Rainey’s grandmother Evie fled Ireland many years ago. Neither Rainey nor her mother know why or anything about her life there. But while recovering from an illness she asks her granddaughter to take her back to the home she grew up in, which is now a bed and breakfast. She wants to retrieve some letters and read them again.
I love Irish stories so I was eager to read this one.
I never understood why Evie did not want her daughter, Rainey’s mother to go with them to Ireland. I thought it would be explained but it really wasn’t. That aside, I really enjoyed this book and the wonderful descriptions. The budding romance was understated, which I personally like. The ending was sweet but I felt like it didn’t tie up all the loose ends especially that budding romance I mentioned. They decided they would figure it out (living in different countries.). Even so, I appreciate that it was slow developing rather than a commitment or a physical affair after only meeting a week ago.
Well-written, easy to read, and a glimpse into the history of the times, which I always like. I gave it four stars.
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Interviewer: We are here today with Gitel, the main character in Gitel’s Freedom by Iris Mitlin Lav. Gitel has graciously agreed to come back briefly from the afterlife to allow me to interview her.
Hello Gitel. Thank you for granting me this interview. If you were still alive today, how old would you be.
Gitel: Let me see. I was born in February, 1907, so I would be around 118 years old now.
I: You seemed unhappy a lot of the time you were growing up. What made you so unhappy?
G: I felt stuck between being an old-world girl and being an American girl, although I wanted to be the latter. I was five years old when we came to the United States, to South Bend, Indiana. My mother Rayzel never adjusted to life in the U.S. She never even learned to speak English. She tried to impose on me all the restrictions that would have applied if I had been raised as an Orthodox Jewish girl back in Belorussia. I couldn’t go to the houses of my school friends, I couldn’t play sports, I couldn’t wear pants, I couldn’t go away to college, and lots of other restraints. I defied her to the extent I could by playing on a non-Jewish softball team, for example, but that was not until I was in high school.
I: How did you meet Shmuel? What made you want to marry him?
G: I was already 25 years old and working at Studebaker. My mother was pushing me hard to get married, but I had no use for any of the local men the matchmaker or my mother proposed. They were so provincial and boring. I had just about decided that I didn’t want to marry at all. But when I heard Shmuel speak at a Workmen’s Circle meeting in Chicago, he seemed so different from any men I knew. He was concerned about the welfare of people who didn’t have the money to afford their necessities. And he also had good ideas about what politicians and the government could do to help workers and those without jobs. I fell in love with him and his ideas.
I: What is your conception of happiness and freedom?
G: When Shmuel died, after having been an invalid for much of the preceding 11 years, I was 60 years old and exhausted from taking care of him, being the breadwinner, and holding the family together. But I soon shook off my exhaustion and realized that for the first time since our first daughter was born a year after we married, I was free from responsibilities and could be my own person. Both daughters were married and on their own. I set about finding a job and a small studio apartment in the city, which my bookkeeping skills allowed me to readily find and afford. And with no other responsibilities, I could visit with friends or relatives or do volunteer work in my free time. It was wonderful. I worked at that job until I was 72, and then I retired.
I: Why does so little make you feel happy and free?
G: My life had been so difficult. Shmuel and I had just been married a couple of years when we lost our business in the Great Depression, when our bank that hcld our working capital and personal funds closed and didn’t reopen. Then Shmuel kept getting sick or injured. Most of the time we didn’t have enough money to live; we were always pinching pennies. And Shmuel insisted that I didn’t work outside the house to supplement his meager income. I never was able to realize my dream of becoming a teacher. After all that, a job with a decent salary, a nice place to live, and free time that I could spend as I pleased seemed to me like a huge reward or recompence for all that I had suffered.
I: If you could go back and change anything in your life, what would you change?
