Book Club: Book Review of The Barrister and the Letter of Marque

I received a COMPLIMENTARY copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for my honest opinion. I was not required to write a positive review, nor was I compensated in any other way. This post contains affiliate links. For more information, please see my Terms of Use and Disclosure Policy page. Thank you.

I really did not want The Barrister and the Letter of Marque by Todd M. Johnson to end. I thoroughly enjoyed reading how William Snopes gathered information for the trial of Captain Tuttle so much that I was sad when I approached the end of the story. Did I want to know the outcome of the trial? Yes! But I would have loved to read more about the characters. 

About the Novel 

Set during the Regency era of England (1795 to 1837), The Barrister and the Letter of Marque introduces readers to a range of characters, from the pickpockets of Whitechapel to the Prince Regent himself, and brings them all to life. If you are a fan of British history or Regency novels, there are so many locales you will recognize, including Newgate Prison, Whitechapel, The Old Bailey, and the ports of the Thames.

Lady Madeleine Jameson seeks out representation for her cousin – Captain Harold Tuttle. She needs the barrister, William Snopes, to prove Captain Tuttle innocent to keep him from the gallows as well as rescue her investment in the Padget and its cargo acquired in the Indian Sea. 

Before Snopes even agrees to take the case, he and his associates are met with difficulties at every step. They can't even meet Captain Tuttle for a long while because no prison will admit to holding him captive. The Crew scatters once they are released from the ship, including the important first mate who had seen the Letter of Marque. 

What Is a Letter of Marque? 

A letter of marque is a document issued by a government (in this case England) that authorized the person carrying the letter to act as a privateer. The private person would be able to attack and capture vessels or seize cargo from the ships of nations with whom the privateer's country is at war. So usually, letters of marque were only issued during times of war to private persons. In The Barrister and the Letter of Marque, the letter was issued to Captain Tuttle of England to enable him to attack and seize the cargo of a French ship, even though England and France were no longer at war. Without this document, Captain Tuttle would have engaged in an act of piracy like he was charged by the British government. So when it goes missing the night he returns from his voyage, things become very difficult. 

In addition to seeing how the rich live – through a ball and a few other scenes involving Lord Brummell – we also read of The Lanyard Pub in the East End and the home of the solicitor, Obadiah Cummings. Finally, we get a peek into the lives of the ruffians of Whitechapel when we read of Lonny McPherson and how he runs his crew.

My Thoughts 

I enjoyed reading The Barrister and the Letter of Marque immensely, from the prologue (where we learn why William Snopes turned his back on his privileged life) to the epilogue (where life appears to return to a happy normal for William Snopes, Edmund Shaw, and Obadiah Cummings), each scene was well written and interesting. 

I found William Snopes to be a most intriguing character. I looked forward to seeing what steps Snopes would take next as he prepared the case. I enjoyed reading the conversations between Snopes and Father Thomas, as well as learning more about Snopes' personal background. Of all the characters, Snopes was definitely the most developed. 

While there is a hint of romance to The Barrister and the Letter of Marque, that is not the focal point of the novel. At the heart of the matter is the trial of Captain Tuttle and the journey to collect evidence to prove his innocence. This work of historical fiction has a heavy mystery novel feel to it, and I think it all ties together very nicely. If you enjoy historical fiction, I would recommend The Barrister and the Letter of Marque.

Book Club: Book Review of Unexpecting

I received a COMPLIMENTARY copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for my honest opinion. I was not required to write a positive review, nor was I compensated in any other way. This post contains affiliate links. For more information, please see my Terms of Use and Disclosure Policy page. Thank you.

There are some books that are so powerful and moving that I read the inspiring words through tears in my eyes. In Unexpecting: Real Talk on Pregnancy Loss, I found the words and wisdom that I wish were shared with me when I suffered a miscarriage before our youngest son was born. Rachel Lewis has shared her own stories of pregnancy loss as well as the stories of others to help moms and dads find the encouragement they need. 

"What to expect when you are no longer expecting." 

No matter where your loss falls – early to late miscarriage, stillbirth, infant loss – Lewis tries to present useful information for you and your journey. In four parts, she goes over loss lamentations, love, and legacies. In each part, Lewis leaves readers with journal prompts for those who need to work out their loss on paper. One could easily skip from section to section as you seek the knowledge you need most at your time.

