The young, robust new country across the ocean represents a whole new life for the denizens of Stonewycke in Scotland. What will going to America mean? Will they truly be able to leave the past behind? Will Ian be cleared of the criminal charge against him?
Librarian Note: there is more than one author with this name in the Goodreads database.
Michael Phillips has been writing in the Christian marketplace for 30 years. All told, he has written, co-written, and edited some 110 books. Phillips and his wife live in the U.S., and make their second home in Scotland.
Admittedly, I stuck with this book because I'm curious to find out what happens in the overall saga, not because I necessarily enjoyed the read.
That is, I enjoyed some parts, and there's one character I like. But I feel he's settling for the short end of the stick (almost like a distant, inevitable turn in the saga is just using him for now) and that it'll get worse for him before it gets better, if he appears in the next book.
As for the rest of the leading characters, the overdramatic and unnatural feel to them still keeps me from connecting with them. Besides that, much or most of this story is full of tragedy and depression, with a whole lot of sermonizing added in.
Still, my overall love for historical sagas persists, and I'm wondering where all of this is headed.
So, yeah. The series has got me interested enough to keep going.
I thought this book was better than the first one. The characters were engaging and things moved along quickly. This was,however, a very Christian book with the characters spending a lot of time discussing God-which did get to be a little much at times.
I wavered between two and a half stars and three, but only because the story just tore at my heart so much. Especially at the end when everyone thinks everyone is dead. Besides that fact, another enjoyable book in this Christian Scottish Downton-Abbey type series.
Follow the legacy and tragedies of the Duncan family, heirs to the estate of Stonewycke in Scotland. When Lady Margaret Duncan is betrayed by her father, she vows never to forgive him. At 17, she is a dashing, beautiful young woman who, unbeknownst to her, is a part of her father's plan for expansion of the estate. But when Lady Maggie does not go along with her father's plans their beautiful world of Stonewycke is in danger of crashing down around them. Follow Maggie and her family on a three-volume journey from the heather hills of Scotland to the rugged American West in the tale of romance, mystery, betrayal, and family loyalty.
This really was a great series! Read all 3 books in one week. I believe there is a follow up series that I may just have to look into!
This middle book of the Stonewycke series starts off with intense action, and the events of the opening are problematically unreasonable. But I suppose we are to believe that young people act impetuously by boarding ships to America in the nineteeth century. From there, the plot slows.
The American experience is weakly drawn. Imposition on the Makinaws and the Civil War give the story a juvenile feel (oh wait! It's 1861 and the Civil War is on! Add a few paragraphs about that), but the events of the wagon train and the many perplexing challenges that settlers faced, were dealt with well, including the resolution of the fates of the wagon train. I also appreciated the confusion of communication inherent to the time, as people aspired to communicate over longer distances, and yet the new technology was not reliable. Being a middle book, the story ends with a continuation.
I read this book quickly, not wanting to get bogged down in the bad writing, but continuing my evaluation of whether or not to retain the books. I still don't feel that we KNOW Maggie and Ian, they seem merely characters for a soap opera box of tricks that impact their lives. Atlanta and James, while rather one dimensional, are more clearly articulated. And the lawyer, Dermott Connell, who doesn't even appear until page 99, was the most interesting character of the bunch. Finally, while I appreciate the characters wrestling with their beliefs, the passages about faith seemed tedious.
Was the writing somewhat better? Did my faster reading speed prevent me from getting bogged down? Was the lawyer that captivating?
This book seemed slightly better than the first, but I'm still at 2.5 stars. Because there is nothing OBJECTIONABLE, I'm rounding up.
I read this book many years ago as either a middle schooler or underclassman in high school. I adored the book and entire series then. This remembered adoration helped me make the decision to skip these books when reading through my collection four years ago. I read many books by both of these authors since then and gradually became aware of the glaringly obvious shortcomings of their authorship. These shortcomings infected every book I read by them. I had no hope that these books would survive a second read. As I supposed, they did not. I read the first book and could barely make my way through the book. None of this series or the other related series made it through.
Some things about this story bother me. She sailed away from everyone and everything she knew, and waited a year to open her mother's letter? It doesn't change anything, but it also makes no sense.
Still, this book continues the trilogy smoothly and is a wonderful read. I have peaked into the 3rd book, and am dismayed to think that they may have skipped over thirty or forty years of Maggie's life. That being said, I will read it and I know I will enjoy it.
Ian and Maggie are separated by Maggie's father, which made very sad. I thought that her dad should have just been happy for his daughter. When Ian went to jail, that was another sad moment for me. He was accused for something that he didn't do, and I found that wrong. God had his hand on Maggie's life, even though she didn't see it at times.
Despite being faster paced and a more adventure filled storyline I didn't enjoy this one as much as the first. It was very Christian with the characters often talking about God, it got to be a bit much. Quite a snore.
Enjoyed history and interactions but one major thing was missing: the name of Jesus! It's good God's name and "faith" and "belief" is talked about, but there is no salvation apart from Jesus Christ! Acts 4:10-12; John 14:6
The book started out really good but then turned really heavily religious. I have enjoyed some really good Christian books, but this one was distracting in its preachy-ness.
At times, events in this story felt exceedingly improbable. But I was quick to remind myself that people react in weird and illogical ways, and real life is often infinitely stranger than fiction. The characters - at least, some of the new characters to the series, like the lawyer Dermott, were engaging enough that I stayed up late reading extra chapters to see what happened next with my favourites. The action is intense and fast-paced.
Maggie is in America and, when she receives the news that Ian has died in a prison fire, decides to stay with the family she's become attached to and, with them, join a wagon train heading west. Meantime Ian has been incarcerated without trial and is being kept in a secret downstairs part of the prison on the orders of the warden who is paid off by his father-in-law. James Duncan tries to tempt Ian to secure his freedom by asking him to sign annulment papers. But Ian refuses. Only when Dermott accidentally encounters him and starts asking questions does any hope exist for him. Dermott travels to Stonewycke, hoping to find evidence that will help Ian.
In the meantime, James Duncan has fallen seriously ill - and, with his deterioration, many secrets are being exposed, as well as many hidden forever.
🇩🇪 Schöne Fortsetzung der Geschichte. Die Geschichte war spannend und ich konnte mit den Charakteren mitfiebern. Ich bin gespannt wie es weitergeht. 4,75 ⭐ 🇬🇧 A great continuation of the story. The story was exciting, and I was really invested in the characters. I'm eager to see what happens next.
This was a page turner for me just as it was when I read it 30 years ago. I enjoy the historical facts being interwoven into an engaging story line. I also like my faith being challenged, which this book does.
Mooi vervolg (deel 2) op 'erfgename van Stonewycke' (deel 1). Het is realistisch en boeiend geschreven en ik vind het mooi hoe het geloof erin is verweven. Dit deel (deel 2) is niet te leen bij de openbare bibliotheek, ik kon hem gelukkig van mijn moeder uit de kerkbieb lenen zodat ik de serie toch verder kon lezen
Really enjoyed this second book in the trilogy as it was a bit more fast paced than the first book. All in all, both books have been wonderful, now on to book three.