I always enjoy Tracie Peterson’s
historical fiction, and Beyond the
Silence is no different. It’s
co-written with Kimberly Woodhouse, an author I have never read. This book seemed a little different than Ms.
Peterson’s previous books, but not in a bad way. I thought it was an enjoyable read.
Jimmy Colton hasn’t spoken a word
since the day his mother was murdered.
His father, Woody, is naturally concerned about his young son’s health,
so he puts out an ad for a nanny.
Lillian Porter responds, and is given the job. When she arrives in the town of Angels Camp,
she hears terrible news about Woody. The
townspeople inform her that he murdered his wife. Lillian’s grandfather told her never to come
back home again, so she has no choice but to continue on her journey to the Colton
olive farm. The Woody Colton that she
comes to know does not seem capable of murdering his wife, and is truly
heartbroken over her death. Soon Lillian
comes to love the members of the Colton family like they are her own, and she’ll
do whatever it takes to protect them, including standing up to the men who
accuse Woody of murder. But the man who
killed Jimmy’s mother isn’t far away, and he’s coming back. Lillian is prepared to give her life for her
new family, and Woody must race to save her from his first wife’s fate. And through it all they must reach beyond
Jimmy’s silence and help to heal his broken heart.
This book is considered historical
romance, but the romance part is subtle.
It’s really a story about falling in love with a family more than a
particular person. It’s about being
willing to accept people in spite of their imperfections, and the things we
will go through to protect those we love.
I loved the way that Lillian and Woody fell in love slowly as they grew
to know one another better. I admired
Lillian’s can-do attitude. She wasn’t
going to let anything stand in her way—from angry townspeople to a twisted
murderer to an undug ditch. She would do
whatever it took to get things done!
Lillian is a great character, and so was Woody. I liked watching him fall in love with
Lillian, even when he tried not to! The
spiritual aspects of this book should not be taken lightly either. Woody’s struggles with God are honest and
raw. I think any reader could relate to
his feelings over the death of his wife, the problems with his son and the
accusations of his previous friends.
There is a wonderful lesson about the pain of gossip, rumors and the
power of forgiveness.
This is a great read to fill
those long winter nights. Ms. Peterson
and Ms. Woodhouse have a true winner in Beyond
the Silence.
Happy Reading!
Lyndsie
I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for this
review. All opinions are my own and a
favorable review was not required. Beyond the Silence is available now.
No comments:
Post a Comment