G: There is so much I would want to change. To start with, there were warning signs before we were married that Shmuel’s health might be problematic. But I was too much in love to pay attention to those signs. And above all, I wish I had insisted that Shmuel pay more attention to the warning signs of what might happen during the Depression, rather than my going along with his optimism. We could have waited a few years before opening our drug store, rather than do so in 1932 when the economy was crashing. And I wanted to take our working capital out of the bank. I should have insisted rather than let Shmuel’s reluctance prevail.
I: Thank you so much for your willingness to be interviewed and for your honest answers. One more question. Is there really life after death? What is it like?
G: Ah. We are forbidden to talk about that.
Iris Mitlin Lav grew up in the liberal Hyde Park neighborhood of Chicago, Illinois. She went on to earn an MBA from George Washington University and an AB from the University of Chicago, and to enjoy a long career of public policy analysis and management, with an emphasis on improving policies for low- and moderate-income families. She also taught public finance at Johns Hopkins University and George Mason University, and in 1999 received the Steven D. Gold award for contributions to state and local fiscal policy. Her first novel, “A Wife in Bangkok,” was published in 2020 by She Writes Press. “Gitel’s Freedom” is her second novel. Learn more at: www.irismitlinlav.com
Welcome to Novel PASTimes! We are pleased you stopped by today.
Thanks for having me! It’s quite posh here, isn’t it?
Tell us something about where you live?
I live in Hackney in London. It’s a bit grim at the moment. Our street is practically rubble after Hitler aimed his vengeance bombs right at us. Thankfully, my neighbours were safe and our house was spared. It’s crowded, though. What with me and my sister, mum and dad and my four brothers. And that’s before Jonty comes home.
Do you have an occupation?
Yes. I’m a seamstress. I do the hand embroidery and other details on gowns for a fancy French dressmaker in Mayfair. I taught myself to sew and I never dreamed I’d be good enough to get a job at such a place. I couldn’t believe it when Madame Martin took me on. I worked at RAF Bottesford in the war, which is all but over now. The Germans surrendered a few months ago, but the Japanese are drawing things out to the bitter end.
What do you like about your work?
I love working on fancy gowns for some of the richest people in the country. And not just gowns, we also make underthings. They are all very French, if you know what I mean. I could never afford anything like what we make, but I love being able to sew all day.
Who are the special people in your life?
Well, there’s my family. Lucy’s getting married soon and Dad’s a bit unpredictable, but Mum knows how to handle him. Then there’s Jonty. He’s my husband, so maybe I should have put him first. But everything is so complicated that I never know what to say.
See, we got married about two and a half years ago. I was well, in a family way, if you know what I mean. The baby wasn’t his, but he didn’t care. It was his idea to get married! We thought that once the baby was born we’d just get on with being a family. But my darling girl died and everything sort of fell apart after that. I told Jonty to leave. I said some awful things to him. Things that kept him away for two years. But, I regret them. And now that he is being demobilised, we need to find a way to begin again. I honestly have no idea where to start.
Then there’s my friend, Jan. He’s my neighbour’s nephew. We’re just friends. Or so I keep telling myself.
What do you expect the future will hold for you?
I wish I knew. Despite everything that has happened, I know that Jonty is a good man. Well, he was. Maybe the war changed him…? There’s a housing shortage because of all the bombing so we’ll be living with my family. But I don’t want to leave Hackney anyway. Not when my family and friends are here.
What are you most afraid of?
After my baby daughter died, I’m afraid that I can’t have babies that live. It happened to my neighbour Mrs Parkin. She buried every child she ever had. I’ve only done it once but I can’t do it again. I just can’t. It hurts too much.
What have you learned about yourself in the course of your story?
That, despite everything, I am loved and loved well. But it’s a long road, and I don’t want to give too much away, you see.
These Long Shadows by Jennifer Mistmorgan is a second chance, marriage-of-convenience love story with a dash of intrigue set in the dying days of WWII. Perfect for readers who love Sarah Sundin and Roseanna White. Coming March 2025.
