Bestselling author Lori Wick sails readers to an exotic island1/4and an intriguing romance.
Lily Walsh has spent all of her 24 years as a missionary's daughter on the Asian island of Kashien. Isolated from the western world, she devours the letters she receives from her brother in Hawaii. When her father reluctantly allows Lily to visit Jeff, she is thrilled-until he is called away.
Left with the Kapaia family, Lily awakens to a new understanding of God's love and of who she was created to be. Returning home, her deepening friendship with Gabe Kapaia and her faith are tested by her father's increasingly stern ways. Will her obedience cost her the desire of her heart?
FROM THE PUBLISHER: Lori Wick is known as one of the most versatile Christian fiction writers on the market today. From pioneer fiction to a series set in Victorian England to a contemporary novel, Lori's books (over 5 million in print) continue to delight readers and top the Christian bestselling fiction list. Lori and her husband, Bob, live in Wisconsin with "the three coolest kids in the world."
**Re-read 2021** Wow, was this book stilted and exhausting. It’s also crazy what the lens of life experience does to your perspective on a book. I don’t know that Lori Wick is for me at this stage of my life. I’m a little afraid to reread any more of her books I used to enjoy since this is my second time to be let down. I still can’t believe they expected a 3 year old to never get frustrated or concerned or even frown. There was so much that bothered me. 2 stars for nostalgia’s sake. And for Wang Ho. He was my favorite character.
**Re-read**(2017) 4 stars Loved this book as much as the first time! Just a nice, sweet, vanilla read before diving into Always Watching after reading Making Bombs for Hitler.
**Original Review from July 2013**4 stars I really liked this story. A friend recommended it to me because of the scene at the dining room table, where Lily uses the word "perspicacity." I LOVE words, and am always using and discovering interesting ones. Perspicacity is my favorite word, and I am always looking for places to use it. The funny thing is, she didn't remember what the word was, and when I found that it WAS "perspicacity", I nearly fell off the couch!
I thought the story was very sweet, and I enjoyed getting to know Lily as she came out of her shell and realized that she had to address to her father that what he was doing was wrong. I enjoyed the Hawaiian scenery, and that Peter & Celia (the kids) were actually pretty big figures in the story. Most kids in adult books are there for a poignant moment or point, but for most of the story are shuffled to their friends'/relatives' houses and out-of-sight-out-of-mind. I liked that the kids were actually part of the story, and for the WHOLE story, not just one moment.
Warning. Before you read this novel from Lori Wick, you need to know what you're getting into.
Perfection.
This book touched my heart so many times- I lost count. The characters were wonderful. I felt like I was a member of the Kapaia family. Lilly Walsh was a very inspiring young woman. She was so bold in her faith and her beliefs. Gabriel was too good to be true. Their love was so true and pure. It makes me want to have that kind of faith in someone like Gabe. I wish the couple were real, so I could come and visit.
The ending was excellent. That's all I can say.
After reading Lori Wick's books, you end up with so many life lessons. I've learned so much about my relationship with Christ through reading these stories. She covers a lot of ground.
You must read this book if you are craving for some: romance, Christian life lessons, a Biblical point of view through hard situations, missionary life, a good tear-jerker, family love, a Hawaiian setting, characters that feel very real and finally, just a great story.
Another fine example of Lori Wick's exceptional writing. Not. What is wrong with her? Can't she make her characters anything but perfect? Lily is a stupid, weak, and silly girl who is so "spiritual" but is so unbelievably perfect that you don't really care for her at all. Her problems (ha) brought no sympathy from me whatsoever and I was sickened by her character. The girl got majorly sunburned over her own "obedient" idiocy and then (after spending who-knows-how-long in the hospital recovering, finally is released)goes to church and hears a convicting song after which she determines to be hard on herself for not attending church (while she was in the hospital, unable to move?). Where is the sense in that? Also, if you know you're burning to a crisp in the sun, don't you think you would have the common sense to get out of it? Her conversations with her father made me hopping mad. What kind of father would tell you that you can't EAT until you master the rules of golf? Seriously. Mrs. Wick just wanted to create dramatic situations that would allow Gabe to rescue his stupid heroine so you could oooh and ahh over the romance of it. Blech! I don't think she ever realized that in order to create a truly dramatic situation, you must first have characters people care about and second, have a believable reason for the situation to occur. I'm sorry, but this book deserves a review like this. It is truly something I don't believe she should be proud of.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Well there’s no faking why this one got 5 stars. I’ve read this book every year since I was probably 11. Sometimes twice a year.
