Adventure Between the Pages: The Messenger
11:50 AM
...until her twin brother ran off and joined the army and ended up captured and in jail. Suddenly Hannah's world turns on end. She longs to bring her brother some measure of comfort in the squalid, frigid prison where he remains. But the Quakers believe they are not to take sides, not to take up arms. Can she sit by and do nothing while he suffers?
Jeremiah Jones has an enormous task before him. Responsibility for a spy ring is now his, and he desperately needs access to the men in prison, whom they are seeking to free. A possible solution is to garner a pass for Hannah. But while she is fine to the eye, she holds only disdain for him--and agreeing would mean disobeying those she loves and abandoning a bedrock of her faith.
Are you tired of the books that go like this?
Pretty and sweet girl meets handsome rough who is not at Christian. Guy gets sweet girl to realize her fanatical beliefs are silly. Girl still loves God, but tosses most of her beliefs. Handsome Rouge comes to Christ making everything okay.
Yup, I get tired of that story too. How come we swoon over it in the books and movies and then are horrified when our daughters, sisters, and friends do it. Well, this is a happy exception to the rule while still keeping some of the elements that make that kind of a story line appealing.
Hannah is not just a Quaker because her parents are, she truly believes in most of the principles that they have. She tries to obey and honor her father even when it is hard. My favorite conviction that she has, and she sticks to the whole book, was that she will not tell a lie. Even though there are many times when a ‘little white lie’ or a ‘half-truth’ would have saved her a lot of pain, Hannah refuses to do it.
Some parents may not like the fact that Hannah does avoid telling her parents what she is doing. Also at one point in the book they do paint her father in a bad light, making him sound crazy for his beliefs. However, I found it very real. Sometimes, fathers are wrong just like everyone else. I didn’t find it a problem, though I thought some parents might want a heads up.
For those who don’t like heavy romance books, you might want to check this book out. Yes, Jeremy and Hannah do end up liking each other. Yes, there are a few romantic moments, but it wasn’t overdone. I also believe (unless I missed it somehow) that they didn’t kiss, unless you count the one he gave her on the temple. No, it wasn’t even in a romantic scene.
I loved the setting! I felt like I was living in the middle of the British occupation of Philadelphia. Siri Mitchell has a way of conveying the mood of not only her main characters, but the mood of a city. Even during the light-hearted scenes, you can feel the tension that the British occupation causes. I can’t wait to get my hands on another of her books.
I highly recommend this book to anyone 15 or older. Younger than that, parents might want to read it first, because of a couple things that happened. However, I thought the author handled it very well. Grab a copy here, today.
I received this book from Bethany House in exchange for my honest review. I was under no obligation to write a positive review. The opinions in this review are entirely my own.
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1 comments
Sarah, I dearly loved this book. Even though the ending was more abrupt than I would have preferred, it worked and I love Mitchell's style. Also, no, they didn't kiss. I noticed that, too. :)
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