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03 June 2011

Carrie Fancett Pagels Reviews "The Preacher's Bride" by Jody Hedlund


The Preacher's Bride
The Preacher’s Bride
by Jody Hedlund 
(Bethany House, October 2010)

I give this novel four stars. A very good book.

Why I listened to this: Another writer friend, Gina Wellborn, a preacher’s wife, highly recommended this book and gave it a glowing review.  This book is also set during a time period that I enjoy.

Formats: I listened to this as an audiobook that I downloaded through www.audible.com  and it was a fairly long book.  Also available as a softcover, a hardcover large print book, and in CDs! 

Caution: Violence, including a whipping scene with so many lashes that most people would have died from the injuries. Unfortunately, on audio one cannot just skip over the scene.  Some may object to some of the sensuality, but it is appropriate to the story line.

Genre: Historical Inspirational Fiction, (debut novel), with romantic elements.

Bibliotherapy aspects: Feelings of unworthiness, persecution, trauma, and grief.
The hero’s daughter is blind.

Other themes: Stepparenting, being obedient to God’s will in one’s life.


This book is set in the late 1600’s during the transitional time after Cromwell’s “reign” in England. Puritans’ lives are disrupted by the change in political power.  This is a dark story but with hope shining through. It is based loosely on the story of John Bunyan’s second marriage.  There are few stories set during this time as inspirational fiction and for that reason alone was worth listening to. One senses that this author’s voice will continue to grow even stronger in her subsequent works. Quite an accomplishment in this debut novel! 

Audio comments: The narrator sounded very fatigued throughout much of the narration, which was somewhat off-putting.  

12 comments:

  1. Wonderful review, Carrie. I really enjoyed this book as well and also rate it 4 stars. Jody is a great little author and I'm really looking forward to her next book, The Doctor's Lady, (the cover on the TDL is really awesome). That fatigued narrator must have been me. lol

    ~Diana Flowers

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  2. What a great review. The book sounds so good. Definitely on my must read list. Love the cover

    Walk in harmony,
    Melinda

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  3. Interesting review! The fact that the narrator sounded fatigued is amazing to me. Did no one else notice that?!

    Blessings -

    Andrea Schultz
    Ponderings by Andrea blog
    http://andrealschultz.blogspot.com

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  4. Great review, Carrie!
    This is definitely on my Must-Read list. Now I'm intrigued by your comment about the narrator--
    actually tired? "Uninterested" tired? Or maybe just his definition of acting....

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  5. I haven't downloaded an audio book in awhile. You gave me the idea to do it.
    wsmarple/at/gmail/dot/com

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  6. What I wonder is if the narrator was trying to go for the "dark" feeling of the book and instead came off as tired? I do not think I have heard this narrator before. I think someone with an English accent would have been WAY more appropriate, too!

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  7. I was able to review this book when it first came out. I loved it! Especially the aspect of it being based on the story of John Bunyan. Excellent story. I will have to check out the audio book. Not much of a fan of audio books but the kids listen to them sometimes. Thanks for your review!

    esterried[at]yahoo[dot]com

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  8. Jody said on FB that she tried to post but was unable. Blogger and Google are acting up again. Sorry :(

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  9. Great review and love the cover of the book. Have added it to my wish list.

    Blessings,
    Jo
    ladijo40(at)aol(dot)com

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  10. And Andrea is the winner of a cool little thing I found at Shirley Plantation. It is a roll divider I think. It is an embroidered and pocketed cloth that they showed out there in the gift shop as a liner in baskets. Congrats, Andrea!

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  11. Congrats, Andrea! Carrie picks out the neatest gifts! I LOVE my pineapple pin; so pretty!

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  12. I loved this book and it's definitely on my wish list. It actually made me want to consider trying to read "Pilgrim's Progress". :) I'm looking forward to reading "The Doctor's Lady". From the synopsis it sounds like it's based on the story of Marcus and Narcissa Whitman. The real-life Whitmans die at the hand of the indians. I hope she stops the book before they die. - Sylvia M.

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