Sunday, October 10, 2010

The House on Malcolm Street by Leisha Kelly (Review)



Paperback: 352 pages
Publisher: Revell; Original edition (September 1, 2010)
ISBN-13: 978-0800733285

About the book:

It is the autumn of 1920 and Leah Breckenridge is desperate to find a way to provide for her young daughter. After losing her husband and infant son in an accident, she is angry at God and fearful about the future. Finding refuge in a boardinghouse run by her late husband's aunt, Leah's heart begins the slow process of mending. Is it the people who surround her--or perhaps this very house--that reach into her heart with healing? Delightful, realistic characters and skilled writing make The House on Malcolm Street a treasure. Leisha Kelly's fans and new readers alike will find this simple story about the complexities of life an engrossing read.

My Review:
I thought this was a little bit of a sad historical Christian fiction book. The main theme is dealing with hard situations like grief and finding your faith again. The writing was good and the characters well developed. It is a little bit of a slow moving book but that fits the theme and it is character driven not plot. Aunt Mari is Leah's deceased husband's aunt. Her next door neighbor Mr. Abraham is Jewish and you can tell they love each but Aunt Mari is a strong Christian and Josiah's family and children do not approve of her. And then there is Aunt Mari's other border Josiah. He has been dealing with grief of his dead wife and child too. All of the characters seem real and the ending of the book is satisfying. Recommended to fans of Christian historical fiction especially. :)
About the Author:

Leisha Kelly is the author of several bestselling historical fiction books, including Emma’s Gift, Julia’s Hope, and Katie’s Dream. She has served many years on her local library board, continuing to bring good reads and educational opportunities to her community. Once a waitress, cafĂ© manager, tutor, and EMT, Leisha is now a busy novelist and speaker who is active in the ministries of her church. She lives with her family in Illinois.

Thank you Donna at Revell for my review copy.

“Available September 2010 at your favorite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.”

2 comments:

Julie said...

I love historical fiction, although I don't think I've ever read a Christian historical fiction book before. Thanks for the review!

Julie @ Knitting and Sundries

tracysbooknook.com said...

Nice review!

I thought that The House on Malcolm Street was an interesting, but heavy read. I have read several books by Leisha Kelly and enjoyed Julia’s Hope, Emma’s Gift and Katie’s Dream.

The House on Malcolm Street was not a light hearted story. The issues it deals with are heavy and make for a daunting read sometimes. Does it have a lot of meaning packed into one novel? Yes, it is likely one you won’t forget about, but it’s kind of a rainy day book, if you know what I mean.

I have also written a more in-depth review on my own site:
www.tracysbooknook.com.


-Tracy

Classics Club Spin 18

My Classics Club Spin List for August This is a hodgepodge of books left on my list I made in 2017 for the Classics Club. Tomorrow the clu...