Book Review: Under the Tulip Tree by Michelle Shocklee

About the Book:

Sixteen-year-old Lorena Leland’s dreams of a rich and fulfilling life as a writer are dashed when the stock market crashes in 1929. Seven years into the Great Depression, Rena’s banker father has retreated into the bottle, her sister is married to a lazy charlatan and gambler, and Rena is an unemployed newspaper reporter. Eager for any writing job, Rena accepts a position interviewing former slaves for the Federal Writers’ Project. There, she meets Frankie Washington, a 101-year-old woman whose honest yet tragic past captivates Rena.

As Frankie recounts her life as a slave, Rena is horrified to learn of all the older woman has endured—especially because Rena’s ancestors owned slaves. While Frankie’s story challenges Rena’s preconceptions about slavery, it also connects the two women whose lives are otherwise separated by age, race, and circumstances. But will this bond of respect, admiration, and friendship be broken by a revelation neither woman sees coming?

Read an excerpt from Under the Tulip Tree on the publisher's website.

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My Thoughts:

Under the Tulip Tree by Michelle Shocklee boldly invites the reader into the lives of Frankie, a 101-year-old former slave, and Lorena (Rena), a struggling writer, whose family once owned slaves. Frankie is an especially fascinating character. The way she talks – both her word choice and forthrightness – captivated me and made her the star of this novel in both timelines. Despite her tragic past, she bestows love on all those around her, treating all as family.

Although Under the Tulip Tree is based on the Federal Writers’ Project from the late 1930s, it is a work of deeply moving historical fiction. Sometimes the story felt very sad, and I paused reading as needed. The novel deals with themes of hatred, forgiveness, and racial reconciliation. I appreciated that hope prevailed for both Frankie and Rena.

Under the Tulip Tree by Michelle Shocklee stands as the best book I have read so far in 2021. I read it with my church’s ladies book club and it generated plenty of discussion. I highly recommend this novel to readers of historical fiction.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I was provided a copy of this book by the author or publisher. All opinions in this review are my own.

First Line Fridays: Roots of Wood and Stone by Amanda Wen

Happy Friday!

First Line Fridays is hosted by Hoarding Books and participants share the first line from a nearby book.

Today, I'm sharing the first line from Roots of Wood and Stone by Amanda Wen.

"Sloane Kelley stood in the lobby of the Sedgwick County Museum of History, the thick buffalo robe hanging warm and heavy on her arms."

Have you read Roots of Wood and Stone?

What are you reading this weekend? I'd love for you to share your book's first line!

Happy reading!

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About the Book:

This historic home holds the keys to their destiny . . . and their hearts

Abandoned at birth, her family roots a mystery, historical museum curator Sloane Kelley has dedicated her life to making sure others know theirs. When a donor drops off a dusty old satchel, she doesn't expect much from the common artifact . . .until she finds real treasure inside: a nineteenth-century diary. Now she's on the hunt to find out more.

Garrett Anderson just wanted to clean out his grandmother's historic but tumbledown farmhouse before selling it to fund her medical care. With her advancing Alzheimer's, he can't afford to be sentimental about the family home. But his carefully ordered plan runs up against two formidable obstacles: Sloane, who's fallen in love with both the diaries and the house, and his own heart, which is irresistibly drawn to Sloane.

A century and a half earlier, motherless Annabelle Collins embarks with her aunt and uncle on the adventure of a lifetime: settling the prairies of Sedgwick County, Kansas. The diaries she left behind paint a portrait of life, loss, and love--and a God who faithfully carries her through it all. Paging through the diaries together takes Sloane and Garrett on a journey they never could have planned, which will change them in ways they never imagined.

This warm, beautifully written split-time novel will resonate with readers looking for stories that reveal the beauty of God's plan for our lives, and how our actions ripple for generations.

Book Spotlight & Giveaway: A Tapestry of Light by Kimberly Duffy

 

Welcome to the Blog Tour for A Tapestry of Light by Kimberly Duffy, hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours!

