Monday, January 28, 2013

CFBA: Ashton Park by Murray Pura

My review is after the CFBA post.
This week, the
Christian Fiction Blog Alliance
is introducing
Ashton Park
Harvest House Publishers (January 1, 2013)
by
Murray Pura


ABOUT THE AUTHOR:




Murray Pura was born and raised in Manitoba, just north of Minnesota and the Dakotas. He has published several novels and short story collections in Canada, and has been short-listed for a number of awards. His first books to be published in the United States are the inspirational works Rooted and Streams (both by Zondervan in 2010). His first novel to debut in the USA is A Bride’s Flight from Virginia City, Montana (Barbour), which was released January 2012. The second, The Wings of Morning, will be published by Harvest House on February 1. Both of these novels center around the Amish of Lancaster County, Pennsylvania.



ABOUT THE BOOK

For fans of the hugely popular Downton Abbey series, comes this equally enthralling story of the Danforth family of Ashton Park. Among the green hills and trees of Lancashire, only a few miles from the sea, lies the beautiful and ancient estate of Ashton Park. The year is 1916.  The First World War has engulfed Europe and Sir William's and Lady Elizabeth's three sons are all in uniform--and their four daughters are involved in various pursuits of the heart and soul.

As the head of a strong Church of England family for generations, Sir William insists the Danforth estate hold morning devotions that include both family and staff. However, he is also an MP and away at Westminster in London whenever Parliament is sitting. During his long absences, Lady Elizabeth discreetly spends time in the company of the head cook of the manor, Mrs. Longstaff, who is her best friend and confidante. This friendship includes visits to a small Baptist church in Liverpool that exposes Lady Elizabeth to a less formal approach to Christian worship and preaching than she is used to and which she comes to enjoy.

If you would like to read the first chapter of Ashton Park, go HERE.

Pattie's Review:

This book is being marketed with the line, "If you're a fan of Downton Abbey, you'll enjoy your visit to Ashton Park." I'm a devoted Downton fan, but I have to say, I didn't enjoy Ashton Park nearly as much as I enjoy Downton Abbey. It was a very slow read for me, and normally I can get through a Christian historical novel in just a couple of days. This novel, with its dense prose, smaller print, and longer passages of time interspersed with chapters simultaneously coinciding with each other, took me nearly two weeks to read.

Thankfully, there is a two-page "who's who" in the beginning of the book. You'll need it (and this would be something to bookmark if you're reading this book on an ereader). There's a huge, huge cast of characters to remember.

Pura's prose is dense. It is not easily or quickly read. The issue of the novel's pace is another one that I had difficulty with. Some passages dealt with a short amount of time in great detail, with multiple chapters occurring simultaneously; at other times, the book skips months at a time and suddenly the reader is playing catch-up. I wonder if the future books in the series are covering future decades.

While the Danforth family is interesting as a whole, the patriarch is inconsistent. He seems to waffle between doing the right thing, and then suddenly becoming stubborn and interfering where his wife is concerned. I also thought some of the storylines were suspiciously similar to Downton's.

I would have enjoyed more "below stairs" action, to be honest. And perhaps more time spent on a shorter time period--say, a year or two rather than one book covering seven years.

As far as the family's Christian faith and the evangelicalism of the book, it seems generally consistent and realistic, without being smack-over-the-head-with-the-gospel-message.

That is not to say that other readers who are fans of Downton won't enjoy this book. If you're fascinated with the history and the time period, you may be enthralled with Ashton Park. It's book one of a new series, after all, so perhaps judging it on its own merit is unkind.


Special thanks to Harvest House for a review copy of this novel in exchange for my honest review, as well as Bonnie Calhoun for generously allowing me to be a part of the Christian Fiction Blog Alliance review team.

Friday, January 25, 2013

5 Minute Friday

Five minute freewrite on a Friday...join in! Click on the link below the graphic and read others' writings. Five minutes, timer set, let's go!

I'm not sure what to write about the word "again." It implies repetition, having been here before, feeling or acting the same. Not necessarily stuck, but perhaps not breaking out either.

I would like to try to turn it around, and say: "When adversity strikes, as I know it will, I will act in faith again," rather than, "Oh wow, I messed up again."

Those of us who have lived a life of faith for years sometimes get stuck. Like any relationship involving the human condition, we get tired, we are selfish, we get in a rut. So it's not the Lord's fault if things feel stale. He has not changed; we have. The onus is on ME to change, to break out, to seek His face anew each morning and afternoon and evening and when I feel tired or sore or bored or overwhelmed again.

My prayer this morning: Lord, help me to remember all the times you were faithful to me, to my family, again and again. Help me remember to act again with faith, rather than allowing my emotional state to sway me into doubt or doldrums. Amen.

Wednesday, January 23, 2013

Wife 2 Wife



Being a more practical girl in most ways, I haven't been as thrilled with this year's theme choice as I have been before. It's tough to place a goal on a dream. Any achievable steps in dreaming? Not really possible.

