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Chautona Havig

Chautona Havig

Using story to connect YOU to the Master Storyteller

What Awesome Book Did I Drown My Literary Sorrows In?

by Chautona Havig · 20 Comments

The book wouldn’t leave me. I’d finished reading, despite not wanting to, wrote the review, also despite not wanting to, and moved on.

Except I couldn’t. The book haunted my thoughts.

Among the Poppies
Psst… that girl? That is Madeline!

A friend said, “What you need is another book. I just finished a great one. Among the Poppies. Try it.”

I went to Amazon and read the synopsis:

The ideal lady wears lace, speaks quietly, and never under any circumstances fixes an automobile. But Gwyn Ruthers has never cared two snaps about being the ideal lady. With the war to end all wars exploding across the English Channel, she leaves behind her restrictive life as a chauffer’s daughter to serve in an all-female ambulance unit in France. She’s not about to let her social status or gender prevent her from serving her country. Not even a handsome captain can distract her from her mission. Most of the time.

Captain William Crawford wouldn’t wish the ravages of war on any man, much less the captivating woman who insists on driving into battle instead of staying safely at home. He can’t deny that the troops need more medical help, but not when it puts innocent women in danger. How can he lead his men against the Jerries while worrying about Gwyn’s safety?

… and promptly popped it in my Kindle Unlimited.

After that, I went to look up more by that first author of that book. It still bothered me that I hadn’t been able to leave a good review for it. You see like I said in that review the author is a good writer—actually, she’s a great one. I wanted more. I wanted something I could rave about.

But there wasn’t another Christian fiction book by her on Amazon.

So…I closed my laptop and went to bed.

Still, by ten o’clock last night, I opened my Kindle account and tapped on the book. Among the Poppies. One thing it had going for it was that it was historical. War-time. Third-person perspective. It wouldn’t compete with what I had hoped to read.

Look, I have a book due. I didn’t have time to read another book right now. But I decided to read the first chapter. Just to see if it was going to be good, you know.

At chapter six, I closed my Kindle and wrote a sentence in Ties That Blind.

And then I opened it again.

What Awesome Book Did I Drown My Literary Sorrows In?

Note: links may be affiliate links that provide me with a small commission—doesn’t cost you anything extra.

I went back and drowned my literary sorrows in Among the Poppies.

Where do I begin to describe the beauty and wonder of this book? How about with the fact that Ms. Ciesielski is a debut author. That’s right. This is her first book, and I’ve got to be honest. It’s better than most authors’ fifth, tenth, fiftieth. I asked about her next. Yeah. February of 2019.

I’m pretty sure that wasn’t rain on my face here in the 106 degree-Mojave Desert. Just sayin’.

So what did she do that was so amazing?

Plot: She took a common storyline—an English girl in WWI goes to France as a nurse—and made me feel like it was new, fresh, original. I didn’t once think, “Oh, this was like so and so’s book.” Not once. The book stands alone, tall and proud.

She paid careful attention to all details.

Setting? Check! I could feel the snow, breathe the musty-leafed air, choke at the stench of unwashed bodies & infection. I basked in the beauty of a French mansion and winced at the horrors of a German “prison.”

History? Check! All the details I needed to really understand what happened around us, I got. Every one. Not only that, but Ms. Ciesielski wove them in so seamlessly that I never once felt like it was added in as a lesson. I abhor preachiness in fiction—whether beating the reader over the head with the Bible or a history/science/psychology etc. Textbook. She didn’t do it. And it would have been sooo easy!

“Easter Eggs?” Yep. I spotted Walt Disney in it. See if you can.

Personality? Yep! But I’ll get to that in a minute.

Ms. Ciesielski provides rich attention to detail without dragging the reader through page after page of unimportant things that serve only to bog down the story. She framed this story in her details, but she didn’t create a Taj Mahal of them. THANK YOU!

One of the best parts, if not the best, has to be the characters, though.

Gwyn Ruthers is plucky, strong, and independent without being obnoxious or too “Mary Sue” about it. She has her weak moments that make you realize that there’s a flaw in her character that actually makes her so strong.

William Crawford, on the other hand, openly covers his insecurities—such as they are—in duty, honor, and obedience to his commands. What he sees in Gwyn, both inspires and prods him to grow as a person. In fact, their weaknesses and strengths weave a unique bond between them that creates a beautiful tapestry of a story.

Even her supporting characters help one another grow as people.

Truthfully, it’s probably the best character growth of the whole cast that I’ve ever seen in a single book. Each character stayed consistent to who they were as a person even while growing and changing in their character arc. Phenomenal.

And then there were the spiritual lessons.

I was almost afraid of these. I wondered if, the farther I got into this wonderful tale, if I’d finally find the flaw in Among the Poppies. Would the author be able to weave in those spiritual truths with the skill wielded with description and historical details? Or, would I find chopped up mini-homilies designed to tack on a lesson?

