"Freedom's
Price" by Christine Johnson surprised me--in a good way! I am unfamiliar
with Ms. Johnson’s other work, but after reading “Freedom’s Price”, the third
book in her “Keys of Promise” series, I now really want to go back and read the
first two books! I always have lower expectations going into a book that I don't
know much about, so I was very happy when I enjoyed this so much!
Even
though this is the third book in a series, it can be read as a stand-alone. You
do meet some characters from past books, and seeing tidbits of these character's
stories left me intrigued and wanting more. The history in this book is great and
I loved learning about this time period in the Southern United States in 1856. I
find the story regarding the wreckers and wrecking licenses fascinating. I didn't know there are such things as "wrecking
licenses" and have always have seen wrecking
in other books as an illegal activity. There are also a lot of nautical and boat
references and I can tell the author knows her way around a ship. It is fascinating
to see the differences in the customs and social statuses between the British and
Americans (our heroine, Catherine, is from Britain
and travels to the Southern United States) and to see slavery from Catherine's viewpoint
(as slavery is already outlawed in Great Britain). I always enjoy learning about
history while reading an enjoyable story!
I also think the characters are very relatable and Catherine is a strong female protagonist.
The story switches back and forth between Catherine and Tom's (our hero) points
of view. When Catherine is left alone due to hard circumstances, she doesn't take
the easy way out by marrying for comfort and money. Instead, she decides to join
her mother's family in America (she hasn't had contact with this family for many
years and doesn't even know how they will receive her). I admire how she sacrifices
the small amount of money she receives from her inheritance to give to her tenants,
as they will be losing their jobs and she wants to make sure they are taken care
of. Catherine and Tom both have a strong faith. I love how they pray and talk about
trusting in God and His plan. Tom quotes Scripture when he's in a tough situation
and doesn't know what to do, asking for God's direction. There's also some great
verbal sparring between Catherine and Tom that keeps me smiling!
This story left me pleasantly surprised. I love
the concept of a run-down plantation surrounded by mystery and secrets!
Link to purchase this book: http://amzn.to/2sZFrKA
Link to Christine Johnson's website: http://www.christineelizabethjohnson.com/
Content and Rating: I give this story 4
out of 5 stars. It is a clean read.
I want to thank Christine Johnson and Revell for the complimentary advanced copy of this
book for review. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I express
in this review are my own. This is in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s
CFR 16, Part 255.
