Get in the Mood for Christmas with "Christmas at Carnton" by Tamera Alexander (Review)

"Christmas at Carnton" by Tamera Alexander is a sweet Christmas novella that will get you in the Christmas spirit.  “Christmas at Carnton” is the second book I’ve read by this author.  It’s a novella to start off a new "Carnton" series.  It is a longer novella at a little over 200 pages.  It's the perfect read for a cozy winter's night.

"Christmas at Carnton" reminds me of a great Hallmark movie.  Its characters are real, flawed people who you grow to care about.  I especially like our heroine, Aletta, who is recently widowed with a young son and another child on the way.  On top of that she loses her job and home.  She has a strong faith that shines despite her hardships.  She prays for others, helps people even when she is barely making it herself, and shows a great deal of courage.  She is a wonderful picture of strength amidst great hardship.

"Christmas at Carnton" is an excellent story.  I appreciate how Ms. Alexander puts a lot of history in, so you really feel like you've learned something while reading a great book.  This tale shows the hardships women faced during the Civil War as well as Southerners.  Being from the North, I don't know as much about the South and their side of the story.  They are real people with hopes and dreams, some good and some bad.  Most of the people Aletta knows don't even own slaves and they see the War as being more than just about the issue of slavery.  Bravo, Ms. Alexander, for shining light on the lesser known stories of the War and making history come alive!

Content: I would give this book a PG rating.  There is talk of a man banishing his wife's doubts that he desires her and then lying in bed and talking with her after the fact.  There are hints that a woman who is behind on her mortgages is giving a man at the bank favors of a sordid nature.  The word Negro is used, but not in a derogatory way.

Rating: I give this book 4 stars.

Genre: Christian Historical Fiction; Romance

I want to thank Tamera Alexander, Thomas Nelson and the Fiction Guild for the complimentary 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.


About the Author:


Tamera Alexander is the USA Today bestselling author of numerous books, including A Lasting Impression, A Note Yet Unsung, To Whisper Her Name, and To Wager Her Heart. 

Her richly drawn characters and thought-provoking plots have earned her devoted readers worldwide, as well as multiple industry awards.

These awards include the Christy Award for Excellence in Christian fiction, the RITA Award for Best Inspirational Romance, the Gayle Wilson Award of Excellence, Bookseller’s Best Award, and being listed among Publishers Weekly and Library Journal’s Top Inspirational Fiction, among others.

Tamera's books have been translated into numerous languages. She's toured Germany and The Netherlands meeting readers, and cherishes those connections.

She hopes readers who pick up one of her novels will be swept away into another time and place, that they'll fall in love with the characters and gain insights into the history of the setting and people of yesteryear. But most of all, when a reader turns that final page in one of her novels, she prays they will have taken a step closer to Christ. Because He's what it's all about.

After living in Colorado for nearly two decades, Tamera and her husband now make their home in Nashville where they enjoy life with their two adult children who live nearby, and Murphy—a rambunctious but oh-so-lovable Australian Terrier.

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A Poignant Story of Love in the Post-Civil War South--"To Wager Her Heart" by Tamera Alexander Review



If you like the "When Calls the Heart" TV series, I think you'll really enjoy "To Wager Her Heart".
"To Wager Her Heart" by Tamera Alexander is the third book in the "Belle Meade Plantation" series.  It can also be easily read as a stand-alone.  I don't normally like to read a lot of books set in the U.S. during different war periods, but recently I've been picking more of these up and enjoying them more than I thought I would.  "To Wager Her Heart" is just such a book.  Tamera Alexander has a superb and engaging writing style and creates here a story that draws the reader in.  Her characters are also very well written and come to life on the page.  She is very good at writing swoon-worthy moments!  

"To Wager Her Heart" is set in the post-Civil War South.  It is fascinating to read about the South and what life was like for everyday people after the war ravaged their land and their hearts.  Ms. Alexander does such a great job portraying this "in-between" time where a lot of change is taking place, but there's also many people who still hold to the "old ideals", including the father of our main character (Alexandra). 

I love how Ms. Alexander incorporates real life into the fictional story, like the freedman's school that Alexandra teaches at (Fisk University) and the Jubilee Singers.  I love that the university emphasizes knowledge, not only of the basic subjects, but of Christ.  Despite these many good things, it was hard for me to read at points, due to the vivid descriptions and the heavy subject matter.  Like I said, it's not my favorite time period to read about, precisely because of all of weightier issues that come along with it.  But it is important to remember these periods in our nation's history as well and the courageous men and women who went before us. 

There are many important messages in this book.  Throughout the story, Ms. Alexander conveys the lesson that we're all created in God's image and it doesn't matter what color skin you have, which is still a very pertinent message today with the recent racial tensions and the white supremacy movement.  I was encouraged by Alexandra's struggle with fear after tragedy and how she is able to overcome that fear through her faith.  Tragedy, loss, love, overcoming, and justice are all themes that are woven into this amazing story! 

Content: This is a clean read, but it is more on the edgy, gritty side of Christian fiction.  One character was in a train accident and she often thinks about it or has flashbacks.  The descriptions of the accident and aftermath are very detailed and vivid.  The word "negro" is used in context.  There is talk about a woman's "assets" and the author implies that a character is a prostitute.  The prostitute propositions a man, and this man has been to a brothel before.  The Lord's name is taken in vain once.  A person accidentally gets drunk.  A man tries not to look at a woman's décolletage.  There is some sexual innuendo.  There is talk of how slaves used to commit suicide. 

Genre: Christian historical fiction; Romance

Rating: I give this book four stars. 

I want to thank Tamera Alexander, Zondervan, and the Fiction Guild for the complimentary 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.

 

About the Author: Tamera Alexander is a USA Today bestselling author and one of today's most popular writers of inspirational historical romance. She lives in Nashville, Tennessee with her husband, not far from the Southern mansions that serve as the backdrop for many of her critically-acclaimed novels.

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