Beauty on the Backroads

Stories of grace for life's unexpected turns

new releases

A warm story for a cold night: a review of Unending Devotion by Jody Hedlund

It’s no secret: Jody Hedlund is one of my new favorite authors. She is skilled at taking historical people and events, wrapping them in a compelling plot, and writing can’t-put-them-down novels. Her two previous releases The Preacher’s Bride and The Doctor’s Lady are fun AND informative. Hedlund does her research.

And as much as I enjoyed those books, I LOVED her latest, Unending Devotion, even more. I was looking forward to the release so much that I bought an ebook copy before I’d heard that I’d be given a copy from the publisher to review. (So, lucky you, I’m going to give my copy away! Read on to find out how to win.)

Unending Devotion is the story of a passionate woman driven to make things right. Lily Young travels through Central Michigan logging towns in search of her sister, whom she fears is living in forced prostitution. Along the way, she rescues other women caught in the bondage of an overlooked slavery. In one such town, she meets Connell McCormick (who is just as enchanting on the page as his name sounds!), whom she doesn’t realize is the son of a lumber baron.

Sparks fly between the two, who don’t see eye-to-eye when it comes to the lumber business and the houses of ill repute that some think are necessary for a logging camp to thrive. Lily is reckless when it comes to tracking down her sister. Connell is cautious and eager to please his father. Both are in search of truth and freedom, and it’s a journey I couldn’t turn away from.

I don’t often read a work of fiction twice, but I would read this book again.

Lily is an inspiring heroine, even if she is sometimes blinded to danger by her love for her sister. And Connell is a conflicted hero who wants to do right by everybody but finds himself needing to choose whom he’s going to please and whether the consequences of that choice will be worth it.

This is a beautiful story of calling, purpose, freedom, redemption and love. And while the characters themselves are fictional, the circumstances about which Hedlund writes are historical. I’ve learned a lot lately about the current tragedy of human sex trafficking but never considered that sexual slavery is not a new problem, and even in the 19th century in the United States, it was a problem.

I would 100 percent recommend this book. Total winner.

If you still aren’t convinced, then check out the book trailer below. You won’t be sorry about reading this book.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OssvMSaSeQ4&feature=g-upl]

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In exchange for my review, I received a free copy of Unending Devotion from Bethany House Publishers.

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AND NOW … the moment you’ve all been waiting for! I have ONE copy of Unending Devotion to give away. So, how can you win?

1. Leave a comment below telling me your favorite setting (time period and/or geographical location) for a historical novel. That’ll get you ONE entry.

2. Check out Jody Hedlund’s Facebook page and “like” her. Come back here and leave a comment that you’ve done that. (Or if you already “like” her, tell me that, too.) That’s another entry.

3. Share this giveaway! Post it to Facebook, tweet about it (tag me @lmbartelt and Jody @jodyhedlund in your message) or e-mail it to a friend. Comment telling me what you did. You’ll get one entry for however you share about the giveaway.

Overall, that’s THREE chances to win.

I’ll pick a winner via Random.org and post the name on Monday, December 3. Good luck to all!

Epic road trip: review of Harriet Beamer Takes the Bus by Joyce Magnin

A bet between a mother-in-law and daughter-in-law can’t end well, right?

Rest assured, it’s not as bad as it might sound. In fact, it’s better. It’s the premise for Joyce Magnin’s latest novel, Harriet Beamer Takes the Bus.

When Harriet Beamer, a 70-something widow, falls off a chair while hanging ornaments on the Christmas tree, her son and daughter-in-law decide it’s time she move from her home in suburban Philadelphia to their home in California. The catch is: she only has to move if her ankle is broken. Harriet, never one to turn down a bet, agrees. When the X-ray comes back showing she’s broken her ankle, Harriet has no choice but to keep her end of the bet. She packs up her salt-and-pepper shaker collection and puts her basset hound, Humphrey, on a plane. Realizing she’s never been anywhere, she decides not to get on the plane with her beloved canine. She’s going to move to California, but she’s going to see some sights along the way.

What follows is Harriet’s bold, outrageous and sometimes frightening journey across the United States on public transportation, with a few alternate means. Her trip is nowhere near a straight shot from east to west, which is how she intends it.

I’ve been a fan of Magnin’s books for about a year. (Read my reviews of a couple of her other books here.) She weaves a tale that is remarkable and inspiring with characters who feel like old friends. Magnin has a knack for creating outrageously believable scenarios and is a master of imagery. A person Harriet meets doesn’t just have wrinkles. He has more wrinkles than the prunes Harriet ate for breakfast. The book is brimming with clear pictures of people and places. What a treat.

FAVORITES: In the midst of Harriet’s travels are nuggets of wisdom that hit you almost out of the blue. Harriet is on a physical journey and a spiritual journey.  What she learns spoke to me in the midst of a journey of unknown destination in my own life.

FAULTS: If there is any fault at all, it’s that Harriet  Beamer may not appeal to a younger generation because of her age. Although with the popularity of Betty White and her friends on television, there is hope. And I do hope that readers of all ages pick up this book, or download it, because just like our grandparents’ generation, Harriet Beamer has something to teach us all.

IN A WORD: Vicarious. Reading Harriet Beamer Takes the Bus makes me want to travel and do unexpectedly courageous things. Now. Not when I’m 70. I even marked a couple of places in the book to look up later as possible travel destinations.

Harriet’s journey continues on her blog. Yes, that’s right. Harriet Beamer has her own blog. You can follow her ongoing adventures here. I’m eager to catch up on her travels.

Side note: If you’ve got a Kindle, Magnin’s first book in the Bright’s Pond series, The Prayers of Agnes Sparrow, is free (as of Tuesday night). Check it out here.

About the Author

Joyce Magnin is the author of five novels, including the popular and quirky Bright’s Pond series and the middle grade novel “Carrying Mason.” She is a writing instructor and frequent conference speaker. Joyce lives in Pennsylvania with her son, Adam, and their crazy cat, Mango, who likes to eat nachos.

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In exchange for this review, I received a free advanced digital copy of the book from Zondervan.