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Michael's Gentle Wife: A Family Love Story
Q. Karen, you wrote a story about a happily married couple? In most love stories the happily ever after is merely a parting nod.
A. I wanted to provide the missing slice of life that readers crave. Such a story is rare. I see a great need for one.
Q. Who is Michael’s gentle wife?
A. Her name is Carol, and Michael Weaver adores her. With wisdom and sweet humor, the Weaver’s marriage inspires an ideal. The ideal is not as unrealistic as some want us to think. I write what I’ve experienced to be possible, true, and even joyful.
Q. Romantic love within marriage will be a different sort of read for many, don’t you think?
A. Yes. Married 12 years, Michael and Carol have developed an abiding friendship that is a deeper love than that of a courting couple.
Q. Do you respect this couple’s privacy?
A. I do. Hints and small shows of affection make it clear that this couple enjoys a comfortable, intimate relationship.
Q. What’s their secret?
A. The Weavers are Christians with a faith in Christ that cannot be hidden. It influences every aspect of their ordinary lives. It mingles with
their hopes and dreams,
brings joy to family life,
guides them in difficulties,
comforts them in sorrows,
and, gives them a roll-up-your-sleeves compassion for others (Galatians 6:2).
Q. What’s the plot?
A. To keep Michael’s Gentle Wife more of a treat I’ll give you only a peek. It’s 1937 in rural New England. The Weavers are busy bringing up their children: Donald (10), Emily (8), and Baby Eliot (born in January). It's been a long, cold New England winter, with tired Carol plodding along, caring for her hungry newborn. Michael is concerned about his wife's slow recovery. The story begins on the first day of spring. Snow is melting, and the woods ring with the first Robin songs.
Q. Did you lavish this story with domesticity?
A. Yes. Domesticity is what I know best. Among the book’s string of episodes and surprises, Carol’s homemaking and mother culture permeate every page.
Q. Would you say this JUMBO standalone novel, in 4 parts, is likely to be breezed through in a weekend?
A. Probably not. I avoided the hurry-the-reader-along strategy. The aim of my pen was to edify as well as entertain (1 Thessalonians 5:11). This creates the pace of a bubbling brook that allows the reader to hear herself think. May they be lovely thoughts that linger.
Q. Do you have a writer’s motto:
A. For this story, a line by the minister JC Ryle guided me. “Resolve that, by the grace of God, you will make Christianity beautiful in the eyes of the world.” Psalm 29:2
A. I wanted to provide the missing slice of life that readers crave. Such a story is rare. I see a great need for one.
Q. Who is Michael’s gentle wife?
A. Her name is Carol, and Michael Weaver adores her. With wisdom and sweet humor, the Weaver’s marriage inspires an ideal. The ideal is not as unrealistic as some want us to think. I write what I’ve experienced to be possible, true, and even joyful.
Q. Romantic love within marriage will be a different sort of read for many, don’t you think?
A. Yes. Married 12 years, Michael and Carol have developed an abiding friendship that is a deeper love than that of a courting couple.
Q. Do you respect this couple’s privacy?
A. I do. Hints and small shows of affection make it clear that this couple enjoys a comfortable, intimate relationship.
Q. What’s their secret?
A. The Weavers are Christians with a faith in Christ that cannot be hidden. It influences every aspect of their ordinary lives. It mingles with
their hopes and dreams,
brings joy to family life,
guides them in difficulties,
comforts them in sorrows,
and, gives them a roll-up-your-sleeves compassion for others (Galatians 6:2).
Q. What’s the plot?
A. To keep Michael’s Gentle Wife more of a treat I’ll give you only a peek. It’s 1937 in rural New England. The Weavers are busy bringing up their children: Donald (10), Emily (8), and Baby Eliot (born in January). It's been a long, cold New England winter, with tired Carol plodding along, caring for her hungry newborn. Michael is concerned about his wife's slow recovery. The story begins on the first day of spring. Snow is melting, and the woods ring with the first Robin songs.
Q. Did you lavish this story with domesticity?
A. Yes. Domesticity is what I know best. Among the book’s string of episodes and surprises, Carol’s homemaking and mother culture permeate every page.
Q. Would you say this JUMBO standalone novel, in 4 parts, is likely to be breezed through in a weekend?
A. Probably not. I avoided the hurry-the-reader-along strategy. The aim of my pen was to edify as well as entertain (1 Thessalonians 5:11). This creates the pace of a bubbling brook that allows the reader to hear herself think. May they be lovely thoughts that linger.