I shouldn’t have worried. This book contains rich, spiritual truths, sometimes in overt conversation, most often woven through the fabric of the story that you almost don’t even notice.

Ms. Ciesielski planted many beautiful seeds with each spiritual nugget, and I’ve no doubt they’ll sprout as a whole sea of poppies… much like the ones in “Flanders Fields.”

Someone asked me if this was just a “rebound” book.

Was I so brokenhearted over not loving a book that I wanted to love that I just latched onto the next thing?

It’s a valid question. And I have an equally valid answer.

Not a chance.

Because you see, if anything, me wanting another book by that other author so much meant that this one already had a strike or two against it. But J’nell Ciesielski hit it out of the park with a home run on the first swing.

And that’s all the baseball you’re ever gonna get out of me. Want to know why? Check out THIS post.

If all that doesn’t convince you how great the book is, I read Among the Poppies through Kindle Unlimited. And immediately, I went and added the paperback to my shopping cart. It’s that good.

Note:  there are about half a dozen tiny typo/formatting issues that might annoy a few people.  However, they may be fixed by the time you read this.  Just warning for those whose reading experience is ruined by typos. Then again, you’re probably not reading this… because of the typos!  😀

You know what?  I want to give one away.

Tell me who your favorite WWI author is (since we can’t ask if J’nell Ciesielski is… Unless you read this already!

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Comments

  1. 22annie says

    June 18, 2018 at 2:36 am

    I have never read a WW1 novel. But, I am totally in awe of Corrie and Betsey TenBoom in The Hiding Place. Now that family was “Christ” ians. What an awesome story. The descriptions were so intense.

    Reply
    • Chautona Havig says

      June 30, 2018 at 1:41 pm

      The Hiding Place broke my heart as a girl. That’s when I really “got” how horrible the holocaust was.

      Reply
  2. Esther Filbrun says

    June 13, 2018 at 10:12 pm

    The first one that pops to mind is Roseanna M. White. But that’s because I’m to lazy to go look at our shelves and see if there are any others I enjoy more. Still–Ms. White’s Shadows over England series is one I’m still enjoying (well, the first two, because as you know the third book isn’t out yet!).

    Glad you enjoyed this! And thanks for the recommendation! It’s definitely going on my read-later list!

    Reply
    • Chautona Havig says

      June 14, 2018 at 5:26 pm

      Isn’t that series awesome? Did you know she’s already written Margot’s story???? SQUEEEEEEEEEEEEEE

      Reply
      • Tina at Mommynificent says

        December 30, 2018 at 8:14 pm

        Roseanna White is my favorite WW1 author as well, but I have to give a little nod to Gilbert Morris since he was the first I ever read and the one who made me love historical fiction in the first place.

        Reply
        • Chautona Havig says

          December 30, 2018 at 8:55 pm

          I didn’t read his WWI ones. I read Winslow and it read like the Old Testament to me. REALLY good “allegory” of it so to speak. Family is strongly Christian. Kids become weak. Lose their kids. Repent. Grow strong again. Lather. Rinse. Repeat. Broke my heart to read it, but it is such a GREAT picture of the Israelites

          Reply
  3. Helen Carol Collett says

    June 13, 2018 at 8:21 pm

    I usually don’t care for war stories, but this one sounds fascinating. I would love to win and read it. Thanks.

    Reply
  4. Joy @ Real World Bible Study says

    June 13, 2018 at 7:54 pm

    I haven’t read a ton of WWI fiction…everything seems to be before or after! I really love Cold War era suspense. But I really enjoyed the Heirs of Anton series by Susan K Downs & Susan May Warren. “Ekaterina” is present day, “Nadia” is cold war era, and “Marina” is WWII.

    Reply
  5. Vivian Furbay says

    June 13, 2018 at 2:57 pm

    Brock and Brodie Thoene
    t

    Reply
  6. Cheryl M says

    June 13, 2018 at 10:23 am

    Favorite WW2 writer is the husband/wife team, Brock & Bodie Thoene. Loved the 2 series about both WWs, and the Saga of the Sierras, all historical fiction about her family, I think, though interestingly I’ve not gotten into much of the rest of their writing.

    Reply
    • Chautona Havig says

      June 13, 2018 at 2:34 pm

      I remember reading some of their work YEARS ago. Trying to remember what I read! I do remember reading how to pronounce their name. Weird things we remember, no?

      Reply
  7. Colleen McGarry says

    June 13, 2018 at 6:18 am

    Sheldon Van Auken

    Reply
  8. Patty says

    June 13, 2018 at 5:44 am

    I don’t read a lot of friction from this era, or war era’s in general, but I’ve read several glowing reviews of this book lately and would love to give it a try.

