Book Summary (Goodreads)...When captured rebel Scotsman Alex MacKinnon is granted the king's mercy--exile to the Colony of North Carolina--he's indentured to Englishman Edmund Carey as a blacksmith. Against his will Alex is drawn into the struggles of Carey's slaves--and those of his stepdaughter, Joanna Carey. A mistress with a servant's heart, Joanna is expected to wed her father's overseer, Phineas Reeves, but finds herself drawn instead to the new blacksmith. As their unlikely relationship deepens, successive tragedies strike the Careys. When blame falls unfairly upon Alex he flees to the distant mountains where he encounters Reverend Pauling, itinerate preacher and friend of the Careys, now a prisoner of the Cherokees. Haunted by his abandoning of Joanna, Alex tries to settle into life with the Cherokees, until circumstances thwart yet another attempt to forge his freedom and he's faced with the choice that's long hounded him: continue down his rebellious path or embrace the faith of a man like Pauling, whose freedom in Christ no man can steal. But the price of such mercy is total surrender, and perhaps Alex's very life.
My thoughts... Every book I've read by Lori Benton is like an epic journey into a time and place in history that hits on all points of the 5 senses. You are literally able to see, hear, touch, smell and taste what the characters do. Granted, these characters are fictional, but their story is written in such a detailed manner, and reflect the lives of those who really did live in that time period, that it has the feel of reading a true account. That's the appeal of her books, in my opinion. While she doesn't go into all of the details of the evil that was done to some of the characters, I physically felt the rise and fall in the tension as my heart sped up along with the angst that the author, I'm sure, wanted her readers to feel. Lori Benton also knows how to write some great romantic tension. And thank you for a Scotsman as a hero...they rarely disappoint ; ).
The book is also cleverly titled, as "the king's mercy" is the way a person given his or her life by mercy of the king of England. Although Alex MacKinnon initially doesn't see his path to an indenture at Severn Plantation an act of mercy. At every turn, Alex is being mistreated and betrayed. His one bright spot there is Joanna Carey, but she struggles with the hold that Severn has on her as well. The story takes many twists and turns, several of which were unexpected. I really enjoyed those surprise twists, although they addressed the heartache of what many slaves, Native Americans, indentures, and others faced during that time. As the story went on, Alex saw the work of God, and His mercy, on his life. I would certainly recommend this novel if you're a fan of historical Christian fiction. While it is long (400 pages), it is worth the time!
**I received a free copy of this novel from the publisher via NetGalley, in order to give an honest review. All opinions are my own.**
No comments:
Post a Comment