Bright Arrows

by Grace Livingston Hill

Beautiful, young Eden is left alone to fend for herself after the death of her beloved father. When her own greedy cousin and aunt attempt to steal the precious inheritance her father has left her, Eden is aided by the handsome, young lawyer Lance Lorrimer. Will Eden learn how to find her way in the world without her earthly father as she comes to know her heavenly Father?

Genres: Romance, Christian Fiction, Christian, Fiction, Christian Romance, Historical Fiction, Inspirational

352 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1946

About the author

also wrote under the pseudonym Marcia MacDonald
also published under the name Grace Livingston Hill Lutz

A popular author of her day, she wrote over 100 novels and numerous short stories of religious and Christian fiction. Her characters were most often young female ingénues, frequently strong Christian women or those who become so within the confines of the story.

niece to Isabella MacDonald Alden

Reviews

[Carol · Rating 5 out of 5]

Okay, I know this story would probably not make it today's market. But it is so sweet! So innocent. Full of the Christian message, unashamedly. I always feel so good about everything after reading one of Grace's books. They are really fun, just as they are, in this lovely, old-fashioned style.

[Victoria Lynn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book! It was nice to go back to the simpler things after reading a boatload of modern fiction. Grace Livingston Hill is my hero! I have loved her work for years and I still do. I was surprised to find that some of the characters struggles were SO relevant and true for me in our time. Eden struggled with so may things that I do. For one, the way outsiders view my faith and who I choose to be with scorn or indifference. The romance was pure and wholesome, as per usual, and the suspense she wove through caught me by surprise since it is so not like her. I literally had my jaw dropped in shock, eyes wide and not breathing at a particular moment in the book. It was so good! Everyone must experience G.L.H at some point in their lives and this would be a great book to try! I have said it before and I will say it again. She is the queen of Christian Fiction!

[Mikayla · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a super sweet book by Grace Livingston Hill. I love her books because I know I can just pick up any of them and there will never be anything inappropriate in them. This one had a bit of action in it, and a whole lot of good gospel message.
My one complaint was it seemed that the bad guys were a bit to easily disposed of.

[Katt Hansen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Eden has known hardship for awhile now, and so as a button girl in a large department store, she really can't expect much better than this in her life. But things are about to change, starting with a young lawyer and a letter.

Suspenseful and engaging, I liked best the growing relationship between the lawyer and the girl, but also the growing faith life of the two. Overall the glimpses of society in this time period made this book a delight - and the characters really brought this story to life. I love the books by Grace Livingston Hill, as I'm sure you can see. Every one is a pure delight!

[Elizabeth Meadows · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed reading another G.L. Hill book. It's been awhile.
After the death of her father, main character, Eden is bombarded with people who think they need to step in and take over her affairs. Some are well meaning, and others are not. Her simple faith in God to help her through it all is very endearing.

[Anna · Rating 3 out of 5]

Eden Thurston (another of GLH's numerous orphans) is left alone after the death of her wonderful father. She is an heiress, and as soon as her father is gone, she is suddenly beset by unscrupulous friends and relatives, most just to commiserate and hope for a handout, but some to actually make trouble for Eden. A distant cousin and his mother arrive from the West, but when Eden lets them know in no uncertain terms that she has no need of their services, the young man breaks into her home at night and goes through all of her father's papers, even making away with some expensive jewels. While the police are trying to find the thieves, the bank president sends a young lawyer to deal with Eden's estate and offer her protection.

A former schoolmate, who has been away at the front, drops by trying to make Eden believe that she should marry him while simultaneously poking fun at her conservative ways, her wonderful father, and her old-fashioned faith. Unable to adequately answer these criticisms of her life, Eden begins a conversation with the young lawyer and is surprised by his grasp of the principles of salvation. One verse that he points out to her becomes the basis for the title of the novel. It comes from Jeremiah 51, and speaks of making the arrows bright and the shields prepared for war. The young lawyer likens this to knowing the scriptures and being ready to offer the knowledge of salvation to any who asks.

There were some things I really liked about this novel. One was the lovely Scottish accent of Eden's nurse, Janet. It wasn't always easy to read or pronounce, but I could just hear it in my head. Another was Eden's love of and for her servants, who were like family to her, especially after the death of her father. They were willing to lay down their lives for her, and in return she cared for them in wonderful ways, despite being roundly criticized by friends and neighbors alike. Third, Eden's father had prepared her in several ways for her life alone after his death. One way was by giving her a bundle of letters written to him by Eden's mother when they were courting and shortly after their marriage when Eden was a baby. The letters were filled with loving thoughts about marriage, and they helped Eden become more discerning about the various suitors she encounters.

The most recent GLH novel I read before this one, written in 1908, made no mention of faith, but this novel (1946) explores salvation and the life of faith pretty much all the way through, which shows how Grace's writing evolved over her lifetime. Her mission was not just to entertain, but to include the message of salvation through Jesus Christ in each of her books.

