Wednesday, July 1, 2009

"Love's Pursuit" Book Review


This week, the

Christian Fiction Blog Alliance

is introducing

Love's Pursuit

Bethany House (June 1, 2009)

by

Siri Mitchell




MY REVIEW:

I have read a few of Siri's books now and I really do think that she is just so original in her writing that I always wonder what she will bring me, the reader, next. In "A Constant Heart" she took us inside Queen Elizabeth's England and the unbelievable trends and lifestyles that went along with being a part of her court. In "Love's Pursuit" we go into early America and a Puritan community where Susannah is considered one of the ultimate, perfect Puritans. Only she knows better, she has many flaws but she really tries to please. All she wants is to get married to John and start a family like her friends. It seems so simple until life starts to get very complicated. A non-Puritan comes to the community to train the militia against the threat of savages. The captain lives with them while he trains the men and Susannah starts to feel things for Daniel that she has never felt for John. But wait, Susannah's betrothal to John gets foiled by the one person she can't stand and things go from bad to worse. Can Susannah ever find happiness in her pursuit of love? A story so well written that it will catapult you through time to join Susannah as she struggles to find her true love. I really enjoyed it!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Siri Mitchell graduated from the University of Washington with a business degree and worked in various levels of government. As a military spouse, she has lived all over the world, including in Paris and Tokyo. Siri enjoys observing and learning from different cultures. She is fluent in French and loves sushi.

But she is also a member of a strange breed of people called novelists. When they’re listening to a sermon and taking notes, chances are, they’ve just had a great idea for a plot or a dialogue. If they nod in response to a really profound statement, they’re probably thinking, “Yes. Right. That’s exactly what my character needs to hear.” When they edit their manuscripts, they laugh at the funny parts. And cry at the sad parts. Sometimes they even talk to their characters.

Siri wrote 4 books and accumulated 153 rejections before signing with a publisher. In the process, she saw the bottoms of more pints of Ben & Jerry’s than she cares to admit. At various times she has vowed never to write another word again. Ever. She has gone on writing strikes and even stooped to threatening her manuscripts with the shredder.

A Constant Heart was her sixth novel. Two of her novels, Chateau of Echoes and The Cubicle Next Door were Christy Award finalists. She has been called one of the clearest, most original voices in the CBA.


ABOUT THE BOOK

In the small Puritan community of Stoneybrooke, Massachusetts, Susannah Phillips stands out both for her character and beauty. She wants only a simple life but soon finds herself pursued by the town's wealthiest bachelor and by a roguish military captain sent to protect them. One is not what he seems and one is more than he seems.

In trying to discover true love's path, Susannah is helped by the most unlikely of allies, a wounded woman who lives invisible and ignored in their town. As the depth, passion, and sacrifice of love is revealed to Susannah, she begins to question the rules and regulations of her childhood faith. In a community where grace is unknown, what price will she pay for embracing love?

If you would like to read the first chapter of Love's Pursuit, go HERE

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