REVIEW: VEIL OF PEARLS ~ MARYLU TYNDALL

It is the year 1811 and slavery is still considered an acceptable and even necessary facet of society.  Her fair skin belies the fact that Althea is born with black blood on her maternal side.  Althea is born free to parents who adore each other and their children, and every day is filled with love and joy.  Her father teaches her to always trust the Lord, even when she does not understand.  This trust in the Lord is what will get Althea through the horrific years to follow.  One night a hurricane takes the lives of her parents and Althea and her little sister are stolen and enslaved by their neighbouring plantation owner.  Soon illness takes her sister’s life and Althea is left alone in the world, tormented by a cruel master who locks her in chains and steals her freedom and her innocence.  For seven long years Althea endures the injustice while holding fast to her trust in the Lord, secretly saving money and biding her time.  One night good fortune smiles on Althea and she manages to escape during a storm while her owner is passed out from too much drink.  God blesses her path with a kind captain who realizes but does not care that she is a slave attempting to escape, and gives her passage to Charleston, America.  Once again free, Althea adopts the name Adalia and makes an independent living as a doctor’s assistant, her mother’s knowledge of herbs aiding her in treating the sick.  Having been born free, Adalia convincingly sheds the physical and mental shackles of slave-like behaviour and manages to integrate herself as a servant girl in her new society, despite the bitterness she feels toward the wealthy whose slaves she has to treat. 

It is that disgust towards those who think it is the most natural thing in the world to own another human being that makes Adalia completely immune to the charms of one Morgan Rutledge, the youngest son of a wealthy plantation owner.  His good looks and fun-loving nature hides the fact that Morgan is a very unhappy young man.  He has dreams of sailing the seas, but once his father noticed his love of the ocean as a child he was told in no uncertain terms that he would be disowned should he take a common traders job.  Instead of following the passion God had placed in his heart, Morgan’s life is spent attending one meaningless soiree after the other with less than savoury friends; until he meets the one woman who does not fall at his feet in the hopes of securing his affection, and by extension his family’s wealth. 

The more they cross paths, the more Adalia begins to think she misjudged the young man.  Thanks to Adalia’s gentle example, Morgan, in turn, finds himself rethinking his lifestyle and his beliefs.  Adalia and Morgan embark on a tentative friendship, but society is not as accepting as Morgan is of a lowly working girl attending their lavish parties - with one of the most eligible bachelors at her side, no less.  The men are rude and the ladies are cruel, and while Morgan is astounded by Adalia’s bravery and grace, he fears that ultimately the behaviour of those he used to consider friends will alienate the woman quickly laying claim to his heart.  Working hard by day and getting swept away in the opulence of high society by night, Adalia she finds herself neglecting her relationship with God.  The unlikely couple soon finds themselves falling in love; but how can Adalia even consider a courtship with a man whose family owns slaves?  And what if he ever discovered her heritage?  Would the beauty, bravery, intelligence and kind heart that captured his affections be strong enough to overcome the danger to his prized reputation and society’s prejudice?

 

Veil of Pearls by Marylu Tyndall is the most beautifully written book I’ve read in a long time.  The prose is lovingly crafted and the plot is flawless.  It is a story of great depth, believable characters (though the Villain in the form of the conniving lady Emerald was a bit too much to bear at times) and strong Christian message of hope and redemption.  Even so, I did find this book very difficult to read.  Tyndall accomplishes the amazing task of immersing the reader in Adalia’s life, and her hurts were my own.  I absolutely hated experiencing the treatment Adalia had to suffer, first through Sir Walter, then through the Charleston elite.  Every attempt at hurting or humiliating Adalia brought me pain as well.  What a marvelous feat by the author!  Tyndalll does an excellent job of keeping the reader off balance.  At no stage was I confident that Adalia (or myself) would get a happy ending, and as I neared the end I feared there simply weren’t enough pages to wrap the story up to my heart’s content.  Ultimately Veil of Pearls is a work of art worthy of my highest rating.

