Finding Quiet: My Journey to Peace in an Anxious World by Jamie Grace book review

Finding Quiet: My Journey to Peace in an Anxious World

by

Jamie Grace

Many of us live in between two extremes when it comes to mental health. On one side, we are told to embrace anxiety as a part of our being. The best we can do is medicate and live with it. On the other side, we're told that freedom can be found if we believe hard enough, and that we're at fault if we can't get over the thoughts that hold us back.

But what if there is another way? A way to acknowledge the struggles and learn how to manage the things that trigger us while believing in the promises and goodness of God?

This is the tension that Jamie Grace has lived in for most of her life. Known as a singer with a vibrant personality, Jamie has spent the last decade touring and speaking about her faith on stages and in front of the camera. But behind the scenes she was diagnosed with Tourette syndrome, OCD, ADHD, and an anxiety disorder as a preteen. Since then she has faced inner battles that have included panic attacks and self-harm. In Finding Quiet, Jamie shares what she has learned about managing the negative effects of her diagnoses, harnessing the positive outcomes, and leaning into the journey God has led her on.

 

My review: 9/10

 I've been a fan of Jamie Grace since Hold Me. I knew a little about her struggles with Tourettes and occasionally checked in to see about new music since I love her style. I was so excited to see her book pop up under one of my favorite publishers.

There is a pretty good balance between relevant personal anecdotes and advice / reflection on anxiety and peace. And as someone who does not struggle with anxiety, I still found plenty of useful information - after all, worry and noise can seep into anyone's life. And it helped me to understand and have compassion for those I know who do struggle with these things. I'm glad to have a Godly resource to share. Great book!

A Bride of Convenience (The Bride Ships #3) by Jody Hedlund book review

A Bride of Convenience

(The Bride Ships #3)

by

Jody Hedlund 

Unemployed mill worker Zoe Hart jumps at the opportunity to emigrate to British Columbia in 1863 to find a better life and be reunited with her brother, who fled from home after being accused of a crime.

Pastor to miners in the mountains, Abe Merivale discovers an abandoned baby during a routine visit to Victoria and joins efforts with Zoe, one of the newly arrived bride-ship women, to care for the infant. While there, he's devastated by the news from his fiancee in England that she's marrying another man.

With mounting pressure to find the baby a home, Zoe accepts a proposal from a miner of questionable character after he promises to help her locate her brother. Intent on protecting Zoe and frustrated by his failed engagement, Abe offers his own hand as groom. After a hasty wedding, they soon realize their marriage of convenience is not so convenient after all.

 

My Review: 6.5/10

This story shared a unique perspective for this genre (a man struggling with lust), however it really rendered the celibate aspect unbelievable. Marriages of convenience were not uncommon, but rather the norm. Keeping the relationship chaste after marriage was unusual (and yet that's 99% of the representations I read). I could see a man giving his new bride a week or two to adjust and be more comfortable, but that's about it, and even that would be the exception. So again, considering everything, I found this premise unrealistic.

Zoe is a strong woman with a natural pull toward abandoned children. She's forthright and outspoken. Abe was a little less admirable, as he tries to serve two masters, but I found that relatable; it's easy to think you're serving God when trying to please/obey religious leaders, but Zoe makes an excellent point, reminding him that no man has the power to truly take away what God wills. And though the Bishop is set up as an obstacle, I appreciated his character. It was easy to see what drove him and why he said/did what he did and I thought he was well represented.

The plot (confrontations and declarations) became a bit dramatic and predictable toward the end, but it was an enjoyable read overall. 

A Reluctant Bride (The Bride Ships #1) by Jody Hedlund book review

A Reluctant Bride

(The Bride Ships #1)

by

Jody Hedlund 

After facing desperate heartache and loss, Mercy agrees to escape a bleak future in London and join a bride ship. Wealthy and titled, Joseph leaves home and takes to the sea as the ships surgeon to escape the pain of losing his family. He has no intention of settling down, but when Mercy becomes his assistant, they must fight against a forbidden love.

My Review: 8.5/10

Jody Hedlund takes you right into the pit of the suffering of the slums in A Reluctant Bride. It was brutally honest at times and I was grateful and eager for Mercy to get a ticket out. It was interesting reading about the experience of women who signed up for Bride ships - what they came from, why they were chosen, what it was like on the ship, and what they could hope and expect waiting for them when they arrived. I loved the ways faith and integrity were woven into the story. Loss and healing too. And I thought the portrayal of characters like Mr. Scott and Mrs. Robb was just; they may not have been soft and likeable, but their motives and actions were understandable, especially given the time period.

These are the kinds of stories that make me love historical novels - the way they transport you to another time with different realities and challenges, so that strength, creativity and perseverance look different too. Thoroughly enjoyed this story.

A Castaway in Cornwall by Julie Klassen book review

A Castaway in Cornwall

by

Julie Klassen 

Laura Callaway daily walks the windswept Cornwall coast, known for many shipwrecks but few survivors. She feels like a castaway, set adrift on the tides of fate by the deaths of her parents and left wanting answers. Now living with her parson uncle and his parsimonious wife in North Cornwall, Laura is viewed as an outsider even as she yearns to belong somewhere again.

When ships sink, wreckers scour the shore for valuables, while Laura searches for clues to the lives lost. She has written letters to loved ones and returned keepsakes to rightful owners. She collects seashells and mementos, and when a man is washed ashore, she collects him too.

As Laura and a neighbor care for the castaway, the mystery surrounding him grows. He has abrasions and a deep cut that looks suspiciously like a knife wound, and he speaks in careful, educated English, yet his accent seems odd. Other clues wash ashore, and Laura soon realizes he is not who he seems to be. Their attraction grows, and while she longs to return the man to his rightful home, evidence against him mounts. With danger pursuing them from every side, will Laura ever find the answers and love she seeks?

 

 

 

My Review: 8/10 

 

 One of the best things about Ms. Klassen's works is the way they transport me to another time and place. This book was no exception. The story is rich in language, customs and details unique to the location (Cornwall) and time (early 1800s). The snippets from supporting works at the beginning of each chapter were a great touch and so interesting!

Reading from the point of view of a Captain fighting for Napoleon was a unique experience; as most of the books I read have the benefit of knowing how history played out, they typically align their characters with the winning side. I appreciated the different perspective.

On a side note, as usual I am one of the few that *doesn't* appreciate the nods, or rather direct quotes from Pride and Prejudice/Jane Austen worked into the story.

Would definitely recommend!