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| Burning Sky |
Reviewed by Diana
Flowers
~5 stars*****
Fabulous
Historical Fiction Debut!
In her debut novel, Burning Sky,
Lori Benton has crafted a hauntingly beautiful, heartrending tale of a white
woman caught not only between two very different worlds, but also two
handsome men from diverse cultures—one acceptable in the white man's world and
the other, forbidden.
Now twenty-six years old,
Wilhelmina Obenchain, known by the Mohawks as Burning Sky, is returning home
after living with the Indians for twelve years. Kidnapped as a young girl,
Willa was adopted by the People into a tribe called Wolf Clan, and taught
the ways of the Indians. After losing her husband and her two children to small
pox, a grieving Burning Sky finds her way to her parents' farm only to find
them missing and accused of being Tories, and her home in major disrepair.
Neil MacGregor finds himself being
nursed back to health by Willa after a terrible fall, and in return seeks to
help her restore the farm and heal her heart. Joseph Tames-His-Horse, also from
the Wolf Clan, tries to convince her to return to the People—having always been
in love with her. Neither of these handsome, kind men fit into Willa's plan of
living a solitary life and she pushes them away, fearful of loving and losing
everyone she cherishes once again.
As the prejudice of townsfolk ensue
and evil men seek to steal her land, Willa's safety is unsure. Where does she belong?…and is she
Willa, Burning Sky, or a little of both? She loves both of these strong, tender
men who have sacrificed all for her — but will she ever find the courage to
give her heart to one of them?
While reading this fantastic book,
I continually marveled at the fact that this is a debut novel! Lori Benton is a
fresh, new voice in historical fiction, and what a strong voice it is! The
storyline was intriguing, the characters endearing and realistic (nothing
seemed contrived), and what an awesome job this author did on her
research! I loved the heroine's courage and pluck, but also her vulnerability
as she faced each day as it came, with God's help and provision. A historical
fiction lover's veritable feast; full of rich, brilliant detail -- make sure to put this one at the top of your wishlist!! One of the best books I have read so far this year; I fully expect this one to be a major bestseller!
I received an ARC of this novel in
exchange for my honest opinion.
****************************************
GIVEAWAY: Paperback or ebook copy of the novel (ebook only for intenational winners.) "Like" Lori's FB page and put LB on your comment for an extra entry! *Don't forget to leave your email addy.*
Question: Willa was judged and shunned by some as a result of something that happened to her that wasn't her fault. Has this ever happened to you?
Question: Willa was judged and shunned by some as a result of something that happened to her that wasn't her fault. Has this ever happened to you?
I've heard so many great things about this book! DIANA, your wonderful review spurs me on even more so to read this soon!! :)
ReplyDeleteI'm so glad to see your lovely face first thing this morning, NOELA! Leave yourself time to read this one as it's filled with juicy detail and not a book one would want to skim. You won't want to miss a word of this fabulous read!
DeleteI'm in agreement with NOELA! I've heard nothing but great things about this book, but your favorite so far?! I have to read it now because you are always spot on about books.
ReplyDeleteAnd to answer the question...yes. But even after all these years, I cannot go into detail.
DeleteCorrection, ANNE---ONE of my favorites! LOL How can one pick a favorite when sooo many good books have come out this year!? But it is at the top of my fave list with a few others. Thanks so much for your sweet words!
DeleteSounds like a wonderful story! Thanks for introducing me to this author
ReplyDeleteThanks for coming by today, KIM! Can you please leave an email addy?
DeleteI'm very much looking forward to this book!
ReplyDeleteI can't think of a situation right off where I was judged or shunned for something that wasn't my fault, but I know it happens. Sometimes we are much to quick to form opinions!
LB
pattymh2000(at)yahoo(dot)com
Too quick, PATTY. Good luck to you!
DeleteYes - unfortunately that is happening in my life right now / but MY GOD can handle this!
ReplyDeleteStimmer@familylife.com
LB
DeleteI'm sorry you are going through that, SHARON. Will be praying for you and also counting an extra entry for you!
