The Missing Captive: The Deep Commitment to Share the Gospel in Early Colonial America by George Lapin

 

I was completely absorbed in this story right from the beginning. My husband and I both have Dutch ancestors from the Van Alstyne family who lived in the Albany area in the 1700s. My husband's history includes a story of Indians kidnapping family and going after them into Canada to get them back, so this story hits close to home. The story is very well written and quite real as to what could have happened in this time of the Queen's War with conflicts between the French, English, Indians and Canadians and shifting allegiances. It includes historical places and people who make it so and I was hooked thoroughly to see what would happen. Gideon and his sister are from a missionary family. Both are driven by their faith and wish for freedom to make their own way in life. As events take them over, their courage and enduring path in faith and family commitments are inspiring. Hard to put down satisfying read, right to the end. Quite moving. 

I received this book free from the author, publisher and CelebrateLit book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

#TheMissingCaptive #GeorgeLapin #BooksYouCanFeelGoodAbout #CelebrateLit #ReligiousHistoricalFiction  

 

About the Book

Book: The Missing Captive

Author: George Lapin

Genre: Historical Fiction

Release Date: February 28, 2025

An unforgettable journey of faith, courage, and personal transformation

Swept into the treacherous French-allied territories of eighteenth-century Canada, a young English translator embarks on a dangerous quest through the wilderness to uncover the fate of his captive sister in this tale of survival, faith, and self-discovery.

Gideon Bates must confront his deepest fears, navigate complex tribal politics, and forge unlikely alliances as he searches for his sister seized during a devastating raid. Torn between his father’s missionary ambitions and his own yearning for freedom, Gideon’s journey will test his courage, challenge his faith, and lead to an unexpected reckoning with his past.

 

Rich in historical detail, The Missing Captive is a tale of love, loss, and the indomitable power of the human spirit. Don’t miss this saga of courage, self-discovery, and the transformative journey of one man in a time of colonial upheaval. It is a historical adventure that will captivate fans of colonial American history and transport you to a bygone era.

 

Click here to get your copy!

 

About the Author

George Lapin is a beginning writer with a focus on Christian Historical Fiction. His first book titled The Missing Captive is set in early colonial America in a tumultuous period, decades prior to the French and Indian War. The story explores the struggles, faith and resilience of the individuals in this time period. With a passion for history and Christian values, George’s writing offers a unique perspective on the lives of early Americans and the spiritual challenges they faced.

George retired as a construction executive and discovered that he had a desire to write fiction. He possesses a vivid imagination and believes that he can use that gift to write an intricate plot.

 

George realized that most of the historical fiction novels he read centered on the French and Indian War or later. It seemed that there was such a rich history in early colonial America that was being overlooked, so George decided to write about that time period with all of its political and religious conflicts. The changes in North America during this era could help produce an interesting story.

More from George

I tried to make the story protagonist, Gideon Bates, unique in a different sort of humorous way. Born into a Puritan Missionary Family in early America, Gideon’s mother raised him to aide others when they were in need.

Gideon had no desire to be a missionary but desired to be in the military. He learned many fighting moves from his uncle who was currently a ranger in the New England Militia. He also participated in village wrestling matches and usually won.

However, whenever he got into a fight and the foe was vanquished, Gideon’s mother’s teaching kicked in. He would attempt to help his foe recover by giving him a helping hand or leaving a little money for lunch.

Blog Stops

Simple Harvest Reads, September 18 (Author Interview)
Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, September 18
Devoted To Hope, September 19
Artistic Nobody, September 20 (Author Interview)
Guild Master, September 21 (Author Interview)
Texas Book-aholic, September 22
Fiction Book Lover, September 23 (Author Interview)
The Bookish Ledger, September 24 (Author Interview)
Books Less Travelled, September 25 (Author Interview)
Books You Can Feel Good About, September 26
Life on Chickadee Lane, September 27
History, Hope & Happily Ever After, September 28 (Author Interview)
Paula’s Pad of Inspiration, September 29 (Author Interview)
Locks, Hooks and Books, September 29
Vicky Sluiter, September 30 (Author Interview)
The Bookish Pilgrim, October 1

Giveaway

To celebrate his tour, George is giving away the grand prize of a $50 Amazon Gift Card!!

Be sure to comment on the blog stops for extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.

https://gleam.io/p5Nek/the-missing-captive-            celebration-tour-giveaway

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Waves of Mercy by Lynn Austin

"Often, it's not one great, dramatic thing that God asks us to do but hundreds of little everyday things."

Christian Historical Fiction. 1897 and 52 years before. Geesje is an immigrant from the Netherlands. Her story is rich with love and heartbreak both there and here in America. Her family settled in Michigan, naming the new town Holland.