 

Product Information:
Title: Veil of Pearls

Series: Standalone

Author: Marylu Tyndall

Publisher: Barbour Publishing, Inc

Year: 2012

Pages: 369

ISBN-10: 1616265779

ISBN-13: 978-1616265779

ASIN: B071V7CLY4

 

Related Posts:

Surrender the Heart ~ Marylu Tyndall

Surrender the Night ~ Marylu Tyndall

Surrender the Dawn ~ Marylu Tyndall

REVIEW: SURRENDER THE DAWN ~ MARYLU TYNDALL

Cassandra Channing once had it all; a loving family and a privileged life.  But the war of 1812 stripped her family of their wealth and ripped her family apart, and in the absence of her father and brothers it falls to Cassandra to take care of her family.  With precious little money left, Cassandra realises the only way she can provide for her family, without getting married simply for security, is to invest in a privateer.  The only problem is, the men of Baltimore refuse to do business with a woman. 

Luke Heaton has always had a hard life.  Bearing the guilty of his parents’ death, Luke has gone through life taking pleasure wherever he could find it.  Notorious for his love of women, gambling and drink, Luke is the undisputed rogue of Baltimore.  When his drinking gets out of hand, Luke is fired from Noah Brennin’s ship.  When all seems lost, Luke wins a ship of his own through his gambling.  Unfortunately the ship is not fit for privateering and nobody in Baltimore will risk going into business with the likes of Luke. 

With no other option available to either of them, brought together by mutual desperation, Luke and Cassandra become partners.  Cassandra provides the initial funding, and Luke sets about making both of them a fortune in privateering.  It seems their partnership is doomed from the beginning; the people of Baltimore are scandalised that a proper lady like Cassandra would consciously be associated with the town rogue, and outside forces work together to see them fail – the man who will do anything to secure Cassandra’s hand in marriage (including sabotaging her precious investment and forcing her to live a life dependent on a husband), and the man who will do anything to exact revenge on the man who “stole” his ship (including setting Luke up to be caught by the British Navy - again). 

Despite the uncertainty and danger that surrounds them, despite the rules of propriety that must separate them, Luke and Cassandra grow closer as they get to know each other.  Luke discovers Cassandra is not the aloof socialite he always saw her to be, but a brave, intelligent, compassionate woman, and Cassandra realises that Luke’s tough exterior hides a wounded soul with a generous heart.  Despite Luke’s belief that Cassandra is out of his league, the way she sometimes looks at him makes him wonder; is it possible that against all odds, Baltimore’s most eligible beauty could come to love the town rogue? 

Just when it seems a happy future is secure, extreme circumstances force Luke to turn traitor and aid the British with supplies, risking everything and everyone he holds dear.  Can he hide his treacherous activities from a woman as smart as Cassandra? 

When the money sustaining her family dries up and Cassandra must seriously consider marrying a man she cannot stand, she sets about finding out what Luke is really up to.  If she were to find out Luke was a traitor, would she ever be able to forgive him?  And more importantly, when Luke and Cassandra are separated and placed in the most dangerous of circumstances, when they feel the most deserted, is that when they will finally come to realise that they have never been deserted at all?  Can the God they both believe has forsaken them use them to make history? 

MaryLu Tyndall’s Surrender The Dawn is the third and final book of the Surrender To Destiny series.  It follows Surrender The Heart, and occurs more or less simultaneously with Surrender The Night.  In this instalment we follow Luke and Cassandra, both of whom we have met in the previous two books.

Tyndall’s writing effortlessly combines action, intrigue, romance and faith.  Once again she combines fact and fiction so perfectly, it's very easy to believe Luke Heaton and Cassandra Channing truly existed and had a special role to play in the war of 1812.  Luke and Cassandra’s relationship is very accurately depicted considering the time, and the rules of propriety that goes with it.  The obstacles between them are very real; the struggles they face in their daily lives, their relationship and their faith is very realistic, making both Luke and Cassandra very real, relatable characters. Their doubts and fears don't make them weak - it makes them real and believable.  While their desire to love and be loved is powerful, their respective unnamed and unacknowledged desires for a relationship with the God they believe doesn't care about them is the most touching part of the story.  The way God provides for them, cares for them and protects them (even when they can't see it) is beautifully done, and their tentative first steps in the direction of the Lord is a joy to experience.