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About the Author
Award-winning Australian author Jennifer Mistmorgan sometimes feels like she was born in the wrong era. So she writes romantic historical fiction set in the 1940s, against the backdrop of WWII and its aftermath. Her romances are full of sweet romance, wartime drama, imperfect faith and characters that feel like friends. She lives in Canberra with her family and a wonky-eared West Highland terrier.
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Publisher : Berkley (March 18, 2025)
Language : English
Hardcover : 352 pages
ISBN-10 : 0593332865
ISBN-13 : 978-0593332863
Susan Meissner’s new book explores secrets, friendship bonds, and the consequences of our choices all while whisking readers off to the 1950s in Southern California. It was a time when women were still limited in their choices to make a living, a time when the fear of communism was spreading, and a time when people still knew their neighbors no matter how odd or reclusive they may have been.
We meet Melanie Cole, a budding movie star who is blacklisted due to suspected communist ties, her housekeeper Eva who fled war-torn Europe, and next door neighbor June who lives with her reclusive screenwriter brother-in-law. They are all afraid of something and need each other to escape their circumstances.
This book was at the same time classic Susan Meissner (a story of hope, a story where I learned something from history, a story where her use of descriptive language paints an unforgettable story in my mind) and also a departure for this novelist. I believe this is the first of her books to use swearing, so heads up if that bothers you. The story unfolded differently too. The first half unfolded very slowly for me. There was lots of backstory and not much happening. But then in the second half things are set in motion and the emotions felt real and heart wrenching. What would you change in your past and how would that have changed the present if at all? That’s a question the three friends contemplate and in the end come up with answers. I’m glad I read this even though it isn’t my favorite Meissner novel.
Reviewed by Cindy Thomson. I received a free advanced copy from the publisher and my review is solely my own.
Welcome Charlotte. Tell us a little about yourself. Where and when are you from?
Well, to start, I was born and raised on a farm in Falmouth, Massachusetts. But I’m told my home has long since changed from my timeline in 1776. I believe it’s now a part of Portland, Maine if I’m correct.
How would you describe your family life?
My father is a surveyor in the colonies and owns a family farm where I grew up. Unfortunately, my mother died last year after the first year of the war. With two older siblings and two younger, I suppose I would be considered the middle child. However, I’m hardly the peacemaker of the family. In fact, I tend to bring on more conflict than any of my other siblings. Thankfully, I have an aunt who is not only a Godsend when it comes to taking care of my family and the challenges the war has brought on but has also served as an encouragement to me.
You’re from the colonies, but your story takes place in France. Am I missing something?
No, you’re correct. My older sister’s story takes place more in the colonies, but mine takes a different turn. I’ve been traveling with my sister, Abigail, where we ended up in Paris, France. The city was a stop on our way to London, but I’ve received urgent news from home that has detained me here until I can change things in hopes of bettering my family’s current dilemma.
How do you feel about those challenges you’re currently facing?
I’m not a woman who minds a good challenge or one to give in easily when the matter becomes difficult. Nevertheless, I know people are counting on me to be successful and that creates a lot pressure, especially when it’s not just my own life effected.
Is there anything or anyone you fear while you’re trying to accomplish your goals in Paris?
Yes, actually. Dying before really living my life.
Tell us something about Nicholas. How did you two meet?
You mean that captain of the Royal Navy under King George III? When I first met him, he was a lieutenant and fired cannons upon my town during the onset of the war last year in my sister’s story. Truly, the man is annoyingly upright in every way and follows orders to the exact degree. But since our first run-in, we’ve had plenty of opportunity together, some good, some not. And if you were worried on my part about my town’s destruction, don’t be. I’ve been able to get even in my own way.
Since we’re on the subject of Nicholas, what is your idea of a perfect date?
Let’s just say it occurs at the Seine River in Paris and you wouldn’t believe what happens even if I told you.
Thank you, Charlotte. Before we end our interview, I have one more question for you. If you had one last chance to say something to someone important, what would it be?