    Reply
    • Chautona Havig says

      June 13, 2018 at 6:26 am

      It’s really one of the best ever. 😀

      Reply
  9. Natasha Metzler says

    June 13, 2018 at 5:12 am

    I actually don’t usually like WWI fiction, but this book sounds really good!

    Reply
    • Chautona Havig says

      June 13, 2018 at 6:27 am

      It doesn’t pull punches at the atrocities of war but neither does it glorify or drown you in them. You see the effects of them rather than them play out for the most part.

      Reply
  10. Joy says

    June 13, 2018 at 4:42 am

    Dead Wake: The Last Crossing of the Lusitania by Erik Larson was fascinating. It was remarkable how much tension Mr. Larson could create in a book when there ending was known from the title page.

    Reply
    • Chautona Havig says

      June 13, 2018 at 6:28 am

      OOOH! That’s going on my list right now!

      Reply
  11. Deb Jones says

    June 12, 2018 at 11:32 pm

    Sounds like it might be a good book. My favorite WWII author is Helen MacInnes. She isn’t a Christian author and there isn’t much romance in most of her books but she sure kept my attention.

    Reply
    • Chautona Havig says

      June 13, 2018 at 4:15 am

      Not much romance? SCORE! Off to check her out!

      Reply

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Episode 43: A Chat with Allison Pearl
by Chautona Havig

Great Things Happen When You Mix Danger and Donuts

Suspense is a personal favorite genre, so when I heard about Allison Pearl’s series, I knew I wanted to read them and chat with her about them.  I only made it about a quarter of the way into the book before the interview, but that’s mostly because I spent way too much time deliberating over whether I should finish the book, Sprinkled with Sabotage, or set it aside and go read the first two.  

That’s actually a difficult thing about books in a series that stand alone.  You can read them out of order, so the dilemma begins–kind of like whether to read The Narnia series in order of publication or in chronological order.

Nah, everyone knows you need to read in order of publication.  Hmm… maybe that solves my question on Allison Pearl’s books, too.  Hmmm…

From the fun way she named the protagonists to our discussing the idea of a high-speed chase through the West Virginia mountains (I bet she could get those folks up to forty miles-per-hour! Trust me, if you’ve ever driven some of those roads, you’ll know that IS high speed in that area!), we talked about just about everything.  Faith in fiction, what got Allison writing suspense in the first place, locales for books, and… of course, what is coming next!

The Love and Danger in St. Claire series by Allison Pearl is full of danger, tension, and sprinkled with romance for the heart-throbbers among us.

Sprinkled with Sabotage

Synopsis: Lizzy Bennet loves life as a lawyer in the city. And not just because of the miles it puts between her and her ex. However, when she’s attacked on the street just hours after learning her identity was stolen, she tries to call home for help and ends up with the last person she expects: the very same high school boyfriend who broke her heart.

He says he’s there to help, but she’s not so sure, and now, all the endless questions and regrets are clouding her judgment and preventing her from seeing the dangerous saboteur closing in. Small-town auto mechanic, Koby Knightly, is looking forward to seeing a car show in the city. But when an unexpected call from his old girlfriend disconnects suddenly, he rushes to her aid. Throwing his plans out the window, Koby makes it his mission to protect her and discover the identity of the person trying to frame her.

Will he also be able to figure out what went wrong between them back in high school or will a killer get to her first?

Available in print, on Kindle, and also through Kindle Unlimited.  Or, read the first books in the series:

  • Glazed Suspicion
  • Dunked in Trouble

You can learn more about Allison Pearl, her upcoming books, and more on her website.

Find out what else her publisher, Anaiah Press has to offer HERE.

Episode 43: A Chat with Allison Pearl
Episode 43: A Chat with Allison Pearl
January 19, 2021
Chautona Havig
Episode 42: A Chat with J'nell Ciesielski
January 13, 2021
Chautona Havig
Episode 41: A Chat with Jennifer Pierce
January 5, 2021
Chautona Havig
Episode 40: My Favorite Book of 2020
December 8, 2020
Chautona Havig
Episode 39: A Chat with L.K. Simonds
December 1, 2020
Chautona Havig
Episode 38: Dan Smith & Saving Ebenezer
November 24, 2020
Chautona Havig
Episode 37: A Chat with Sara Beth Williams
November 17, 2020
Chautona Havig
Episode 36: A Chat with Jennifer Beckstrand
November 10, 2020
Chautona Havig
Episode 35: What Is This NaNoWriMo Thing All About?
November 3, 2020
Chautona Havig
Episode 34: 5 Cheap & Easy Ways to Feed a Book Habit
October 27, 2020
Chautona Havig
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Just two days before Bookers on the Rocks releases Just two days before Bookers on the Rocks releases!  I'm so excited about this book. It's probably one of the best I've written.  There's just something about a man who will step out of his comfort zone and edge his wife out of hers to do what's best for their marriage--so inspiring to write.
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