Beyond The Silence - Book Review

While, it's been a while! But I'm back today to bring you a book review on 'Beyond the Silence' by Tracie Peterson and Kimberly Woodhouse.

Synopsis:
Lillian Porter has always wanted to fulfill her mother's dream of going west, so when she hears about a nanny position in Angels Camp, California, she defies her grandfather and takes a chance on a new future. But she quickly wonders if she made the right choice. There are rumors in town that her new employer, Woodward Colton, caused the death of his wife. This accusation doesn't match the man Lillian comes to know--and Mrs. Goodman, Woody's long-time housekeeper, is decisively on Woody's side--but many in town stay far away from Lillian because of her association with the Colton family.

Lillian's six-year-old charge, Jimmy, was there when his mother died, and he hasn't spoken a word since. Gently, Lillian tries to coax him out of his shell, hoping he'll one day feel safe enough to tell her the truth about what happened. But the Colton olive farm is no longer a safe place. Lillian encounters suspicious characters on their land and mysterious damage done to the farm. Will Mrs. Goodman and Jimmy be able to speak what they know in time to save Lillian from tragedy?

I was really into the 19th Century, women going across America type books at the time I requested this, but by the time I got it, I had forgotten what it was really about.  So, I began reading.

This book has good potential, and it lived up to that potential, for the most part.  But I found it to be a little too descriptive and ended up skim-reading what I read of it. To be honest, I didn't finish the whole book.  I made it over half-way through before I gave up.  It wasn't that it wasn't a good book, just not my cup of tea. I honestly think this book would be the perfect read for some people.  I found it to be interesting, while I was reading it, but it just didn't leave me wanting more when I wasn't reading it.  I have my mind on so many other books at the moment, and this one just took the backseat.

I found that the book pulls you in from page one.  After reading the prologue, I just couldn't help being excited for the rest of this book.  But after the prologue, there really wasn't any of that edge-of-your-seat type suspense.  Which is understandable.  I mean this isn't a suspenseful book.

I also found the book quite predictable.

Little Jimmy is just adorable and he's probably my favorite character from the book.  I also really like Mrs. Goodman.  Lilian Porter is good strong, female protagonist and I enjoyed reading her story.  Now about Woody...I just don't like him.  I understand he has been through a lot, but he won't even go to church when this book begins because of what the townspeople think of him.  Sounds like he was harboring a little unforgiveness,, which he finds out for himself, and it left for good character development.  But still, just something about his personality that just wasn't my cuppa tea. Also, Harry is a wonderful character! He's just so sweet and kind.

Overall, I liked what I read of this book, but didn't love it.  It's not the best historical fiction I've ever read, but most certainly not the worst.  I'm rating this book a solid 3.5 stars out of 5.

*Disclaimer: I was given a copy of this book by the publisher in exchange for my honest review.  All opinions expressed are my own.*

The Memory Weaver - Book Review

Eliza Spalding Warren was just a child when she was taken hostage by the Cayuse Indians during a massacre in 1847. Now the young mother of two children, Eliza faces a different kind of dislocation; her impulsive husband wants them to make a new start in another territory, which will mean leaving her beloved home and her departed mother's grave--and returning to the land of her captivity. Eliza longs to know how her mother, an early missionary to the Nez Perce Indians, dealt with the challenges of life with a sometimes difficult husband and with her daughter's captivity.

When Eliza is finally given her mother's diary, she is stunned to find that her own memories are not necessarily the whole story of what happened. Can she lay the dark past to rest and move on? Or will her childhood memories always hold her hostage?

Based on true events, The Memory Weaver is New York Times bestselling author Jane Kirkpatrick's latest literary journey into the past, where threads of western landscapes, family, and faith weave a tapestry of hope inside every pioneering woman's heart. Readers will find themselves swept up in this emotional story of the memories that entangle us and the healing that awaits us when we bravely unravel the threads of the past.

My Review:

I initially requested a copy of this book from the publisher because I'd never really read anything about Indians before.  Sure, I'd read children's stories, but nothing for adults.  So, I was a bit disappointed that this book really didn't involve Indians as much as I thought it would.  But, I think that this was my mistake, as I didn't finish reading the entire blurb on the back of the book before I started it.  

When I started reading this book, I found it quite confusing.  I got the dates and years all switched around, until I finally had to look up the real Eliza Spalding Warren and see what really happened to her.  

For the most part, the events in this book are based on the true story of Eliza Spalding Warren, so I figured it would make for a really interesting read.  But, to be honest, I felt as if the story lacked something.  It held my interest for the most part, but I wasn't all that excited to return to the book for more of the story.  

I did really like the character of Eliza.  I love when an author can make the characters seem like they've come to life right before my eyes. Eliza's emotions seem real and I was able to connect with her.  

I also found this book to be a little depressing, which is to be expected, given the subject matter.  But it felt really dark (not as in evil, but just like a dark cloud that hovers in the sky).  I never felt joyful while reading the story.  It honestly dampened my mood while I was reading it, which was one reason I was ready to be done with it.  

Jane Kirkpatrick's writing style doesn't blow you away, but it does flow well on the page and at times I found it almost poetic.  To me, it's a simple style of writing, but sometimes that's what makes a book beautiful. I also really liked that the book was written in first person. 

Eliza had a rough life, if you ask me.  She was taken hostage by Indians when she was a child, and then her father practically disowned her when she eloped.  Perhaps she shouldn't have run off in the night with Mr. Warren, but I felt sorrow for her after she became 'dead' to her father.  How she ever stood to be cut from her father's love, I don't know.  But, despite all the difficulties, she tried so hard to make a  good life.

Now, I think this book would be a great read for some people, but for me it wasn't.  I just didn't find it all I had hoped for. I find Eliza Spalding Warren a very interesting person, and I think if I had read an actual biography of her, I would have really enjoyed it.  That being said, I am giving this book 3 out of 5 stars. It had great writing, and a wonderful protagonist, it just wasn't for me. 

*Disclaimer: I was given a copy of this book by the publisher in exchange for my honest review.  All opinions expressed are my own.*