(swallow)
I’d tell my mother I miss her dearly and I’m so sorry for what I did.
About A Heart’s Charade
She’d left home to escape the war, only to find herself having to face her past again.
It’s 1776. There might be a war going on back home in the colonies, but Charlotte Thatcher is perfectly fine to stay out of it. While touring Paris, France her aunt sends news from home that leaves little choice but to seek out a French noble’s help or stand by while the war ruins her family. Driven by her aunt’s plea and a chance to fully appreciate Paris’ charm, she grabs at the opportunity. But will she be able to secure a partnership with the very man she has outrightly offended?
Captain Nicholas J. Edwards was born to serve the Royal Navy, at least that’s what his father would say. With a perfect reputation and expectations he’s always managed to live up to, Nicholas has been assigned a secret mission in Paris by the king of England. But when his mission in the French city turns out to be a failure, will there be more to his consequences than just his tarnished record? And what happens when the woman whose been a thorn in his side ends up becoming a rose?
About Jill Ann Mai
As an ongoing student of both literature and the Word of God, it is Jill’s privilege to write fiction set in the past, that she prays, points her readers to the hope found in Christ. Apart from writing, Jill spends most of her time with her amazing husband and two daughters who are full of life in Paducah, KY. She enjoys spending time with her family, traveling, and having a good conversation over an equally good cup of coffee. A Heart’s Charade is the second book she’s authored behind Love Beyond the Ashes.
Johnny Cruel is born with strange appendages on his back, frightening his neighbors and leaving him struggling to find a home. He ends up in a “freak show” traveling the 1930s South, where he bares his back to onlookers who come to gape and fawn. Is he a horror or an angel? Should he hide himself to live his life?
Johnny’s travails in the Depression-era U.S. shine a spotlight on the era, where traveling shows provided entertainment and the odd could bring a thrill to grueling lives. Ideal for fans of Water for Elephants and Weyward, Boy With Wings brings the sideshow performer’s plight to life, surrounded by menace but also adulation, fraud, love and an undeniable magic.
Boy With Wings details Johnny’s life from a small child to a young adult. The following is an interview from his teen years, when he’s the star of the “Alexander’s Traveling Oddities” show that patrons pay extra to see.
Johnny, what was it like when you first appeared on the show?
I was scared. I didn’t know what it would be like, or even what I was supposed to do. They told me—Tot and Sheila—to just go out there and let them look, but I didn’t want to do it. They made me wear this cape-like thing, and there were all these people staring from behind a rope. But when I took off the cape and showed them, well, it was okay.
Do you like it now, being the star?
I guess. I’ve gotten used to it, and in a way, I suppose I like it some. I listen more to the crowd now, to what they’re saying and their other reactions. People faint sometimes. I get heckled now and then. I sign photos of myself after the shows, which can get a bit tiresome. And I feel bad in some ways because others here work so hard, performing multiple times a day, while I just go out and show the patrons my back. I wish I could sing or dance or do something more, but I haven’t come up with anything yet to add to my act.
What are the other acts like?
Oh, they’re really great! We have Zorat the sword-swallower who also breathes fire—he’s one of my favorites. There’s Sheila the tattooed lady, and Boris who throws knives, and Alfred who has this wooden dummy named Cletus who talks all on his own. There are others more like me—the true freaks, they call us: Otto, who’s a pinhead, Kenneth the Dog-Faced Man, and Tot, the tiny lady who runs the show. There are also these minstrel singers, who have voices that are amazing! We had girls who danced, too, but they had to leave.
What was your life like before the show?
I’d rather not talk about that.
What are the patrons like at your shows?
They’re mostly men: farmers and workers. Sometime women, and occasionally children, too. I see some of the men drinking from bottles—that’s hooch, or so Winifred tells me. Tot made the decision to allow Negros into the shows, and that has made some people mad.
Who is Winifred?
