Andrea Boeshaar

Andrea Boeshaar has done it. She has created characters so real, that I cared about so much, that I found myself praying for the heroine, Carrie Ann. I have an affinity for stories of faith set in Civil War times, and There is a Season will stay on my mind for a long time to come.

While this is the third book in the series, it is possible to read only this novel and not be lost. Boeshaar provides enough backstory that anyone can enjoy this book, but after reading it, I have a hankering to show more re-read the first and devour the second.

I say devour because the whole premise of this book had me truly gobbling it down. Colonel Peyton Collier is near death, but his young wife, Carrie, hires a nurse, Hannah, who promises healing with experimental medicine. There are just a few drawbacks: Hannah demands an exorbitant fee and complete control of the sickroom. And the saga begins, plus Boeshaar treats us to another competition that traverses the book, weaving the novel into a complex tapestry.

I loved the different characteristics of various players. Carrie is determined and tenacious once she makes a decision. Eli is loyal to a fault. Aunt Ruth loves beyond bloodlines.

The epilogue makes the book even better, if possible!

I received a copy of this book from Celebrate Lit. No positive review was required, and all opinions are my own.

Several Notable Quotables:

“Practicing my faith is going to be more difficult than I imagined.”

“It’s not much of a battle, really.” Peyton knew what the right thing was, but the decision meant death.

“...just because you don’t feel something doesn’t mean God has abandoned you or that His Holy Spirit no longer resides within you.

“I should warn you, dear one, that this idea of yours is like handling a deadly serpent. You may be bitten.”
... "We may both be bitten...and devoured.”

We’re children of the King of kings.” “Which makes us princesses.” show less

This has been a book that spans across the Civil War as it was coming to an end. It is clear that the author has done extensive research by the accuracy of historical facts. Perhaps some liberties were taken to expand on some things which to me only enhanced the story. I definitely felt like I was watching a movie unfold as we are introduced to outstanding characters.

I first want to address a particular character named Nurse Emory. She is a most unpleasant woman who had this arrogance about show more her. As she maneuvers a way to get away from her volunteer job as a nurse, I think she took advantage of a desperate woman. Carrie is beside herself seeing her husband so ill and Nurse Emory sees her chance to take advantage of the situation. I’m not sure why Carrie agreed to the nurses’s demands but perhaps she believed her husband would get better with the undivided care Nurse Emory offered. When Nurse Emory says, “A trained and capable nurse and a decent doctor can do anything God can do,” I was shocked. Needless to say she is my all time least favorite character. But isn’t that the point of this character? The author does an excellent job of creating this character with flaws that only God can deliver her from. And therein is a lesson of hating the sin but loving the sinner.

Eli is a man without a country as he describes himself to others. I thought the way the author used the assassination of President Lincoln as a way to incorporate the reason Eli wasn’t pardoned was good. He was so sure of his freedom until that one moment in history where everything changed for many. I enjoyed following his life and the quiet feelings he has for Carrie. He is an honorable man when he finds out that Peyton is still alive. I kept wondering what him and Carrie would do knowing how they felt for each other.

The story takes us on a journey as we glimpse the lives of people during a difficult time in history. The term “Soldiers Disease” is a way of saying addiction and we find ourselves witnessing how Peyton has been deceived by someone who pretended to care for him. I began to put the pieces together and realized that within this story is another one where soldiers could have become victim to medicine that they thought would help them. The fight to save Peyton is intense as Carrie and others are determined to rescue him from the clutches of darkness. I really enjoyed reading how Peyton longs to return to his relationship with God.

I am disappointed in how the story ended so abruptly. The author seemed to not complete the story in a way that clearly gives readers an indication of what happened to Nurse Emory. I was shocked that I was resting and suddenly without warning the author ended the story. I had hoped to see how the nurse was exposed and a real reconciliation for Peyton and Carrie. It was weird that Eli was such an important character and then suddenly written off in an odd way. I liked the story but with the ending I found myself thinking that the author didn’t write a suitable ending to an otherwise good story.

