“Fairy tales are more than true; not because they tell us that dragons exist, but because they tell us that dragons can be beaten.” ― G.K. Chesterton

Tuesday, April 24, 2018

"Julie" by Catherine Marshall Blog Tour (Reivew) & GIVEAWAY!

Welcome to this stop on the Julie by Catherine Marshall Reissue Celebration Blog Tour with JustRead Publicity Tours!


Title: Julie
Author: Catherine Marshall
Publisher: Gilead Publishing
ReIssue Date: April 17, 2018
Genre: Historical Romance Fiction
*A New York Times bestseller*-------------------------------

 

Will the dam hold?
Julie Wallace has always wanted to write. Trying to 
escape the Great Depression, Julie’s father buys the
Alderton Sentinel, a small-town newspaper in flood-prone Alderton, Pennsylvania, and moves his family
there. As flash floods ominously increase, Julie’s investigative reporting uncovers secrets that could
endanger the entire community.

Julie, the newspaper, and her family are thrown into a perilous standoff with the owners of the steel mills

as they investigate the conditions of the immigrant laborers. As the Alderton Sentinel and Julie take on a more aggressive role to reform these conditions, seething tensions come to a head.

When a devastating tragedy follows a shocking revelation, Julie’s courage and strength are tested. 
Will truth and justice win, or will Julie lose everything she holds dear?

TO PURCHASE A COPY*
My Review


“Julie” by Catherine Marshall is another Christian classic that every Christian should read!  “Julie” is brought to you by the same author of the beloved classic “Christy” (after which the prestigious Christy Awards are named).  I read “Christy” growing up and loved the book and the movies.  Somehow though, I completely missed “Julie” when it was first published, so when I saw that it was being reissued, I knew I had to read and review it!  I’m so glad I did!

I love the setting and the premise of the book.  Ms. Marshall writes great descriptions of the time period of the 1930s and the Great Depression.  The setting is especially relevant to me as I live in Pennsylvania (the same setting as the book) and have volunteered in a town that used to be a huge steel mill town.  This story really shows the incredibly rough conditions that the steel workers and immigrants worked with and how steel mills can really destroy the natural landscape.  Despite the rough conditions, I like how the people of the town don’t give up, no matter what hardships they face.  Julie, our heroine, is motivated by this inner strength of the townspeople and wants it for herself.  She is also a journalist investigating these conditions and reports what she sees, even though she and her family could be negatively affected by telling the truth.

Julie is a relatable character who really grows up as she faces hardships and grapples with truth and faith.  I love how Julie wants to be a writer and finds inspiration from L.M. Montgomery.  Julie needs to make her family’s faith her own and learns more about what she believes and why she believes it.  I like how Julie cries out to God in a scary situation and He gives her supernatural power.  There is so much amazing faith content in this story.  It really inspired me in my walk with the Lord. 

“Julie” is Christian fiction at its best!  It addresses prejudice in the church, social justice, the disparity between the classes and what the role of the church is in regards to the poor.  It is a beautiful coming of age story that girls and women alike will fall in love with!

Content: This is a clean read with a PG rating for some minor content.  Some examples of the content are: a character smokes a cigarette; a man is drunk; a reference to a couple “necking;” the word “negro” is used; some underage drinking; a man curses but the curse words are not actually written; the “s” word is used as a mistake in a newspaper; references to salons, brothels and gamblers; there is drinking at a dance, a lot of people are drunk and the punch is spiked; a man asks a woman to come to his hotel room; references to boys’ groping hands; the word “hell” is used.
Rating: I give this book 5 stars!
Genre: Christian fiction; Historical; Romance

I want to thank JustRead Publicity Tours, Catherine Marshall and Gilead Publishing 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


Catherine Marshall (1914-1983), “The New York Times” best-selling author of 30 books, is best known for her novel “Christy.” Based on the life of her mother, “Christy” captured the hearts of millions and became a popular CBS television series. Around the kitchen table at Evergreen Farm, as her mother reminisced, Catherine probed for details and insights into the rugged lives of these Appalachian highlanders. Catherine shared the story of her husband, Dr. Peter Marshall, Chaplain of the United States Senate, in “A Man Called Peter.” A decade after Dr. Marshall’s untimely death, Catherine married Leonard LeSourd, Executive Editor of “Guideposts,” forging a dynamic writer-editor partnership. A beloved inspirational writer and speaker, Catherine’s enduring career spanned four decades and reached over 30 million readers.




GIVEAWAY


(1) Winner will win: 
  • $25 Amazon Gift Card
  • Bookmark Swag
  • Necklace (exact or similar & *subject to change)
  • Print Copy of Julie

(Only Gift Card open internationally. Others open to US Mailing Addresses)




18 comments:

  1. Interesting that the story takes place during the great depression.

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    1. Yes, there are so many great historical details and I really learned a lot about this era. Thanks so much for stopping by Kim!

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  2. thank you for your wonderful review and for being a part of the tour. i look forward to reading this book.

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    1. Hi Lori! Thanks so much for your kind words and your comments! I hope you enjoy it!

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  3. This sounds really good--I'd love to read it!

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    1. Hi Kara! Great to see you here! I hope you get the chance to read it. Thanks so much for stopping by and commenting : )

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  4. Thank you for being a part of the tour and for sharing your thoughts!

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    1. Thank you so much for allowing me to participate in this tour! Thanks for stopping by and commenting : )

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  5. Thank you for your wonderful review and for being part of the "Julie" by Catherine Marshall reissue celebration blog tour with JustRead Publicity Tours.

    Can't wait for the opportunity to read this book on my TBR list.
    2clowns arkansas dot net

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    1. Hi Kay! Thanks so much for your kind words and for stopping by to comment! I hope you get to read it soon. It's such a great read!

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  6. Thanks for the blog! I need to read Julie--I loved Christy!

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    1. Hi Connie! Yes, you should read it!!! I hope you get the chance soon. Thanks for stopping by!

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  7. Great review! Thank you for participating in the tour!

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    1. Hi Caryl! Thanks so much for your kind words and stopping by and commenting!

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  8. thank you for your wonderful review. how cool that you can relate so well, living where you are.

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    1. Hi Lori! Thanks so much for your kind words and taking the time to read my review! It is neat to be able to picture what the story was describing. Thanks for stopping by!

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  9. wow thank you so much for your wonderful review. i would love to read how the blue collar workers were treated at the time. I love this cover, but now i need to know the full story. need to pick up Chirsty at the same time.

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    1. Hi Lori! Thanks so much, you are very sweet! Yes, it is fascinating to read about the conditions the workers dealt with. I hope you are able to read the full story soon. Thanks again!

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