Anna has broken up with her fiancé and leaves home for a resort in Holland Michigan to recover. On her way she is nearly shipwrecked, bringing up old nightmares. She was adopted by the man who did actually rescue her from a shipwreck, but they never told her what happened. This is a fabulous journey of discovery for Anna. For most of us our lives don't follow a neat pattern, a straight line. The lives of these people are tattered, shredded and torn, mended and edges smoothed by faith. I highly recommend it! First book in a series. The second book continues this story and is also fabulous.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher and NetGalley book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
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Legacy of Mercy by Lynn Austin

Takes place in 1897 Holland, Michigan and Chicago, Illinois. Anna is from a wealthy family, her parents adopted her after he saved her from a shipwreck where she lost her real mother. As told in the previous book, she learns who her biological grandmother is when she stays at a resort in Holland. The previous is a very involved book, recommended but not necessary to read this one. Anna also meets Dirk, quite by accident, yet has also recently reconciled with her wealthy fiancé, believing she must marry for money to save her adopted family. In this book Anna is trying to live in wealthy society and cope with marrying a man who does not share her newfound faith, while dealing with a jealous society girl. She's searching for information on her real mother now that she knows who she is, and trying to learn who her real father is. This information opens up a whole new set of problems.

It's also about Anna's real Grandmother Geesje, a Dutch immigrant, not of society. A young girl and her grandfather come to stay with her and her neighbor after moving from the Netherlands - a whole new story there that unfolds. Not everyone's lives are perfect and following a set line. This is about people who become endeared to you, lives who are battered and shredded, then mended and put right in faith as God can best do. Each person learning and becoming stronger by living through it. A lesson taught in no other way. Such a beautiful cover, don't you think?

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher and NetGalley book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
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Between Two Shores by Jocelyn Green

Not a quick read, but hard to put down. So interesting. Lots and lots of depth to this; masterfully written storytelling. Set near Montreal, which is just north of where I grew up and not that far away. It's during the French and Indian war, and Catherine, their ransomed British indentured servant and a French soldier play a big part in ending the war in the fall of Quebec. Catherine is half Mohawk, her father was from an upper crust white family but chose to leave and be a trader. They shipped and traded in an area near Albany, again not far from where I grew up and near where I had lived for a time. Also, my husband's Dutch ancestors were involved during the war and grew food on his land near Albany that supplied the British. The relationships between the diversified characters twist and turn with emotion, and give the reader a glimpse of how different factions of people in this war felt, and how much all are alike. Catherine is a strong girl, growing up on the pages and learning about herself. Being a half breed brings challenges as well as advantages, making her uniquely qualified for her role. The love story is excruciating at times, yet is quite natural in the way it's told. This was a gruesome war. Indians massacred villages and took people, children, to replace people in their families who they lost, raising them, making them slaves and sometimes selling them. They could be ransomed for sums of money. There is deep faith in the story too, bringing home how Jesus ransomed us. Brings history and different peoples to life!

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher and NetGalley book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

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To Capture Her Heart by Rebecca DeMarino

In this Christian Historical Romance Rebecca DeMarino beautifully recreates life in 1653 on Long Island. There is a settlement from England living peacefully near the American Indian Montauk tribe, yet uncomfortable with the Dutch settlement nearby. You enter their homes and lives with detail of thought as well as surroundings. It's easy to see yourself there and become part of the characters' lives - some of whom are based on the author's actual ancestors. Her writing style reminds me somewhat of Lorraine Snelling in the Red River series. I have been researching my ancestry and some of my family came over during this time. I try to picture what it must have been like for them, and this helps.

This is the second book in the series. Although I wish I had read the previous book, there was enough fact provided to pick right up on the story. An Indian princess is captured at her wedding by another tribe and forced to watch as they murder her new husband, who was also a lifelong friend and companion. She is then taken into the woods in Connecticut and left to die even though her father paid the ransom.  A Dutch Lieutenant tracks and rescues her, and they come to care for one another on the way back to her family, even though the girl is in shock and mourning. She also has friends amongst the English, and two of them intercept their return home to escort her the rest of the way.

The return is difficult for her to come to terms with after the brutal murder of her husband, so she goes to stay with her Aunt who lives near the English settlement. The story is about the girl, Heather Flower, learning about God and regaining her life, being loved by two men whom she deeply cares about. She is at home with the English as well as her own native customs, but there is still a cultural separation between the people. You will feel torn with her as she struggles with her love for both men and learns to live again, finding out where she fits.  This was a page turner for me.  I eagerly waited to see what would happen next and it was filled with real life happenings in the settlement and other characters lives as well. I very much want to read the next story in the series (there's an excerpt included at the end of the book). Isn't that cover just gorgeous?

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the Revell/Baker Publishing Group - Netgalley book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Celebrate To Capture Her Heart with a Giveaway on Rebecca's blog!
Grand Prize: $75.00 Gift Card of choice (Amazon, Target, iTunes or Google play), Signed copy of To Capture Her Heart & A Place in His Heart.  
Runner Up Prize: $25.00 Gift card to Barnes & Noble, Signed copies of To Capture Her Heart & A Place in His Heart
Second Runner Up Prize: Signed copies of To Capture Her Heart & A Place in His Heart

#contest

To Capture Her Heart Book Launch

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