The Proving book review

Beverly Lewis is well known for her stories about the Amish. Her charming, relatable tales give us a peek into the daily lives of the People, and are a refreshing respite from our busy lives. And of course, there is always the draw of reading about a culture that is so different from ours. Her newest book, The Proving did not disappoint. I read it faster than I have read most books recently, because once I picked it up, I just couldn't put it down!

The Proving follows the story of Mandy, a young woman who thought she left the Amish life behind her for good five years ago. But an unexpected phone call informs her not only of her mother's death, but also of her inheritance of her mother's popular Amish inn. Now Mandy must face her family and run the inn for a full year, or lose all of her inheritance. Faced wish many challenges, can she pull it off? Or will the past that she tried to escape force her to give up and return to the easier "English" life she has become accustomed to? I'm not going to spoil the story and tell you, so you'll just have to run to your nearest library and pick up the book today!

I received this book free from Bethany House publishers as part of their blogger book review program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions expressed are my own.

Wings of the Wind book review.

I've always loved history, and I credit this in large part to historical fiction. Placing a fictional character into a historical setting brings the history alive. And that is exactly what Connilyn Cossette did in her latest book, Wings of the Wind, a historical fiction story that takes place in Biblical times. Although it is the third book in the "Out from Egypt" series (which I didn't realize when I requested my review copy, and I haven't read the first two books in the series), it is able to stand alone very nicely. I believe that each book in the series focuses on different characters, so you can dive into the series anywhere without feeling lost.

The story centers around fictional characters Alanah and Tobiah. Alanah is a Canaanite woman, alone in the world and feeling like her life has no purpose. Tobiah is a Hebrew warrior, one of many who have been wandering in the wilderness for 40 years and who are eager to enter and conquer Canaan. When God brings them together through incredible circumstances, neither of their lives will ever be the same.

The seamless way that Cossette wove these fictional characters' lives into the historical context was amazing. She imagined what it must have been like during those 40 years in the wilderness, a period of time that the Bible is mainly silent about. I won't give anything away, but my favorite part was a few chapters from the end, when a plot twist developed that made my history-loving heart very happy! The story is definitely worth a read, and I think I will be going back and reading the first two books in the series as well!

I received this book free from Bethany House publishers as part of their blogger book review program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions expressed are my own.