The charming conclusion in the Songs of Acadia series. Nicole finally takes her uncle up on his offer to stay with him at the Harrow estate in England, yet her heart is still torn between her new-found family home and this burning desire within her. As she adjusts to her new lifestyle as Viscountess Nicole Harrow, with all the airs and graces, society and politics, she puts her whole effort into seeking God's further direction and purpose for her life. “She felt more whole, more at peace with who she was. Perhaps soon God would show her how the past was to be played out in her future. Surely there was some purpose for the events of her life, some way that they would benefit her, and others, in the days to come. If she could just discover what that might be, she knew she could make peace with her past.”Anne, newly widowed and with her new baby boy, struggles to cope with a crippled heart and clings to her faith. But with Nicole's urging soon follows her dear “sister” to England for a visit. Both girls with their own seperate struggles and sorrows learn to lean on one another and on the Lord as the rumors of war change to the sounds of battle around them. “All my life,” Nicole said, “I've measured how well I was suited to a place by how happy it made me. Only now, as I learn my way through English society, have I come to see that, although happiness is a fine thing, it comes and it goees. So long as I base my happiness upon what I have or how life suits me, it will always remain fleeting...I need to find my happiness in God, and in Him alone. By placing my life in His hands and seeking to live as He wants me to, I now have a peace that's greater than whatever struggle I might face. My frusterations and my difficulties, at all these will pass. But He remains always. And it's in His eternal promises that I must abide.”I loved this story of growth in faith and trusting God during changing seasons of life – the joy mingled so often with the hard times. The messages of hope and strength resonated deeply with me, and I found myself growing too, along with Anne and Nicole. This is such a treasureful series! “The desert is within you. The question is, are you ready to leave that behind?”*My only dissapointment was the plot was slow and a little dull at times. And it was not very original – I had the entire book figured out before the halfway point. The ending felt a tad bit rushed to bring everything together. But on the whole it's the message that really shines.
Thoughts on the entire series.With these novels, I joined the ranks of readers who know what it is to be in the midst of a series, waiting, even with bated breath, for the next book in the series to be published.I appreciate the style and language that Bunn clearly brought into this co-written historical fiction saga with Oke. I remember being totally engrossed and on edge during a certain crucial stretch in The Meeting Place and was floored by the unembellished end to that nerve-racking rush: “And then it began to rain.” I grew attached to the characters over the course of the series, though I’ll admit I got a bit weary during the fifth novel, as while some of the characters were yet making more grand departures from one another, I lost the sense of what they were actually getting done, apart from moving around the globe.I might’ve been missing and/or forgetting things, though, weary in general after doing so much waiting, and I don’t regret a minute I spent with this saga.
What do You think about The Birthright (2001)?
I really like this series. I like the author's talent in being able to continue a story from mothers to daughters, with ease and finesse. Usually, when a book moves from the main character(s) to their children, or other people and continues the saga, I either don't like it, wish it would end, or get bored. In this case, however, I'm just as interested in the daughter's lives as I was in their mothers, in previous books. I don't know what the difference is, but it works. I will finish the series. I think there are 5 books. So, I like them.
—Loraine
Loved being swept away into this time period - to live in a grand mansion and have servants to take care of your every desire. Plus, wearing the pretty dresses and attending all the balls and teas. I would not have liked to travel as they did though - in a carriage over land (rough, bumpy and slow) or on a sailboat over the seas (not like the ocean liners of today). The ending was a pleasant surprise and twist to the story. Nicole and Anne have such a wonderful relationship and a very kind Uncle Charles. I'm looking forward to the next book in the series.
—Mom
After being reunited with her birth parents in Nova Scotia and after saying a tearful goodbye to her Louisiana parents, Nicole has a yearning for more. She and Anne become close friends and Nicole loves her parents, but there is something calling to her, dividing her allegiance. Her Uncle Charles has asked for her to go to England and become his heir, and she considers doing just that. After prayer and consideration, she decides to leave.England is a contrast to all she's ever known . . . its glitter and bustle are almost too much for her, and she feels useless among the rich trappings and servants.Anne, meanwhile, is dealing with some devastating news. She decides to go to England. Anne adjusts more quickly to England than Nicole.Nicole and her uncle have to make some hard decisions. . . .I didn't find this book as exciting as the others in the series (especially Book 1, my favorite so far), but it is still interesting and integral to the series. The writing is still beautiful and thoughtful and this book is worth the read.
—Melissa