I think Lori Wick is a romance genius or maybe I’m bias because I’ve just read it too many damn times. But the Characters. The side characters. The growth. The love. Everything about this books makes me feel so blessed to have read it. You can probably tell how much I’m obsessed with it based on the copy I have that is literally falling apart at the seems it’s that old. But what can I say. Lori Wick you are amazing.
Gabe treated Lily like she was a child every time he spoke to her. FREAKING ASHTON COULD HAVE JUST JUMPED ON A PLANE AND VISITED DEANNE INSTEAD OF WHINING ABOUT MISSING HER CONSTANTLY. All Bailey did was sleep. Evan was disgusting.
I don't understand why people say Lori's books are squeaky clean, half of this book was about the marriage bed but she uses thinly veiled, weird language to talk about it. Example:
Evan, talking about Lilly and Gabe at their honeymoon hotel: How do you think they're doing? Bailey: I don't know. Lily was awfully tired. Evan: We'll just have to pray.
WHAT??? Why is it any of your business?!
Lilly wears an outfit described as "white slacks with a navy blue patterned blouse tucked into them. The square neck had lace on it." So, a grandma outfit. Gabe sees her in this and literally can't handle it because I guess he saw the outline of her body? I just can't. I can't.
Then there was the horrifying scene of Gabe asking Lily to go swimming with him, and the ribbon Evan and Bales of hay pin to the bulletin board, blech!!
3.5 ⭐️ There was much about this book that I enjoyed, in fact, it was beyond better than expected. But, unfortunately, the ending felt unnecessarily lengthy and (in my opinion) some of the beliefs of the author were a bit twisted. That said, this was the first Lori Wick book I’ve read and I am still very much curious about some other books of hers. Possibly a reread in the future, but I’m not 100% sure yet.
I read this book as it was supposed to be all about dealing with intercultural issues, as the main character is raised in a remote location in an Asian country, and then tries to adjust to life in the U.S. While the book starts out with some promise, showing how the main character had to make huge adjustments, it then deterioriated into a less-than-believable and not too well crafted love story.
It's been a while since I've read this book but here goes:
I really liked a certain series by Lori wick when I was about 14 years old. I hated the Princess by Lori wick when I read that, so there were some mixed reactions to her work before I read this, but...
No. Just no.
First of all, there were way too many characters introduced all at once. I could never remember who was who, or who was talking at a given moment.
The characters were so legalistic I felt reaching through the pages, grabbing them by the collar, and shaking them! She is a grown woman and can't do anything outside the will of her father, who has practically nothing to do with her life while she is in another country. Which, I understand would make sense because of the culture she grew up in. Fine. But no one around her contradicted it.
THE NEXT PARAGRAPH HAS A PARTIAL SPOILER (but not really.)
The man who "loved" her (I use quotations because it was so out of the blue. I literally thought afterword "oh, I guess he loves her now? Okay," he wasn't willing to fight for her. If the father hadn't given them his blessing Gabe would have just accepted it and walked away. WHAT!? Absurd.
On that note, Gabe was written to be too perfect. His character was very flat. He was just a good guy. No real personality or flaws.
The pacing was also slow. This was such a long book with no excitement or any real emotional engagement for the reader.