DeleteEverything I hear about this book sounds spectacular! I can't wait to read it!
ReplyDeleteAs a child, for sure (hard to avoid, since kids aren't necessarily logical), but I haven't so much as an adult. I'm more likely to judge myself unfairly, which isn't good either, so I'm practicing closing my ears to lies.
Good idea, RACHEL! We also need to close our ears to the devil's lies about ourselves.
DeleteI can't say enough about this splendid book!
After reading "don't forget to leave your email address" I promptly forget for several hours:
Deleterdalquis(at)css(dot)edu
LOL Better late than never. ;)
DeleteThis is a beautifully written review, Diana. Thank you so much for sharing it and adding to my TBR list! It's certainly one that sounds intriguing enough to make my list and move to the front of the pack! Joy Ross Davis
ReplyDeleteThank you, JOY! Do move this one to the top...you'll be glad you did!
DeleteGreat review Diana! This is at the top of my list of favorites too. I won't be surprised if Lori wins an award for it!
ReplyDeleteI remember as a child the kids at school making fun of me because of my being a Christian.
I agree, TERESA! She deserves to win one! How anyone could make fun of someone as sweet as you is beyond me! :(
DeleteLB. Oh I would love to win ebook copy for my kindle fire !!!! Sounds so Good !!!!
ReplyDeleteLinda Finn
faithfulacres7@gmail.com
Extra good and an extra entry for you, LINDA!
DeleteYes, this has happened to me. It is not a pleasant thing to go through, but with God's help and time I was able to cope with it.
ReplyDeleteCindi Altman
cindialtman(at)gmail(dot)com
CINDI, I'm glad you were able to get past that. I have experienced it myself and God does take a stand for us when we give it into His capable hands.
DeleteLB - Great review! The book sounds wonderful. Would love to win it. Unfortunately, I have been judged and shunned by people in the church who had known me all my life. I kept praying for myself to have a good attitude and a forgiving spirit. I needed to keep myself right with the Lord. Thank you for sharing and please enter me in your giveaway.
ReplyDeleteBarbara Thompson
barbmaci61(at)yahoo(dot)com
BARBARA, I am so sorry that has happened to you. :( God will surely bless you for having the right attitude. An extra entry for you, my dear, for "liking" Lori's page! :)
DeleteHi,It sounds like a fabulous book.I love romance and adventure and it sounds like it's got a lot of both.I would love to read this book.Blessings to you. linda.stowe@att.net
ReplyDeleteWelcome to OWG, LINDA! It definitely has a little bit of something for everyone! I loved it and hope you get a chance to read it asap!
DeleteBurning Sky sounds like a great book. I'm glad to learn more about it and have a chance to win a copy.
ReplyDeleteTo answer the question: no, thankfully that has not happened to me.
LB
Thanks for entering me in the giveaway.
pmk56[at]sbcglobal[dot]net
Thanks for coming by, PAM! You'll be entered twice for "liking" Lori's page, and I know she appreciates it!
DeleteGreat review! The book sounds fantastic and I can't wait to read it. :)
ReplyDeleteYes, I think we all have this happen to some degree. It hurts and sometimes you can't forget it. But God leads me and heals me!
lattebooks at hotmail dot com
Forgot LB
DeleteThanks on behalf of LORI, Susan!
DeleteAmen, SUSAN! Time and God -- the great healers! Gotcha entered for the contest!
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately I do know how it feels, and I agree - time does help. It isn't good to think about it however, as that beings back all the hurt, etc.
ReplyDeleteI have liked Lori's FB page and would love to win this book!
God bless, Betti
bettimace(at)gmail(dot)com
Indeed it does, Betti! We have to let go and let God. Thanks for sharing and for liking Lori's page!
DeleteA wonderful review thank you.
ReplyDeleteSomething most people have to overcome at some time I'd say.
