Book Club: Book Review of Lies Girls Believe

Disclosure: I received this complimentary product through the Homeschool Review Crew.

Do you believe lies? Every day we are being lied to, and so are our daughters. The world around us spews lies left and right to everyone. How can we combat these lies? How can we help our daughters find the Truth? In Lies Girls Believe and the companion book for Mom, A Mom's Guide to Lies Girls Believe, Dannah Gresh helps moms and daughters with lies and find Truth. These two books make for the perfect mother-daughter Bible study.

Both books are from True Girl, which hopes to bring moms and daughters closer to each other and to Jesus. Moms can raise daughters who are confident in their faith and in themselves. True Girl offers a variety of resources, including these books to help moms and daughters. There are live and online events, Bible studies, helpful blogs, and fiction and non-fiction books.

About the Books 

For Your Daughter - Lies Girls Believe 

The 170-page paperback book is designed and written for your nine to twelve-year-old daughter. If they are thinking or talking about boys, frenemies, report cards, fashion, and other things that are "normal" in today's world, then this book will help them. There are twenty lies and twenty Truths to help our daughters navigate the world. 

The majority of the chapters begin with an introduction from the fictional character of Zoey (although her problems are based upon those revealed in a survey given to 1,531 girls). Readers are then introduced to several Truths and the lies associated with them. This is accompanied by Scripture verses, personal anecdotes, information from the surveys, and finally, a Truth Lab. In the Truth Lab, our daughters will provide advice for Zoey and work out just which lies they have been believing. There is room for our daughters to write in the book and make it their own.

Part Three focuses on how the Truth will set our daughters free. They will learn how to identify lies and dig them up, roots and all. After the lies are removed, Gresh shares how to find the Truth in the Bible and provides specific places in the Bible to look. 

For the Mom - A Mom's Guide to Lies Girls Believe 

The guide follows the same basic setup as the book your daughter will be reading, with introductory sections and side notes for the mom. The guide also provides more details on the survey given to the girls and the moms who participated in focus groups that helped guide the books. There are personal stories and anecdotes shared in the margins and places for you to write your own note and ideas. Most chapters end with a spot for you to write out a prayer based on a particular Bible verse and a suggestion to talk with your girl.

How Did I Use the Books? 

Our daughter just turned seven this spring, so I didn't want to hand her Lies Girls Believe just yet. So, I read through the book for girls first and then the guide. I have found quite a few Truths I can share with her immediately. When our daughter gets a little older, I will share the book with her. 

What Did I Think? 

I found myself digging into both books deeply. I had my Bible next to me so I could read the Scripture quotes in context and take notes. While I am happy to think that our daughter doesn't believe a lot of the lies, I could remember times I believed the lies myself. Both books were very eye-opening.

I think these are valuable books for a Christian mother and daughter. there are even a few lies that I can discuss with our sons. The Truth nuggets are wonderful to share with everyone. I also appreciate the author's perspective on marriage, gender, and a woman's roles. These are all important to discuss with our daughter and having a starting point is great for moms today. 

Please visit the Homeschool Review Crew to read more reviews of Lies Girls Believe and A Mom's Guide to Lies Girls Believe.

Blogging Through the Alphabet: J is for Johnston (Part II)

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Considered one of the finest commanding officers leading on either side of the American Civil War, Albert Sidney Johnston is still not as well known as Ulysses Grant or Robert E. Lee. He fought in numerous wars before the American Civil War, including the Black Hawk War, the Texas Revolution, and the Mexican-American War. 

Albert Sidney Johnston (February 2, 1803 – April 6, 1862) graduated eighth in his class of forty-one from West Point in 1826. Twelve other men who graduated in 1826 would go on to serve in the American Civil War for both the Union and the Confederacy. After graduation, he was appointed to posts in New York and Missouri and then served in the Black Hawk War. This was a short-lived conflict in 1832 between the United States and the Sauk, Meskwaki, and Kickapoo Native Americans. He resigned in 1834 to take care of his first wife, Henrietta Preston, who was dying from tuberculosis. 