I was given this book many years ago and I never got around to reading it until recently. I saw that it was set in Hawaii and waited until we were going on vacation there to read it. I was a little disappointed that the setting was not a bigger part of the book. The resort that Gabe's family runs could really be anywhere near a beach. Otherwise, this was a nice, slow-paced, gentle romance with strong Christian values. Gabe is a great Christian man who happens to be single (the kind of man every Christian woman dreams of but never can find in real life) and his family pushes him to start seeing Lily (and then he warms up to the idea and falls in love with her). The issue of Lily's subservient behavior and unusual background was interesting and added more interest to what could otherwise have been a standard, easy Christian romance. The ending was very sweet.
I love each of Lori Wick's books, most from the get-go. This was I loved for a different reason, I loved the differences between the two cultures of the main characters, Gabe and Lily, but at the same time I thoroughly enjoyed seeing casual intimacy between not only the main characters but other couples in the book. I thought that there was so much joy in seeing clean romance and different ways to express it. There are husbands in this book that clearly love their wives; mind, body, and soul, but the reader is not bombarded by romantic scenes or even innuendo. Lori Wick's romances are the epitome of letting the reader understand what is taking place or what will take place without going too far. I loved this book as it shows God's love through the couples, about how times and places change people. It's a lovely book and I really enjoyed this one through the culture of the book and through the characters. There was a lot of growth in several areas with Gabe and Lilly and I loved seeing how Lori Wick wove the differences of culture together while being united by the belief in God and His plan. Another favorite under my belt!
I have really mixed feelings about "Bamboo and Lace". I recall reading it many years ago and liking it -- but when I re-read it this last week, I felt so very conflicted!
The book is classic Lori Wick -- and maybe that is just my own issue. I'm conservative but felt this took conservatism to a new level, likely due to the Kashienese country and characteristics of its people: women's eyes lowered anytime they were in a man's presence, loose-fitting clothing (imagine when a bathing suit came onto the scene), and more.
The book had its place when I read it in the mid-90s ... but reading now in 2018, I struggled. I know there are many cultures like this even now, just the contrast was even more glaring after 20 years. (I was 15-ish then, lol.)
So -- the book just seems to be one that offers different things based on when you read it. This particular read, at this particular time, wasn't my favorite of Wick's.
A sweet story of love, friendship and adventure from a small country across the ocean to the islands of Hawaii. We follow Lilly Walsh as she travels from kaishen, where she lives with her father as a missionary, to Hawaii to visit her brother. Lilly is a very sheltered, obedient young woman who has grown up to be subservient to her father or male relative, and obedient in everything. A chance for her to visit her brother comes up, but, just 4 days after getting to the island, he is called away for work. Instead of sending her home, his friend Gabe decides to offer to let her stay at their family resort. What follows is a sweet story of Lilly learning what it's like to live in the u.s and for the Cappia family to see everything from a different set of eyes. A romance follows between Gabe and Lilly, overall a great Christian story with some great lessons mixed in.
This was my first Lori Wick book I have ever read!!! I was amazing it didnt fail. It was entertaining. I loved how she included the struggles of long distance relationships, just for people who maybe are going to go through that or people who havent experienced it yet. I also love that it was a love story obviously but the way she expressed the Godly relationship between Gabe and Lily, was very heart warming. Not even just between them also with Bailey and Evan. I also liked how she included some marriage struggles between them both because even though your a Christian doesnt make your relationships and marriage automatically good. So it was good to see some problems in the marriage ( not bad or like fighting or that they left it untouched, i am just saying it was good not to get unrealistic ideas about marriage).
I have read most Lori Wick's book, and re-read this one again, as the scenic atmosphere and locale does mean a lot for me when choosing a book. There is a strong Christian tone, which I do love as it makes me feel good reading something clean and safe. The book is about cultural differences between men and women and nations and countries who come to America and learn to realize the standards and interactions between Father/Daughters, men and women are vastly different and more close-knit. In this book a young girl leaves her Father and the customs of her country to go visit her brother in Hawaii and learns that she can be free to be herself and relax and follow her dreams and realize her thoughts, ideas and opinions do matter and she finds her voice and is able to confront her Father in the end and get the man. It is a sweet novel of innocence.