She’s this girl, my friend. She’s the only other kid on the show, though she’s not a performer. She’s Tot’s daughter. She’s. . . Well, I guess she’s my girlfriend.
Are you religious?
Sure. I study with Zorat—his real name is Robert. We read the Bible, and he tells me of things that he’s learned. I don’t understand lots of it. I wish I could know more.
What do you think the future holds?
I’m not sure. I saw someone from my past recently, and it brought back this big, dark cloud. My mother is dead, but I’d like to find my father, or at least I think that’s what I want. Winifred and I have that in common—she’s looking for her father, too. Who knows what could be out there for us? I’d like to have a regular job, a regular life, but for now I’m okay being on the show. We’re like a big family, you know? Or at least this is the family I’ve got.
Are they really wings?
I think so. I don’t know. I have to turn on my side to sleep.
MARK MUSTIAN is the author of the novels “The Return” and “The Gendarme,” the latter an international bestseller that has been published in eleven languages. He was a finalist for the Dayton International Literary Peace Prize, shortlisted for the Saroyan International Award for Writing, and the winner of the Florida Gold Book Award for fiction. He is the founder and president of the Word of South Festival of Literature and Music in Tallahassee, Florida, now in its tenth year. A former elected official and an attorney, he lives in Florida and Michigan with his wife and elderly dog. Learn more at: www.markmustian.com
Interviewer: Mistress Sarah, you have served Queen Katherine for many years in the birthing chamber. What have you observed about her strength as a mother?
Sarah: Her Majesty is a woman of unwavering fortitude. Though sorrow has visited her more times than I dare count, she meets each trial with the resolve of a true queen. I have seen her cradle a lifeless babe, pressing her lips to its cooling brow, and yet by dawn, she stands before her ladies, her grief concealed beneath a mantle of dignity. She does not weep where others may see—her sorrow is carried in her prayers, in the long hours she spends upon her knees. If strength is measured by endurance, then there is no woman in England, nay, in https://amzn.to/41mTMQIChristendom, stronger than she.
Interviewer: Many whisper of the King’s desire for a son. How does the Queen bear the weight of such expectations? Sarah: A queen’s duty is to provide heirs, yet a woman’s body does not always yield to duty. Her Majesty has done all that is required of her—she has fasted, she has sought the most learned physicians, she has entrusted herself to God’s mercy. I have known many women in my profession who crumble beneath such burdens, yet she does not. She holds to her faith, to the conviction that she is the true and rightful wife of the King, and that in the end, justice will prevail. But I would be lying if I said I do not see the toll it takes. The sleepless nights, the silent prayers murmured when she believes herself alone… Such a burden is not easily
borne.
Interviewer: You are well-spoken for a midwife, Mistress Sarah. Where did you come by such an education?
Sarah: I was fortunate in my youth. My father believed that a sharp mind was as valuable as a skilled hand, and though many deem it unnecessary for a woman to read more than a psalter, he insisted I be taught beyond such limits. I learned Latin, some Greek, and the art of numbers, but it is in my profession that my knowledge has served me best. The study of the body is a lifelong pursuit, and I take no greater pride than in aiding women in their hour of need. Books, however, can only teach so much—true wisdom comes from years at the birthing bed, from knowing when to act and when to pray. (She avoids mentioning that her father was a Jewish scholar, that her first letters were not in Latin but Hebrew. To reveal such a truth would be dangerous, and she is careful with her words.)
Interviewer: The Queen is deeply devout. Have you ever spoken with her about matters of faith?
Sarah: Her Majesty’s faith is the foundation upon which she stands. It guides her every thought, every action. She speaks of it often, and I listen with due reverence. A midwife hears many things—prayers whispered in labor, confessions spoken between cries of pain. Faith is a great comfort in the birthing chamber, for it is there that life and death stand side by side. I do not question the Queen’s devotion, nor do I question that faith gives strength where the body falters. (She does not speak of her own faith. She does not tell the interviewer that when she prays, it is not to the saints but to the Almighty, that when she fasts, it is not for Lent but for Yom Kippur. Such truths must remain hidden.)