Texas Revolution 

In 1836, Johnston moved to Texas and soon became involved in the Texas Revolution. He quickly rose to the rank of senior brigadier general, replacing General Felix Huston. This promotion angered Huston and a duel occurred between them on February 5, 1837, at the Dueling Oak in Jackson County. Johnston was wounded in the hip as a result of the duel but served as the general. After the Texas Revolution, Johnston was appointed Secretary of War for Texas (while it remained independent) but resigned in 1840. 

Mexican-American War 

Johnston would join the US Army again to serve in the Mexican-American War where he was cited for bravery at the Battle of Monterrey. He would continue to serve after this war in Utah and then as the commander of the Department of the Pacific in California. When Texas seceded from the Union, he resigned from the position but stayed on duty until his successor arrived. Then he was free to make his way back to Texas.

American Civil War 

As the top commander of the Western Theater for the Confederacy, Johnston needed to secure the defenses for the area beyond the Appalachians. His goal was to secure a line of defense from Kentucky's Cumberland Gap to the town of Columbus. It was successful for a while, but eventually, the Union progressed and began seizing more and more territory. Johnston had to move his men because it became impossible to hold the original defensive line. He moved his men to Corinth and then set his sights on stopping the Union supply train.

Shiloh 

In early April 1862, Johnston marched 44,000 recruits into Tennessee. He wanted to mount a surprise attack on Ulysses Grant at Shiloh (there was a meetinghouse where the Union was camping). Unfortunately, Johnston's force was not quite a disciplined army yet. They were a group of rowdy men who cheered or yelled at each passing officer much like it was a parade and not a march. The rain caused problems and slowed the men down. And the men also would fire their muskets to test if the powder was dry or if they saw a deer. There was a lot of noise coming from these green troops. Confusion seemed to reign supreme as they took wrong directions and became delayed getting into position. Johnston's officers told him a surprise attack would be out and cautioned against it. The Rebels had caused such a racket. But somehow, they led a surprise attack on April 5, 1862, on Sherman and his Union men. At dawn, the Union army was completely surprised. 

Both Southern and Northern troops were seeing the elephant for the first time (experiencing combat for the first time), which led to difficulties. Because of the difficulties, Johnston went to the front to rally the troops. He had even addressed his men prior to the assault, saying he would lead them to victory. During the afternoon, Johnston was struck in the back of his knee and the bullet hit an artery. Due to the dueling wound in 1837 that had caused nerve damage, Johnston probably didn't realize the depth of his injury. He quickly bled to death on the battlefield.

The battle of Shiloh would be won by the Union, and Johnston's death remain the highest ranking general killed during the entire American Civil War. As Albert Sidney Johnston was considered the best general in America during the Civil War, I can only imagine how things might have turned out differently if he had not died in 1862.

Book Club: Book Review of The Deadly Shallows

 

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.

When selecting books to review, I tend to stay away from series books unless it is book one. I also like to stick to historical fiction as that is something I am interested in due to my love of history. I pushed aside these two limitations when I read the description of The Deadly Shallows by Dani Pettrey because it sounded really good. I am very glad I took a chance on Book Three of the Coastal Guardians series because I enjoyed the characters and plotline immensely. 

About The Deadly Shallows 

"CGIS Agent Noah Rowley is rocked to the core when he learns of a mass shooting raging on his Coast Guard base. He and his team stop the attack, but not before numerous innocent lives are lost. Furious and grief-stricken, he determines to do whatever is needed to bring the mastermind behind the attack to justice." 

- Book Cover

Wrapped up in the mass shooting on the Coast Guard base is Coast Guard flight medic Brooke Kesler, who is attending the graduation of a friend. She travels with the only surviving member of the attack to the hospital. This man imparts one word to Brooke which puts her in immediate danger when those behind the attack find out the surviving gunman spoke to Brooke.

Brooke and Noah work together to discover answers regarding the shooting and an old crime while falling for each other. The other members of Noah's team play an integral role in the plot of the story, the investigation into this mass shooting, and another local, environmental crime. 

