BOOK REVIEW

Wednesday, October 07, 2009


This week, the

Christian Fiction Blog Alliance

is introducing

A Measure of Mercy

Bethany House (October 1, 2009)

by

Lauraine Snelling



ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Award-winning and best selling author Lauraine Snelling began living her dream to be a writer with her first published book for young adult readers, Tragedy on the Toutle, in 1982. She has since continued writing more horse books for young girls, adding historical and contemporary fiction and nonfiction for adults and young readers to her repertoire. All told, she has up to sixty books published.


Shown in her contemporary romances and women’s fiction, a hallmark of Lauraine’s style is writing about real issues of forgiveness, loss, domestic violence, and cancer within a compelling story. Her work has been translated into Norwegian, Danish, and German, and she has won the Silver Angel Award for An Untamed Land and a Romance Writers of America Golden Heart for Song of Laughter.

As a most sought after speaker, Lauraine encourages others to find their gifts and live their lives with humor and joy. Her readers clamor for more books more often, and Lauraine would like to comply ... if only her paintbrushes and easel didn’t call quite so loudly.

Lauraine and her husband, Wayne, have two grown sons, and live in the Tehachapi Mountains with a cockatiel named Bidley, and a watchdog Basset named Chewy. They love to travel, most especially in their forty-foot motor coach, which they affectionately deem “a work in progress”.


ABOUT THE BOOK

Eighteen-year-old Astrid Bjorklund has always dreamed of becoming a doctor. She had intended to study medicine in Chicago or Grand Forks, but when a disaster wiped out a major portion of her family's income, Astrid stayed home instead, receiving hands-on training from Dr. Elizabeth.

Joshua Landsverk left Blessing two years ago, but he's never forgotten Astrid. Returning to town, he seeks to court her.

Astrid is attracted to him, and when the opportunity unexpectedly opens for her to go to Chicago for medical training, she finds it difficult to leave. Love blossoms through their letters, but upon arriving back home, she makes a heartbreaking discovery. She learns he's left town--again. Believing Joshua no longer loves her, Astrid makes an impetuous, heart-wrenching decision.

Will she regret the choice she's made? Will she have to give up love to pursue her dream?

If you would like to read the first chapter of A Measure of Mercy, go HERE

MY REVIEW:
It's difficult not to fall in love with Astrid Bjorklund. When you first meet her she is eighteen and studying medicine under the direction of Dr. Elizabeth Bjorklund. Her heart's desire is to become a Dr. and practice medicine in her home community called Blessing. The heart of the book is about her desire to follow the will of God for her life. She struggles with leaving home and going to Chicago for training, her romantic interest in a man named Joshua and the tug on her heart to respond to the need for medical missionarys in Africa. I found this book captivating from beginning to end. When I put it down I was looking forward to the next book in the series.
Astrid Bjorklund has made my faith stronger for doing the will of God and accepting his direction for my life regardless of the cost.

7 comments:

Heart2Heart said...

Clif,

You just gotta love books like this one. I find it makes the story more believable when you add God to the storyline.

Love and Hugs ~ Kat

Mary said...

Clif, I am so glad you posted this review today! My 15 yr. old granddaughter is a horse lover...she's taken riding lessons for a few years, and longs to own a horse ranch some day. She is also a book worm (nerd would be a better description), so I'm always on the lookout for good books about horses. To find some with a Christian theme is just what I've been looking for. Thanks!
Blessings,
Mary

SmilingSally said...

Hey, I didn't know that you got connected to CFBA. Congrats!

Mary said...

Hi Clif...Yes, I know the book you reviewed wasn't about horses, but at the beginning of "about the author", you mentioned that she wrote some books about horses for young adults, like "Tragedy on the Toutle"...those were the books I was referring to...sorry, I sure wasn't clear in my comment earlier. The book you reviewed looks good, too!

Gee, I hope I didn't read this wrong again...sometimes my eyes don't connect with my brain!

Loren said...

Great review Clif! and thanks for sharing the Author with us this time!! She sounds like a neat lady!

This book sounds great!

Mary said...

LOL! I do things like that all the time! I once read on a blog that "sienna craft paper" was used to antique a piece of furniture after it was painted. I called all the craft stores to inquire, but they hadn't heard of it. I emailed her to ask her where she got the "sienna paper", and she emailed me back and said PAINT, not PAPER. She said she would have to go back and change her post...I felt so dum-d-dum...I immediately looked at the post again to be sure, and it DID say "paint". I emailed her again and told her I was so sorry, that it was my mistake, that sometimes my eyes played tricks on me. Even though I've left her a zillion nice comments, I've never received another comment from her since. I suspect she thinks I'm a kook.

I emailed my address to you earlier today...thanks!

Mary

Cheptoek said...

What a lovely review. Makes me want to dash to the bookstore and get this one. Since I just recently resigned from my job that is not a luxury I can entertain now but it is on my list when a new job comes by! Thank you for introducing me to this author too.