On My Bookshelf: A Heartbeat Away

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I participated in the blog tour for A Heartbeat Away. The opinions expressed here are 100% mine.

A Heartbeat Away is a historical fiction novel that ties Christian romance with personal drama. The setting is in a small town that anticipates the coming of a Civil War battle. The point of view oscillates between an injured soldier named Joe and his unexpected nurse named Beth. The book moved very slowly and I wasn’t sure if I was interested enough to finish it. As the battle progresses and more of the past is revealed to explain the situations of the characters, the story became more interesting. For me, there were two redeeming qualities in the story. First, the relationship between Beth and her grandmother Gerta reminded me of the relationship I have with own beloved grandmother. Both a mentor and mother figure, Gerta helps Beth to heal both emotionally and physically from injuries of the past. The second thing I liked about the book was the setting. My husband’s family still lives near the site of the Battle of Antietam where the story took place, so I was familiar with the city names. We have visited some of the Civil War battle sites there so the story seemed more realistic to me.

This wasn’t my favorite novel ever. In the first few chapters the plot was slow as molasses to unfold and just didn’t hold my attention. If I were more of a Civil War buff I might have enjoyed it more. In the later portions of the book the major themes of love, healing, and faith came through the pages. Those were worth waiting for.

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Comments

  1. Historical fictions are my favorite books to read. I wish I had the time to read, I haven’t read a book since before my daughter was born, and she’s 1!

    • Stick one in the bathroom!! When my kids were babies that was the only way I ever got to read. I admit that sometimes I did hide myself in there for a few extra minutes to finish a chapter or five. That’s the only way I ever finished the Twilight books.

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