July 5, 2009
Review – A Gathering of Finches
Cassie’s marriage to Josiah Stearns following her father’s death is one of convenience. It insures financial security and a roof over not only her head, but her mother’s and sister’s, as well.
Josiah moves the three women from their home in Corning, New York to Hoquiam, Washington, where Cassie finds herself seeking to fill an emptiness she cannot name. Not even the baby girl she gives birth to satisfies that inner hunger, and she soon finds herself falling in love with handsome playboy Louis Simpson. The affair predictably leads to pain and betrayal, with Cassie forsaking all she has and everyone who cares about her to be with the man she loves.
Beside her entrepreneurial lover, Cassie moves to the wild, rugged coastal region of Oregon, and what follows is a lifetime of parties, gaiety, extravagance and self-fulfilling endeavors. Yet happiness eludes her, despite the riches and respect, despite being Louie’s spoiled darling. When he betrays her, Cassie sinks even further into a realm of self-doubt and distrust. She’s a bright star wandering a dark galaxy, never finding the perfect place to be happy and at home.
A Gathering of Finches is based on the life of Cassandra Hendrick Stearns Simpson. It’s a wrenching tale of a lifetime of questionable choices, a life lived almost wholly without purpose, devoted to self-satisfaction, and a heart that longs for something more. Yet Cassie has many friends, many people who genuinely love her and long to see her find herself…to find God.
Perhaps in the end, she does.
Jane Kirkpatrick weaves a heartbreaking tale of love and loss, of pain and betrayal. Well-written, laced with authentic historical tidbits that lend richness and reality to the storyline. This one won’t be easily forgotten.
WANT TO FIND MORE BOOKS LIKE THIS ONE?
A Gathering of Finches is one of a collection of books offered at deep discounts from Waterbrook Multnomah Publishing Group this summer. See press release below:
Colorado Springs, CO— Fiction lovers don’t need to budget to travel this summer with Waterbrook Multnomah Publishing Group’s eight full-length, historical novels by beloved Christian authors (WaterBrook, June 2, 2009). At the low cost of only $5.99, these well-read “get-aways” provide quality enjoyment at a price that any reader can afford.
Full-length historical novels offered include:
The Captain’s Bride (ISBN-13: 978-0-307-45806-3)
by Lisa Tawn Bergren, book one in Northern Lights series. Experience an epic saga of perseverance and passion, faith and fidelity in a sea adventure from the gentle hills of Bergen, Norway, to rocky coast of Camden, Maine.
Tomorrow’s Treasure (ISBN-13: 978-0-307-45808-7)
by Linda Lee Chaikin, book one in East of the Sun series. Family secrets and a passion for a man of a higher social class draw Evy Varley into a dangerous mystery and disturbing questions about her past.
The Silver Sword (ISBN-13: 978-0-307-45809-4)
by Angela Elwell Hunt, book one in The Heirs of Cahira O’ Connor series. The auburn-haired O’Conner women push against social limits. Their tale is one of peril, courage, vengeance, love and sacrifice.
The Veil (ISBN-13: 978-0-307-45807-0)
by Diane Noble. Hannah McClary dares to question the truth behind the shroud of secrecy that cloaks a nineteenth-century sect known as the Saints. Soon she and Lucas Knight, the young man she loves, find themselves fighting for their lives.
Under the Distant Sky (ISBN-13: 978-1-60142-245-3)
by Al and Joanna Lacy, book one in Hannah of Fort Bridger. Join Hannah and Solomon Cooper as they journey by wagon train to a new life on the frontier. Will they overcome tragedy and great opposition as they strive to live their dream?
A Promise for Breanna (ISBN-13: 978-1-60142-244-6) by Al & Joanna Lacy, book one in Angel of Mercy series. Suspense, danger, romance and spiritual truth each play a part in this heroine’s life as she faces the man who once broke her heart and led her to mistrust men.
Maire (ISBN-13: 978-1-60142-256-0)
by Linda Windsor, book one in Fires of Gleannmara. Maire, Warrior Queen of Gleannmara, finds her fierce heart gentled by a reformed mercenary, a Christian, who’s taken hostage during a raid.
A Gathering of Finches (ISBN-13: 978-1-60142-247-7) by Jane Kirkpatrick. A turn-of-the-century Oregon coastal couples’ life is seen through the eyes of the wife, her sister, and her Indian maid who discover reasons why money and possessions can’t buy happiness, forgiveness or relieve consequences of choices.
Waterbrook summer release of value line books will also include a 99 Ways (July 2009) and Non-fiction series (September 2009).
