Welcome to Memorable Monday! The purpose of Memorable Monday is to showcase an influential book read in the past that still sticks with you today. This fun Monday morning post is hosted by the lovely Becca at The Becca Files.
This week, I am featuring:
Wings of a Dream
by Anne Mateer
Amazon
I remember that this book drew me in because of its gorgeous cover. I also thought the premise sounded engaging. I did struggle with the first 100 pages. I found that it took me a long time to get into the book because, to me, the first 1/3 of the book is rather slow. But then around the 40% mark, the book picks up and I could not put it down! So, I do recommend this read. Just keep in mind that for me it began rather slow, but I was more than satisfied by the story’s ending. In fact, the last 2/3 of the book is so good, I gave this novel a 4/5 star rating. Sometimes, we readers just have to be a little patient with a book. I found that was the case with this one.
About the Book
Debut Author Delivers Sweet Heartwarming Historical Fiction
Rebekah Hendricks dreams of a life far beyond her family’s farm in Oklahoma, and when dashing aviator Arthur Samson promises adventure in the big city, she is quick to believe he’s the man she’s meant to marry. While she waits for the Great War to end and Arthur to return to her so they can pursue all their plans, her mother’s sister falls ill.
Rebekah seizes the opportunity to travel to Texas to care for Aunt Adabelle, seeing this chance to be closer to Arthur’s training camp as God’s approval of her plans.
But the Spanish flu epidemic changes everything. Faced with her aunt’s death, Arthur’s indecisiveness, and four children who have no one else to care for them, Rebeka is torn between the desire to escape the type of life she’s always led and the unexpected love that just might change the dream of her heart.
NOW IT’S YOUR TURN!
Share a book you’ve read in the past and explain briefly why it’s so memorable to you in the comments below.
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Book: The Thief of Lanwyn Manor
Sarah E. Ladd received the 2011 Genesis Award in historical romance for The Heiress of Winterwood. She is a graduate of Ball State University and has more than ten years of marketing experience. Sarah lives in Indiana with her amazing family and spunky golden retriever.
Isaac Blake is my favorite. He is a dreamboat of a hero — he’s manly and protective, he is handsome and compassionate, and he is honorable and intelligent. He always wants to make the right choice because he never wants to let anyone down or cause anyone unnecessary pain. Unfortunately for Isaac, his sense of never letting anyone down is so strong he sometimes becomes inactive and doesn’t make any decision at all. He gets so caught up in what could potentially go wrong that he becomes stagnant. A pastor I love to listen to — Alistair Begg — once said, “Tomorrow is the devil’s favorite word.” The idea here is that sometimes we put off today what we should do because we allow our fears to get the better of us. When this happens, we’re putting off God’s work. Isaac, because of his fear of failing others, has become very good at saying, “not today.” If God sets things up for us, it is our duty to overcome our fears and worries today so we can accomplish God’s will for us. Easier said than done, I know, but a great reminder for us today for sure. Does Isaac learn his lesson and overcome? Well, you’ll just have to purchase a copy of The Thief of Lanwyn Manor to find out!
Book: The Blizzard Bride
This subplot in The Blizzard Bride provides an excellent warning to us all — it is imperative that we deal with our lives with God, or we will end up alone and deeply hurting. This actually makes me think of Psalm 32:2-3 (ESV; my emphasis): “Blessed is the man against whom the Lord counts no iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no deceit. For when I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groanings all day long.” When Abby stops and really takes a look at Mr. Yates she sees dark, deep pouches under his eyes, a permanent downcast to his mouth, tight, crossed arms, and stooped shoulders. Clearly, Mr. Yate’s anger, hatred, and alienation have worn him down and he is wasting away. Abby comes to understand as David does in this Psalm, that unconfessed pain and sin eat at us and hurts our physical and spiritual selves. Abby realizes that she must turn back to God, speak her feelings, confess her sins, and ask for forgiveness. Mrs. Dietze’s subplot beautifully points out that when we turn to the One who can truly heal, we find the real peace we need in order to move beyond the hurts of our past.