Q. Do you have a writer’s motto:
A. For this story, a line by the minister JC Ryle guided me. “Resolve that, by the grace of God, you will make Christianity beautiful in the eyes of the world.” Psalm 29:2
512 pages, Paperback
Published December 22, 2023
45 people are currently reading
348 people want to read
About the author
Karen Andreola
17 books137 followersKaren Andreola is the author of Mother Culture®: For a Happy Homeschool; A Charlotte Mason Companion; Pocketful of Pinecones; Lessons at Blackberry Inn; and Story Starters. She home educated her 3 children K-12.
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
June 17, 2025
The purest most precious domestic read!! This book is a TREASURE ❤️
January 21, 2024
Thoroughly enjoyed this newest chapter following the life of the Weaver family. ❤️
I don't want to spoil the story, but it was a refreshing and beautiful read about this sweet couple. I am so excited to add it to my collection of books by Mrs. Andreola. 😊
I don't want to spoil the story, but it was a refreshing and beautiful read about this sweet couple. I am so excited to add it to my collection of books by Mrs. Andreola. 😊
November 3, 2025
I really enjoyed this family love story! A more thorough review coming later!
July 30, 2025
This story is about what you would expect based on the cover art. Cute, sweet, but not art. Way too preachy in a way that takes away from the novel. The story just felt like a vehicle for sharing Protestant theology and charlotte mason practicals. There was even a misspelled word. I was devastated.
Two starts because the story was cute enough for me to want to finish it.
It makes me unsure about reading her other book Mother Culture because I just felt this one was so mediocre.
Two starts because the story was cute enough for me to want to finish it.
It makes me unsure about reading her other book Mother Culture because I just felt this one was so mediocre.
May 14, 2024
This is such a rare find in a novel. One with a functional family, a healthy marriage bond, happy, well-disciplined children and spiritually-established parents! It was a delight to read.
June 26, 2025
A story about a happily married couple, Carol & Michael, 12 years into their marriage with a few kiddos already and a recent addition to their family a lovely newborn son. A glimpse into life of a sweet family and their day to day lives, not without their fair share of challenges but big on their family’s values and love!
While most sweet love stories stop after the two main characters fall in love, this book shares a look at the happiness of the ever after. This story shares God’s plan for Christian marriages. Not perfection but one where both the husband and wife respect one another and are equally devoted to one another.
This book was so perfect for the season I’m in. I’m 12 soon to be 13 years into a happy marriage with a couple of daughters we’re blessed with already and recently blessed with a newborn gal. True Marmee fashion. This book was a balm to my soul. It encourages those who didn’t have a good model of marriage through their parents growing up with what to strive for.
This story is one of encouragement for the mothers and home educators who might not feel confident in staying at home teaching the children and taking care of home to be fulfilling. It will encourage you that you are doing God’s work and to seek Mother Culture for yourself and that you too are born a person like your children (CM reference).
I truly enjoyed Source Texts and Quotes sections towards the end to test my knowledge of what I already knew and to grow my Mother Culture in what I didn’t. Very fitting for a CM homeschooler.
While most sweet love stories stop after the two main characters fall in love, this book shares a look at the happiness of the ever after. This story shares God’s plan for Christian marriages. Not perfection but one where both the husband and wife respect one another and are equally devoted to one another.
This book was so perfect for the season I’m in. I’m 12 soon to be 13 years into a happy marriage with a couple of daughters we’re blessed with already and recently blessed with a newborn gal. True Marmee fashion. This book was a balm to my soul. It encourages those who didn’t have a good model of marriage through their parents growing up with what to strive for.
This story is one of encouragement for the mothers and home educators who might not feel confident in staying at home teaching the children and taking care of home to be fulfilling. It will encourage you that you are doing God’s work and to seek Mother Culture for yourself and that you too are born a person like your children (CM reference).
I truly enjoyed Source Texts and Quotes sections towards the end to test my knowledge of what I already knew and to grow my Mother Culture in what I didn’t. Very fitting for a CM homeschooler.
August 5, 2025
The subtitle was well chosen- a family love story. That's exactly what this book is. From the first pages, you will fall in love with the Weaver family. Michael and Carol's marriage is sweet and warm with a little romance sprinkled throughout. They have strong relationships with their children, their friends, and their church community.
Carol was a delightful character! I felt like we became friends, and she inspired me to serve with more joy and purpose. I also loved the emphasis on family worship and being a light for Christ.
This book follows their every day life reminding me that there is so much beauty even in the ordinary moments.
A lovely read!
Carol was a delightful character! I felt like we became friends, and she inspired me to serve with more joy and purpose. I also loved the emphasis on family worship and being a light for Christ.
This book follows their every day life reminding me that there is so much beauty even in the ordinary moments.
A lovely read!
September 4, 2024
I read this slowly and savored it. Within a chapter or two, I felt like I was visiting friends when I opened the book.
Hello Karen,
Supper was be a bit late tonight. I just had to keep reading! I just finished the last page.
Mrs. Andreola left me laughing and happy. The scenes brought back happy memories of my youth.