ABOUT THE BOOK

Title: A Tapestry of Light
Author: Kimberly Duffy
Publisher: Bethany House Publishers
Release date: March 16, 2021
Genre: Christian Historical Romance

Calcutta, 1886. 

Ottilie Russell is adrift between two cultures, British and Indian, belonging to both and neither. In order to support her little brother, Thaddeus, and her grandmother, she relies upon her skills in beetle-wing embroidery that have been passed down to her through generations of Indian women. 

When a stranger appears with the news that Thaddeus is now Baron Sunderson and must travel to England to take his place as a nobleman, Ottilie is shattered by the secrets that come to light. Despite her growing friendship with Everett Scott, friend to Ottilie's English grandmother and aunt, she refuses to give up her brother. Then tragedy strikes, and she is forced to make a decision that will take Thaddeus far from death and herself far from home. 

But betrayal and loss lurk in England, too, and soon Ottilie must fight to ensure Thaddeus doesn't forget who he is, as well as find a way to stitch a place for herself in this foreign land.

PURCHASE LINKS*: Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | BookDepository | IndieBound | Christianbook | BookBub

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EXCERPT 

Ottilie set her packages on the table beside the settee and drew the shawl from its wrapping. She carefully unfolded it and laid it over Mrs. Winship’s lap. As Ottilie pulled the reticule free, she watched Mrs. Winship’s fingers trace the intricate embroidery edging the ruffle, her nails catching the elytra splayed in a floral pattern.

“Your mother was quite good. How do I know she didn’t do this work?”

Ottilie’s brows rose. “You don’t, I suppose, but why would I take on work I’m not qualified to do?” She held out the reticule.

Mrs. Winship didn’t reach for it. She picked up the shawl and shoved it at Ottilie before leaning back against the settee. With an elegant yawn, she gave a wave. “I’m sure you’re qualified, but I’m looking for something exceptional. Damaris is reaching an age where even our money won’t be enough to turn a man’s head. She needs to look spectacular. Especially with all those Fishing Fleet girls coming and stealing the Raj’s best men.” She pressed her fingers to her temples, and her eyes drifted shut. “It’s a shame your mother is no longer here. I had something spectacular in mind.”

“Mother!” Damaris’s rebuke covered Ottilie’s small gasp.

Ottilie focused on the paper-wrapped shoes she held in her arms. She didn’t want to show this foreign woman the gift she’d made for the most precious person in Calcutta. Didn’t want her pale fingers prodding the embroidery and picking apart the memories Ottilie had tucked away of hours snipping wings and beading thread and giggling in the lamplight, impatiently anticipating Maji’s joy and pride and the sight of her small, perfectly arched foot slipping into something beautiful again.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

 

Kimberly Duffy is a Long Island native currently living in Southwest Ohio, via six months in India. When she's not homeschooling her four kids, she writes historical fiction that takes her readers back in time and across oceans. She loves trips that require a passport, recipe books, and practicing kissing scenes with her husband of twenty years. He doesn't mind.

CONNECT WITH KIMBERLY: Website | Facebook | Instagram

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TOUR GIVEAWAY

(1) winner will receive a print copy of A Tapestry of Light, A Mosaic of Wings, and Recipes from an Indian Kitchen!

Full tour schedule linked below. Giveaway began at midnight March 22, 2021 and will last through 11:59 PM EST on March 29, 2021. Winner will be notified within 2 weeks of close of the giveaway and given 48 hours to respond or risk forfeiture of prize. US only. Void where prohibited by law or logistics.

Giveaway is subject to the policies found here.

ENTER GIVEAWAY HERE

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Follow along at JustRead Tours for a full list of stops!

 

*NOTE: This post contains affiliate links.

Book Review: Stronger Every Day by Janell Rardon

About the Book:

Fortify your emotional health.