But it's my word, without a doubt. Here's the story:

I entered 2013 without a theme word.



Last summer, I went to a jewelry party, and I bought these bracelets for my girls. Somehow, though, I decided I needed one too, so I ordered three. The girls loved their little bracelets with the purple cords, lightweight and pretty.

Then I found mine, hidden in a drawer. And I knew. And I denied it.

But I knew.

I was afraid. Still am. Even now as I write this, knowing I need to share it for the handful of people who read this little blog in the corner of the blogosphere.

I had debated between "dream" and "prayer," because I will be writing a series of very basic, simple, hopefully inspired Bible studies at Wives of Faith on prayer this year. It sounds more lofty and holy to say "My word for 2013 is prayer."

And yet, here I am, with my tiny bracelet and my heart full of words to share, feeling fearful and afraid to dream.

As I read through the Bible this year, I have already started making notes, not only about prayer, but also about dreams. And I am following a writer I'd love to meet one day, as she inspires women to dream.

One of my other friends mentioned yesterday that sometimes words are friends, that they hold hands. I think she's right. Dreams and prayer are friends.


Special thanks to Melanie at Only a Breath for the custom "One Word" graphic. Thank you!!!

Monday, January 21, 2013

I hate to ask for help.


It's true. I hate it. In fact, I hate this post right now. And I hate my 2013 word for the year too.

{I'm sure it's a pride issue; I need to work on it.} 

But mostly, I hate asking for help. Or support. Because I'm the supporter, the encourager, the good friend. I'm the one people turn to in times of crisis. And while some of the people might tell me "you rock" or "you're awesome," the little voice in the back of my head translates all that to "damning with faint praise." Like they feel they have to say that, to pay me back for listening to them in crisis, or to appease their conscience for some reason. I do not, in any way, rock and I'm not awesome.

Mainly, I'm tired and afraid.

Today on her blog, Holley the Dream Team Guru asked everyone to find a dream-team buddy. To find a friend or a few to support and encourage.

I clicked on my friend Teri Lynne's blog post for the Dream Team, and was just floored by how many supporters she has pictured there. {Not surprising--she is totally awesome, a gifted writer and communicator. Plus she helped me pull a B in college debate so she has my eternal gratitude forever.}

And I feel kind of alone, stuck up here in Alaska, 3-4 hours behind most of my readers (Google tells me there are 21 followers). The moose haven't even been by to see me lately.

Plus, I can't even articulate what my dreams are. I mean, I have them...but they are so ridiculous and my follow-through over the years has been so abysmal, I feel like I can't even WRITE it down.

So . . . there it is. Bare on the page. I feel alone and left behind, stuck three weeks into the new year and afraid to say anything aloud because I'm afraid of failure, again.

Edited Monday Morning: Teri Lynne responded to my comment on her blog, and I feel marginally better this morning. She wrote:

Oh Pattie … I searched high and low for a photo of us! Because truly you are definitely a key part of the team that has influenced, encouraged, and loved on me! I am thankful for our friendship that began in August 1989 … and for the way the Lord has intertwined our paths time and again since that first meeting in Leslie Hall!!

So there you go . . . believe me, I considered throwing this post away, this little pity party. I may yet. But for now, it stays up. Hopefully it encourages those of you who are recipients of encouragement to encourage your encouragers--they sometimes feel depleted, empty, and alone.

Wednesday, January 16, 2013

W2W Wednesday

What will I do differently this year than last?

I am working on trying to be braver and less inhibited in some areas of my life. This is not always easy, because over the years I've allowed circumstances and people to put me into a box, to keep me in the mold they have for me. I'd like to think I can change, and grow, and continue learning and becoming more than I already am. Becoming more who God wants me to be.

Friday, January 11, 2013

5 Minute Friday: Dive

Five minute freewrite on a Friday...join in! Click on the link below the graphic and read others' writings. Five minutes, timer set, let's go!

.....so sink or swim....I'm divin' in......{whoa, oh, oh oh oh oh ohhhhh!}


Anyone who's ever heard Steven Curtis Chapman's song "Dive" will recognize that line. As soon as I saw the topic, in fact, that song started playing in my head, like a jukebox I can't turn off. 

Don't get me wrong, after nearly a year of moderate {major to me!} hearing loss, music is finally easier for me as my brain adjusts to renewed hearing and my body rebalances itself, hinging on a 4 milimeter piece of titanium in my ear.

But diving? Well, I can't.

I will learn more as I go, but for now, swimming is out for me. So would diving be, and any other water sports. Today, "diving" will be figurative, rather than literal diving in water.

I have been immersing myself in many things since the new year began: reading about ten books at once, studying about prayer for a Bible study I'm writing online (www.wivesoffaith.org), even reading the Bible through in one year with my ESV One-Year Bible.

Through these new habits and books and ideas, I'm immersing myself in what I believe God has called me to in this season of my life. I'm not sure exactly how to articulate it other than how I have, yet. It's like a cauldron in my brain, steaming and bubbling with all sorts of things.

