B. J. Hoff

An Irish governess has serious reason to distrust her brother-in-law, her employer: a blind, Italian composer with some disturbing secret. An unlikely pair of doctors are determined to make a difference for the disadvantaged. An impoverished family is making the tough choice to emigrate away from their beloved Ireland to America...

This is at least the third time I've read Prelude by author BJ Hoff, Book One from one of my all-time favorite series, American Anthem. There's so much about this show more story of immigrants in nineteenth-century New York.

The emotion. The music! Touches of the supernatural, the divine. Hoff is an excellent writer.

Sure, the novel has its weaknesses. Too many italicized words to force the emphasis where the context would be sufficient to make it clear. A young character whose advanced language seems unrealistic at times, given that she's just turned four. A scene or two that goes around in circles instead of getting on with it, and a couple of aspects to the story that are over the top.

But, my goodness, the characters—particularly the supporting cast! It's the multiple perspectives and layers to the characters, poignant moments with this mix of people, that's done the most to make this read great and memorable to me.

I can't wait to revisit the rest of this historical ChristFic saga. show less

"Wear it to America," Jane had said of the ring. "Wear it...and remember me and the Claddagh... Remember Ireland. For Ireland is not only where you come from, Terese Sheridan—Ireland is what you are."

An unlikely group of people are essentially tied together from across the ocean in the mid-1800s. Prejudice, poverty, and seemingly impossible dreams are only some of the challenges they face in Song of Erin, an Irish-American saga by author BJ Hoff.

As I read American Anthem by this author show more years ago, and I found it absolutely magnificent, I had Song of Erin sitting on my shelf for quite a while, purposely putting it off, chiefly for anticipation's sake.

Heart-wrenching, fittingly dramatic, and ultimately beautiful as the story is, there's a certain redundancy in a lot of it. The author has a way of taking the long way around to ideas and saying much at times while barely saying anything new. Still, she'll say it in such a stirring way that you can't be too bothered by it.

I'll confess that a lot of the reading felt to me like a setup for something else, and I eventually reconciled myself to it in the second half: "This isn't a setup leading to a story. This is the story." It includes a plot theme that I've never much cared for in ChristFic romance: "I'm so in love but can't marry him/her because he/she isn't a Christian." It muddies the characters' emotions and motives so that I never fully trust them. And while characters may need to get down to the nitty-gritty of their inner darkness to show their need for God, casting them in such a compellingly negative light doesn't make them prime romantic characters to me. It makes me feel like they need more time to grow and figure out who they are before they turn their focus toward marrying somebody else.

Still, I did enjoy the richness of this moving saga, and I've every intention of reading more from this author in the future. show less

A months-long span of trials and joys for Irish, Italian, and Scottish immigrants in late nineteenth-century New York culminates in a multifaceted composition involving and exceeding the musical in Jubilee by author BJ Hoff.

It's ironic that the third and final book in this ChristFic saga, with such a celebratory title, is perhaps the roughest read of the series. The people in this familial, medical, romantic, music-driven trilogy go through a lot, and how much of it comes to a head in this show more novel is rather heartbreaking at times. Maybe even depressing.

But none of the novels in this series are too long, which makes it easier to get through the darkest parts, since they don't last forever. While it wasn't my first time reading this book, I'd forgotten some parts, which led to some touching re-surprises for me, and other aspects that I remembered (and will never forget) had me in tears as I read them again. A particular friendship in this book is one of the most beautiful I've ever seen in fiction.

I can't put in a review all the reasons why, despite some flaws its got, the magnificent American Anthem series is one of my all-time favorites. But to describe the personal experience I've had each/every time I've read these novels, I'll borrow a phrase from this closing book: God happened. show less

An Amish widow looks after a critically-injured riverboat captain after his friend brings him to her door in the middle of the night. I liked the initial situation -- I enjoy the relationship dynamic and the tension of two people from different worlds getting to know each other, and because he’s staying in her house, they both discover things about each other that wouldn’t get revealed in more conventional circumstances.

But I became a bit frustrated as the story progressed. I wanted show more Gant to be more understanding of Rachel’s hesitancy (she’s a still-grieving widow who faces ostracisation from her community if she publicly becomes involved with him!), and certain developments meant neither path to a happy ending -- either she leaves the Amish or he converts -- struck me as really satisfactory.

I don’t care enough about what happens to go looking for the sequels -- but on the upside, deciding I don't need to keep this book (a gift from a relative) has freed up room on my bookshelf! show less