God Gave Us Thankful Hearts by Lisa Tawn Bergren, illustrated by David Hohn

ISBN13: 9781601428752
Hardcover $10.99

"The trick of having a thankful heart is thinking about the things that make us happy, rather than the things that don't."

My thoughts: It is always a sweet treat to pick up one of Lisa Tawn Bergren's books. You can always count on them for spot-on treatment of the subject. In God Gave Us Thankful Hearts she gently weaves a story of a child's (in this case a juvenile pup) learning how to recognize what he can be thankful for in his or her daily life.

The usual thankfulness for the things one likes is acknowledged and then mama and pup discover in their day's meanderings lots of things they don't like but can be thankful for anyway. Thankful that even though they don't like poison ivy and react badly to it, they have learned how to avoid it.

While not exactly stated, the real theme of the little book is "being thankful in all things" and learning to give thanks no matter what state you are in.

I can easily recommend this as a good addition to that young child's book shelf and be sure to get it in time for Autumn or Thanksgiving. Great for libraries, too.

About the book: Adventurous Lil Pup is bummed that hibernating season will soon be coming to the Great North Woods. Why should so many of his friends have to go in for the winter and leave Lil Pup without pals? Mama reminds her little wolf that not all animals hibernate, and how he can be grateful for the beautiful autumn season - for jumping in leaf piles, eating apple treats, and celebrating the wonders of fall with his forest friends.

Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of the book from Blogging For Books review program on behalf of the publisher. I was not compensated for my opinion or this review.

A Flight of Arrows by Lori Benton (The Path Finders Book 2)

My thoughts: As the second book in The Pathfinder Series opens the story picks up where The Woods Edge closes. During a time of war and unrest, war is waging between The Crown (England) and the Continentals (The Americans). Each side has large contingencies of native Indians from a variety of tribes fighting with them.

But this story is about two families in the midst of all the turmoil of 1776 and 1777. White and Indian. Mixed breeds. And stolen sons. The saga, for it is a lengthy telling of that period's history, shows the hearts - fears and hatreds - of each. It shows how God has impacted Indians and how they pursue the path of walking with their Creator God. Their faith is strong.

 Lori Benton has thoroughly researched this story and this period of history. She brings authenticity. I am impressed with her treatment of the Indians in the story as she doesn't stage them as savages. She tells a bit of their own civilization and their unique human existence.

This is a long book and the scenes and events are written in such detail that you want to take your time in the reading. Character development is thorough and exhaustive. You see their strengths and their weaknesses. You experience their joy and their sorrows. You understand their reticence and their exuberance.

While war and battles are indeed depicted, loyalties are tested all around, and yet the story is not so raw that the reading makes one ill.

Lori Benton is an author whose works I always look forward to reading.

Click here to download Chapter 1

About the book: Twenty years past, in 1757, a young Redcoat, Reginald Aubrey stole a newborn boy—the lighter-skinned of Oneida twins— during the devastating fall of Fort William Henry and raised him as his own.

No one connected to Reginald escaped unscathed from this crime. Not his adopted daughter Anna. Not Stone Thrower, the Native American father determined to get his son back. Not Two Hawks, William’s twin brother separated since birth, living in the shadow of his absence and hoping to build a future with Anna. Nor Lydia, who longs for Reginald to be free from his self-imposed emotional prison and embrace God’s forgiveness— and her love.

Now William, whose identity has been shattered after discovering the truth of his birth, hides in the ranks of an increasingly aggressive British army. The Redcoats prepare to attack frontier New York and the Continentals, aided by Oneida warriors including Two Hawks, rally to defend it. As the Revolutionary War penetrates the Mohawk Valley, two families separated by culture, united by love and faith, must find a way to reclaim the son marching toward them in the ranks of their enemies.

DISCLOSURE: I received a complimentary copy from Blogging for Books on behalf of WaterBrook Press and the author to facilitate this review. I was not compensated. Opinions are my own.

Ties That Bind (Amish of Summer Grove series) by Cindy Woodsmall {Review & $10 Family Christian App. Cert. Giveaway}

About the book: Ariana’s comfortable Old Order Amish world is about to unravel. Will holding tightly to the cords of family keep them together—or simply tear them apart?

Twenty-year-old Ariana Brenneman loves her family and the Old Ways. She has two aspirations: open a café in historic Summer Grove to help support her family’s ever-expanding brood and to keep any other Amish from being lured into the Englisch life by Quill Schlabach.

