Beauty on the Backroads

Stories of grace for life's unexpected turns

Fiction

A northern lighthouse adventure: Review of Undaunted Hope by Jody Hedlund

When Tessa Taylor shows up in Eagle Harbor, Michigan, to take on the role of teacher in the copper mining community, her gender causes a stir, and not just because the town was expecting a male teacher. Tessa’s quick wit catches the notice of assistant lightkeeper Alex Bjorklund, and her compassionate care makes her the object of affection of two of her students, who think she would be good for their widower father. When the men begin to compete for her affection, Tessa doesn’t know what to do. She came to Eagle Harbor for a fresh start from her past. But will it catch up with her?

Undaunted-Hope coverAll you really need to know about Undaunted Hope is that Jody Hedlund wrote it. (You know my love for this author by now, right?) And it’s set on the shores of Lake Superior on the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. Even the descriptions of the frigid winter days were appealing. But probably only in my imagination. (Disclaimer: I received a free copy of the book in exchange for my review.)

Undaunted Hope LH

The real lighthouse in Eagle Harbor | Photo by Jody Hedlund

I generally love whatever Jody Hedlund writes, and these lighthouse books have been a great combination of interesting settings and compelling characters. In this one, I liked the banter between Tessa and Alex. It made me smile. And Tessa’s passion for her students and the betterment of the community drives her commitment to stay even when faced with obstacles. And with her usual skill, Hedlund orchestrates circumstances that force Tessa to face her greatest fears and decide if love is worth any cost.

While it’s the third in the Beacons of Hope series, and there is a thread to flows through the books, it stands on its own. If you haven’t read the others (and why haven’t you?), you won’t be lost. But in case you do want to read them and know more about them, you can find out more here and here.

I loved seeing pictures of the real lighthouse, and Hedlund always includes some background information on the real setting of her book and the ways in which she deviated from history. She has a unique way of giving historical events such life that it feels like you’re there. And her words are inspiring, evoking emotion and reflection. I appreciate that Hedlund is willing to put her characters through difficulty so they can discover a truer sense of purpose and self and experience greater trust in God.

As always, I look forward to the next one in the series. (There’s a clue in each book about who the next heroine will be.)

Undaunted Hope quote graphic

Did you know? Gone With the Wind edition {And a chance to win a book!}

Yesterday, I told you about a new book from Susan Meissner, set around the movie Gone With the Wind and featuring a famous costume piece from the movie–the hat that accompanies the green curtain dress.

To go along with the release of the book, Susan provided some trivia about the dress. I learned some fascinating details, so I share them with you today! And keep reading for a chance to win a signed copy of Susan’s new book, Stars Over Sunset Boulevard. Q&ACurtaindress

  • Peggy Marsh (aka Margaret Mitchell) was inspired by her own great-grandmother’s elaborate curtains when she wrote the curtain-dress scene. According to the story passed down through the family, Peggy’s great-grandmother’s velvet drapes still hung in her home after the hell of the Civil War; one of a few remnants of the house’s lingering dignity.
  • Did you know that a dress and hat made from curtains for that time in history wasn’t so far off the mark? Post-war Southern women were known to fashion pins from thorns and buttons from walnuts.
  • Costume director Walter Plunkett knew that real drapes would be bleached from constant exposure to the sun, and he endeavored to re-create that look for Scarlett’s curtain dress, but the color saturation of Technicolor film was too intense and the fabric didn’t come across faded in the movie.
  • In the novel Gone with the Wind, Scarlett’s green eyes are one of her most intriguing features. Vivien Leigh’s eyes were blue, however, so the producers used a combination of green clothes and camera filters to make her eyes appear green in close-ups.
  • According to the book The Art of Gone with the Wind by Judy Cameron, the price tag for the curtain dress and the two hats (one was a back-up) was nearly five hundred dollars; far more than the $300 needed to pay the taxes on Tara! In today’s economy that would be close to nine thousand dollars.
  • More than 2,500 costumes were made just for the female performers and extras. The entire budget for Gone with the Wind in 1939 was $4 million – the costumes alone would cost close to than $3 million today.
  • While Gone with the Wind pretty much swept the 1940 Academy Awards, costume designer Walter Plunkett didn’t win one, but that’s only because there wasn’t an Oscar for Costume Design until 1948. Plunkett finally won his long-overdue honor in 1951 for An American in Paris.
  • When The University of Texas acquired the famed curtain-dress, as well as other GWTW costumes and memorabilia in the late 1980s, it was so damaged restorers weren’t sure it would ever be on exhibit. The University raised $30,000 to restore the curtain-dress and other GWTW dresses.
  • The dress Carol Burnett wore in her “Went with the Wind” 1976 parody is on exhibit in the Smithsonian – curtain rod and all.

SOSB_NEW_Final.inddWant to win your own copy of Stars Over Sunset Boulevard? Then, tell me one of the following things in the comments and I’ll enter your name in a random drawing. Don’t forget to provide an e-mail address so I can contact you if you win! (Open to U.S. and Canadian residents only.)

If you’re a fan of Gone With the Wind, what’s your favorite line/scene from the movie? What captures your attention from the story?

If you’ve never seen the movie, what other classic film is your favorite, and why?

I’ll take entries until the end of the day on Monday, January 11, when I’ll pick a winner.