Charity L. (kingsdaughter1611) -
I have to admit up front, this is the first book from Laurie Alice Eakes I didn't really care for. I have read her other books, flew through them to be exact, and this one had some things I didn't like. I read all of it, she still kept my attention, but there were a couple things I think could have been left out.
This is the third book in the Midwives series and has to deal with Dominick and Tabitha's daughter. Esther has followed her mothers footsteps and also learned how to become a midwife. But then a scandal arises and she leaves town without telling her parents where she is going. Turns out she is going to the mountains to teach children to read and write. But she doesn't know about the feud going on in those same mountains. Caught in the middle as two men from opposite sides vie for her attention makes for an interesting read. I wasn't sure who she would pick in the end.
This book deals with a delicate subject and I understand that. The scandal was something that happens quite often and you deal with in books many times. But I had a hard time with Esther's attitude. She knows that the flirting has gotten her in trouble before, and yet she uses it as a ploy with both men at different times. And I know some people will flirt, whatever, but the whole running her hands through his hair, touching his arm, etc just got to me. Again, some people may have no problem with this. It may not bother you at all. I just felt like her attitude was wrong about it.
I loved learning more about the herbs and medicines that were used back then. A midwife was also somewhat of a healer of sorts and didn't only help with birthing children. She wasn't always looked kindly upon and back then, many people thought she used strange spirits to help in her treatments. And the history of the feuding in the mountains of Virginia was quite interesting. You hear about the Hatfields and McCoys and it kind of ran in that vein.
This is a book that had a great plot and wonderful characters. Believe me, I raced through the book:) But I would recommend this for older ages because of a couple topics talked about. Can't wait for the next book from Laurie!
Available January 2013 at your favorite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.
I received a copy of this book for my review purposes. I did not receive any monetary compensation. All thoughts are 100% mine.
This is the third book in the Midwives series and has to deal with Dominick and Tabitha's daughter. Esther has followed her mothers footsteps and also learned how to become a midwife. But then a scandal arises and she leaves town without telling her parents where she is going. Turns out she is going to the mountains to teach children to read and write. But she doesn't know about the feud going on in those same mountains. Caught in the middle as two men from opposite sides vie for her attention makes for an interesting read. I wasn't sure who she would pick in the end.
This book deals with a delicate subject and I understand that. The scandal was something that happens quite often and you deal with in books many times. But I had a hard time with Esther's attitude. She knows that the flirting has gotten her in trouble before, and yet she uses it as a ploy with both men at different times. And I know some people will flirt, whatever, but the whole running her hands through his hair, touching his arm, etc just got to me. Again, some people may have no problem with this. It may not bother you at all. I just felt like her attitude was wrong about it.
I loved learning more about the herbs and medicines that were used back then. A midwife was also somewhat of a healer of sorts and didn't only help with birthing children. She wasn't always looked kindly upon and back then, many people thought she used strange spirits to help in her treatments. And the history of the feuding in the mountains of Virginia was quite interesting. You hear about the Hatfields and McCoys and it kind of ran in that vein.
This is a book that had a great plot and wonderful characters. Believe me, I raced through the book:) But I would recommend this for older ages because of a couple topics talked about. Can't wait for the next book from Laurie!
Available January 2013 at your favorite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.
I received a copy of this book for my review purposes. I did not receive any monetary compensation. All thoughts are 100% mine.
I really liked this book, which is the third and final book in the Midwives series by Laurie Alice Eakes. The heroine ran away from trouble in her hometown right into a mountain community which was having a vicious family feud. Interesting plot with good characters. Highly recommended!
Victoria T. (justicepirate) reviewed Choices of the Heart (Midwives, Bk 3) on + 350 more book reviews
Esther. . . Esther. She definitely is seeping in her own guilt when she really shouldn't be, but throughout the book she will feel she isn't good enough for a lot and beats herself up and feels like she deserves guilt and doesn't deserve good things because of a situation she went through in the past.
Esther went up into the Appalachian Mountains to become a teacher, even though she is a trained midwife. There is a big family feud happening all around her once she arrives between the Tollivers and the Brookses and the Neffs and whoever else (I have Brooks and Neffs in my own family line so that was really weird to read about, but my family line never moved south of NJ. Okay, back to the bulk of this book).
The two cousins, Griff Tolliver and Zach Brooks, have made a pact of peace with their families, but something is still happening around them that is filled with hatred and vengeance. Esther has no idea what has happened, but she hopes that it will stop happening! Both of the cousins seem to have taken a liking to her as well, but she doesn't want to be in a relationship (though the actual reason why, I won't give away). Throughout this we also learn a little bit about Hannah, Zach's sister and Bethann, Griff's sister.
The whole story has some intense situations that might be a bit much for teens to read, even though this is a Christian Fiction story. I think it was really good though. I think I may have liked it more than the other two books in this series. Therefore, I give it a 3.5 star rating. Speaking of the series, this book does have the main characters from both book 1 and 2 show up! The story is about forgiveness and the love of God. It might make you tear up a slight as it did to me.
Esther went up into the Appalachian Mountains to become a teacher, even though she is a trained midwife. There is a big family feud happening all around her once she arrives between the Tollivers and the Brookses and the Neffs and whoever else (I have Brooks and Neffs in my own family line so that was really weird to read about, but my family line never moved south of NJ. Okay, back to the bulk of this book).
The two cousins, Griff Tolliver and Zach Brooks, have made a pact of peace with their families, but something is still happening around them that is filled with hatred and vengeance. Esther has no idea what has happened, but she hopes that it will stop happening! Both of the cousins seem to have taken a liking to her as well, but she doesn't want to be in a relationship (though the actual reason why, I won't give away). Throughout this we also learn a little bit about Hannah, Zach's sister and Bethann, Griff's sister.
The whole story has some intense situations that might be a bit much for teens to read, even though this is a Christian Fiction story. I think it was really good though. I think I may have liked it more than the other two books in this series. Therefore, I give it a 3.5 star rating. Speaking of the series, this book does have the main characters from both book 1 and 2 show up! The story is about forgiveness and the love of God. It might make you tear up a slight as it did to me.