I highly recommend this true love novel. The way the gospel and discipleship were woven in gave meaning and purpose to the novel.
Hello Karen,
Supper was be a bit late tonight. I just had to keep reading! I just finished the last page.
Mrs. Andreola left me laughing and happy. The scenes brought back happy memories of my youth.
I highly recommend this true love novel. The way the gospel and discipleship were woven in gave meaning and purpose to the novel.
July 22, 2025
Michael’s Gentle Wife is a heartwarming treasure for Christian mothers, a cozy Mother Culture® Comfort Read that radiates faith and family. Set in 1937 rural New England, this novel follows Carol and Michael Weaver as they raise their three children—Donald (10), Emily (8), and baby Eliot—at Blackberry Inn. Spanning six months across four beautifully structured parts, it weaves Charlotte Mason principles into a gentle, inspiring story of daily life. Part 1: Carol’s Trust (Ch. 1–23) introduces Carol’s faith as she navigates newborn Eliot’s care, balancing family duties and self-care with grace. Part 2: Carol’s Kindness (Ch. 24–30) shines with her compassion, enriching the Weavers’ homeschooling life with living books and nature studies. Part 3: Carol’s Joy (Ch. 31–53), my favorite, brings pure wonder through a rejuvenating Crail Surf vacation, filled with vivid ocean imagery, new friendships, and restful joy. Part 4: Carol’s Patience (Ch. 54–66) showcases Carol’s steadfast support as Michael’s new work responsibilities preoccupy him, her longing for quality time underscoring their faith-filled marriage. Karen Andreola’s storytelling, infused with hymns, poems, and Bible verses, feels like a warm hug. Carol’s gentle spirit, offers a beautiful model for Christian mothers. This novel’s cozy charm and Christian values make it a must-read for mothers, homeschoolers, and Charlotte Mason enthusiasts!
If you read this, which part—Trust, Kindness, Joy, or Patience—spoke to you most? Share below!
If you read this, which part—Trust, Kindness, Joy, or Patience—spoke to you most? Share below!
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December 8, 2025This was written as a living book for Charlotte Mason homeschool moms, so I was intrigued. It is a very quiet, gentle story about a family's life. A teenage me would have found their absolute patience, and sometimes piety, so cheesy (our leading lady is grotesquely shocked by slight worldliness in a way that made me laugh), but the homeschool mother me read this when dealing with insomnia in the night and I found it soothing to my nervous system.
The marriage veers on paaainfully proper at times, but overall I found the home life sweet. The glimmers of parenting and homeschool through lovely books, and music, and art, and food, mixed into a whole life, really did make it a living book for homeschooling moms. I would recommend this to a very specific kind of reader.
The marriage veers on paaainfully proper at times, but overall I found the home life sweet. The glimmers of parenting and homeschool through lovely books, and music, and art, and food, mixed into a whole life, really did make it a living book for homeschooling moms. I would recommend this to a very specific kind of reader.
January 26, 2025
The book is definitely a “comfort read”. It is extremely predictable and has a very steady pace throughout the entire book. There are few, if any, plot twists. It is definitely written to encourage and show how to implement a Charlotte Mason philosophy of homeschool. For those who want to have an easy read with a lot of details that fit together neatly at the end, this is your kind of read. If you want adventure or a deeper, thought-provoking read, look for a different title. For the end of pregnancy and early postpartum period that I was in while I read it, it was the perfect pace. In another phase of life, I would possibly prefer something less predictable.
April 6, 2024
I love Karen's style if writing. It is pleasant and inspiring fiction that gives practical tips without being obvious about it. It is a rare book that shows the joy of Christian marriage and family while warching the characters work through daily trials with grace. It makes you want to be a better wife and mother and enjoy your own marriage.
September 17, 2024
This is the sequel to Lessons at Blackberry Inn. This is such a beautiful book about the duties of motherhood, and the beauty of Christian marriage. It's so beautiful and charming. It's almost a meditation. I loved this story so much. I'm craving more of it. It's good for the soul.
August 31, 2024
A beautiful refreshing read. It felt good for my soul to finish this one.
June 24, 2025
This is a lovely, gentle story. It is peaceful and refreshing. If you are home schooling and want to implement a Charlotte Mason education, this book gently displays how to do it.
June 28, 2025
This book is beautifully written. What a sweet, wholesome love story!
December 13, 2025
Sweet Titus 2 book that mentored to me.
December 28, 2025
Andreola's intent is simple but powerful... we are what we consume. So if we strive to be a faithful wife, mother, friend... shouldn't we read about them? So many novels today are full of nihilistic protagonists with dysfunctional families. As a young homemaker with children under 5, I want to read stories that inspire me. This was perfect read for that purpose.
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews