Christian Fiction Devourers discussion

Happy Sunday! This month we will discuss Summer of the Midnight Sun by Tracie Peterson.

Goodreads Summary:
Leah Barringer's world is turned upside down when her brother brings home Jayce Kincaid, the man who spurned her ten years ago. Part of an expedition to the Arctic, Jayce shocks Leah by inviting her brother along.

Helaina Beecham arrives in Alsaka to hunt down the man the Pinkertons have sent her to apprehend. But when Jayce Kincaid appears to have been in two places at the same time,Helaina wonders if there might be a larger problem with the case.

Despite confusing, conflicting evidence, can Helaina discover the truth? Can Leah's injured heart ever love again?

I got a small start on this one last night...intrigued so far :)

I think I'm probably going to start this one tonight--I'm looking forward to taking a long bath, and I have this one in paperback, so it's a perfect fit!

Rachel wrote: "I think I'm probably going to start this one tonight--I'm looking forward to taking a long bath, and I have this one in paperback, so it's a perfect fit!"

Sounds lovely! :)

Beth wrote: "Rachel wrote: "I think I'm probably going to start this one tonight--I'm looking forward to taking a long bath, and I have this one in paperback, so it's a perfect fit!"

Sounds lovely! :)"

It was! I ended up reading about 1/4 of this book last night. Tracie Peterson's stories are always such a quick read :)

I'm loving all the descriptions about life in Alaska. I don't know if I could deal with the cold, but the differences in light in winter and summer don't seem all that different from what it's like in Scotland. I had to laugh when one of the characters expressed surprise that it was still light at 9pm--right now the sun doesn't start to set until about 10pm here, and it starts to rise about 4am. And we're not even that far north! And then in winter, the sun starts setting at 4pm and rises at 8am. Anyway, I guess I hadn't really thought about how far north Scotland was, compared to most of the USA, and how that would impact the length of days in different seasons. I'm kind of used to dramatic contrast between the darkness in winter and light in summer, even if it isn't as extreme as the conditions described in this book.

Also, has anyone ever eaten seal? I'm intrigued at all the mentions of seal meat in this book. I remember reading that people in the UK ended up eating whale meat towards the end of WWII, when all other meat sources were scarce, but other than that, it's not a meat I know much about.

Well, I didn't get to read like I thought, but I did get to around the 50 page mark.

I'm enjoying the descriptions too - I like the little tidbits about the way they construct the homes underground, etc.

My husband's parents currently live in Alaska right now, and he said it was so strange going to bed when it appeared to be 3:00 in the afternoon! I think that would be such a strange adjustment.

Haha, I must say I've never eaten seal meat! ;) I do wonder what other meat the taste might be compared to.

I loved this book so much that I continued on and read the other 2 in the series! Great series.

Rachel I have never eaten seal meat and don't know that I could.

Beth we visited Alaska in 2007 and we loved it there; but I agree going to bed when it was still light was a wee bit wierd.

I might be persuaded to taste seal meat, but I don't know that I'd want to sit down and eat a seal sandwich (haha).

I've been trying to look for a picture of the types of homes they lived in, to get an idea of what they're like, but so many options come up in Google. Anyone got a good source?

I think I could be persuaded to try a little bit of seal meat, but I don't know if I could eat much of it. It sounds like it's quick thick and blubbery?

At the moment we're going to bed when it's light and getting up when it's light, so I guess it's something you just get used to. It does mean that sometimes I wake up and panic because it's light outside and I think I've slept through my alarm, then look at the clock and realise it's only 4am ;)

Ooo, that's a good idea - I might Google that and see what I can find. The description in the book was a bit vague to me and I couldn't picture it properly.

I admit that I'm not all that drawn to Leah as a character, but she's growing on me - I am really liking Helaina, she's very intriguing. Looking forward to reading a lot this weekend! :)

Started this last night ~ it's been on my tbr pile for far too long!