Interviewer: The court is a place of intrigue. Have you ever feared for your safety?
Sarah: Fear is the shadow that walks beside all who serve the great and powerful. A midwife is a keeper of secrets—she knows who has conceived, who has lost a child, who seeks remedies best left unspoken. I tread carefully, as all must do. But it is not only courtly whispers that give me pause. A misplaced word, a careless slip, and a life can be undone. I take great care to be what I am expected to be—no more, no less. A woman in my position must always remember that there are ears everywhere, and not all ears are kind
Brigitte Barnard is an amateur historian and home birth midwife whose deep passion for history and expertise in maternal care bring exceptional authenticity to her storytelling. A mother of four, she also breeds Cavalier King Charles Spaniels. Currently, she is working on her next book—a nonfiction exploration of dynastic childbirth in the Tudor court—for one of the UK’s leading publishers.
Today we’re chatting with Dana Foster in her favorite spot, the library, in the sprawling town called Fenton, nestled in the foothills south of the Adirondacks in New York. She is in fourth grade as she reveals the beginning of her family’s story from 1970-1974.
Nice to meet you, Dana. Thank you for talking to us in this beautiful Fenton library. We understand you live nearby.
Our house is a block down the street from the side entrance. It’s the smallest in a neighborhood of bigger, two-story houses. But Mom has room to make her pottery there. Her kiln is in the basement. She sells them at the arts and crafts shops in town that draw people from out of town. Then they can enjoy lunch or dessert at any of the quaint restaurants or tea houses. There’s also a playhouse and historic places to tour.
So, your mom is a potter. What does your dad do?
He’s the manager of a cotton mill in town. People like to go to its outlet store to buy seconds, those flawed products you can still use or wear. The tanning mills have them in leather, too.
It sounds like a town with a variety of attractions. What do you especially like about living here?
Fenton is a safe place for kids to roam free and do what they want. I used to follow my older brother, Luke, everywhere, even if he decided to do something stupid. Like one time, we crept around the outside ledge of this library. We held our arms out against the building and slid along sideways. Almost made me dizzy to look down. We made it past the first corner to the front of the building before anyone saw us. That turned us back quick! We ran home in a second. But I did it. I’m brave! I proved it to my brother.
Why did you feel you had to prove that?
I was afraid Luke wouldn’t include me in his adventures if I didn’t. But I wanted to prove it to myself, too. I kept trying. Didn’t always work, though.
What’s an example of something that didn’t work?
I watched him cartwheel across the lawn like a clown. I tried but never got the hang of it. When he coached me to make my legs straight by imagining them as the hands on a clock, it didn’t help. I was afraid of falling. Can you think what it took for me to step up on the library ledge?
It sounds as if you and Luke are different in many ways.
Oh, definitely. He never worried about getting in trouble. On a hot day, he pushed me into the fishpond, right here on the other side of the library grounds, and fell in after me to make it look like an accident. I remember how cool the water felt. I wanted to float around, but then Luke told me the groundskeeper warned him the day before to stay away from the pond!
You didn’t mention Luke at the beginning when you talked about your parents. Why is that?
A terrible thing happened…last summer before fourth grade. (A pause) I just can’t talk about it.
What about your parents? Can they talk about it?
Instead of being sad, Dad is angry. He’s still mad at Mom for letting Luke go when he was supposed to mow the lawn. Luke promised to do it the next day, and he would have. He always did his chores. Dad’s even mad at God for letting it happen. I’ve never heard my parents quarrel until now. So, you can guess how it is at our house.
We’re sorry to hear that.
It’s hard to believe Luke’s not here. I know he’s in heaven as Mom says, but I miss him every day. I thought those summer days would never end. I keep praying for a chance to talk to him one more time or visit him up there. I wonder if he’s growing his hair long like Jesus.
How do you fill your time without Luke?