As a trauma-informed professional life coach, Janell Rardon spends a good deal of her day-to-day work with brokenness--broken families, broken relationships, broken hearts and souls. In response to the pleas of her clients, she developed a set of emotional-health tools to help them repair the broken parts of their lives. In Stronger Every Day, she shares these powerful tools with you, showing you how to

• transform pain into meaning
• experience secure attachment with God
• shape healthy thoughts
• shift from shame to self-compassion
• practice healthy assertiveness
• set mental and emotional boundaries
• understand triggers and defense mechanisms
• regulate emotional highs and lows
• cultivate healthy human connection

With inspiring Scriptures, quotes, prayers, personal stories, and case studies, Rardon sets you on the path of emotional health so that you can be stronger than ever--every day.

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My Thoughts:

Stronger Every Day by Janell Rardon combines Christian spirituality with modern mental health practices. I currently see a therapist once a week and we explored together the material presented in this book. In both our opinions, the content is solid and healthy.

I found Stronger Every Day by Janell Rardon immensely helpful as I continue to navigate my post-trauma life and strive to grow emotional healthier. The introduction presents Janell Rardon’s ideology and specific “Heartlifting” practices. I loved that crafting a vision for victory sits at the start. Once I began this book, I spent greater time with my journal, writing out my thoughts, experiences, and questions.

Following the introduction, each chapter presents one emotional health tool (secure attachment, cognitive reframing, healthy assertiveness, etc). The chapters begin with an explanatory portion that includes stories, Scripture, and examples. The final three parts of the chapter are loaded with specific intentions: envision, educate, and establish. These sections include various responsive prompts: prayers, affirmations, reflection questions, journal prompts, etc. With gentleness and care, the author encourages the reader to consider thought-provoking questions (which led to more journaling for me). Stronger Every Day requires mental effort and time investment, but I found the rewards worthy of the effort.

I recommend Stronger Every Day: 9 Tools for an Emotionally Healthy You by Janell Rardon to anyone who want to improve his or her mental and emotional health.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I was provided a copy of this book by the author or publisher. All opinions in this review are my own.

First Line Fridays: The Piano Teacher by Kristie Self

Happy Friday!

First Line Fridays is hosted by Hoarding Books and participants share the first line from a nearby book.

Today, I'm sharing the first lines from The Piano Teacher by Kristie Self.

"The darkness lay heavy that night, unbroken by any slivers of moonlight."

Have you read The Piano Teacher? 

What are you reading this weekend? I'd love for you to share your book's first line!

Happy reading!

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About the Book:

She longs to escape a dreadful secret from her past, but can she ever run far enough to truly forget?

Melody Creston is left penniless following the death of her father. Desperate to escape the threat of an unwanted and dangerous marriage, she flees to the small village of Roderick Glen in the English countryside to begin life anew as a pianoforte teacher. She is hired to teach the daughter of the Earl of Rockingham and soon falls in love with the quaint village and its quirky residents. Despite her newfound freedom, she is haunted by the secrets of her past, as well as the constant fear that she will be discovered and forced to return to London.

Lord Henry Roderick is the younger son of the Earl of Rockingham and has no desire to obey his father’s wishes and help his brother attend to their family’s estate, Cheswick Park. Carefree and fun-loving, his reputation as a scoundrel often hides the true nature of his heart. Upon meeting Melody, he is instantly captivated by the beautiful piano teacher, and is determined to do whatever it takes to win her heart and become the man she needs.

Melody is intrigued by Henry and encourages him to follow his own path as he searches for his purpose in life. Shy and reserved, she is reluctant to admit her feelings for him, but as they grow closer, he begins to break through the barriers of fear and mistrust that surround her heart. As their love deepens, she becomes increasingly afraid of what will happen when he learns the truth of her turbulent past. Can love forgive a secret hidden in the shadows when it is exposed to the light of day?

Brimming with laughter, love, emotion, and heart, this first book in The Ladies of Roderick Glen series introduces us to the citizens of Roderick Glen as they follow their dreams and discover that one’s heart is always happiest near the friendly faces of home.

