Where Dandelions Bloom by Tara Johnson

 

This would make a fabulous mini series. There's so much to this story, and much is based on the life of a real woman who served in the civil war, without revealing that she was a woman. She performed so many tasks, and was excellent at it. Chosen because she was excellent for many duties, trusted and respected. Gabe is a Scot who raised himself up from the slums of N.Y. and became a photographer in the war. Their story winds through many paths, lined with faith. They both came from nothing and were important to the war. They have a bit in common, and were drawn to each other as friends right away. Excellent read, both learning to believe in themselves and each other and to have faith while working through the struggle of war. A get lost in in it book with never a dull moment. 
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.
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High as the Heavens by Kate Breslin

Beautiful, rich story. An author you'll love.
Christian historical. A novel of spies and underground fighters in WW2. It amazes me that with all the war stories, there are still so many more.This is intricate. The author strove to show the hardships of those who lived in occupied countries like Belgium and France, and to share the remarkable people of the Great War who worked behind enemy lines. You'll become completely engrossed as the characters come fully to life, full of grief and pain, and very little hope, yet doing their best to fight back in ways they could. And what they did was significant. People were so incredibly smart and resourceful even when they seemed completely dominated, yet they contributed to the fall of the German army. Excellent story to get lost in!

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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The Seamstress by Allison Pittman

Wow what a powerful story. A step into history. 

It's set in France 1788 just before, then during the French revolution. There is a place not far from where I live that was constructed with the hope that Marie Antoinette would find asylum there, but sadly she never made it. Going there, seeing how it was made ready for her, I wished I could have made or helped to make some of the things for her. In particular I remember a quilt made from velvet pieces with beautiful embroidery around each piece. My grandmother made one similar and the women in our family all stitched on it. It enhances my feeling about Marie, the war and a seamstress she might have had.

Renee is a poor girl taken in as an orphan with her cousin by a man, not that much older than them, who runs a farm that's been in his family for generations. They don't have much but she delights in small things and loves her new family, growing in a Christian way. They have a friend who believes in eliminating the royalty from France. Near their house a carriage overturns and Renee mends the gown of a woman who was within. The mending is quite clever and fashionable. The woman is close to the queen, and decides to take Renee with her.

Renee, though quite young, finds a new life at the palace, and her skills make her a favorite. I delight in reading about the fabrics and thread as the story describes how she uses them. And in the beauty of the palace. The author skillfully tells several sides of the struggle at this time and I found it very difficult to put down. It's hard not to feel strongly for the characters, and its not a very happy time overall for any of them. I like the depiction of Marie Antoinette as a good person who tried to help the poor. A get-lost-in-it book for me. Huge depths of emotion.

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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Quotes from the book:
"The rain hits steadily, like whispers, and my ear strains to the occasional heavy droplet. To think, being in such a small space, every drop of it is splashing only inches above our heads."

"The people are their own god now. Their desires, law."

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Wingbound by Heather Trim

Wow, what a great book! An easy-to-get-lost-in science fantasy that keeps you on edge to the very end and leaves you wanting more of the story. Heather has created an interesting world, in some ways similar to ours, but with some twists. Like a floating island called Ellery that comes by once a year. It’s floating very high in the air with the clouds, and its inhabitants have big beautiful wings. Unfortunately, they use those wings to fly down and take food from Ledger’s village during the harvest, and it’s a war that lasts as long as the island is overhead.

When Ledger is 10 he sneaks out during the war, just to get a look at the Ellerians. While hiding he meets a girl who flew down from Ellery with the same idea. Her name is Alouette and Ledger finds her beautiful and fascinating. For several years they continue their yearly meeting until one year the Ellerians didn’t fly down as the island floats over. Ledger is a blacksmith and quite an inventor and has been trying to find a way to fly up to Ellery. Concerned for Alouette, he goes against the Elders wishes and tries his latest invention, but doesn’t count on the company of his brother and three friends. Thus starts an adventure that goes deeper into this interesting world. Heather describes it in a way that lays it out in front of you in beauty and depth, yet it’s not so complicated that you have to struggle to remember details that would take you away from the story being told.

From the beginning this book keeps you engaged every second, and it’s hard to put down. Oh yes, and there are dragons too. The only disadvantage of reading the first book in a new series is having to wait for the next one. But then the biggest advantage of reading a book in a series is that there will be more!

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the Publisher. 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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From the Publisher:
Ledger is supposed to fear and despise the Sky People of Ellery. When an Ellerian girl named Alouette with beautiful, white wings sneaks into his village, everything changes. With his village at war with the winged people who live on the floating island that circles their world, he does the unthinkable: he befriends her. In Ledger’s seventeenth harvest, Ellery returns empty. The Sky People are gone, Alouette is missing, and Ledger must make a difficult choice—continue life as usual in the blacksmith workshop or board the island against the elders’ wishes and find her From debut author Heather Trim comes a vibrant fantasy where following the rules isn’t always the right thing to do when you were born to be the exception.