Yesterday I wandered into his empty room and slipped under the covers in his bed. But the sheets smelled of laundry detergent and fresh air. Not like Luke. I sat on the edge of the bed, staring at his dresser and began to think about peeking into the drawers.
Guess what I found? Luke’s blue sailboat! He sailed it by the street curb after a rainstorm. It looked like the real thing with its mast straight up as it ran with the current. We couldn’t keep up. In the flash of a second, the water swept it down the storm drain! It was gone. And I mean, gone. I saw it happen with my own eyes. I can’t imagine how he rescued it. Anyway, I have it even though it’s beat up pretty bad.
Can you describe how it looks?
All the gouges, broken mast, and no sails, make it hard to recognize. Mom agreed Luke would want me to have it for safe keeping. It’s all I have left of him.
Do you have any plans for it?
Not yet. I don’t want to let it get away again. It’s very special. Mom says no matter what, I have to trust God with whatever happens, so that’s what I’ll do.
Thank you for meeting with us, Dana. Our best to you and your boat. Who knows? Maybe it will play a role in a future adventure.
More about Chasing the Blue Boat: A novel of longing
Nine-year-old Dana Foster follows her older brother, Luke, wherever he goes. From climbing on ledges, jumping in a fish pond, and causing general mischief, Luke is fearless. But when tragedy strikes the Foster family, everything that Dana has ever known is suddenly turned upside down. When the storms of life come, will the Foster family stand firm in their faith? Or will they shatter under the pressure? Suddenly, a blue boat that Dana and Luke received from their uncle leads Dana on a journey of faith, hope, and love that she will not soon forget. In this coming-of-age story, discover the truths of God’s grace in suffering, the blessing of forgiveness, and how to hold on to your faith when all hope seems lost.
About Connie
Connie Kallback grew up on the plains of Cheyenne, Wyoming, attended the University of Wyoming, and graduated from the University of Washington in Seattle. She transitioned from English teacher to publishing in New Jersey with CCMI/McGraw-Hill, Prentice Hall, and CPP, Inc, in positions from writer to acquisitions and managing editor. Her early writing, penned while teaching, appeared in magazines, newspapers and literary journals. No longer wearing the hats of Mary Poppins or Sherlock Holmes, necessities of raising six children in two separate families, she writes in South Carolina where she lives with her husband.
Thank you for meeting with us at Novel PASTimes, Demitria.
Demitria: You can call me Demi, if you like. Will this take long? I need to be out on my boat. The light’s good for diving today and Mersad won’t like it if I’m dawdling. Another dive team is trying to take over my boat, and I can’t afford to waste any diving opportunities now that my brother, Theseus, is injured.
Don’t worry, we’ll make this quick. I heard about your brother’s accident. How is he doing?
Demi: You know Theseus. Whenever his nose runs, he’s certain he’s about to die. Although, this is a little more serious than a dripping nose. I’m glad Pastor Nikolas arrived to help when he did. Some might call that a miracle. I know it felt like one at the time, though I certainly don’t deserve any of those after what I’ve done. Perhaps it was a miracle for Nydia. She’s in love with him, you know.
With Pastor Nikolas?
Demi: No. Nydia is in love with Theseus, though her grandmother, Beatrix, is set on finding Pastor Nikolas a wife. Poor man. No singles in Myra can withstand her matchmaking efforts for long.
Do you have someone special in your life?
Demi: Not . . . not anymore. Not like that anyway. I was betrothed once to a man named Alexander. He was a lot like Nikolas actually. Handsome, charismatic, passionate about his faith. He’s dead now. Men like that don’t live long anymore. Not since Emperor Diocletian passed his anti-Christian edicts. Things have only gotten worse under the tetrarchy and Emperor Galerius. No one in the empire is allowed to buy or sell anything unless they first offer sacrifices to the emperor and the gods of Rome. It is . . . a dangerous time to live.
How do you survive in times like this?
