Six long years ago, Captain Reynolds Macy sailed away from his bride, looking forward to the day when he would return to Nantucket Island with a ship’s hold full of whale oil. But when that momentous day finally arrives, Ren soon discovers that everything has changed in his absence. Everything. “Is nothing on this island as it appears to be?” he whispers in despair. Unlike most islanders, bold and spirited Daphne Coffin doesn’t defer to Ren as an authoritative whalemaster, but sees through his aloofness to the aching heart beneath. She encourages him to return to his Quaker roots and “mind the Light,” finding solace in God and community. As Ren becomes the man she believes him to be–honorable, wise, faithful–she finds herself falling in love with him. But how can she, when her heart is spoken for? Tristram Macy is Ren’s business partner, cousin, and best friend–and Daphne’s fiancé. Love always comes at a cost, but when is the price too high? |
Release date: July 3, 2018
It's a rare thing indeed when I actually like the second book in a series better than the first. But, such is the case with Minding The Light, book 2 in the Nantucket Legacy series. I was originally intrigued by this series because of Suzanne Woods Fisher's slight departure from usual Amish fare to historical Quakers.
I loved how the characters are so flawed, making them more realistic. They make mistakes, even lash out, but love and faith are their redemption.
The dual timeline thing is actually really good. Great Mary's diary entries often parallel what is happening in the lives of the more 'modern' characters, and, her experience and wisdom are invaluable.
More than just an entertaining read, Minding The Light also has some important themes. Things that popped out at me were; the value of ALL people, doing the right thing even when it isn't popular and could be dangerous, and just how easy it is for the Faithful to slip into self-righteous hypocrisy that can really damage a person's witness.
I enjoyed reading Suzanne Woods Fisher's latest addition to her Nantucket Legacy series and I find myself looking forward to what she might have in store for her readers, and characters, next.
Tell Tale Book Reviews gives Minding The Light by Suzanne Woods Fisher a 4 Bark rating.
Guest Post
For centuries, laudanum was considered to be not only harmless but beneficial. Its very name in Latin is landare, which means to praise. Other names for it: Mother’s Helper (to sedate children), Sea Calm (for seasickness). It was used for all kinds of ailments, from sleeplessness to menstrual cramps to treatment of chronic pain, and available without prescription up until the twentieth century, when it was found to be highly addictive.
4) Nantucket Cent Schools were a carryover from England and the cost was exactly what the name implied. In New England they were kept by refined, thrifty women who often taught their own or their neighbors’ children until they were old enough to enter schools of a higher grade. I came across a story of a boy whose mother stuck a penny in his mouth each day so that he would remember to pay the teacher. |
7) Nantucketers were, for the most part, related to each other in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. The prosperous island was settled by a small group of families, with less than a dozen surnames: Coffin, Macy, Starbuck, Bunker, Hussey, Gardner, Mayhew, Swain, Barnard, Coleman, Worth, Mitchell. Those names are still common on the island. |
Carol-award winner Suzanne Woods Fisher writes untold stories about inspiring people. With over one million copies of her books sold worldwide, she is the bestselling author of fiction and non-fiction, ranging from Amish Peace: Simple Wisdom for a Complicated World to the historical novel Anna’s Crossing. |
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