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The Lowlands of Heaven by F. J. Dagg
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The Lowlands of Heaven (edition 2010)

by F. J. Dagg

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443,410,575 (4.25)None
A touching and hilarious novel from the fabulous Stacey Ballis about best friends, true love, and the joy of food#151;for fans of Jen Lancaster, Jennifer Weiner, and Emily Giffin... Jenna has lost her best friend. With Aimee gone so tragically young, Jenna barely knows where to turn. Aimee was the one who always knew what to do#151;not to mention what to wear. The two built a catering company together and had so much in common#151;well, except their taste in men. Jenna never understood what the successful, sophisticated Aimee saw in Wayne, with his Star Wars obsession and harebrained business schemes. And gained her best friend’s husband#133; But Aimee has left a shocking last request: Jenna now has financial custody of the not-so-merry widower. True, Wayne needs someone sensible around to keep him under control, but what was her dear departed friend thinking? The thing is, as she gets to know Wayne better, his latest moneymaking idea actually starts to intrigue her. Her attractive new lawyer boyfriend doesn’t approve of it#151;but then, Wayne doesn’t approve of her attractive new lawyer boyfriend. Now Jenna has to figure out what direction her life is going to take next. And she can’t help asking herself: What would Aimee do?… (more)
Member:Bookworm_Lisa
Title:The Lowlands of Heaven
Authors:F. J. Dagg
Info:Branch 92 Books (2010), Paperback, 300 pages
Collections:read
Rating:****
Tags:music, received to review

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The Lowlands of Heaven by F. J. Dagg

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“This masterwork of high fantasy will linger with readers long after they have read the final chapter.”

The above is extracted from this book’s hook. I tend to view such claims with just a smidgeon of cynicism, but in this case, I can wholeheartedly concur that this story does indeed linger.

It is a story that embraces tragedy, perseverance, compassion and hope with a man-sized helping of fantasy, magic and romanticism.

Kate is a young woman in 1940s America who miraculously survives a pre-birth accident when her parents were involved in a fatal car crash. She is a beautiful and compassionate young lady, but shrouded in a veil of sadness: she is ‘incomplete’; she loves her friends and family and has a devotional love for children, but she cannot love as a woman loves a man. Laurel is the frail and beautiful angel endowed with the enormous challenge of finding Kate to give her the ‘Gift’ that will render her complete. It’s a task of mammoth proportions – an angel is weakened by her existence on Earth. After a short time spent there, Laurel recuperates in The Lowlands of Heaven: the midway point between Earth and Heaven where angels and doves are the post office of prayers from Earth. Her determination to find ‘her’ Kate and restore her to completeness leads this Messenger of Love back to Earth on a hazardous pursuit of the young woman, so that she can give her the ‘Gift’ of her heart and has to draw on every ounce of her again failing strength in her race to find Kate before the consequences of rash decisions prove disastrous.

It was a real pleasure to read such a well-edited book, with only a handful of very minor errors and it is one which leaves you extraordinarily satisfied. The cast of characters is wide and varied, each, both good and evil, perfectly conceived.

I was captivated by the author’s style. It is elegant, intelligent, eloquent, organised and……..poetic and lyrical. Each page is a feast of luxuriant prose with a magical glow. The ending is breath-taking and almost heart-stopping.

I look forward to more from this author and highly recommend this book if you feel like an inspirational flight of fantasy.
( )
  Librogirl | Mar 13, 2022 |
I thought this was a wonderful book to read. It was a story of how an angel had a gift to give. It follows the life of the person who is suppose to receive the gift, as well as the Angle. You learn about the Lowlands of Heaven and it's function in relationship to our world. If you like stories of goodness and Angels you will love this book. I would recommend it to anyone. ( )
  ShirleyMcLain930 | Aug 3, 2014 |
The Lowlands of Heaven is an inspirational fantasy fiction novel.

The story sets out in the 1920's as a young doctor and his young, pregnant wife are taking a leisurely drive through the countryside, however, before the day is over, tragedy strikes and both the doctor and his wife have died, leaving a new-born orphaned. The accident was so painful and horrific that the baby, Kate, and her Guardian Angel, Laurel, are separated.

Kate grows up into a beautiful and charming young lady whose passion in life is being the saviour and benefactor of war-torn children. She has a brilliant plan that would bring medical aid to those who would require it firsthand, and not succumb to their injuries from lack of medical care. Working in a hospital gives her the focus she needs to help those who require her "special" touch. Her best friend, Dot, and Dot's husband, Ted, introduce her to Sam, an aviator pilot who owns his own freight company.

For Sam, it is love-at-first-sight, as he is inexplicably drawn into Kate's appeal, however, the feelings will never be reciprocated, as Kate does not have any "feeling" that normally occurs between men and women, it is like a piece of her has been silenced. Kate, is not unaffected by his charm and the two become friends, Sam evens helps Kate to realize her dreams, and teaches her to fly. For Sam, he is it in for the long haul, even if Kate is unable to return his feelings.

