12 March 2012

Review: The Key on the Quilt by Stephanie Grace Whitson


Widow Jane Prescott soon realised she had made a mistake in marrying Owen Marquis in order to give her daughter a father. Owen was an abuser, and one night, after an innocent dance with the local doctor, the fight went too far and Jane found herself serving ten years for his manslaughter.  Dr Max Zimmer feels responsible for Jane's imprisonment, as he alone knows of the injuries Jane suffered at the hands of her second husband, and he wonders if dancing with Jane at the town social might have caused the fatal argument.

The loss of her daughter affects Jane more than the loss of her freedom. To manage this loss, she withdraws herself, including from Dr Max Zimmer.  As Christians we seek freedom in Christ for ourselves and for others, but we don't realise that some people are so bound up in their personal prisons that they are afraid of being free. That fear must be broken before they can be whole, before they can be free. Jane is one of these people.

The Key on the Quiltis an original story, well-written with strong supporting characters, interesting sub-plots and a strong Christian theme, although it slowed a bit towards the end. It is a story of 'grace notes', healing and redemption in Christ.  Grace, in Christianity, is sometimes defined as the unmerited favour of God. In music, grace notes are extra notes added as an embellishment. They are not needed for the melody or the harmony, but are simply to enhance the overall sound.  So Christian grace notes are those extra things God gives us that we don't deserve, but which make life so much more than it could be.

One of the problems with having read a large number of books is that I don't often find a truly original plot, so it was a pleasure to discover The Key on the Quilt. Perhaps most gratifying for a history junkie like me is the note from the author at the end, explaining the inspiration behind the story, her research and the (very few) liberties she has taken with the facts. One of my pet hates is a historical novel that gets its facts wrong, so Stephanie Grace Whitson scores highly in this regard.  Overall, a novel that is well worth reading.

Thanks to Barbour Publishing and NetGalley for providing a free ebook for review.

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