Friday, November 18, 2011

My Review of The Doctor's Lady

Here's a description of the book from Bethany House:

"Priscilla White knows she'll never be a wife or mother and feels God's call to the mission field in India. Dr. Eli Ernest is back from Oregon Country only long enough to raise awareness of missions to the natives before heading out West once more. But then Priscilla and Eli both receive news from the mission board: No longer will they send unmarried men and women into the field.

Left scrambling for options, the two realize the other might be the answer to their needs. Priscilla and Eli agree to a partnership, a marriage in name only that will allow them to follow God's leading into the mission field. But as they journey west, this decision will be tested by the hardships of the trip and by the unexpected turnings of their hearts."

My Rating: Summer

My Review:

The Doctor's Lady is about a long, difficult journey to Oregon Country and to the realization of God's powerful work through "unlikely" people and in "unlikely" circumstances. Rooted in the true story of Marcus and Narcissa Whitman, this fictional retelling blossoms into a grand piece in its own right. It's hopeful, heart-pounding, and humbling!

Eli and Priscilla deal with romantic tension with a capital "T" as their journey brings them closer together but their stubbornness and misunderstandings keep them apart. Gentleness, sweetness, anxiety, suffering, trouble, and revelations abound throughout the plot, made all the more meaningful by some complex and admirable secondary characters. Details from research add a painful and yet engaging dimension to the story.

A beautiful, thoroughly engrossing book, this is one journey fans of historical romance (especially those with a fascination of the American West) won't want to miss!

*With thanks to Bethany House Publishers for providing me with a copy of the book in exchange for my honest opinion.*

Book Trailer:

8 comments:

Jody Hedlund said...

Thank you so much for the lovely "Summer" rating, Amber! That's just beautiful! :-) And I appreciate you taking the time and effort to write up the review here and on the online bookstore sites!

Blessings!

Jody

Unknown said...

Hi Amber! I'm glad to hear you liked the book! I won it in a blog giveaway and I am anxiously awaiting it in the mail. :-)

Amber Holcomb said...

Jody,

It was my pleasure! :) This was a wonderful book - difficult to put down and quite heart-warming, yet challenging. Thank you for sharing the stories God gives you with others!

And thank you for stopping by today! :)

~Amber

P.S. I told my Women of Faith teacher here at college about your books, and I think she's going to borrow this one from me over Thanksgiving break. :) It's great timing since we recently talked about female missionaries in class!

Amber Holcomb said...

Gwendolyn,

Oh, yes - I really did enjoy this one! :) I hope you do, too!

~Amber

Michelle said...

Wonderful review, Amber! I'm just finishing this one up, but I feel exactly the same as you about this book. I highly recommend it!

Amber Holcomb said...

Michelle,

Thank you! Glad to hear you enjoyed this one, too - it's so fun to have similar tastes! :) This was a great story!

~Amber

Julie said...

I enjoyed this one too Amber. I like the fact that it was based on real-life people. And Jody sure doesn't shy away from showing the "realness" of human nature.

Amber Holcomb said...

Julie,

I had heard a little bit about Narcissa Whitman when I took a class on Literature of the American West last semester, so it was wonderful to read this fiction re-telling of her story! The author's note was really helpful, too. :)

And I agree that Jody does a great job of showing her characters as real, flawed human beings. Glad you enjoyed this book, too! :)

~Amber