Laurel is Kate's lost Guardian Angel. She awoke battered, confused and with a deep memory loss. She knows she has a purpose and she must do whatever it takes to deliver her "gift", if only she knew who she was supposed to gift. Her friend, Huey, is a beautifully coloured Hummingbird who carries her messages to Heaven's Post Office at Branch 92. Huey has always been with Laurel, he is always there to protect her and keep her safe. As well, she meets Tony along her travels, as she rides the rails in search of the soul she seeks, he keeps her safe from the dangers that may be found on Earth.

Binding the two together is the music, Laurel believes if she plays, it will be heard and the two will be rejoined. Kate has an impulsive urge to draw white feathers with blue irridescent edges, she doesn't know why, but her hand will act on accord of its own and when she is stressed, she lets her hand fly. The two know that something is missing and neither know how to make things right. And hiding in the shadows is the forces working to keep them apart...

Will Laurel and Kate meet so that the destiny that is meant to be fulfilled occurs or will the hands of fate keep them apart, leaving the two to roam forever without the other?

I thought this was a good read with a enjoyable plot that was easy to read, and with only small infractions on the stories flow. I thought the imagery presented was quite exceptional and expressed with great detail, allowing one to view the Heavens, giving visualization to a place left to one's imagination. The idea of the post office with its high tech gadgets was a very different concept to incorporate. All the different birds coming in and out, some on missives, some resting from and the cacophony of sound they must make when all together would be a wonder to hear and see.

I found the dialogue to be a bit slow in places and sometimes lacking in life. I didn't like the modern feel to the dialogue, there were no language inflections of the times, nor any of the slang that you should find in the late 1940's. As well, it often fell short in places where more was required. Though the descriptive passages were wonderful to read, more dialogue dispersed upon the pages would have given the book more substantiation and given more depth to the characters involved. I didn't find myself drawn to the main characters until well past midway through the book.

I loved the concept of a person being trapped on Earth without their Guardian Angel to help guide them and thought it was a brilliant idea. The love story between Sam and Kate was equally engaging to read, however, its Laurel that found her way into my heart. She is written with a beautiful poetic prose that leaves the reader wishing to read more. I found her to be spiritually uplifting and a well written addition to the novel.

I didn't mind the read and was glad to have had the opportunity to read it. I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys paranormal romances involving angels or anyone who enjoys a spiritually uplifting story. ( )
  MadMooseMama | Jul 6, 2011 |
This is a beautifully written story. Kate is a woman who is missing something vital in her life. She is not sure why she is missing it, just that she is. She is a nurse in the 1940's, the world is breaking out into war. A girl is brought to her hospital ward suffering from severe burns during the Blitz in London. Kate believes that if she helps the girl survive and get better that her missing piece will become a part of her. Kate is drawn to Sam. He is a pilot who is giving her flying lessons. She tells him her plan to help the children in the world and he agrees to help her. He develops feelings for her, but she cannot commit because of her missing piece.

Laurel is an angel sent on a mission to give Kate the missing piece. Because Kate has a role to play in doing good for the world, it is vital that Laurel reach her before it is too late. Music is vital to Laurel's health and well being. She has an amazing talent on the violin.. I loved the imagery and emotions that F.J. eloquently described with the music. Laurel uses her music to help her locate Kate.

The book starts off slowly to set the plot and characters. History is revealed concerning Kate and why she suffers from missing a part of her fundamental make up. The second section is where the book gains some action.

I was very impressed with F. J. Dagg's writing style. It is haunting in it's beauty and complexity. At times his choice of words is more poetry than storytelling. ( )
  Bookworm_Lisa | Jun 20, 2011 |
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A touching and hilarious novel from the fabulous Stacey Ballis about best friends, true love, and the joy of food#151;for fans of Jen Lancaster, Jennifer Weiner, and Emily Giffin... Jenna has lost her best friend. With Aimee gone so tragically young, Jenna barely knows where to turn. Aimee was the one who always knew what to do#151;not to mention what to wear. The two built a catering company together and had so much in common#151;well, except their taste in men. Jenna never understood what the successful, sophisticated Aimee saw in Wayne, with his Star Wars obsession and harebrained business schemes. And gained her best friend’s husband#133; But Aimee has left a shocking last request: Jenna now has financial custody of the not-so-merry widower. True, Wayne needs someone sensible around to keep him under control, but what was her dear departed friend thinking? The thing is, as she gets to know Wayne better, his latest moneymaking idea actually starts to intrigue her. Her attractive new lawyer boyfriend doesn’t approve of it#151;but then, Wayne doesn’t approve of her attractive new lawyer boyfriend. Now Jenna has to figure out what direction her life is going to take next. And she can’t help asking herself: What would Aimee do?

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