Sunday, October 10, 2010

The Devil in Pew Number Seven by Rebecca Nichols Alonzo with Bob DeMoss-Book Review

The Devil in Pew Number Seven is a horribly true story that started in 1969 for the Nichols family. Rebecca’s father was a pastor that felt he was lead by God to move his family to Sellerstown, North Carolina to pastor a church there. Sellerstown was a small town that welcomed the new pastor and his family. There was however one person that was not happy with the changes taking place, a man that was determined to get rid of this family by any means. Rebecca tells of the pure terror she and her family experienced from this man.
It started with harassing phone calls. Robert Nichols was threatened to leave or else he would be leaving “crawling or walking….dead or alive.” These phone calls escalated to much more that put the family through years of pure torment. Pastor Nichols refused to be scared of this man whom was a pure devil. He stood his ground and said that when it was his time to go, God would lead him. The Nichols has so much faith in God that they stayed and allowed this man to terrorize their family. They would refer to verses in the Bible that would give them peace and ease their worries.

Rebecca’s life was changed forever when an armed man walked into her home one night. She witnessed things that a child should never have to see. I found myself getting mad at her mother and father for continuing to live in this town and subject her and her brother to the evils that they experienced, yet I also found admiration for a family that was so full of faith that they had the courage to stay.

Rebecca tells the story of the years her family spent in torment. She learned the power of forgiveness from her parents and has been able to continue her life because of it. She has chosen the path of life that God intended, even though the trials of her life were unimaginable and started at such a young age. This book has a wonderful message about forgiveness and faith in God. I hate that Rebecca had to experience these things to be able to spread the word, but she does a wonderful job of telling how a person of any upbringing can choose the right path in life.

The Devil in Pew Number Seven was provided to me by Tyndale House Publishers free of charge for review purposes only. The opinions expressed are my own and have not been influenced.

Masquerade by Nancy Moser

Charlotte Gleason is a woman that has lived the life of luxury in England with her family. Her father announces that she will be sent to New York to marry one the richest heirs whom she has never met and knows nothing about. Charlotte rebukes and tries to get out of the planned wedding but her father will have nothing of it. Little does she know, her family is in danger of losing their high status in society and this is why her father is so anxious to send her away and get her married to someone that can continue to give her the life that she is accustomed to living.

Charlotte is not one those women that want her life planned out for her. She wants to marry for love and she wants to learn about life on her own, something that she has not been able to do while living at home with her parents. Dora is Charlotte’s maid. She goes along with Charlotte on her journey to America. On the way, Charlotte comes up with a grand plan to switch identities with Dora so that she can go and discover herself and get the experiences in life that she would never be able to do if she marries this man. Dora has the opportunity to live a life that she has always been around but never got to experience. She is dressed in the beautiful gowns and feels like a true princess.

Life for Charlotte doesn’t turn out quite like she expected. Immediately upon getting to New York and separating from Dora, her whole plan is changed before her very eyes. She gets new experiences, but not the ones she had hoped for. Charlotte struggles with whether she should she go and claim her spot as the true Charlotte Gleason or should she continue on, not knowing what may happen to her life as she knows it.

This is a wonderfully told story that took me back to an era of time that is completely different to the life I am use to. I could not put this book down. Nancy Moser did a wonderful job of creating these characters and putting together a story that you could actually imagine the lives of these women in their struggles and journeys into two completely new lives. I would definitely recommend this book as a great read.

Masquerade was provided to me by Bethany House Publishers free of charge for review purposes only. The opinions expressed are my own and have not been influenced.

Loves First Bloom by Delia Parr Book Review

Ruth Livingston is a preacher’s daughter that has her life turned upside down when her father is accused of murdering one of the women that he devoted his life to rescuing out of the life of prostitution. He would get these women to families out of town that would help them rebuild their lives and gain stability again. Father Livingston is bound to protect his daughter from the negativity of the case and sends her away one night with a small child to claim as her own.

Ruth assumes the role of mother to this child. They are sent to a family and she also takes on the role of one of the very women that her father has saved. This family takes in Ruth and the child not knowing that she actually is the preacher’s daughter. Life is very hard to for Ruth to adjust. Not only is she pretending to be a woman of a completely different demeanor of life, she has to learn to take care of this little girl whom the only thing she knows is that she belongs to the woman that was murdered.

When news that the preachers daughter is missing, the newspapers start making claims that the preacher may have murdered his own daughter. They send out reporters to find out about Ruth’s whereabouts and to see if she actually has evidence that would convict her father that she is hiding. Jake Spencer is one of the guys looking to find Ruth but he’s comes into town as someone different also. He pretends to have just had back surgery and is looking for some peace and quiet from the world. Ruth seeks tranquility and peace in a garden that just happens to be where Jake is living. These two do not like each other at all but as the story goes along, things start to change. He is desperately trying to find out the truth about Ruth and she is doing everything in her power to protect her identity.

The book has some twists that I never seen coming, which was a nice surprise. I was held in suspense throughout and found myself intrigued in seeing that Ruth and the child were protected. Delia Parr has officially become one of my favorite authors. I can’t wait to read more from this wonderfully talented writer. Loves First Bloom is one of those books that you don’t want to put down once you start reading it. I would give this a good four and a half stars, possibly a five. I am definitely passing this one along to my friends to enjoy also.

Loves First Bloom was provided to me by Bethany House Publishers free of charge for review purposes only. The opinions expressed are my own and have not been influenced.
Related Posts with Thumbnails