This week, the
Christian Fiction Blog Alliance
is introducing
The Wood's Edge
WaterBrook Press (April 21, 2015)
by
Lori Benton
MY THOUGHTS:
After hearing rave reviews for this author's debut I jumped at the chance to read her sophomore novel which I loved. So it was a no-brainer for me to request this book for review. I was already pretty excited to read it but my anticipation went through the roof after one of my favorite authors declared that this made it onto her all time favorites list. So with all that build up I dove in and thankfully I loved it! I love how Lori pays attention to every detail crafting stories that transport you to another time and place. I love the Revolutionary War time period and it was cool to see a bit of what it was like leading up to that, especially from the Indian's point of view.
The story took place over about two decades but the author did such a beautiful job of weaving it all together that it never felt disjointed. I loved watching all the characters grow up over time and see how their lives played out in the wake of what happened at Fort William Henry. Usually when reading a novel you meet the characters and then get brief glimpses at what made them who they are but in this one you actually got to experience all of the things that shaped them into the adults they were at the end. I loved how despite the things that both Anna and Two Hawks had to endure they kept themselves from becoming bitter through surrendering themselves to God. Their relationship was so sweet and it was fun to watch them go from friends to something more.
I enjoyed every minute of this book and I can't wait until the next in the series comes out!
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Lori Benton spent her late teens and early twenties pursuing a career as a wildlife artist, attending the Maryland College of Art & Design before she began painting professionally. When not writing or researching, Lori can be found exploring the mountains of southern Oregon with her husband, Brian. Lori's first novel, Burning Sky was nominated as an ECPA 2014 Christian Book Award Finalist and also received double nominations for 2014 Christy Awards.
The Pursuit of Tamsen Littlejohn is her second novel.
ABOUT THE BOOK
At the wood’s edge cultures collide. Can two families survive the impact?
The 1757 New York frontier is home to the Oneida tribe and to British colonists, yet their feet rarely walk the same paths.
On the day Fort William Henry falls, Major Reginald Aubrey is beside himself with grief. His son, born that day, has died in the arms of his sleeping wife. When Reginald comes across an Oneida mother with newborn twins, one white, one brown, he makes a choice that will haunt the lives of all involved. He steals the white baby and leaves his own child behind. Reginald’s wife and foundling daughter, Anna, never suspect the truth about the boy they call William, but Reginald is wracked by regret that only intensifies with time, as his secret spreads its devastating ripples.
When the long buried truth comes to light, can an unlikely friendship forged at the wood’s edge provide a way forward? For a father tormented by fear of judgment, another by lust for vengeance. For a mother still grieving her lost child. For a brother who feels his twin’s absence, another unaware of his twin’s existence. And for Anna, who loves them both—Two Hawks, the mysterious Oneida boy she meets in secret, and William, her brother. As paths long divided collide, how will God direct the feet of those who follow Him?
If you would like to read the first chapter of
The Wood's Edge, go
HERE.
