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A review by gothamgal
When Sparrows Fall by Meg Moseley
4.0
Freedom. Safety. Love. Miranda vows to reclaim them--for herself, and for her children.
A widow and mother of six, Miranda Hanford leads a quiet, private life. When the pastor of her close-knit church announces his plans to move the entire congregation to another state, Miranda jumps at the opportunity to dissolve ties with Mason Chandler and his controlling method of ruling his flock. But then Mason threatens to unearth secrets from her past, and Miranda feels trapped, terrified she’ll be unable to protect her children.
College professor Jack Hanford is more than surprised when he gets a call from his estranged sister-in-law’s oldest son, Timothy, informing him that Miranda has taken a serious fall and he has been named legal guardian of her children while she recovers. Quickly charmed by Miranda’s children, Jack brings some much-needed life into the sheltered household. But his constant challenging of the family’s conservative lifestyle makes the recovering mother uneasy and defensive—despite Jack’s unnerving appeal.
As Jack tries to make sense of the mysterious Miranda and the secrets she holds so tightly, Mason’s pressure on her increases. With her emotions stirring and freedom calling, can Miranda find a way to unshackle her family without losing everything?
I was excited to read this book after reading the blurb. I thought it sounded interesting, but also seemed to bring up some questions—what could be so bad that Miranda can’t reveal a secret? And, why on earth, would a pastor be such a villain in a Christian novel?
It was very hard for me to put this novel down, in fact, I read it within a day of getting it—about 4 hours of time I could sneak, in bed and during work breaks. I found the characters and story compelling, and I definitely recommend checking out this book (and looking forward to this debuters second novel—hopefully a sequel).
I don’t know if I necessarily have a favorite character, but if I had to pick, I would probably say it was the character of Jack, or Martha. Martha is more cute and less restricted of all of the children, but Jack has lived and is really a kind, handsome man. As well as educated and a gentleman.
The romance went at a great pace as well—I was constantly wondering when it might happen, but it was believable and understandable when it did happen.
My only real complaint is the ending, I felt like one of the main focuses of the novel wasn’t really revisited in a way that made me satisfied (no spoilers, though).
All in all, author Meg Moseley presents an interesting debut, with some wonderful writing and a very good story. I think it would get a dialogue going with readers and I am interested in reading more from this author.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher, through the Blogging for Books program they offer. A copy of the book was provided for my truthful review.
When Sparrows Fall by Meg Moseley
Paperback, Retail: $13.99
352 pages; May 3, 2011 (Multnomah books)
ISBN: 978-1601423559
A widow and mother of six, Miranda Hanford leads a quiet, private life. When the pastor of her close-knit church announces his plans to move the entire congregation to another state, Miranda jumps at the opportunity to dissolve ties with Mason Chandler and his controlling method of ruling his flock. But then Mason threatens to unearth secrets from her past, and Miranda feels trapped, terrified she’ll be unable to protect her children.
College professor Jack Hanford is more than surprised when he gets a call from his estranged sister-in-law’s oldest son, Timothy, informing him that Miranda has taken a serious fall and he has been named legal guardian of her children while she recovers. Quickly charmed by Miranda’s children, Jack brings some much-needed life into the sheltered household. But his constant challenging of the family’s conservative lifestyle makes the recovering mother uneasy and defensive—despite Jack’s unnerving appeal.
As Jack tries to make sense of the mysterious Miranda and the secrets she holds so tightly, Mason’s pressure on her increases. With her emotions stirring and freedom calling, can Miranda find a way to unshackle her family without losing everything?
I was excited to read this book after reading the blurb. I thought it sounded interesting, but also seemed to bring up some questions—what could be so bad that Miranda can’t reveal a secret? And, why on earth, would a pastor be such a villain in a Christian novel?
It was very hard for me to put this novel down, in fact, I read it within a day of getting it—about 4 hours of time I could sneak, in bed and during work breaks. I found the characters and story compelling, and I definitely recommend checking out this book (and looking forward to this debuters second novel—hopefully a sequel).
I don’t know if I necessarily have a favorite character, but if I had to pick, I would probably say it was the character of Jack, or Martha. Martha is more cute and less restricted of all of the children, but Jack has lived and is really a kind, handsome man. As well as educated and a gentleman.
The romance went at a great pace as well—I was constantly wondering when it might happen, but it was believable and understandable when it did happen.
My only real complaint is the ending, I felt like one of the main focuses of the novel wasn’t really revisited in a way that made me satisfied (no spoilers, though).
All in all, author Meg Moseley presents an interesting debut, with some wonderful writing and a very good story. I think it would get a dialogue going with readers and I am interested in reading more from this author.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher, through the Blogging for Books program they offer. A copy of the book was provided for my truthful review.
When Sparrows Fall by Meg Moseley
Paperback, Retail: $13.99
352 pages; May 3, 2011 (Multnomah books)
ISBN: 978-1601423559