Here Burns My Candle

It was a little slow getting started, but maybe that was due to the fact that I wasn’t familiar to the history of the Jacobite rebellion. After getting hooked, there was no way that the book would turn me loose! I would recommend it to anyone who loves historical fiction. One of the best things about enjoying historical fiction is the enjoyment of learning history and this book does teach effortlessly.

There is a lot to love about this book. All of the main characters, save one grew or matured during the book. The changes were small at first and enormous at the end. This book teaches of love and forgiveness. There are sparks of humor that make you laugh out aloud and it is good to know ahead of time that it has some very sad and parts show more that make you very angry!

I enjoyed of course the putting of the story of Naomi and Ruth into eighteen century with the Bonnie Prince Charley attempting to take the crown. It tells the story of the Jacobite Rebellion, mostly from the titled side and shows the conflict of class distinctions. The book is richly with of Scottish terms and culture and that made it even more of a joy to read. Liz Curtis Higgs wisely had Elizabeth, the main character be the daughter of a weaver from the Highlands. So she was skilled in cooking, and most of all sewing. The dresses of the titled are wonderfully described and the descriptions fit with the story.

There is a useful glossary in the back of the book along with a Readers Guide and some fascinating Author Notes. All I had remembered before this book was a few sentences in a high school history book. Now I am eager to read more of this time period and setting. If you read this book, you will be excited to know that a new book ‘Mine is the Night’ will continue the story. I can hardly wait to find out what happens to Eliazabeth and Marjory. show less

A beautiful re-telling of the Biblical story of Ruth. The story is truly engaging, overflowing with actual historical detail and imagery. The characters are fascinating yet relatable. Higgs weaves an exceptional story that encompasses all that mankind has to offer, including love, loss, loyalty and faith.

Here Burns My Candle is the first of a two-novel series, an updated version of the Biblical story of Naomi and Ruth. Not completely updated; the story takes place during the Jacobite Rebellion of 1745. If you know me, you know I love historical fiction, so I did enjoy book. Knowing how the Rebellion ended, though, did put a bit of a damper on the story, as well as the fact that I'd already read the teaser for the second book. Combining those two factors meant that I knew how the book would end; I just didn't know the details that would get us there.

I also didn't like most of the main characters, which made it hard to trudge through at first. The writing is great, and the pacing is fine. It was just that I wanted to get to the stuff I show more didn't already know. Once I got about halfway (or thereabouts) through, I just wanted to know how things were going to unfold. That sounds like the definition of a good book to me: one you want to keep reading even when you already know how it ends.

I liked watching Elisabeth discover God. At the same time, her mother-in-law is rediscovering God. It's very sweet to watch their journey together. By the end of the book, I even liked the mother-in-law. She had become a completely different person.

Now I'm off to read the second book,[b:Mine Is the Night: A Novel|8523199|Mine Is the Night A Novel (Volume #2)|Liz Curtis Higgs|http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51FhuvAO8FL._SL75_.jpg|11122792], as soon as I can get my hands on it.

I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review. show less

In Here Burns My Candle by Liz Curtis Higgs, you are introduced to the Kerr family: dowager Lady Marjory and her sons and daughter-in-laws, Donald and Elisabeth and Andrew and Janet. The story mostly focuses on the three women and is a retelling of the first half of the Biblical story of Ruth. This retelling is set in Scotland in 1745 during the Jacobite uprising. The family is entrapped in a web of family secrets that destroy the family and bring about major changes in the lives of the characters.

Did I like this book? Yes and no. It honestly wasn’t my favorite. I did enjoy the Scottish setting, as I love books set in Scotland, and the time in history it was set in was interesting. The story line it’s self was interesting and the show more overall story was well written. But I did find it a bit dry and it certainly is a long-ish book. All of the characters were flawed and that felt more true-to-life than some other Christian fiction where the main character is often too good to be true. Lady Marjory is manipulative and spoils her sons. Donald is a serial adulterer and I absolutely did not like him. Elisabeth is a closeted pagan and long forgiving wife. Janet is self-involved and selfish. Andrew is spoiled. The most likeable is Elisabeth and she does prove to be the “glue” that holds things together as their lives spin out of control, but in regards to Donald, she is a doormat that he walks all over.

I love historical fiction, but honestly I did not enjoy reading this book. From the number of positive reviews, a lot of folks did, but it just wasn’t my cup of tea. I think Liz Curtis Higgs is a fine writer and I may try reading another of her books in the future, but I just had an awful time getting into this one.

NOTICE:
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher, WaterBrook Press. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.” show less

I still feel like there is a lot for me to learn about Scottish history, but I loved this book and felt I learned a bit more than I did before. All the main characters were challenged to changed and most did in some way. Some of the secondary characters were endearing to me. Hopefully, I'll be able to read the second book some day.

I'd read and enjoyed Higgs' Galloway historical trilogy, so when I found out she had a new book based on the Biblical story of Ruth, I was excited to get my hands on a copy. And I'm happy to say that fans of Higgs' previous novels should be very happy with this one.

What I think Higgs does so well is take a story that I've heard thousands of times - in her Galloway trilogy, it was the story of Jacob, Leah, and Rachel - and transport it into a completely different time and place. Creating new characters and events, and yet maintaining the heart of the story, she is able to give readers tales that seem both familiar AND fresh. Her sense of time and place is excellent - I can tell she has done her research, because I was fully transported show more to 18th century Scotland as I read about Elisabeth and Marjory.

If I have a complaint, it is that her characters sometimes feel a bit one-dimensional - Elisabeth is just SO good, and Janet is just SO spiteful. I think Higgs is a genuinely good writer, and could make her characters so rich and complex - so I feel a little bit disappointed when she doesn't.

Overall, though, I enjoyed it. It was a great read for this time in my life, because it sucked me in to the story right away, and the pages turned quickly thanks to lots of excitement. If you enjoy this type of historical Christian fiction, I think this is definitely a title to add to your list. show less

This is a hard review for me to write. Why? Because although I thought the author did a great job of creating a very accurate picture of the times and people and situations that took place in this story, it was a time and place I just didn't have alot of interest in. Although I must say when I finished I felt I gained a better of understanding of the situations that took place in in Scotland in 1745. This for me was a very "dark" (for lack of a better word) story, where everything does not turn out "happily ever after" and showed the hardships that people face in a time of bitter war. I had a hard time getting into the story, but by the end I was reading faster to see how it would all turn out. It is not a lighthearted story, but as show more true a story as fiction can be. I read someone who said it is a more modern story of the book of Ruth in the Bible, and I would agree with the analogy.

Elizabeth Kerr is a Highlander by birth and has married and is now Lady Elizabeth Kerr. She lives with her husband Donald, her mother-in-law, Marjory and Donald's brother and his wife in Edinburgh. Prince Charlie and his army come into town to capture the crown and enlist the help of the Kerr men. The whole family seems to have secrets from their past (and present) and it all comes out eventually. Tragedy happens, but so does love and forgiveness and hope. There is betrayal, lies, war, love, cruelty and a spark of hope that keeps on burning. I would like to thank WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for sending me this book for review. (The book has a great cover and so does its sequel.) show less