Demi: There are a few of us who find work here and there, and some employers and merchants who look the other way so long as the transaction benefits them. I try to provide mussels and clams for my friends, but my job is to harvest red coral and pearl oysters for Mersad. If I don’t make my quota, I’ll lose my boat. And I can’t bear to lose the boat. Aside from Theseus, my boat is the last piece of my family that I have, and it is the lifeline for our church.
Oh? How so?
Demi: Theseus and I take it upriver after dark to trade for supplies with Christians in the farming districts upriver. Without the boat, we would lose access to food we cannot get in the city, and all those upriver would be cut off from trade goods and salt. Since Theseus has been injured, Nikolas and I have begun making the trips upriver.
That sounds dangerous.
Demi: It is. In more ways than you can imagine. For one thing, Nikolas and I get along well. He’s actually very easy to talk to—and you wouldn’t think that would be a bad thing, but if Beatrix found out, she’d be matchmaking us next, and we could never be anything more than friends.
Why not?
Demi: Because if Nikolas really knew me, knew what I’ve done, everything I hold dear would be stripped away, and I . . . I can’t bear to lose anything else I love. And, the other danger is . . . well, Nikolas doesn’t have the best history with boats. He sank his when he came to Myra, and I’m a little fearful he might sink mine too. We’ve had some close calls. But at least he hasn’t drowned the supplies like he did his entire inheritance. All that gold—right to the bottom of the Mediterranean Sea—can you imagine?
That gold would have been very helpful, considering what you told us about the state of things in the empire.
Demi: That’s why we’re trying to recover it—Nikolas, Theseus, and I. It’s tricky though. Theseus is still recovering and can’t dive yet, and Nikolas . . . well, at least he can swim. But if I’m searching for Nikolas’s gold, I can’t dive for coral, and if I don’t harvest enough coral, I’ll lose the boat, and then . . . I just have to find that gold. And soon.
Well, we won’t keep you from your boat any longer. Thank you for chatting with us today, Demi. I hope you find everything you’re looking for.
Demi: I have a feeling I will. But it might not be in the ways I expect.
It’s been a long time since a book brought me to tears, evoking a depth of emotion I rarely experience from reading a novel. Finding Juniper contains that kind of depth.
With the burden of PTSD from WWI and his friend’s rosary in his pocket, Patrick Doyle is summoned to once again confront his past by a cryptic letter that appears to have been written by a child—the long-lost child he’d never known and assumed dead—his daughter, Juniper.
Caught between two sides of a civil war, Patrick had emigrated to the United States and after much trial, began to rebuild his world with a new family. Shortly after experiencing the loss of his wife, his American daughter, Mardell, beseeches him to travel to his homeland with her and find out what happened to her half-sister, Juniper. Patrick reluctantly embarks on a journey across the pond which stirs up both good and bad memories.
Author Thomson skillfully weaves Patrick’s reminiscences from the war and life in Ireland alongside Juniper’s journey from life in institutions to that of an independent young woman with questions about the father she never knew and the mother she believes is dead. Following a timeline from 1920 to post WWII, readers will hope and cheer for the characters’ paths to finally meet and may even shed a tear along the way.
With a balance of Irish melancholy and humor, the author paints a lovely picture of the countryside in Northern Ireland. She shows the culture of superstitious villagers and the kindness of a few towards Juniper and other outsiders through the struggles of post WWII deprivation.
Finding Juniper is a story of healing family rifts and truth overcoming lies. The truth of the past is brought to light for both Patrick and Juniper in unexpected ways, but just as in real life, the journey there is complicated.
Fans of historical Christian fiction with a non-preachy message of hope and forgiveness will love this story. Five stars! Highly recommend!
I received a free copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
Jamie Ogle is a pre-dawn writer, homeschool mom by day, and a reader by night. Inspired by her fascination with the storied history of faith, she writes historical fiction infused with hope, adventure, and courageous rebels. Her most recent title, 
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