Love’s Reckoning
By Laura Frantz
through the end of the Civil War.
On a bitter December day in 1785, Silas Ballantyne arrives at the door of master blacksmith Liege Lee in York, Pennsylvania. Just months from becoming a master blacksmith himself, Silas is determined to finish his apprenticeship and move west. But Liege soon discovers that Silas is a prodigious worker and craftsman and endeavors to keep him in Lancaster. Silas becomes interested in both of Liege's daughters, the gentle and faith-filled Eden and the clever and high-spirited Elspeth. When he chooses one, will the other's jealousy destroy their love?
Available September 2012 at your favorite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group
About the Author: Laura Frantz is a lover of history, is the author of The Frontiersman's Daughter, Courting Morrow Little, and The Colonel's Lady, and currently lives in the misty woods of Washington with her husband and two sons.
My Take:
When I first started reading this book, I wasn't sure that I was going to be able to get into it. The time period is the 1780's, and it is written as such - with a lot of 'on the morrow' and 'twas and (since one of the main characters is from Scotland) several Scotish words. But once I settled into the writing style, I really became immersed in the setting and the story.
This novel is a long one, but because of it's length, you get to know the characters very well, both the ones that you like and the ones that you don't. I did start to get a little bogged down with the descriptions by the end of the novel; however, I think the overall effect of the writing and the setting made it unique.
Normally I don't go for the sweeping, saga-like books and/or series, but for some reason this one just drew me in. As I was reading I would think, "Oh, there is something big coming...I can feel it." And then something fairly big would happen. But I would still think, "I think something bigger is coming!" And it would. By the time I hit the halfway mark, it was a snowball of one thing after another, and I was along for the ride.
One thing I really liked about this novel was how Eden desired to know God, even though she had never been allowed to go to church or have a Bible in her home growing up. Her desire and respect for Someone greater than herself after coming from an unbelieving home was a very interesting situation. I wish, though, that this had been explored a bit more towards the end - I felt as if I wasn't quite sure how that all played out.
Even though this novel kept my attention, it was pretty dark overall. There was so much misery in this family that it often got depressing. Towards the end things finally started to get better, and I hope this continues in the coming novels in the series.
(I will also give a word of caution that this book deals with some themes that would not be appropriate for younger readers.)
I enjoyed Love's Reckoning, and I look forward to the next books in the Ballantyne Legacy series.
I will give Love's Reckoning ... 3½ BookWorms
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Revell Publishing/Baker Publishing Group. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this is accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."
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