I'm the opposite Beth ~ I'm not that drawn to Helaina at the moment, but I understand that because of her past she's the way she is, & I'm hoping she'll grow on me. I am more to Leah, but then I already know her from the Yukon Quest books years ago which is where we first meet Jacob & Leah, and Karen takes on their care, so I've already developed a "friendship" with her.

Rachel, I'm guessing the blubbery bit isn't the bit we eat, but the outer skin that they use to make clothes, like the seal pants Leah was wearing to keep warm. Although when I think seal meat, it's blubber I think of, but it sounds like they skin a seal, like you would any other animal before you get to the inner skin than you actually eat.

You're right Rachel, about the light & it being what you're used too. Being a bit further south & east of you we're getting the light a bit earlier than you! I hate the winter with the dark mornings and dark late afternoons ~ I don't think I'd survive the cold & dark of an Alaskan winter very well. I've always been very grateful I live where it's dark at Christmas ~ the Christmas lights give a warm glow & cheer to brighten up those dark mornings and dark late afternoons! I hate January ~ it's so cold, gloomy & long!

I finished it last night – it’s not a new favorite, but I did really enjoy it. I think what sealed the deal for me was the setting and the fact that the historical details were so well-done. I loved the Alaskan setting and all of the little nuances of that life.

I didn’t always feel a strong connection to the characters. For me, Leah came across as a lot younger than she was supposed to be, but I did come to connect to her more. Helaina I just found intriguing due to her occupation, which seemed very modern for that time period. Did her working for the Pinkerton’s come across as realistic for other readers? I don’t have a strong opinion about it either way, I just wondered what you all thought.

I like how the plot flowed without having a determined villain. The adversary was more the landscape and harshness therein. Although judging by the ending, I would imagine that there will be more interaction with the antagonist from this book (I don’t want to mention too much for those of you that are still reading!)

I didn't realize that the characters here appeared in an earlier series.

This is my first Tracie Peterson novel - not sure how I've missed her since she has written a lot of books!

I read this book in one night and really enjoyed it.I kept reading thinking we would get a nice tied up ending. I was not expecting the ending that was written. I was more drawn to Leah but I enjoyed reading about Helenia's change and how she grew. I, too would sturggle with the climate and how it affects moods. I am ready to read the rest of the series.

Beth, is free right now, if you haven't already picked it up. It's the 1st of the Yukon Quest books. Jacob & Leah don't appear until #2, but you might still be interested. Personally, my favourite of that series was #3. I did love the historical detail of these 3 books.

Ha, Wendy, this is funny - apparently I bought this back in January but I totally didn't remember ;) thanks for bringing it to my attention - would you say that you like the Yukon Quest books better than the Alaskan Quest books?

You're welcome. It's been a few years since I read the Yukon Quest books. I remember loving #3, getting annoyed with Karen for the 1st part of #2 & wondering how on earth everything was going to work out in #1. :)

I'm a late starter with Summer of the Midnight Sun. I'm not very far in, so not sure yet which series I like better. I do remember finding the historical details of the Yukon Quest fascinating.

Anyone have any thoughts about the "villain" of the story not really having a big part of it until the very end? It was more a case of mistaken identity, then at the end, the villain became more "real." (view spoiler)[when he kidnapped Helaina (hide spoiler)]

I'm only a third of the way through the book and I like it so far. It's not something I would usually pick to read and I was wondering if I would even like it but I've been pleasantly surprised that it's quite interesting for the most part. I don't think I would enjoy living as they do though! Oh my goodness.

Oh Bonnie, same here! I couldn't handle the cold! Lol

Me neither! I think I could probably handle the light/dark contrast since it's not much more extreme than Scotland, but I definitely couldn't deal with the cold.

We toured Alaska in July and I occasionally had to wear my down filled parka then and I couldn't do their winters which are about 9 months of the year!

My public library has the eAudios, so I listened to the book. I liked it, although I didn't like Helaina at all. I like reading historical fiction to learn about historic events and about what life was like in various places during various time periods, so I found the book interesting. After finishing the book, I immediately started on the second book and then the third book after that. I liked books two and three more than the first.

