MY REVIEW:
I had been reading some positive comments about “Be Still My Soul” and was eager to read it for myself. When I saw it offered on the Blogging For Books program I was happy to have a chance to review it.
Once again I have been privileged to read the debut novel of an author I plan to add to my ever-growing library. “Be Still My Soul” will not be the last book I read by Joann Bischof. Her willingness to tackle difficult topics and to handle them in a realistic manner was just one aspect that made this book such a good one. Bischof has a way with words that made the chapters flow. I liked the way her characters matured both emotionally and spiritually as the book progressed. I also appreciated its redemptive message that provides hope for even the most undeserving.
I’ll admit that I didn’t particularly care for Gideon through most of the book but was happy with the conclusion of the story. I did like Lonnie a bit better but at times I became a little frustrated with her decisions. Good supporting characters added a depth to the story that enhanced its enjoyment.
I loved “Be Still My Soul” and can’t wait for the next offering in the Cadence of Grace series.
This book was provided for review by the WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group Blogging For Books Program.
ABOUT THE BOOK:
Gideon only ever cared about himself. Now that Lonnie is his wife, will he ever be worthy of her heart?
Night’s chill tickled her skin. Lonnie pressed her hands together and glanced up. He was even more handsome up close. Having grown up the shy, awkward daughter of Joel Sawyer, she’d hardly spoken to any boy, let alone the one who had mothers whispering warnings in their daughter’s ears and fathers loading shotguns.
Pretty Lonnie Sawyer is shy and innocent, used to fading into the background within her family, and among the creeks and hollows of the Appalachian hills. Though her family is poor and her father abusive, she clings to a quiet faith. But when handsome ladies’ man and bluegrass musician Gideon O’Riley steals a kiss, that one action seals her fate.
Her father forces her into a hasty marriage with Gideon—a man she barely knows and does not love. Equally frustrated and confused by his new responsibilities, Gideon yearns for a fresh start, forcing Lonnie on an arduous journey away from her home in Rocky Knob.
Her distant groom can’t seem to surrender his rage at the injustice of the forced matrimony or give Lonnie any claim in his life. What will it take for Gideon to give up his past, embrace Lonnie’s God, and discover a hope that can heal their two fractured hearts?
Set in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia at the turn of the last century, Be Still My Soul weaves together the threads of yearning, hope, and redemption to form a tale Joanne hopes will touch your heart, stir your senses, and evoke a greater understanding for the majestic God who created every hue and surface of the mountains I hold so dear.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Married to her first sweetheart, Joanne lives in the mountains of Southern California where she keeps busy making messes with their home schooled children. When she’s not weaving Appalachian romance, she’s blogging about faith, writing, and the adventures of country living that bring her stories to life.
