America
19th Century
Lilac Spring
Back of the Book:
Daughter of a prominent nineteenth-century Maine shipbuilder, Cherish Winslow had a deep love for ships, the ocean—and her father’s apprentice, Silas van der Zee. Once his childhood companion in Haven’s End, Cherish wished Silas could see she was no longer a girl in pigtails but a woman in love.
To Silas, Cherish was a beacon of light, illuminating his lonely life…yet he doubted a lowly apprentice could win the heart of such an elegant young lady. A stolen kiss brought a moment’s hope…but he soon found himself tossed out on the street, with no job, no home, no chance of a future. In his darkest hour, Silas must find the strength to fight for his life—and for his beloved Cherish.
My Review:
Sorry to disappoint, but Silas never had to “fight for his life” in the way the review claims. He had to decide what he wanted and what God wanted for his life, but he was never in danger of death.
I’m once again disappointed with Ruth’s books. I wasn’t able to finish the last one I read, and I wasn’t pulled into this story like I usually am. It took me a few weeks to read. The story was OK, and the characters weren’t ones that I could easily identify with. Now it wasn’t a bad story, but it wasn’t spectacular, either. And if you are interested, there was a cameo appearance by Geneva and Caleb Phelps from Ruth’s other book, Wild Rose.
I did like the fact that Ruth deals with more complicated spiritual issues than just deciding to follow Christ. She deals with heart issues involved when relationships are involved. It’s more than just “I like you and you like me so we should get married.” She dealt with how you can survive when God’s answer is “no” or “not yet.” I did enjoy that aspect of this book and felt that a few of the chapters really impacted my life.