I am so excited to be part of the 'Hymns in the Hills' Release tour, it's my first time participating in one. Rebekah A. Morris did a wondering job with this book, a big thank you to her for letting me review it! Read to the end to find out how you can enter a giveaway for a Kindle version of this book!
“Could you not teach them what you do know?”
Separated from her parents and sent to live with unknown relatives for the summer, Belle Standish clings hard to the promises found in her dear Bible and her beloved hymns. As she grows to love her newly discovered family, she finds much work to be done for her Lord in this neglected field.
But when danger threatens those she loves, Belle's faith and courage are tested in ways she never imagined. Will God's promises hold true even in the midst of the storm? And what can she possibly accomplish with just her one little light?
'Hymns in the Hills' is set in the late 1800s, in a "backwoods" community. The setting is brought to life through the pages of this book.
The characters in this book were all vibrant and realistic - I could imagine meeting them. They fit in well to the setting of the book and were engaging. The banter between the siblings was fun to read.
Belle was a sweet character, positive yet quite serious. I really enjoyed watching her grow in maturity and learn to face her fears. My other favourite characters were Jess and Ez, but Ali and the pastor were also great!
The plot wasn't super dramatic - at least to start, this isn't a thriller or mystery - but I enjoyed being able to see the day to day life and struggles of the families, as well as the inner struggles of some of the characters. It was well paced, and near the end became more exciting.
It took a little while for me to get used to the formatting of the hymns' lyrics being included, and the accents of the characters, but quickly got used to this and enjoyed it. It also took a while for me to figure who's who, but I think that kind of painted a picture of how Belle felt being a stranger in a new place with all these cousins running around!
Overall, I really enjoyed this book. The characterization was great and the dialogue and plot were engaging. Anyone who loves Christian historical fiction, with lots of theological content would enjoy this, especially girls 9-16.
More about the author - Rebekah A. Morris is a homeschool graduate, an enthusiastic freelance author and a passionate writing teacher. Her books include, among others, Home Fires of the Great War, The Unexpected Request, Gift from the Storm and her best-selling Triple Creek Ranch series. Some of her favourite pastimes, when she isn’t writing, include reading and coming up with dramatic and original things to do. The Show-Me state is where she calls home.
If you would like to read 'Hymns in the Hills', or one of her other books you can find her on Goodreads, Amazon, or at her blog Read Another Page.
Now for the giveaway! Follow the links in the schedule below, a word is included in each of the blog posts, that you will need to unscramble into a sentence to enter. Once you've found all the words {the last one will be posted on June 1st} you can enter here. Here's the word for my blog - AND.
Monday, May 27th
Rebekah – Introduction Post
Leona – Review & Author Interview
Amanda – Book Spotlight
Tuesday, May 28
Kaitlyn S. – Review & Author Interview
Rebekah Ashley – Book Spotlight
Rebekah – Names
Wednesday, May 29
Erika – Review
Sarah – Book Spotlight
Rebekah – Hymn Books
Thursday, May 30
Kaylee – Review – Review
Rachel – this post!
Rebekah – Editing
Friday, May 31
Esther – Author Interview
Jessica – Book Spotlight
Rebekah –Setting
Saturday, June 1
Kassie – Review & Author Interview
Rosalyn – Book Spotlight & Review
Penny – Review
Rebekah – Final Post + Book Covers