Rachel Lewis asks us to join her on this journey and offers love to us and our baby or babies. The book is written from a place of love in an attempt to comfort parents in the most difficult of circumstances. And while she opens her own heart, throughout Unexpecting, we read personal experiences from other moms and dads, too. There was more than one experience that resonated with me during the reading of the book.

"You get to grieve however you need." 

There is no one-size-fits-all approach to grief presented in Unexpecting. Everyone's loss is different, and everyone approaches their grief differently. We have choices to make after our loss as our bodies, our spirits, and our minds need time to heal. We must work out our own grief triggers and decide when and how we will face those triggers. No one knows our journey better than we do, but it is so helpful to read that we are not alone on that path. 

Some of the specific things Lewis writes about include: 

• Needing to care for a postpartum body without a baby 
• Facing a myriad of emotions such as jealousy, betrayal, guilt, and joy 
• Seeking help if grief becomes depression 
• Finding comfort in God or the Bible when suffering 
• Helping your other children grieve
• Finding the new life you will lead
• Pregnancy after loss
• The decision to try or not to try again 
• Creating a legacy  

My Thoughts 

I found Unexpecting: Real Talk on Pregnancy Loss to be a wonderful book to read. One of the parts I felt the most connected to was in the very introduction. People often see the loss as just losing a baby. But Lewis writes you lost: 

"Your daughter's first smile.

The first time your son rolled over. 

The look on your sweet girl's face when you soothe her tears."

And so much more. 

"A whole generation, a whole lifetime of memories – gone the instant your baby's heart stopped beating" (13-14). This is the way I still feel all those years later. Whenever my due date rolls around, I wonder what our child would be like and enjoy doing. Would he or she like Minecraft like the rest of our children? What would our child look like? 

There are many points that hit home with me from Lewis' book. I think many parents – moms and dads (there is a section just for dads) – will find Unexpecting to be very helpful to endure their loss or losses. I would recommend this book to those who have suffered a loss or know someone who has. It can help those on the journey and those who walk alongside individuals on the loss journey.

Getting Ready to Homeschool: Last Minute Tips

Whether you are new to homeschooling or not, getting ready for a new homeschool year can bring many emotions and thoughts. There is the excitement of seeing your children learn alongside you, the worry that you will not do enough to teach your children, and the questions you ask as to whether or not the curriculum will work for each of your children. Through all the eagerness to get started and the anxiety that bubbles up, I want to remind you can homeschool your children. No matter if you need to use three math programs and two different foreign languages, you will be able to homeschool your children.

Finding a Curriculum That Works for You and Your Children 

There are so many options that finding curriculum can feel overwhelming. Perhaps you found what you thought was the perfect fit, but then you started using it. You read lots of reviews, watched numerous vlogs that showed you an inside look, but the curriculum just doesn't work for your family. 

Do not be afraid to put the curriculum aside. This could mean that you resell it, throw it out, or never log in again. Yes, this might hurt to do if you spent a lot of money on the curriculum. I like to pinch pennies and use what I have – especially if I paid a pretty penny for it – but nothing is worth the aggravation and stress an ill-fitting curriculum will give you. 

As a reviewer, there have been several products that are wonderful but not for us. There was even one where I could see my son learning typing and spelling skills, but he did not like it. He stalled having to complete the tasks every day. The fact that it was online and timed was causing him stress. I reevaluated and, after the review period, we took a step back for a few months. We went back to it once before our subscription expired but even after the hiatus it still did not work for him. So, we did not use it again for our son. And I would make the same choice even if I had paid for the subscription. Nothing is worth causing friction in my relationship with my son. 

In the past, I have shared several posts looking at specific curriculum for different subject areas, so I won't go into great detail on all your options in this post. I will recommend you remember even if you purchased something that is not working for you, seek out assistance from the company. They may have advice to offer you. And try not to spread your dissatisfaction across social media. Constructive criticism is one thing, but complaining just to complain doesn't help anyone. It is okay to say this did not work for us while remembering it can work for someone else.

Homeschooling Resources: Mathematics 

Homeschooling Resources: Language Arts

Homeschooling with Curriculum: Creating a Connection

How Do You Pick a History Curriculum? 

Ask for Help 

Don't forget to ask for help if you are struggling - even early in the homeschool year. There is a multitude of places where you can go for encouragement, from small blogs like mine to curriculum companies. You could reach out to members at your church or find a local homeschool co-op. On our homeschooling journey, one of the things I learned early on was that homeschoolers love to help other homeschoolers. 

Give Yourself Grace 

One homeschool tip to remember all year round is that you should give yourself grace. You and your children will make mistakes. That is okay. Even if you are a veteran homeschooler, you might need to find a new groove as your life circumstances change. If you are new, every day may seem like a challenge. I encourage you to take a day (or week) off if you need to. And if you need to track hours in your state or country for homeschooling, look at what constitutes life skills. I guarantee you there are many hours each day where you are homeschooling life skills. 

It is hard to give ourselves grace, but it is important. Our family is working through a unique set of circumstances. My mother moved in with us, and then she was diagnosed with Alzheimer's. This causes daily disruptions, scheduled and unscheduled, as I take care of her. I have had to change how I homeschool our younger children. So, they have a bit more independent work. I have also had to look at when we homeschool. Some nights, our son and I work on his language arts after dinner.

There are days when I feel like I am not doing everything that needs to be done while homeschooling them, but then I remember (or I am reminded) to give myself grace. They are clothed, fed, and clean. They can read, write, and do arithmetic. They enjoy learning new things. They have compassion. From book learning to learning how to care for others, their days are filled with valuable lessons. 

I pray you have a successful homeschool year. Remember, your year may look different from everyone else's, and that is perfectly fine!

Book Club: Book Review of Praying Mom

 

I received a COMPLIMENTARY copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for my honest opinion. I was not required to write a positive review, nor was I compensated in any other way. This post contains affiliate links. For more information, please see my Terms of Use and Disclosure Policy page. Thank you.

I must admit that I often look at my prayer life as something to do when I have time. I join my husband in praying with our kids each evening at their bedtime but I often put off my own prayers and prayer life. yet I need to look beyond this idea of 'waiting for the perfect time.' Brooke McGlothlin has a chapter in which she addresses this in her new book, Praying Mom, so I was very happy to read and review it. 

So Many Challenges 

Brooke McGlothlin examines seven challenges moms face as they attempt to pray in Part One of the 203 paperback book. From not knowing what to pray to finding those moments to pray when taking care of our family, there are real world examples from the author's colleagues and friends to verses and prayer examples. There is also no assumption that those reading Praying Mom will only be Christian (she includes information for those who have recently accepted Jesus in the appendix), but she does assume readers will believe in God. 

To help combat all the challenges presented, McGlothlin presents many great points in Praying Mom. Readers could easily use the chapter titles to help direct their reading to find exactly what they need to support their own prayer life and journey. Some of the key ideas I pulled from Praying Mom include the following: 

• Pray the Scriptures. 
• When our lives are difficult, God has the strength we need. 
• God does hear our prayers but His plans are not our own.
• God is the only one who can fix our lives. 
• We need Jesus every day. 
• Prayer is important for mothers. It can help us see beyond the moment and get closer to God. 
• Take our lack of time and allow it to motivate us to pray. 

While Part One looks at the challenges a praying mom might face, Part Two provides specific quotes from Scripture and inspired prayers. These pages provide a great jumping point for those moms who feel they don't know where to start. Now they have Bible quotes they can examine in their leisure and prayers that they can pray. 

The key ideas I shared are just the tip of the iceberg for what the books has to offer moms who are struggling to find the time to pray. Readers could easily read through the entire book in a short period, but there are so many points that readers may go back and re-read the book several times. I recommend Praying Mom for those who are seeking to form a stronger relationship with God. It will help moms reach out to God as they raise and teach their children. God told us to pray, and I believe this book will help you to do that with confidence.  

Book Club: Book Review of Britfield & the Rise of the Lion

 

I received a COMPLIMENTARY copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for my honest opinion. I was not required to write a positive review, nor was I compensated in any other way. This post contains affiliate links. For more information, please see my Terms of Use and Disclosure Policy page. Thank you.

We have been eagerly awaiting the release of Britfield & the Rise of the Lion by C.R. Stewart as we really enjoyed the first book in the series. From the concise recap in the prologue to the exciting ending, I could not put the book down. In Britfield & the Rise of the Lion, we join up with Tom and Sarah as they have washed up on the shores of France after the end of the first book. 

The Plot 

Where to begin? There are so many wonderful details in the 471-page paperback book, as well as a few key twists and turns that I hardly know where to start. Should I start with the amazing locations, the characters that come to life, or the exciting plot points? At the heart of the story are Tom and Sarah, who escaped from Weatherly Orphanage in the first book, so let's look at the characters. 

Characters of Book II 

• Tom – A "scrappy little orphan" with a "brash attitude and obnoxious behavior" (quoting Sarah) who is probably the most important figure in the Britfield series 
• Sarah – A young orphan from Scotland who helps support Tom and inspires him to keep going 
• Professor Hainsworth – While he was a key figure in the first book, we only spend a few pages with the professor as we follow his journey back to health in France. 
• Detective Gowerstone – A former member of a secret British military/police organization and Scotland Yard who has spent the last ten years looking for the lost child of the Britfields 
• UK Prime Minister – A man that was once a trusted friend to Gowerstone who is sadly involved on the wrong side.
• Detective Fontaine – A member of Interpol who was contacted by Gowerstone to look after Tom and Sarah in France 
• Detective Gustave – Fontaine's partner who continues to work at Interpol for a brief time in the novel. 
• Allistair – A key member of an organization that helps keep Tom safe in France. 
• Oliver Horningbrook – The son of the UK Prime Minister who helped Tom and Sarah in Book I and will play a key role in Book II. 
• Sir Henry Horningbrook – The uncle of Oliver and brother to the UK Prime Minister. Henry also holds an important role and position in keeping Tom safe. 
• Strauss – An imposing member of the secret organization that is trying to find and capture Tom. 

Locations of Book II 

While Book I took readers across the countryside of England to Oxford, Canterbury, and London, Book II is set in France. Once again, homeschoolers could spend time researching the locations and learning more about the places as they exist in real life. 

• Monastery at Mont-Saint-Michel 
• Notre Dame 
• Eiffel Tower 
• Louvre 
• Chateaux Chambord 
• Lyons 

Main Plot Points 

Without giving away too many of the twists and turns, I want to share a few of the main plot points with you. All of these actions within Britfield & the Rise of the Lion are well-developed and give readers the impression that you are right beside the characters. 

• Tom and Sarah getting to Paris. 
• Tom and Sarah escaping the clutches of Marcel and the others who are attempting to kidnap or eliminate them for the Committee. 
• The fight of good versus evil and how organizations across the world are involved in it.
• The rescue of the kidnapped. 
• The attempt to get to Italy and thus leave France. 

My Thoughts 

I feel like this book was published at exactly the right time. Woven into the tale of Tom and Sarah is a dark story of secret organizations that are really controlling the governments of the world. This secret Committee is behind the problems Tom - and possibly - Sarah faced from the moment they were orphaned. The Committee would do anything with their limitless resources of weapon power to remain in control and get Tom. 

We see a struggle between good and evil as Detective Gowerstone tries to protect Tom and Sarah. Sir Henry Horningbrook takes his years of research and uses it to bring light to the evil of the Committee. As a world, we need to see good triumphing over evil. Our children need well-written stories that can inspire them to follow God and do good in the world. 

What Should You Know as a Parent? 

Britfield & the Rise of the Lion is a story where your children will read about the forces of good and evil. There are chase scenes across the streets of Paris and through the levels of the Eiffel Tower. Gun battles take place in several locations across France, and there is a kidnapping as the sinister group that operates clandestinely tries to remain in control of the world. The action moves quickly in this novel, which has a lot of history sprinkled throughout. While there are accidents and deaths, none of the violence is gory or drawn out. Many preteens and teens who would enjoy this book will have already experienced similar violence in video games or popular television shows or movies. 

I would recommend parents read at least a selection of Britfield & the Rise of the Lion, if you aren't going to read the entire book before giving it to your preteen or teen. Our oldest, who does not enjoy reading, thoroughly enjoyed reading Britfield & the Lost Crown and picked up that copy several times to see when the next book was scheduled to be released. Now that I am finished reading Book II, I will be passing it along to him to read. 

I think many will enjoy this novel and I can't wait for the next book!