LB
marypres(AT)gmail(DOT)com
I would think so too, MARY. Thank you for the kind words! Counting you in the drawing with an extra entry for "liking" Lori's page!
Delete(LB) Sounds like a wonderful book! No, I haven't had anything happen to me like this.
ReplyDeletesusnalulu@yahoo.com
SUSAN, it certainly is! Thanks for stopping by and for "liking" Lori's page! :)
DeleteBeautiful review, Diana! I love this time period, and I'm really looking forward to reading "Burning Sky"! Shunned and judged...yep. While trying to make choices that pleased God.
ReplyDeletegwen[dot]gage[at]gmail[dot]com
Thank you, GWEN! I KNOW you'll really love this one! And God will honor you for trying to make choices to please Him. In spite of what others think!
DeleteHello Diana. This is a very good interview. Good job. Lori's book sounds so interesting. It has been so long since I have read a story like this and I really like them. I used to read a lot of westerns and Indian books where this would happen. I think Lori has a great future ahead of her. Please put me in for the drawing, tho I think you OWG gals forget to put it in the hat. :( LOL I have liked Lori's FB page. ( LB )
ReplyDeleteMaxie mac262(at)me(dot)com
Thank you for your kind words, MAXIE! I agree about Lori's future and can't wait to see what she has in store for us next! We will give you an extra entry for liking Lori's page and will be keeping our fingers crossed that random number.com loves you this time, MAXIE! lol
ReplyDeleteYes, it has and it really shook me to the ground.
ReplyDeleteBUt I"m still standing!
Rhonda
rhonda_nash_hall AT comcast DOT net
RHONDA, I'm sorry you have had to go through that. :( But He will enable us to keep on standing as we stand on His word! As you obviously well know! Good luck in the drawing!
DeleteGREAT review! This sounds like a wonderful book, my big sis. :)
ReplyDeleteDank u! It surely is, my little Dutchy sis! :)
DeleteThank you Diana, for this lovely review. And thank you everyone who commented. I appreciate it so much! I'll try to get to all individually if you've asked me a question, over the course of the day. Yesterday was quite the whirlwind.
ReplyDeleteYou're welcome, LORI! I hope those that don't win here will all go out and grab a copy ASAP! :)
DeleteOh, and I do have a question for you, LORI. What can our readers expect next from you in the way of books? Or would you rather not think about that for awhile? LOL
DeleteDiana, thanks for asking! While Burning Sky is releasing I'm deep into the content edits for my second book, and will be for the rest of the month, so thinking about it is pretty much all I'm doing these days. I'm excited about this book (it released in April 2014) and even while Burning Sky is making its debut I'm working hard behind the scenes to make my second book one that readers will enjoy. Again, thank you every one for stopping by and commenting, and for wanting to Burning Sky.
ReplyDeleteHere's a blurb for my next book my publisher has okayed for me to share. The Pursuit of Tamsen Littlejohn is set in western North Carolina (present day eastern Tennessee), 1787-88, during a time of upheaval in that region following the Revolutionary War:
To escape her threatening stepfather and an unwanted marriage, Tamsen Littlejohn enlists the help of Jesse Bird, a backwoodsman she barely knows, to spirit her away from Morganton, North Carolina, west beyond the Blue Ridge Mountains.
Trouble pursues as the two men intent on seeing her recovered prove relentless in their hunt. Trouble awaits in the form of a divided frontier community. The State of Franklin has been declared, yet many settlers remain loyal to North Carolina. Chaos reigns, thwarting Tamsen and Jesse’s hastily cobbled plan to keep her safe.
With her pursuers ever nearing, the region in turmoil, neighbors grown suspicious of her presence, Tamsen’s safety is soon put in greater jeopardy. Gaining the freedom she longs for will mean running yet again, to the most unlikely refuge imaginable—the Cherokees, a people balanced on the edge of war.
But the biggest complication may prove to be Tamsen’s growing bond with her knight in greasy buckskins, Jesse Bird. Falling in love was never part of the plan.