I wouldn't like being in cold so much, as I am a four seasons girl. I like each season and the change it brings. I don't know that I would enjoy the light/dark thing either. It is so incredibly different from what I'm used to! But none of that stops me from enjoying the book!

I finally finished this one last night! I didn't enjoy it quite as much as the other Tracie Peterson novel I read this year, Dawn's Prelude. As fantastic as the descriptions of life in Alaska were (she certainly has a way of making her setting come alive!) I never felt like I ever completely connected with the characters enough to care about them. I like the dynamics between Leah and Jacob, as you don't often come across such strong sibling relationships among grown men and women, but I felt like the romance between Leah and Jayce quickly progressed from "I'm not sure how I feel about you after all these years" to "We're in love, let's get married!"

Regarding Beth's question, I thought it was a kind of refreshing change to not have a stereotypical villain, although in places the mystery aspect of the book got pushed to the side by other plot points. Although the book kind of ended on a cliff-hanger, I don't think I minded as much as I would usually--but maybe that's just because I wasn't totally invested in the characters?

What did everyone think of the spiritual side of this book? I thought it asked some interesting questions about mercy vs. justice, but I didn't always find the spiritual messages well integrated into the story. The ways in which the characters--particularly Jacob--talked about God and brought him into conversation--particularly with unbelievers like Helaina--sometimes felt forced and unrealistic. I think this made me appreciate the message less, just because it felt a little like he was Bible-bashing her in places.

**possible spoilers for those who aren't finished**

Rachel, I feel the same on several of the things you mentioned! I didn't really feel any chemistry between Leah and Jayce - I also found it kind of unbelievable that she would hold a torch for a guy for a decade! It just seemed a little unrealistic to me.

I am of the same mind on my villain question, too. I thought it was neat how the setting and surrounding were almost the "villain," and presented the most treachery (like the ship going down & them having to survive in the elements). Personally, I didn't really care about the cliff-hanger either, I felt a little apathetic towards the whole thing, which was weird. But I think it's for the same reason, and I mentioned it in my review too, how I didn't really come to know & care about the characters that much.

As to the spiritual aspect, I like the message, just not always how it was presented. Sometimes it didn't feel like it flowed very organically into the story and the dialogue felt clunky, if that makes sense. I felt like Jacob was sometimes really nice, then other times not so much, so his words later were a bit confusing/contradictory.

I just never felt like I got into the characters heads - it felt like watching a movie - entertaining, but I didn't feel like they were my friends.

I'm sad I didn't get to really participate in the discussion because I just finished the book last night, but here is my review:

http://shannahmcclamrock.blogspot.com...

Beth, I know someone who has held a torch for a guy for over 10 years so for me that part was totally believeable.

I agree with both you and Rachel about the villain though.

I enjoyed the mercy/justice theme. I didn't think Jacob was Bible Bashing, I actually felt he dealt with Helaina very well, particularly as most of the time she was very antagonistic and started the conversation wanting an argument.

Shannah, I liked your review and feel the same as you. I loved the historical and setting descriptions, but the character development wasn't as good.

I finished the book on June 29th but been too busy to stop in and comment about it so I guess better late than never, huh? I picked up the second one in the series yesterday because I enjoyed reading this one. I have heard her other books are more enjoyable so I will have to check them out. This is the first one I've read by Tracie Peterson.

I really liked the book but I can't say I would like their way of living. I know I wouldn't have been game for the bathing out of a bowl thing! And what they had to choose from for food...Don't know what I would do if that's all I had to choose from!
I love how Jacob had a discernment about Heleina! So much better than reading so many book characters who miss the obvious! It was predictable that they would develop feelings for each other in my opinion though.

I recall thinking Heleina should have listened to her gut and dug further into the situation before taking Jayce to Seattle but she really changed enough to the point of doing the right thing for him once they got there so I still liked her character.

At the end, I was into the story so much I didn't realize how close I was to the end until it left me hanging lol.

Finished earlier today. I enjoyed it. The dialogue and setting made it a nice read. Will read the rest of the series at some pint.