[Jerry (Rebel With a Massive Media Library) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another timeless classic from this beloved author.

[Stephanie D Higgins · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome!

This wonderful book brought tears to my eyes… Lovely inspiring… Beautiful romance coupled with godly guidance about our lives and choices

[Amber · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not terrible in and of itself, except for the accent, but I expect more from a Hill book. Maybe I just like her earlier stuff, idk.

[Hannah · Rating 4 out of 5]

A young woman’s father dies, leaving her a fine home and a sizable legacy. Immediately swarms of relatives and suitors begin to pester her, each hoping for a slice of the pie. But her faith keeps her steady and she faces down one after the other (including a mother/son who are going to stop at nothing and add a real sense of danger) but doesn’t allow her naturally soft heart to be trampled on. Her lawyer and his young assistant are her best allies and soon she begins to feel a stronger attachment to the assistant—but will he ever feel the same for her?

Strong portrayal of her faith and an explicit presentation of the Gospel to a dying man.

One thing stood out to me as a bit of an oddity...if her father was such a saint, and she grew up in church, why had she never heard what salvation really meant?

[Emily D. · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was such a sweetly written, emotional, absorbing romance. I couldn’t put it down and read it in one day. It even brought tears at the end! I’m so blessed to have a large collection of Grace Livingston Hill novels passed down to me from my grandma and every time I read one, it brings back so many memories of my grandma’s wisdom and faith.

[Arlene · Rating 4 out of 5]

Simple but meaningful story. When you put God at the center of a relationship, nothing could go wrong.

[Dean Cummings · Rating 5 out of 5]

Eden is a young lady left to her own after the father she adores passes away. Shortly after his death, Eden's greedy cousin and aunt try to steal away the inheritance her father left her.

Soon, the young lawyer, Lance Lorrimer is brought into the picture and he and Eden form a wonderful partnership.

I adored Eden, especially how she comported herself with such grace and dignity, even in the face of malice. In many ways, Eden reminded me of Fanny Price from Jane Austen's "Mansfield Park." As I say this, I'm referring to Fanny in her more "quietly determined" moments.

As I turned the pages of this novel, I found enjoyment on every page! It's the first Grace Livingston Hill novel I've ever read, but now plan to read many more.

[A. · Rating 2 out of 5]

I read this book when I was a kid (my mom gave me a copy), and I find it pretty lacking as an adult but it was a fun, dramatic, romantic read when I was eleven. It follows the Grace Livingston Hill formula: main character becomes more fervent in their faith, meets worthy person who may also function as a spiritual mentor and falls in love, a worldly and unworthy person (or people) interferes with the romance, but it all has a mostly happy ending. This book includes one of the meddlers having a deathbed conversion while a couple other meddlers end up dying sans conversion and one presumably goes his merry way after being roundly slapped by the heroine for taking liberties.

[Anna Jackson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book. It may have been a bit overly dramatic - mean We have a villain die of an overdose, we have a villain die by falling down a cliff after getting shot, we have a family friend die in a car accident with a very dramatic deathbed scene... This was basically a soap opera for Grace Livingston Hill!

I did like Eden though, and I liked Lance as well. When I read this book this weekend, it really did encourage me in my faith and make me want to read the Bible more! So even if the book is old-fashioned, and even if it was completely over-dramatic, it touched my soul, reading it. So, good on you, GLH, good on you!

[NV · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a wonderful Christian story. Grace Livingston Hill was one of my first favorite authors and revisiting this story was a pleasure. The story stands the test of time and still gives joy.

[Melissa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Don't remember it, so I'm guessing at the three stars.

[Karen · Rating 3 out of 5]

A bit dated, but a good story with break-ins and deaths to deal with.

[Amanda Aelker · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think this is the first Grace Livingston Hill book I've actually enjoyed. Some of the dialect is hard to decipher, and the slang still bugs me a little, but definitely an improvement.

[Bookworman · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nice story. A little too preachy for me but I still liked it. Loved the strong and clear message of listening and following God’s will.

[Terry Yaceyko · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was exactly what I needed to read today. The words were right from the Holy Spirit to my heart.

[Lady Tea · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rating: 4.6 / 5

Although at its heart this is a story of a pure and simple love that develops out of a mutual understanding of and reliance on God, what's impressive is how much Grace Livingston Hill was able to engage with the times of this novel.

One of Hill's later works, Bright Arrows centers around the lovely Eden Thurston, a young heiress whose father has recently passed away, and now she's left with the management of her fortune. Of course she has a family friend and banker to help her out, as well as a promising young lawyer, Lance Lorrimer, but amidst all her sorrow, certain other busybodies insist on getting involved and somehow or other getting close to our young heroine.

