Hardcover Feedback: May 2011

Monday, May 30, 2011

Giveaway

Legacy of a Writer is having a book giveaway. They are giving away a copy of Tomorrow We Die by Shawn Grady. So go ahead and enter! This giveaway closes on June 11th at midnight.

When Sparrows Fall by Meg Moseley

I GIVE THIS BOOK: 4 Stars
View all my reviews

Freedom. Safety. Love. Miranda vows to reclaim them--for herself, and for her children.

A widow and mother of six, Miranda Hanford leads a quiet, private life. When the pastor of her close-knit church announces his plans to move the entire congregation to another state, Miranda jumps at the opportunity to dissolve ties with Mason Chandler and his controlling brand of “shepherding.” But then Mason threatens to unearth secrets only he knows, and Miranda feels trapped, terrified she’ll be unable to protect her children.

University professor Jack Hanford is more than surprised when he gets a call from his estranged sister-in-law’s oldest son, Timothy, informing him that Miranda has taken a serious fall and he has been named legal guardian of her children while she recovers. Quickly charmed by Miranda’s children, Jack brings some much-needed life into the sheltered household. But his constant challenging of the family’s conservative lifestyle makes the recovering mother uneasy and defensive—despite Jack’s unnerving appeal.

As Jack tries to make sense of the mysterious Miranda and the secrets she holds so tightly, Mason’s pressure on her increases. With her emotions stirring and freedom calling, can Miranda find a way to unshackle her family without losing everything?

MY THOUGHTS

"When Sparrows Fall" was a wonderfully written novel that captured my attention from page one and never let it go. This was a book that once I started reading it, I couldn't put it down until I reached the end.

I liked almost everything in this book, especially how Jack would call Michael and Gabriel (Miranda's two middle children) "the archangels" and that Miranda named her camera "Jezebel", because her church had forbidden her to use it to make money.

Some of the things I didn't like in the book were:

That the story jumped ahead - sometimes by weeks.
How Jack would openly defy Miranda and the rules she had in raising her children.
That Jack secretly, on three different occasions, gave Miranda a pain pill which he knew she did not want to take.

The reason I listed numbers 2 and 3 is because the book makes it seem as though what Jack did was right. I think the last one bothers me the most. I know if I didn't want to take pain medication and someone secretively put it into my food, I would be so angry that I would have a hard time trusting that person again. It's because of these reasons that I'm giving this book 4 1/2 stars.

Overall this is a well-crafted novel that is an enjoyable read. The characters are well developed and you can't help but fall in love with Miranda's children. I think that Meg Moseley did a superb job for her first novel. I highly recommend reading "When Sparrows Fall".

Thanks to WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for sending me a complimentary copy of this book to review. I was not required to give a positive review, only to give my honest opinion of the book - which I have done.