I was provided a complimentary copy of this book by NetGalley. I was not compensated for this review and all thoughts and opinions expressed are my own. I was not required to write a positive review.
Between Two Shores by Jocelyn Green Published by Baker Books on February 5, 2019
Genres: Fiction / Christian / Historical, Fiction / Historical / General, Fiction / Religious
Pages: 416
Format: Paperback
Source: NetGalley
Amazon|Barnes&Noble|Goodreads
The daughter of a Mohawk mother and French father in 1759 Montreal, Catherine Duval finds it is easier to remain neutral in a world that is tearing itself apart. Content to trade with both the French and the British, Catherine is pulled into the fray against her wishes when her British ex-fiance, Samuel Crane, is taken prisoner by her father. Samuel asks her to help him escape, claiming he has information that could help end the war.
Peace appeals to Catherine, but helping the man who broke her heart does not. She delays . . . until attempts on Samuel's life convince her he's in mortal danger. Against her better judgment she helps him flee by river, using knowledge of the landscape to creep ever closer to freedom. Their time together rekindles feelings she thought long buried, and danger seems to hound their every mile. She's risked becoming a traitor by choosing a side, but will the decision cost her even more than she anticipated?
I really loved this book. It was an interesting take on Canada during the Seven Years’ War, which directly correlates with the Revolutionary War. And honestly, outside the Revolution, there’s not much I know about the prior. I loved the detailed research and reference lists that Green provided, but here’s the thing: she could get all the history wrong, and I wouldn’t know, but also I would still have loved this book. She doesn’t pull any punches about the dark and gritty side of war and even human nature. She doesn’t hold back on the horrors that were created from this war, along with native war traditions. It’s dark, it’s gritty, but it’s not graphic, and it’s ever hopeful. The story is layered with both the development of the war but also the development of the characters that mattered. There were a few there, but they all mattered to the story.
Outside of well written history that drew me in, I think what I loved more (and others didn’t like at all) was that it’s an anti-romance. I recently read a book where I mused the what if that last chapter wasn’t written. The what if at the end of the day the boy does not get the girl. The idea that sometimes we love someone for a season, grow as a person during that season, but then move into a new direction when it’s not actually meant to be. Sam and Catherine had a romance; he left for all the right reasons with the promise to return. And that didn’t happen for years. Things changed over those years, and while they still care for each other, while their love isn’t meant to be; a friendship seems possible. And that’s the most real thing that could have happened and been written. Sometimes life and love is not a happy ending, and I personally loved the anti-romance romance of this book.
While I don’t know that I believe everything that they were able to accomplish during their trip on the river, it captured me with the intensity of their mission. It’s hard to wrap my head around the idea that one person has all the knowledge needed to end a war. But sometimes, it’s how life happens. I’d have liked to have seen that ‘torn between two worlds’ of Catherine between her native heritage with her French heritage. It was good, well developed, but I think it could have been stronger. Overall though, this book was just fascinating for me. I wish I’d taken time to write down some quotes, but alas, the book is already back at the library. The faith threads weren’t heavy, but the truth of them was seamlessly woven throughout. Overall, I really loved this book.
About Jocelyn Green
Jocelyn Green inspires faith and courage as the award-winning and bestselling author of numerous fiction and nonfiction books, including The Metropolitan Affair, The Windy City Saga, The Mark of the King, and The 5 Love Languages Military Edition, which she coauthored with bestselling author Dr. Gary Chapman. Her books have garnered starred reviews from Booklist and Publishers Weekly, and have been honored with the Christy Award, the gold medal from the Military Writers Society of America, and the Golden Scroll Award from the Advanced Writers & Speakers Association. Jocelyn is a member of the Daughters of the American Revolution and serves on the executive board of her local chapter. She graduated from Taylor University in Upland, Indiana, with a B.A. in English, concentration in writing. She loves Mexican food, Broadway musicals, strawberry rhubarb pie, the color red, and reading with a cup of tea. Jocelyn lives with her husband Rob and two teens in Cedar Falls, Iowa. Visit her at www.jocelyngreen.com.
Wanna share your thoughts? Leave a comment!