Five years ago Quill, along with her dear friend Frieda, ran off together, and Ariana still carries the wounds of that betrayal. When she unexpectedly encounters him, she soon realizes he has plans to help someone else she loves leave the Amish.

Despite how things look, Quill’s goal has always been to protect Ariana from anything that may hurt her, including the reasons he left. After returning to Summer Grove on another matter, he unearths secrets about Ariana and her family that she is unaware of. His love and loyalty to her beckons him to try to win her trust and help her find a way to buy the café—because when she learns the truth that connects her and a stranger named Skylar Nash, Quill knows it may upend her life forever.    

Ties That Bind is the first novel in the Amish of Summer Grove series.

My thoughts: This is not the typical Amish novel where the beautiful, dedicated, and tranquil life within the community rolls along like a buggy trip through the lush countryside. No. A darker side of the community of believers is brought forth. Secrets. Fear. A much different community of people inhabit Summer Grove.

As typical with Amish communities, there is shunning when a member leaves the community for the outside world. Ariana, the young Amish woman who felt the heart-wrenching betrayal five years prior to the opening pages of Ties That Bind when her beloved Quill abruptly leaves the community and takes her dear Frieda with him. However, typical of a sweet Amish lady, Ariana continues to care for Quill's mother who is ill and all alone in the community.

I was certainly surprised as Ties That Bind unfolded its many layers revealing feelings, faith, and futility. I was surprised at the fear and secrecy that surround an individual's or a families' plans to leave the community.

This is a well written book with characters that are well developed and believable. The emotional experiences of the characters is well expressed by the author.

While I never enjoy turmoil, secrets, and lives lived in fear, the author has written a believable story and it is one I can highly recommend.

Take a look inside (link from Waterbrook Press book page)

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DISCLOSURE: I received a complimentary copy from the Blogging for Books Review Program on behalf of Waterbrook Press to facilitate this review. Opinions are mine and I was not compensated. The Family Christian $10 Appreciation Certificate is provided by them and mailed directly to the winner.

The Wood's Edge by Lori Benton

About the book: The 1757 New York frontier is home to the Oneida tribe and to British colonists, yet their feet rarely walk the same paths.

On the day Fort William Henry falls, Major Reginald Aubrey is beside himself with grief. His son, born that day, has died in the arms of his sleeping wife. When Reginald comes across an Oneida mother with newborn twins, one white, one brown, he makes a choice that will haunt the lives of all involved. He steals the white baby and leaves his own child behind. Reginald’s wife and foundling daughter, Anna, never suspect the truth about the boy they call William, but Reginald is wracked by regret that only intensifies with time, as his secret spreads its devastating ripples.

When the long buried truth comes to light, can an unlikely friendship forged at the wood’s edge provide a way forward? For a father tormented by fear of judgment, another by lust for vengeance. For a mother still grieving her lost child. For a brother who feels his twin’s absence, another unaware of his twin’s existence. And for Anna, who loves them both—Two Hawks, the mysterious Oneida boy she meets in secret, and William, her brother. As paths long divided collide, how will God direct the feet of those who follow Him?

My thoughts: Lori Benton's books are always good reads that are packed with interest because she does quality research for the setting of her stories. Since I love history and reading about historical events, times, places, and people, The Wood's Edge was right at the top of the list for tweaking my interest. The interaction between Native Americans, Indians, and the settlers has always intrigued me.

In The Wood's Edge Benton captures the reality of captured whites (settlers) being immersed in the world of the Indians (Native Americans). When a set of twins is born during the midst of an attack by the French on a British fort to a white woman who seemingly is Indian, the story begins. One child seems white and the other Indian.

As the story evolves, we move into the conflict between the settlers (Colonists) and the British Crown. We see various interactions between settlers and Indians. But mostly we see how moving toward war and moving into emotional conflict as white world meets Indian world with the tumultuous and emotionally charged family dynamics factored into the mix. This is a heart-wrenching story of a time and people that shaped America.

A don't miss this one read!

 Click here to download chapter one of The Wood's Edge.

Meet the author: Lori Benton was raised east of the Appalachian Mountains, surrounded by early American history going back three hundred years. Her novels transport readers to the eighteenth century, where she brings to life the Colonial and early Federal periods of American history. When she isn’t writing, reading, or researching, Lori enjoys exploring the Oregon wilderness with her husband. She is the author of Burning Sky, recipient of three Christy Awards, and The Pursuit of Tamsen Littlejohn.

DISCLOSURE: I was provided a complimentary copy to facilitate this review by Blogging for Books book review program on behalf of WaterBrook Press and the author. Opinions are my own. I was not compensated for this review.