Tyndall’s flawless imagery takes you back to 1812, and places the reader in the middle of the war.  As she describes events you can feel the cold, smell the smoke and experience the devastation.  Equally, she makes you feel the passion, the joy and the elation in equal measure.  Tyndall’s writing is always a pleasure to read and this instalment is no exception. 

Surrender The Dawn is a lovely conclusion to the Surrender To Destiny series.

Product information:

Title: Surrender the Dawn

Author: MaryLu Tyndall

Number of pages: 320

Publisher: Barbour Books

Year: 2011

ISBN-10: 1602601674

ISBN-13: 978-1602601673

RECOMMENDATION OF THE MONTH: SURRENDER THE NIGHT - MARYLU TYNDALL

My previous recommendation of the Month was Surrender the Heart by Marylu Tyndall, the first book in the Surrender to Destiny series. As you might recall, I loved everything about that book, and it is with great pleasure that I give a heartfelt recommendation for the second book in the series, Surrender the Night.

A pampered British Lieutenant falls for a lowly Baltimore farm girl. Step into a breathtaking novel of adventure and romance set amid the War of 1812. During an assault by an enemy sailor, timid farm girl Rose McGuire is saved by the least likely of heroes—a British Naval Lieutenant. Now that he’s wounded, she’ll have to heal as well as hide him. Alex Reed is being aided and abetted by his enemy—albeit an innocent and attractive one. But he might be doing Rose more harm than good if his presence on her farm is discovered. As their love blooms, trouble looms. Will this couple survive another British invasion? ~ as per Marylu Tyndall's website.

This second book follows the story of Alexander Reed and Rose McGuire, familiar faces from Surrender the Heart. While its prequel saw battles at sea; in Surrender the Night the British are now making their way onto American soil, destroying homes and assaulting women as they go. One night, home alone, Rose is attacked by the vile Garrick character who tormented Marianne so in Surrender the Heart, but is saved by the intervention of Alex Reed, the very man who protected Marianne and allowed her to escape. However, during his defence of Rose, Alex is shot and left unconscious. Though harboring hate in her heart for the British who killed her parents and are threatening her freedom, Rose begins to nurse Alex back to health in grattitude for saving her from a terrible fate. Too weak to make his way back to his ship, Alex is forced to stay on Rose’s property. Placing her family at great risk by secretly harboring a British Naval Lieutenant during the War, Rose hides Alex in the barn, but Alex’s intervention in another unsettling situation sees him unexpectedly appointed as the Drummond’s servant, Alex’s identity of course only known to Rose. Right?

Enemies at war, neither Alex nor Rose can understand the other’s motivation for their help. Initially distrustful of each other, Alex and Rose are forced to spend time together to keep up appearances. In doing so they are also forced to admit (at least to themselves) that their perceptions may have been wrong, and they must question their own views of the war, as well as the so-called enemy. Each haunted by events from their past, feelings of inadequacy and guilt, the rising threat of an unavoidable battle between their countrymen and the unwelcome interference of a jealous suitor seems to build up to more tension than these two confused souls can take. Their hearts reaching out to each other, their souls forbidding it, can an American farm girl and an English nobleman surrender their fates to God and allow themselves to love?

Surrender the Night is a beautiful sequel to Surrender the Heart. We again meet up with some beloved characters from the first book, meet some lovely new ones, and get a glimpse of Luke and Cassandra’s story which will be told in Surrender the Dawn. Sadly, this third instalment is not available in South Africa yet, but here’s hoping it might be in time for my Christmas stocking? I truly adore this series and can’t wait to pick up the next instalment.