I received a copy of this book from Celebrate Lit. The review is my own opinion. show less

Instead of “good to the last drop” like some coffees, this book was good to the last word! This is incredible historical romance! The author did such an astonishing job of incorporating Civil War history into her novel that you didn’t even realize you were being entertained and getting a history lesson too! I have learned many things I did not know in Civil War novels I have read and this one added a whole boatload more!
Merely 19 years old, Carrie Ann Bell found herself in the middle show more of the war, with her father gone, working at a horrid job to help support her mother (who for some reason despises her), and a two sisters, yet never forgetting her dream of becoming a journalist. When her younger sister runs off with a peddler, it is up to her to try to find her and bring her home. Her confederate friends have told her about the wicked Yankees. This does not deter her in the least. She comes up with a plan to disguise herself as a Union soldier, walk through the enemy territory where there is active battle ensuing and into the area she thinks her sister has gone. Carrie Ann has no doubt it will go off without a hitch, but it doesn’t. She is captured by the Union army and taken to their camp.
There she meets the handsome, military hero, Colonel Peyton Collier. He becomes her friend and protector. She finds that the Yankees are not the demons she has heard about, but good, brave men. She begins to help at their make shift hospital caring for the many wounded. To protect her and enable her to continue to search for her sister, he moves her to live with his widowed aunt as a companion. She learns those she thought were enemies were her friends and that friends from her past may very well be her enemies.
I love Carrie’s courage and tenacity in dealing with whatever was thrown at her. I attributed to the strength of youth but also her outstanding character. The story is filled with faith, humor, romance, suspense, and surprises. The practice of Civil War medicine was an exhausting gruesome job. Not only with the sheer numbers of severely injured men but also the lack of supplies and proper conditions in which to care for them. The author brings this to life vividly. It was a war not where the soldiers went off and fought, but it was staged right where people lived. Who could you trust? What would happen next in your city or home? Would you or someone you loved become a fatality of the war? These questions and more haunted every American during this time. Through this novel I experienced the tension, hardship, insecurity, and uncertainty of this horrendous time. I applaud you Ms. Boeshaar a job well done and anxiously await your next book!
I received a copy of this book free from Kregel Publications in exchange for an honest review. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. show less

The setting of this book was so intriguing . I loved how the author brought historical facts into the book to enhance the story and make it come alive. I learned some very interesting things like how hard it was to make a living in 1816. People worked hard and leaned on each other for help. I can't image having to work in the fields all day and do chores on their farm as well. One of the most likeable characters in the story fascinated me. I learned about McAlister "Mac" Albright as a sea show more captain. Being on a ship for long periods of time were hard and having to oversee everything must have been so stressful. When he come to Shenandoah valley, will he be able to start a new life away from the sea?

Lily was another favorite character of mine. She watched out for her little brothers after her dad passed and help her aunt on the farm. I loved Lily's sassiness and loyalty to her friends and family. I laughed so hard when Mac and Lily first met. It was quite an embarrassing moment for her. As if Lily doesn't have enough to deal with, now Mac is accusing her of being on his land. What a jumbled mess they find themselves in. It makes for a wonderful story filled with adventure, trust, deceit and discovering God's plan for their lives.

Now to the character I loved to hate. Just saying his name makes me want to spit nails. Mr. Everett is the epitome of an evil man. He is deceitful, mean and abusive . His words cut through Lily and at times make her feel unclean. He has one goal and that is to control Lily and everything her father left her. The author draws readers in with a battle between right and wrong. It breathes realistic scenes with danger and twists that keep readers glued to their chairs. Will Lily get to keep her land? Can Mr. Everett convince everyone that Lily's dad deeded the land to him? Will Mac and Lily become more than neighbors? Don't miss this wonderful book that captures the true setting of 1816 and characters that make this story stand out in the historical genre.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Barbour Publishing and was under no obligation to post a review. show less