I command you -- be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the LORD your God is with you wherever you go." Joshua 1:9
Tamsen Littlejohn has to take all the courage she can muster, or be forced into a marriage she does not agree to, but it takes more then courage to escape her wicked stepfather. It takes God to work within the hearts of a young man named Jesse bird, and Tamsen's mother. Jess bird helps the young woman escape after Tamsen's stepfather kills her mother before her very eyes. In a time meant for grieving Tamsen must travel through a mountain range with a man she barely knows.
"Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. Love does not demand its own way. Love is not irritable, and it keeps no record of when it has been wronged. It is never glad about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance." 1 Corinthians 13:4-7
Now I'm sure you all can guess how hard it can be to be near a beautiful young lady, and it's even worse when your heart is being yanked in her direction, Jesse Bird had to bare with these feelings and with no one else to hold him n check, he had to pray constantly for strength, but he prayed more for Tamsen's healing, knowing the journey was wearing on her and she had yet to shed a single tear. He was patient and did his best to protect her, even with the false charges of kidnapping and murder hanging over his head. Tamsen tried to protect him by marrying him, but with the states of Franklin and North Carolina at war with each other they'd have to be married twice just for it to be legal! When their first attempt did not go well Jesse brought them to his hometown pastor, who had a good long talk with both of them and reminded them they could wait. In most books I've read like this they do get married right away, it was refreshing to see this spin on it and even more realistic in my opinion. One of my favorite parts is when the pastor is talking with Jesse and telling him to give Tamsen a little time to heal, to be what she needs right now, and that wouldn't he want to their her to marry him because she loves him, not because she's trying to protect him. So many people try to rush relationships, but their like a tree in a ways, it takes time for them to sprout up from the dark place they've been buried, and they need plenty of warm loving sunshine to coax them out out of that tiny seed.
"A false witness will not go unpunished, and a liar will be destroyed" Proverbs 19:9
This verse is true for all of us, but most especially for Mr Parrish, Tamsen's stepfather, met his punishment for lying about Tamsen's mother and for his greed for moeny, which is all he cared about. "For the love of money is at the root of all kinds of evil. And some people, craving money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many sorrows." 1 Timothy 6:10. Take this warning to heart, all evils come around to right to you.
"And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free." John 8:32
It is true, and in the book all truths came to light for Tamsen and all her friends, and it had a wonderful ending. I do recommend brushing up on your history to enjoy the book even more, but Lori Benton does explain it a bit after the end of the story, and the reader's guide had questions that were very thought provoking, so pre-order this book as soon as possible!
I received this book free from the publisher in exchange for my honest review, which I have given.
Read chapter 1
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