I received a complimentary copy of this book from Celebrate Lit and was under no obligation to post a review. No compensation was received for sharing this review and all opinions are my own.
Series: Nantucket Legacy #1
Published by Baker Books on February 6th, 2018
Source: Celebrate Lit
Genres: Christian, Fiction, General, Historical, Romance
Pages: 352
Phoebe Starbuck has always adjusted her sails and rudder to the whims of her father. Now, for the first time, she's doing what she wants to do: marrying Captain Phineas Foulger and sailing far away from Nantucket. As she leaves on her grand adventure, her father gives her two gifts, both of which Phoebe sees little need for. The first is an old sheepskin journal from Great Mary, her highly revered great-grandmother. The other is a "minder" on the whaling ship in the form of cooper Matthew Macy, a man whom she loathes.
Soon Phoebe discovers that life at sea is no easier than life on land. Lonely, seasick, and disillusioned, she turns the pages of Great Mary's journal and finds herself drawn into the life of this noble woman. To Phoebe's shock, her great-grandmother has left a secret behind that carries repercussions for everyone aboard the ship, especially her husband the captain and her shadow the cooper. This story within a story catapults Phoebe into seeing her life in an entirely new way--just in time.
In this brand-new series, bestselling author Suzanne Woods Fisher brings her signature twists and turns to bear on a fascinating new faith community: the Quakers of colonial-era Nantucket Island.
Note: Kristin reads and reviews both Christian and secular fiction on A Simply Enchanted Life. Out of respect for my readers, I am including a content review. This content review will help you decide whether this book is suitable for you.
Christian or Secular: Christian
ASEL Rating: Mild drug and alcohol use and suggestive dialogue but safe for most audiences.
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Profanity: None
Sex & Violence: Suggestive dialogue including a man beginning to undress his wife. Mild violence.
Drugs: Mentions of laudanum and alcohol.
Trigger Warning: None
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I love Suzanne Woods Fisher so I was very excited about the start of a new series from her. Having loved the Amish Beginnings Series I had no doubt that I was going to love this book. Truly, the cover is amazing so the hopes that I had were high.
The storyline of this book didn’t disappoint. I truly loved the era and it was fun reading about Quakers instead of Amish. So, let me explain why this book just didn’t do it for me.
I have some quirks and pet peeves when it comes to reading. Anyone that reads my blog will know that I dislike things like onomatopoeia (sound effects) or repetitive phrases and character introspection. Character introspection seeping into third person is becoming trendy and I see it more and more.
While this book lacked the use of sound effects, character introspection and repetition were fairly heavy-handed in this book. Here are a few examples:
Horrible man. Horrible. horrible, horrible.
Phoebe counted on her modest income as a seamstress to cobble together a way to make ends meet, even if barely—and how she hated sewing, hated, hated, hated it!—plus she had turned away other smaller projects to take on Sarah’s large wardrobe.
When she was summoned to go up the balustrade staircase to Sarah’s Chamber (there was indeed a mortgage button on the newel post—Phoebe looked for it!), not a squeak could be heard on the wooden stair tread. (She listened for it!)
The storyline of this book was fascinating. I just wasn’t fond of the new, trendy writing style. All of the characters are well-developed and the author certainly does her research. I appreciate her as an author very much. I just couldn’t look past my pet peeves to appreciate the book the way I should have.
If you’re a fan of Historical Christian Fiction and you don’t mind quirky characters that weasel their way into the narrative then I’d definitely suggest this book. Suzanne Woods Fisher is a talented author who can tell a story. She knows her Bible and her history.
Am I interested in continuing the series? Maybe. I do love the characters. So, we’ll see.
About Suzanne Woods Fisher
Suzanne Woods Fisher is the bestselling author of the Lancaster County Secrets series, the Stoney Ridge Seasons series, and The Inn at Eagle Hill series, as well as nonfiction books about the Amish, including Amish Peace. She is also the coauthor of an Amish children’s series, The Adventures of Lily Lapp. Suzanne is a Carol Award winner for The Search, a Carol Award finalist for The Choice, and a Christy Award finalist for The Waiting. She is also a columnist for Christian Post and Cooking & Such magazines. She lives in California. Learn more at www.suzannewoodsfisher.com and follow Suzanne on Twitter @suzannewfisher.
I loved Phoebe’s Light. A well-written and engaging book with good characters. I am looking forward to Minding the Light. Thank you for sharing your thoughts.
I really liked the characters too! And I have to say that the name Starbuck makes me think of coffee…always a good thing :-)