"She Walks In Beauty" by Siri Mitchell

With "She Walks in Beauty," I've completed my reading of all of Mitchell's current historical releases. She really is a favorite! Now I'll have to wait until March for the newest one, which has a gorgeous cover and is set in my home state. Oh, the anticipation!

Clara Carter is the heroine of "She Walks in Beauty." She is a young lady with a love for learning. But this is New York City in the Gilded Age, and Clara's value is seemingly measured only by which eligible bachelor she can catch after her debut. There is only one bachelor deemed suitable by her family: the De Vries heir. Everything depends upon her ability to meet, charm, and secure Franklin De Vries before the season is over. 

The society scene goes against everything in Clara's nature, but she puts on a brave face and seeks to do what she must to please her family. She is blessed with a good friend in her neighbor Lizzie, but Lizzie is also out to capture the vaulted Mr. De Vries and this may prove more of a test than their relationship can handle. Clara's father and aunt do everything in their power to advance Clara's standing, but much of it will be up to Clara herself to form the alliance they demand of her.

I had grown quite accustomed to Mitchell's normal employment of more than one first-person narrator and found myself missing the lack it in this story. The tale unfolds only from Clara's view, and my own opinion is that it would have been better with a balancing voice because Clara was a little boring to me. She had a course that must be followed and although she was resistant, it was still mostly the path she took. The various small mysteries presented in the story seemed rather obvious to me as well. That is not to say that I didn't enjoy it or get totally hooked in. It was very well-written and well-researched and I was definitely drawn in. It just didn't have the emotionally resounding characters or depth usually present in Mitchell's works.

The story did possess some wonderful twists towards the end, and as always, you never knew if the heroine was going to end up with the man who won her heart until the last minute. I would recommend this for any readers who enjoy learning about society and political issues from the late 1800's.

"The Company" by Chuck Graham

Written as to be "a parable for our time," this is the story of the people of Brigos Glen. It opens with the telling of Last Day, when a meteor plummeted to earth, causing world-wide catastrophe. The earth is plunged into darkness and earthquakes and tsumanis wipe out nearly all inhabitants. Sheltered in a high mountain valley, Brigos Glen has survived but must face the new reality every day that they are alone and everything has changed.

Until one day a voice calls out of the darkness: "Would you like some help?" The Company comes to set up an electric power plant and help the citizens of Brigos Glen get back on their feet. Then they disappear beyond the distant mountains, not to be heard from for 70 years.

This book is clearly an allegory and it was very interesting reading. The main character, Sam, is an everyday guy with a heart to serve the people who work at the power plant with him. He is chosen by The Company, along with five other Brigons, to leave the Glen and go with the re-emergent strangers for special training. The majority of this book takes place at the training facility, where Sam and the others are given special tasks that involve remembering where they've come from, and where they want to go in the future.

As I read, I paid close attention to see if I could decipher the allegory. Some things seemed very clear, like The Plan being the equivalent of the Bible. Other parts seemed a little confusing but I figured they would be addressed in time. I thought I had tracked what the "big reveal" would be at the end, but when it all came down, the revelation was not what I was expecting. It was still a very good and fascinating read, and perhaps the sequel will dwell more on the subject I thought I was reading about. This is a "make you think" book, one that I hope will be noticed by many readers in the Christian community!

Click here to read more about author Chuck Graham and see what other people are saying about "The Company!"

Thank you to LitFuse for my copy of the book. All opinions in this review are my own.