Be Still My Soul by Joanne Bischof ~ review

• Paperback: 352 pages
• Publisher: Multnomah Books (October 2, 2012)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1601424213
• ISBN-13: 978-1601424211

Publication Date: October 2, 2012 | Series: The Cadence of Grace

Night’s chill tickled her skin. Lonnie pressed her hands together and glanced up. He was even more handsome up close. Having grown up the shy, awkward daughter of Joel Sawyer, she’d hardly spoken to any boy, let alone the one who had mothers whispering warnings in their daughter’s ears and fathers loading shotguns.

Pretty Lonnie Sawyer is shy and innocent, used to fading into the background within her family, and among the creeks and hollows of the Appalachian hills. Though her family is poor and her father abusive, she clings to a quiet faith.  But when handsome ladies’ man and bluegrass musician Gideon O’Riley steals a kiss, that one action seals her fate.  

Her father forces her into a hasty marriage with Gideon—a man she barely knows and does not love. Equally frustrated and confused by his new responsibilities, Gideon yearns for a fresh start, forcing  Lonnie on an arduous journey away from her home in Rocky Knob. 

Her distant groom can’t seem to surrender his rage at the injustice of the forced matrimony or give Lonnie any claim in his life.  What will it take for Gideon to give up his past, embrace Lonnie’s God, and discover a hope that can heal their two fractured hearts?

Gideon only ever cared about himself. Now that Lonnie is his wife, will he ever be worthy of her heart?

My take on this book:

"Be Still My Soul" takes place in the Appalachian hills, and is the story of Lonnie Sawyer, who at the age of seventeen had never been out with a boy let alone kiss one. When Gideon O'Riley walks her home one night she allows him a kiss, not realizing that one kiss would change her life forever, because when her father finds out he will force them to marry, even though neither want to. 

What a wonderful story,it just flowed from the pages. Lonnie was a character that really gained my sympathy.  She grew up in a less than ideal home, and then was forced into a shot gun wedding. While she hoped to get away from home when she turned eighteen her plan was to learn the trade of soap making and work with her aunt Sarah.As Gideon and Lonnie leave Rocky Knob in the hopes of finding work, we are taken on a spiritual and emotional journey that allows both characters to grow and change. For me Gideon's story was the most compelling because his life is the most transformed in the story. A reader's guide is included making this book perfect for group reads.

rating 4/5

A complimentary copy of this book was provided in exchange for an honest review.