I can only trust the One who holds the spoon, sloughing off the dross that surfaces, adding what He must to make it what He wants it to be.

{END}
Wow, that was interesting. Sometimes you just don't know how something will turn out till you write it  :)

Wednesday, January 09, 2013

Prayer

My other word for 2013 was given to me by my friend and Wives of Faith president: Prayer.

I am writing a Bible study on Prayer this year for Wives of Faith, and while it's beginning with some basic concepts, I think it will offer much to both new Christians as well as those who have been Christians a long time.

_____

Prayer. What is prayer? In its simplest form, prayer is talking to God and allowing Him to respond back to you.

Prayer has been around since the Garden of Eden, although you won’t find Adam and Eve “in prayer” then. They simply talked to God in the garden. (Genesis 3:8-9 and following.) Later in Genesis 4:26, we find an interesting sentence after the part of the geneaology where Adam and Eve become grandparents. The Bible states: ”At that time people began to call on the name of the Lord” (NIV).
(Didn’t take long, did it?)

I think the people called on the name of the Lord because they missed Him. They were far from Eden, and they realized they needed Him, and they missed having Him around.

 The point is this: We need God. Like the descendants of Adam and Eve, we need to call out to Him because we need Him. Praying to God is a way for us to acknowledge that we need Him in the middle of our busy, sometimes messy, often crazy lives.
Read the rest at Wives of Faith.

New Year, New Theme

Happy New Year! I found my theme, my One Word, for 2013.


I'll be blogging at my writing blog about it for the most part, but I wanted to link there from here.


Tuesday, January 08, 2013

My One Word for 2013: Dream


Dream.

OK, so this is a tough one for me. Because I'm not a dreamer.

Oh sure, when I was a teen, I dreamed of being a backup singer for Kathy Troccoli (I wanted her inimitable sense of style--plus her songs weren't too high), and I dreamed of writing a series of books like Little House on the Prairie or Anne of Green Gables.

Then I learned to make my dreams much, much smaller. Teacher, wife, mom of 2 girls.

Done, done, and done.

Not easily, and not always easily and with a bit of heartache, but . . . accomplished.

What's a reformed dreamer to do when her husband's next career takes her away from some of those accomplished dreams?

Well, she pouts, apparently. And she lets writing rejections and discouraging people get her down. She closes her eyes and heart to the people who are not discouraging, and she stops dreaming.

She heals. And the part of her she thought was dead is alive again, teaching again, healing.

But she's still afraid of rejection--the rejection of "We're sorry" or worse, nothing at all, to the words carved on the screen from her heart.

Enter 2013, themeless and "one word"-less.


Last summer, I went to a jewelry party, and I bought these bracelets for my girls. Somehow, though, I decided I needed one too, so I ordered three. The girls loved their little bracelets with the purple cords, lightweight and pretty.

Then I found mine, hidden in a drawer. And I knew. And I denied it.

But I knew.

I was afraid. Still am. Even now as I write this, knowing I need to share it for the handful of people who read this little blog in the corner of the blogosphere.

I had debated between "dream" and "prayer," because I will be writing a series of very basic, simple, hopefully inspired Bible studies at Wives of Faith on prayer this year. It sounds more lofty and holy to say "My word for 2013 is prayer."

And yet, here I am, with my tiny bracelet and my heart full of words to share, feeling fearful and afraid to dream.

As I read through the Bible this year, I have already started making notes, not only about prayer, but also about dreams. And I am following a writer I'd love to meet one day, as she inspires women to dream.

And I know I have people in my corner.

One of my other friends mentioned yesterday that sometimes words are friends, that they hold hands. I think she's right. Dreams and prayer are friends.


Special thanks to Melanie at Only a Breath for the custom "One Word" graphic. Thank you!!!

Past themes:
Brave (2009)
Focus (2010)
Grace (2011)
Listen (2012)

Friday, January 04, 2013

First Five Minute Friday of 2013

Today's Topic: OPPORTUNITY

___

"A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty." ~Winston Churchill

___

Quotations like these are difficult for me to contemplate. You see, while I try very hard to be optimistic, there's a part of my nature, my very human nature, that is pessimistic.

When I am faced with an opportunity, sometimes all I see is all the work involved. How much will be required of me in terms of time and energy and thought. "Is it worth it?" I ask myself. Generally the answer is no.

Sometimes, I allow opportunities to slip away because I'm not an optimist. I don't see the opportunity in the difficulty of the work, energy, time, and thought involved.

The true tragedy is that I don't allow the opportunity for GOD to shine through me in the difficult situation.

I hope I can remember to think in a more positive manner and allow God to shine through, even when things are difficult and I'm not feeling particularly optimistic about the opportunity--or difficulty--before me.

Tuesday, January 01, 2013

In 2013

I aspire to do these things in 2013:

  • Read the Bible (I'm using the One-Year Bible, English Standard Version)
  • Study about Prayer
  • Pray more
  • Read 100 books
  • Write something every day