Beauty on the Backroads

Stories of grace for life's unexpected turns

Fiction

Finding the source of true strength: Review of Freedom’s Ring by Heidi Chiavaroli

This week is a significant one for patriotism and remembering, and though I didn’t plan to review this book this week for that reason, I’m glad it worked out that way. Freedom’s Ring by Heidi Chiavorelli weaves two momentous times in the life of Boston, Massachusetts: the Boston Massacre and the Boston Marathon Bombing.

There was so much for me to love about this book: the back-and-forth between time periods, the Boston setting, the theme of finding the true source of strength in difficult circumstances. The middle of the book had me turning page after page and because I visited Boston for the first time this year, the setting was easy to imagine.

(Disclosure: I received a copy of the book from the publisher. Review reflects my own opinion.)

If I have complaints it’s the beginning and end, and they are probably just personal preferences.

Overall, I enjoyed the historical thread following Liberty Caldwell through the events leading up to the American Revolution and the contemporary thread following Annie David through the aftermath of the Boston Marathon bombing. The trials and lessons both women face are tied together well, and it was fun to discover the events that connect them.

A strong debut offering from an author I will continue to follow.

Second time as captivating as the first: Review of The Day the Angels Fell by Shawn Smucker

A lot has changed since the first time I read this book, back when it was Kickstarter funded and self-published. I mean, the story itself is mostly the same, but my appreciation for young adult and middle grade fiction has grown.

So, it’s no surprise that I enjoyed my second read of The Day the Angels Fell by Shawn Smucker even more than my first. (I gave it 5 stars years ago, I wish I could give it more now. Also, I received a copy of the book from the publisher.)

What I said before is true: The Day the Angels Fell is a captivating debut novel from a talented author and blogger who takes time to see the world in a way few others do.

Part bedtime story, part fictional memoir, part adventure story, I loved this tale of Sam and Abra and what happened after Sam’s mother died. I kept turning the pages because I had no idea what was going to happen next or how things were going to work out. (I didn’t remember all the details from the first go-round this time, either.) As with Lord of the Rings, I couldn’t be sure Sam would make the right decisions (or the ones I thought he should make) until the very end. And I liked how we got two perspectives on Sam’s life–what happened when he was a boy, and him as an old man about to attend a funeral.

This is not an action-packed kind of page-turner but more like a walk through the woods with bends and curves and hills and valleys and you’re never quite sure where the story is going but you keep following the path because the scenery is so beautiful and you’re curious to discover where you’ll end up.

Even though it’s a young adult book, adults should be quick to scoop this one up because the themes are just as important for us to consider. I am now more eager for the sequel, which releases next summer, and just love how this book has blossomed in the hands of a traditional publisher.