Friday, August 10, 2012

Book Review: For Such A Time As This

For Such a Time As This. Ginny Aiken. 2012. FaithWords. 384 pages.

Olivia Moore swiped the back of her hand across her cheek. 

I definitely enjoyed Ginny Aiken's For Such A Time As This. It is historical fiction set in Hope County, Oregon in 1879. Olivia's family is struggling because of crop failures and such. So Olivia takes advantage of an offer (of sorts) by the local bad boy. She offers herself as nanny to a widower with two children. Previous nannies have fled. And quickly. But Olivia knows that with the right attitude and the right skills, she can work wonders with his two children. Elijah Whitman, the town's banker, is pleasantly surprised by her offer and agrees. He likes the way she is with his children. But after several weeks, the two hear reports of gossip linking them together. He proposes, she accepts. But not the end of the story. For he still hasn't learned to trust a woman yet, and he still thinks of this as a business arrangement.

One day her father comes to her with an urgent request. Her husband has sent out a letter threatening to foreclose on the family farm IF the mortgage isn't paid by the first of the year. Olivia doesn't want to believe that her husband would treat her family like that, but, she sees the letter in front of her. He pleads with her again and again to do something, but, Olivia feels like she can't do her father much good. Their marriage isn't real. The two aren't that close, not really. And besides that, he told her to never, ever, ever bring up his business at all no matter what.

So what will Olivia do? Will she speak up for her father and many of the other local men? OR will she remain quiet and let her husband make all the decisions knowing that her opinion would merely offend him. As Christmas approaches, Olivia will have to decide...

For Such A Time As This is historical fiction inspired in part by the book of Esther. I definitely enjoyed it! I did think, at times, that Elijah was stupid. That he was making a couple of big mistakes. But. I still enjoyed this one.

© Becky Laney of Operation Actually Read Bible

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