Through the comings-and-goings of the many people who barge into Eden's life, the reader is exposed both to faithless people who are only out for their own gain, and then many other ordinary people who either don't believe in or don't understand the relevance of God in a post-WWII world. This was undoubtedly a real challenge of the time, especially as expressed by one of the Eden's ex-soldier friends who questions why, if God existed, he would let such awful things like wars happen, and how it is up to man to get themselves out of wars, since God doesn't seem to be doing anything to help. Although this isn't the right viewpoint to take, it was definitely one that was widespread and led to many depressions, as the world was forever changed following WWII and the extent of what horrible destruction people were capable of. Amidst an atmosphere of death, waste, distrust, and total calamity, it's no wonder that believing in God is perhaps the last thing people could do.

However, that doesn't stop Hill from nevertheless trying to uphold the faith in any way she can, and Bright Arrows showcases as an example of how that can be so. Granted, I don't think it can count for any visionary example of its time, but for someone who's looking to get a non-graphic and non-specific hint of how to combat faithlessness in hard times, I think it's a good read. Also, the romance is really sweet and those last few chapters really wrap everything together nicely.

All in all, a beautiful read that I really enjoyed, yet another of Hill's works to go up on my shelves.

[Melissa Campbell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ok, so my B book threw me a little at first. If you have ever read any of Grace LIvingston Hill's books, you know they are written in and set in the 1940s, so the language was just more proper and dignified. It begins ...

Eden was sitting in the library of the old house where she had lived all her life. She was going over some papers in the big library desk. Her father had asked her to give special attention to them as soon as she would get home from his funeral service and be alone.

She had eaten quietly and conscientiously of the delicious supper that the devoted sorrowing servants had lovingly prepared for her. She had tried to keep a cheerful face during their ministrations and then had told them that she wouldn't need them anymore tonight and they must go their beds and rest, for they had had a hard day. They had blessed her for her thoughtfulness and gone off to finish the few remaining household duties. Then they went silently to their rooms.

But once you get used to the style and try to put yourself in the scene, you can enjoy the story even more. There were parts that got a little slow, and parts that were a little "spicy" by 1940s standards, but all in all in was a rather enjoyable book.

[September · Rating 1 out of 5]

I don't know if anything has been this difficult for me to read. I have had a very bad experience with this book. I took it along on my winter trip Dec 2025 and started reading. That was very cold and dark and lonely for me and that is what I associate this book with. But it's doubly bad because the book itself was not good to me. It is so difficult for me to pick it up and read it. The yellow pages are disconcerting and that words are printed deep in the spine, so it's uncomfortable to hold and read. The story itself is fine I guess, it's just something that makes me want to hit my head on the wall. I find it very frustrating to read. Not to offend anyone cause I know people that I love grew up on these books. So I do feel considerably bad for not liking it. But please can I dnf this and NOT read it?

[Gigi Jordan · Rating 5 out of 5]

God's shining love

Eden Thurston has just buried her beloved father. Now she must endure the onslaught of well wishers who think they should tell Eden what is best for her and how to live her life. She even survives a robbery in which the criminal assaults her dear butler.
Through all the turmoil there is one young man who supports her. Lance Lorrimer is a young lawyer who works for Eden's father's lawyer. Lance is a Christian and leads Eden to Christ.
With Jesus as her guide Eden faces each conflict with courage. Lance helps her grow spiritually. In the end God's plan for these two young Christians is fulfilled.

[Ellie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Honestly I loved this book so much and it's probably become my favorite Christian romance. The way it focuses on Eden's relationship with the Lord, making sure her faith is not dependent on Lorrimer's love for her, makes it absolutely fantastic. I love the, mostly, lighthearted writing. Janet's speech was hard to understand if you thought about it too hard, but reading it quickly allowed me to piece together her sentences. Overall, I love the book, and I know I'll be rereading it many more times in the future. :)

[Kathy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I struggled to get through this book and I'm only giving it 3 stars because the plan of Salvation is so clearly presented. I didn't find that there was much of a storyline and the resolving of the problems after the climax were too quickly resolved to be interesting. I appreciate what Grace Livingston Hill was trying to do through this book by tackling the disillusionment many people had after the war. The false idea that Faith is too old-fashioned and that people left the Belief of their youth was discussed in detail. There were many discussions of friends trying to get her to do things that were worldly and I found these waayyyy too many and long. There were about 4, when one or two would do. However, in saying this, good for Grace for making sure people know what true Faith is about!

[Charline Romine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amen

Countless times over the last 42 years, I’ve read this book and cried. You see, I was at the end of it also. When I read this book, I prayed the prayer that Cappie prayed and the Lord Jesus came into my life. Thanks be to God. Amen

[Ron Kastner · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sweet story; many Godly truths even if a bit stylistically dated.

[Dail Sams · Rating 3 out of 5]

Following the death of her dear father, Eden was best with many troubles, but was helped by a handsome new friend.