My Thoughts

The Deadly Shallows is a fast-paced book that does not require the reader to have any former knowledge of the characters, the location, or the series. While I found myself wanting to know more about the characters – and curious as to whether or not they were present and had a greater role in the previous books – I wasn't left with too many questions. The characters were fully developed to fit into the plotline of The Deadly Shallows and Dani Pettrey left enough questions that made me want to seek the other two books.

I felt that the description of the scenes and locations was wonderful. I could definitely see the locations in my mind as Pettrey described them. Every event came to life off the pages of this 390-page paperback book. For example, the darkness under the ocean: "She followed the flashlight's circle as it landed on dead fish...all dotting the sandy bottom of the sound's floor" (150). Or this description from shortly after the mass shooting: "Gabby hadn't even put the car in park when Noah jumped out and rushed as fast as his stupid leg would carry him" (96).

The trust in God by the characters is also a winning factor of The Deadly Shallows. I appreciated that they prayed about those involved in the mass shooting and their colleagues throughout the book. It is nice to see Christians living their lives openly as they go about their work.

My only complaint has to do with the texture of the book cover. While I really wanted to read The Deadly Shallows, I did not necessarily want to pick it up and read it. The book cover has an odd feel to it and set my nerves on edge much like when someone runs their nails on a chalkboard. 

I would recommend The Deadly Shallows to those who enjoy fast-paced, Christian Romantic Suspense novels.

Blogging Through the Alphabet: H is for Howe

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"Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord;
He is trampling out the vintage where grapes of wrath are stored;
He hath loosed the fateful lightning of His terrible swift sword,
His truth is marching on."

One of the most memorable songs to come from the American Civil War time period, The Battle Hymn of the Republic, still inspires us today as it is sung in churches and schools. What started off as a favorite marching song of the Union Army would transform into a staple amongst patriotic music when Julia Ward Howe changed the lyrics.

Julia Ward Howe (b. May 27, 1819 – d. October 17, 1910) was a descendant of Roger Williams (founder of the Rhode Island colony). Her mother died when she was only five years old, and the care of Julia and her siblings was left to her father, Samuel Ward, a successful banker. When Julia's father died when she was 20 years old, she and two of her sisters moved to her brother Sam's house. Between her aunt, her own thirst for knowledge, and her brother's household, she would become very well-educated and meet many famous men and women of the world, including Charles Dickens, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Margaret Fuller, and Henry Wadsworth Longfellow.

In 1843, while touring the New England Institute for the Blind, she met Dr. Samuel Howe (who was twenty years her senior). He was a physician of international repute for his work with the blind and the deaf. And Dr. Howe was one of the secret six who helped finance John Brown's insurrection at Harper's Ferry. They had a very tumultuous marriage. She enjoyed writing and socializing while he preferred quiet and solitude.

New Lyrics 

While in Washington D.C., Julia was touring Union Army Camps with her husband and Reverend James Freeman Clarke and heard the men singing John's Brown's Body. This was a perfect song for the marching feet of the soldiers. The melody was from an old Methodist camp meeting song, but the words were added during the American Civil War. Oddly enough, the song's origins were not about the abolitionist John Brown, but about a sergeant in the 2nd Battalion of the Boston Light Infantry of the Massachusetts Volunteer Militia. However, it would gain popularity amongst all the Union camps and be connected to the John Brown and not the sergeant with the same name.

When hearing the song, Reverend Clarke suggested Julia write new lyrics to the tune to replace those of John Brown's Body. After the tours of the Union Army camps, she retired and went to bed as usual. She woke before dawn the next day with the words forming. By sunrise, she had finished six stanzas. The first draft is dated November 1861 and over the course of several weeks, she edited her lyrics. 

In February of 1862, Julia Ward Howe's work was published in The Atlantic Monthly. She was paid five dollars and The Battle Hymn of the Republic appeared on the first page. Her song would become an uplifting patriotic anthem during the American Civil War and continue with that fame to today. 

After the American Civil War, Julia Ward Howe would establish and lead several different women's organizations, champion for votes for women, and become a peace advocate. In 1908, Julia was the first woman elected to the American Academy of Arts and Letters. She would also be given an honorary degree from Smith College. 

