail by any means. I love strong women characters who fight for what they believe. I enjoy writing stories with a mixture of romance and adventure. My favorite loves stories are about a couple who know they are meant for one another, even though there are trials along the way.

The Rebel Series is a Historical Mystery/Adventure Romance set in the 1700s. Many people have asked me why I wrote a story about rebels. Simple! I love a rogue who fights for justice and for the people. It was a bunch of rebels who fought for their freedom in America. They wanted to be free from the dictatorship of a king. How about Robin Hood? He and a bunch of men did the same thing as they helped the needy and poor. Liberty is something that I cherish. So I decided to write about a small country that struggles to be free.

THE REBELS OF CORDOVIA: “This creative take on a Robin Hood-like story is charming and touching, and teaches some great morals about agency and choice. It reminded me of childhood fairytales of good versus evil, with a nice romance weaved into it.” --Author Charissa Stastny

In The Rebels of Cordovia, Robin’s Rebels realize they must fight against the tyranny of a wicked king and help the people survive the oppression. In this battle for freedom, a tender love story begins to blossom. Daniel, a rogue and a leader of the Freemen, doesn’t realize that the sweet feminine woman he has met and is falling for happens to be the leader of Robin’s Rebels. Realizing the importance of uniting all the rebel groups, Daniel tries to recruit Robin’s Rebels but they refuse. Now he has to find a way to convince them. When he finds out the leader is actually a woman, what will his reaction be?

To watch a Book Trailer for The Rebels of Cordovia, click on the link below:

https://youtu.be/-Nd2vqNYqSA

THE HIGHWAYMAN OF CORDOVIA: “Austin and Christine had been friends, as youth, and separated through the years. As their paths cross again after many years, things spark up between them. Yet their lives do not appear to be headed in the same direction. The twists and turns will keep you turning the pages.” --Sunnie Reivews

In book 2, The Highwayman of Cordovia, the people enjoy their new-found liberty, but all is not well. A group of powerful men plan to take over the small country and replace the leader with a king. With the help of a bold highwayman and a pastor’s daughter, they try to save their country from being taken over by a power-hungry leader. As they strive to stop the Kingmen and thwart their plans, Christine finds herself falling in love with Austin Knight. The only problem with their relationship is that she thinks he is her knight in shining armor instead of a highwayman. If she finds out his trade, what will her reaction be? As a pastor’s daughter, will love override her values?

To watch a Book Trailer for The Highwayman of Cordovia, click on the link below:

https://youtu.be/UtHY-DPjfFE

THE FOX OF CORDOVIA: “I loved this book. It is full of adventure, drama, intrigue and suspense. We've got kidnapping plots, pirate ships, daring rescues and romance. The author weaves an exciting tale and a sweet romance together in a way that will appeal to all readers.” --Inishowen Cailín

In book 3, The Fox of Cordovia, a sinister plot has just been uncovered and its up to a former patriot and a young nurse to discover who is behind it. Caroline is engaged to the future mayor of Laketown, a man of influence and greatly respected. But all that changes when she overhears a conspiracy behind closed doors. After being discovered, she runs for her life. Caroline needs to report her findings, but whom can she trust? When she asks Jesse Conover for help, the adventure begins.

To watch a Book Trailer for The Fox of Cordovia, click on the link below:

https://youtu.be/mCgwRF5nzQ8

I love research. When I did some research about the “waltz” for The Highwayman of Cordovia, I was surprised at what I found. The peasants were the first to dance the waltz. It was such fun that bored noblemen would sneak out and go to the country-dances. The Oxford English Dictionary back then called the waltz “riotous and indecent.”

In a 1771 German novel, someone complains about the “newly-introduced waltz” among the aristocrats. He wrote: “When he put his arm around her, pressed her to his breast, cavorted with her in the shameless, indecent whirling-dance of the Germans and engaged in a familiarity that broke all the bounds of good breeding—then my silent misery turned into burning rage.” I was so intrigued by this description. The waltz finally became fashionable when the wife of a Russian ambassador endorsed it.

To read a sample chapter from each of my books in The Rebel Series, go to http://www.lindaweaverclarke.com/historicalromance.html and click on the TITLE.

To purchase a book from Amazon, Barnes and Noble, or Audible Audiobooks, go to http://www.lindaweaverclarke.com/purchasebook.html.

About Author: Linda Weaver Clarke was raised among the Rocky Mountains of southern Idaho and now lives among the red mountains of southern Utah. Linda is the mother of six daughters and the author of 23 books. She has written in several different genres, which include: historical romances, romantic cozy mysteries, a mystery suspense series, a children’s book, and non-fiction. All her books are family friendly. She has also traveled throughout the U.S. and taught audiences how to write their family history, giving more than 500 workshops.