Lori Wick was one of those writers of Christian fiction that in the early 2000s I always came back to. I haven’t read much, if any, of her books in a while. My fav was always ‘the hawk + the jewel’ which had the better story line and less cheesiness than most of her books offer. This one definitely reads like a tropical hallmark movie. An intense older father, a daughter that gets to go stay with her older brother in Hawaii, he then must leave her because of work, and she hangs with his friend’s family. Insert cute boy that Lily gets to meet and spend time with. All the people interacting are also so fake and sugary sweet nice. So nice, in fact, that is reads like play acting at times. I’m not even sure the island the main characters are suppose to be from is even real. It makes the location feel very unreal. Plus add the cheesiness and over acting way of speech and it makes the story less believable.
I read this book because it was recommended to me a while back. I really didn’t care for it for many reasons. I didn’t like how the author stretched the book by saying the younger woman or the older man. I didn’t like how demeaning Lily’s father was towards her. How lily was so awkward with her prayers. I personally struggled with a lot of the Hawaiian names, but that had nothing to do with the book being good or bad it was just a personal bother to me. I think that the story line was over all interesting though.
Lily Walsh has never been to America. She was raised in a tiny Asian village by missionary parents. Now 24 years old, Lily travels to visit her brother in Hawaii. When he must leave for his job, Lily stays with his best friend, Gabriel Kapaia, at his family's resort.
Bamboo & Lace is a stand-alone contemporary romance by Lori Wick. I usually enjoy this author's books, but I was disappointed in this story. The setting was beautiful; however, the way the people talked was strange, and the religious aspect was overdone.
Lily was raised in Asia under very strict practices. She gets the opportunity to visit her brother in Hawaii for 3 months. Unfortunately, soon after she arrives, she finds out her brother must be away for most of that time. She knows no one there but he takes her to his best friend and family's home to stay with them while he is out of town. While there she experiences Hawaii and also the care of her brother's best friend.
This is a romance story about a woman raised in a strict Asian culture (her father is a missionary pastor). She travels to America to visit her brother and falls in love. Problem: Can she bring both cultures into her environment and still retain her family honor?
I had a very hard time staying interested in this book. I honestly can’t say why. It’s well written and the character development isn’t bad. But for some reason I never had a strong desire to pick it back up once I put it down. I was over half way through before I found myself caught up in the story line and somewhat anxious to see what came next.
This was an amazing story of love, family, faith, learning foreign customs, and so much more. It is a long story, but I read it in short order because I couldn’t put it down. This story is a must read for anyone, but especially believers in Christ. You can’t help but be inspired and encouraged.
Wonderful writing from Lori as always! I laughed, I cried, and had an all around good reading experience! At some points it felt like she was looking into my brain (as someone born into legalism) while writing Lily's thoughts. Bonus points for it being instrumental for my mother rethinking her extra-biblical beliefs!
I'd give it 3.5 stars realistically but... I like the story line. (What is with Lori Wick and foreign women coming to America) Alright for dialogue, not wow but readable. Better than Sophie's choice (not robotic). Some sentences are fairly unrealistic and you think to yourself "who talks like this" but then yeah. One of her better books I would say.
This was a lovely story that was an easy read. I wasn’t sure how it was going to develop but the submission of the women in Kashien was very interesting. It was handled with class and grace. I also enjoyed the positive story of adoption.
I am giving it a five because it's the first christian romance novel I have read; it challenges, teaches and entertains and I would recommend it to all my friends and especially christians who 'feel' that there can never be discussion on romance outside the church.
This is an amazing book. The story wrapped up perfectly and is a perfect example of how we can trust God and how he goes before us in every situation even when we are faithless.
I decided to reread one of !u early adulthood favorite books. I still love the story. Gabriel and Lily's story is still was beautiful today as it was the first time i read about them am this years ago.