From working with the U.S. Sanitary Commission during the American Civil War to her many writings, Julia Ward Howe has many accomplishments, but perhaps she is best known today as the author of The Battle Hymn of the Republic or even as being instrumental in the celebration of the first Mother's Day (even if it has changed dramatically from her proclamation for a day of peace). I think it will be interesting to see how history changes regarding Howe as – during my research of this article – I found contradictory information and reflections of today's standards being imposed upon her biography. 

Blogging Through the Alphabet: G is for Gunsmiths and the American Civil War

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It goes without saying that gunsmiths played an important role during the American Civil War. From names we know, like Samuel Colt and Eliphalet Remington to Christian Sharps, Christopher Spencer, and Benjamin Henry, there were several influential men in the gunsmith industry who helped modernize weapons and impacted the way the American Civil War was fought.

Revolver 

Samuel Colt (Jul 19, 1814- January 10, 1862) perfected the first pistol of its kind while in his 20s. Colt received his first patent in 1835 and started the Patent Arms Company in Patterson, New Jersey. He would later set up a factory in Hartford, Connecticut, where he introduced interchangeable parts and assembly lines to help with production. After additional improvements were made to the design, his sales increased during the Texas Revolution and the Mexican-American War. Improvements would continue to be made, and the Colt revolver would be a popular choice during the Civil War. In fact, the Union Army purchased 130,000 Colt Revolvers and individual soldiers purchased 70,000.

Rifles 

Christian Sharps (January 2, 1810-March 12, 1874) designed the Sharps .54-caliber rifle, which was a single-shot breech loader. He was issued a patent on September 12, 1848, for what would eventually become the first commercially successful breech-loading rifle. It could fire 8 to 10 rounds per minute. The Sharps carbine, shorter and lighter than the standard rifles, would be a favorite among the cavalry of the Union Army.

Another man from Connecticut, Christopher Spencer (June 20, 1833 – January 14, 1922), would also impact the American Civil War with his gunsmithing.  Spencer, who had 42 patents during his lifetime, would design a gun with a self-priming metallic cartridge in 1860. The Spencer repeating rifle was the first military breech-loading repeating rifle. The ammunition was loaded in a chamber at the rear of the gun barrel instead of the muzzle. The Spencer rifle became the standard arm of the Union Cavalry in the later stages of the American Civil War. This partly came about because Spencer personally demonstrated his rifle in a shooting match on the White House lawn to Abraham Lincoln.

Benjamin Henry (March 22, 1821-June 8, 1898), who worked for the Oliver Winchester Company in Connecticut, designed the .44-caliber Henry rifle. The Henry rifle's magazine held 15 bullets and was produced for army use starting in mid-1861. The Henry rifle was the first reliable lever-action repeating rifle.

Machine Guns 

In 1862, Dr. Richard Gatling (September 12, 1818 – February 26, 1903) patented the first hand-cranked weapon known as the Gatling gun. It had six barrels that would rotate around a central axis. The Gatling gun could fire 175 rounds per minute. It would be the first successful machine gun. Even though Gatling was born and raised in North Carolina, he would be a supporter of the Union, but that did not mean that his gun would only be used by the Union Army. Union General Benjamin Butler was the only Union general to purchase any Gatling guns, and they were only used once during the American Civil War.

The quote is different depending upon where you read it, but Gatling wrote regarding his thought in designing the Gatling gun, "It occurred to me if I could invent a machine – a gun – which would by its rapidity of fire enable one man to do as much battle as a hundred, then the number of men exposed to danger would be diminished." Personally, I understand the dream behind his thoughts, but the practicality is unfathomable. As we know having machine guns in war does not mean fewer men are put in the way of danger, but in reality, more men. We just have to look at the deaths in World War I as men went over the top (in trench warfare) to meet their death at the hands of one soldier operating a machine gun.

There were so many firsts in the world of gunsmithing prior to and during the American Civil War. Each gunsmith set forth to improve upon the design of guns for multiple reasons. Some even wanted to improve upon the design so that there would be less death and danger on the battlefield, like Gatling.  It's interesting to note most of the advancements took place in the North, but then again, it makes sense, considering the North was home to more of the factories than the South.