Book Spotlight & Giveaway: The Power of 1440 by Tim Timberlake

 

Welcome to the Blog Tour for The Power of 1440 by Tim Timberlake, hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours!

ABOUT THE BOOK

Title: The Power of 1440
Author: Tim Timberlake
Publisher: Thomas Nelson
Release Date: March 9, 2021
Genre: Christian Life/Personal Growth

A thirty-day story-driven manual to celebrate the importance and blessing of each of the 1,440 minutes we are given every day, written by an up-and-coming lead pastor of a global church. 

The son of a preacher, eighteen-year-old Tim Timberlake’s tragic and painful personal story of the sudden loss of his father began his journey toward seeing the benefit and blessing of each day. And not just to get through it, but to exhaust every opportunity of potential of that day, moment by moment, fulfilling his God-given purpose. 

Today Pastor Tim inspires others to approach each day with its 1,440 minutes in a way that they live out their own God-given purposes and passions. Comprised of thirty bite-size chapters, The Power of 1440 is a day-by-day manual to help readers deal with topics like forgiveness, perspective, mistakes, rest, and living a life that matters. He says, “Win some, learn some . . . but never lose.” 

Every day should be magnificent, not mundane; filled with delight, not drudgery; and a grand adventure, not a grind. It is possible to make today and every day truly remarkable.

PURCHASE LINKS*: Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | BookDepository | IndieBound | Christianbook | BookBub

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EXCERPT

TODAY IS ALL YOU’VE GOT

Those words— Today is all you’ve got— are more than the caption on a cat poster or a slogan on a meme. It is more than an inspirational thought on a greeting card.

Trying to unlock the power of 1440 in your life without under-standing the truth of “today is all you’ve got” would be like trying to start your car without the key. It’s theoretically possible but a whole lot harder. Here’s what you need to know.

The past is gone. Totally beyond your reach or your ability to control. You can try to repair damage done in the past or relive a moment that was pleasurable— but only today.


The future is a fantasy and also completely outside your grasp. You can prepare for the tomorrow you want or take steps to avoid one you’d rather not live through today and nowhere else.

Sure, your personality is made up of your memories and your aspirations. But the part of your life you actually live, without exception, is the part happening right in front of you right now.

Imagine you are going on a trip tomorrow. You can pack your bag today, plan what you will do when you get there, buy a ticket, and book an Uber to the airport. But there is no way to get on the plane and travel across country until tomorrow. That moment has to arrive in the present before you can live it, so why bother trying? That’s what worry is about: trying to live a moment that is either long gone or hasn’t yet arrived.

Why is it so important to grasp this fact? Because your biggest enemies in the quest for a more abundant and rewarding life can seem like big, bad warlords who are seriously entrenched in these two provinces of your mind: the past and the future. Time— any time but the present—i s the part of your life occupied by all your worry, fear, doubt, anxiety, guilt, anger, boredom, and regret. Try to live there instead of today, and more often than not you’ll take a beating from thoughts that don’t serve you now.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Tim Timberlake is the lead pastor of Celebration Church in Jacksonville, Florida and Creedmoor, North Carolina.  He is a gifted communicator and teacher who has the ability to communicate to people from all walks of life. His sense of humor, combined with his in-depth Bible teaching, gives the listener and reader the tools to transform their lives from the inside out. Tim is a graduate of the Pistis School of Ministry in Detroit, Michigan. He is an avid sports fan and a cultural thought leader.

CONNECT WITH TIM: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

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TOUR GIVEAWAY

(1) winner will receive a print copy of The Power of 1440!

Full tour schedule linked below. Giveaway began at midnight March 15, 2021 and will last through 11:59 PM EST on March 22, 2021. Winner will be notified within 2 weeks of close of the giveaway and given 48 hours to respond or risk forfeiture of prize. US only. Void where prohibited by law or logistics.

Giveaway is subject to the policies found here.

ENTER GIVEAWAY HERE

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Follow along at JustRead Tours for a full list of stops!

 

*NOTE: This post contains affiliate links.