Be Still My Soul by Joanne Bischof

Be Still My Soul by Joanne Bischof. Multnomah Books, 2012. 352p. (9781601424211)

One aspect that I really enjoy in a story is knowing that it will probably end happily. Which is why marriage of convenience stories are fun to read – you know it’s all going to work out in the end. In real life, that’s another issue completely.

Be Still My Soul is not technically a marriage of convenience story since it was not at all convenient for Lonnie and Gideon to marry. Rather marriage was forced upon them by her father.

Back cover:

Pretty Lonnie Sawyer is shy and innocent, used to fading into the background within her family, and among the creeks and hollows of the Appalachian hills. Though her family is poor and her father abusive, she clings to a quiet faith. But when handsome ladies’ man and bluegrass musician Gideon O’Riley steals a kiss, that one action seals her fate.

Her father forces her into a hasty marriage with Gideon—a man she barely knows and does not love. Equally frustrated and confused by his new responsibilities, Gideon yearns for a fresh start, forcing Lonnie on an arduous journey away from her home in Rocky Knob.

Her distant groom can’t seem to surrender his rage at the injustice of the forced matrimony or give Lonnie any claim in his life. What will it take for Gideon to give up his past, embrace Lonnie’s God, and discover a hope that can heal their two fractured hearts?

Gideon only ever cared about himself. Now that Lonnie is his wife, will he ever be worthy of her heart?

My review:

I really enjoyed this story. It was very easy to get drawn in by Lonnie’s plight and ache with her as she struggles to understand God’s plan for her life. A plan that is nothing like she imagined for herself. But God is always in control and while we might not understand what he’s doing, He has a purpose and a plan for ultimate good.  

In a way the book is more about Gideon’s journey than Lonnie’s. She’s the solid one who already trusts God although she often cries out to Him. Gideon, however, is a different story. He has a lot of growing up to do and some hard lessons to learn along the way.

It’s interesting to read about a setting and time where men (and boys) are honorable enough to own up to their indiscretions and not abandon their responsibilities. We hear a lot about divorce and infidelity and single parenthood these days and it makes you wonder how, why and when things changed.

But back to the book, it’s a fun story, it’s engaging, and the reader gets a glimpse of life in the Appalachian hills (moonshine and all).

Learn more about the author at http://www.joannebischof.com/

Go read it! When it releases on October 2, 2012... Find it at a library near you (after it releases this link will be more useful); Buy it from Amazon, Barnes&Noble, ChristianBooks

Disclosure: I received this book for free from the publisher through the Blogging for Books book review program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission. 

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