That should be "releases in April 2014"
DeleteAnd "wanting to READ Burning Sky." It's not even lunchtime but my fingers are tired today. :)
Wow, LORI! This sounds like such an awesome read! I can't wait and thanks for sharing about it with us.
DeleteI have had this happen to me and it hurts the heart so bad.It is hard when you know the truth,but others don't believe you.They believe the ones that are lying.I am looking forward to reading this book.I also liked LB facebook page.Thanks so much for the chance.
ReplyDeleteIt hurts terribly, JACKIE, and we certainly have to rely on God to help us through. Will count your entry twice and hoping for a win for you, dear! :)
DeleteJackie, you are our next WINNER! Congrats!!! I pray you will be blessed by Lori's lovely book!
DeleteI thought I'd answer the question, too, Diana. I suppose if something like what happened to Willa had happened to me, I would remember it very well. I don't, which means any sort of rejection I've experienced was on a smaller scale, over something much less important than the trials Willa faces in Burning Sky. Still, we've all faced rejection of one sort or another and I'm no exception. As a writer, I only needed to magnify those memories and the emotions I felt at the time, blend it with the thousands of stories I've read and watched that dealt with rejection and prejudice (especially historically), mix it with empathy, then spend many months living with Willa on the page, learning more about how she felt, how she responded. She's a very different person from me. Much stronger willed, for one thing. :)
ReplyDeleteMuch stronger than I for sure! As I said in my review she also has a vulnerability about her that helped me to be able to identify with her in a way that I couldn't were she always strong. You did such a good job with her, Lori, that I missed her when I had to say goodbye. :(
DeleteLB Diana--you have done it again--a well written review that pulls us in to add another book to that never ending TBR pile!
ReplyDeleteYes, I have been in the situation of being accused of something I did not do and I find that to be one of the most frustrating situations to experience. And it is one that is difficult to let go of and allow God to handle--we always want to try to "fix it" ourselves--but God is always standing by waiting for us to throw our hands up and say, "OK, God--here it is--YOU are the problem solver--not me!" ;-)
Vicki
vmarney(at)hotmail(dot)com
VICKI, thank you! I have more books than shoes now! Never thought I would see the day. lol
DeleteYes, I have tried to "fix it" before and it only gets worse. It's amazing how fast it gets fixed when God does it - when we finally give it into His hands!
We'll count an extra entry for you for "liking" Lori's page! :)
Yes about 12 years ago I had to leave a church for personal reason and the whole church came against me for doing so. Thanks .Dana Spille
ReplyDeletejashbk@earthlink.net
Oh, Dana! I'm so sorry that happened to you. Church hurts can be the worst! I hope and pray you were able to find a better church after that. Sometimes that's why God allows it, I believe...to get us in the church He wants us to be in. That´s what happened in my case anyway. Blessings to you!
ReplyDeleteAs a matter of fact, I am going thru this situation right now. A close elderly family member has been sick for several months & I have been handling both her personal & business matters for over 4 months. Her entire life & personality have totally changed & she is having problems adjusting to the changes. She has been very angry & verbally abusive to me because of the changes & automatically assumes that I am behind all of them - big or small. It has required a lot of prayer to keep me going - we have always had a close relationship & I fear it has been forever changed. She had a stroke & there could be possible memory problems, however - it has been hard to deal with the fact that I have been the only one she is angry with. Because it had begun to affect my health & anger her so much - I am not around her as much physically, & handle her affairs from a distance & by phone.
ReplyDeleteLB (I have liked Lori's FB page).
bonnieroof60(at)yahoo(dot)com
BONNIE, I think that is a very wise decision. Sometimes it isn't the other person's fault, but we do have to distance ourselves if it is tearing down our health and emotional stability. Thank you for sharing! God bless and keep you~
DeleteThank goodness, no! This looks like a wonderful story! LB shopgirl152nykiki(at)yahoo(dot)com
ReplyDeleteThanks for coming by, VERONICA! Good luck in the giveaway!
Delete