Marylu Tyndall has a knack for effortless storytelling. Her characters are really well developed and very believable. You as reader come to care about them a great deal, and when they find themselves in danger you find yourself holding your breath. The chemistry between the characters, especially between Rose and Alex, is very real and tangible as well, and the description of dramatic events puts you on the edge of your seat. The British invasion and description of the historic destruction of Washington is really well written, making you as reader feel that you’re experiencing the events first hand. The sign of a truly gifted author.

I also love how Marylu leaves interpretation of the titles of the books up to her readers. I interpret the meaning of Surrender the Night as surrendering the darkness of your past to God; giving Him all of your hurts, fears and mistakes and trusting Him to heal you. You have to let go of what you're holding on to in order to receive something new. You have to surrender the night to embrace the dawn - a life full of light.

Happy reading!

RECOMMENDATION OF THE MONTH: SURRENDER THE HEART - MARYLU TYNDALL

There are few things I enjoy more than wandering through a bookstore, searching for the next jewel to add to my beloved collection. It’s hard to explain the feeling when you’ve started reading a book and realize you’ve discovered something really special. I’ve had some really good finds this year, and this past weekend I discovered another.


When my best friend came to visit me earlier this year (sheesh, was it really way back in January?!), I was making up time waiting to pick her up by strolling through CUM (my absolute favourite store in the whole wide world – Christian merch plus books = nothing better!) when this beautiful cover caught my eye. I read the back of the book and my heart soared when I realized that it’s a historical novel. You know by now I’m a total nut for those! I bought it, and being the diligent student that I am (a pain, I know), I put it away to read another day as I was getting a head start on my university assignments for the year. Needless to say the year picked up speed, and I never got around to actually reading it. So last weekend I submitted my final assignments, and thought I’d treat myself by reading a book before I delve into exam prep. Going through my unread pile, my eye again caught this one, and I thought “Perfect”. And perfect it is!

“Swashbuckling romances anchored in faith” is what Marylu Tyndall promises on her website, and that is exactly what she delivers!

Surrender the Heart is the first book in the Surrender to Destiny series. The story is set in Baltimore in 1812 and follows Marianne Denton and Noah Brenin, acquaintances who have very negative opinions of each other based on terrible memories of each other as children, now betrothed by the will of their fathers and against their own, but both unable to object. Upon the death of Marianne’s father she desperately needs to marry in order to unlock her inheritance, her only chance of caring for her ill mother and younger sister. Noah, a merchantman carrying the guilt of his brother’s accidental death, is desperate to please his unreasonable father and must marry Marianne to obtain her inheritance to support the family business. While Marianne realizes Noah only wants to marry her for her money, Noah has no idea that the Denton fortune is not a fortune at all, but only stands at seven thousand pounds, everything else having been gambled away by Marianne’s father prior to his death. Noah, however, decides to set sail to England and sell enough merchandise to make a year’s worth of profit in one trip, ensuring he would not have to marry Marianne at all. Noah deserts Marianne at their engagement party, and rushes to get his cargo to England before war between America and England breaks out. Desperate to unlock her inheritance to buy much needed medicine for her mother, Marianne realizes Noah’s intent and undertakes to do whatever it takes to ensure he has to marry her. Unbeknownst to Noah, Marianne follows him aboard his ship, but an accident leaves her unconscious and Noah sets sail to England only to discover Marianne aboard his ship the following day. He is, however, unwilling to waste any time by first returning her to Baltimore, leaving Marianne stuck aboard his ship for months to come. Noah is desperate to succeed, Marianne is desperate to see him fail, for if he has no need of her money, he won’t marry her… right?

A clash of wills and motivations sees many stubborn games that soon get Marianne and Noah captured by a British warship. Let down by every man she’s ever known, a mistrustful Marianne believes that God also has deserted her. Guilt ridden by his brother’s death, Noah thinks God simply doesn’t care about him. These two question their place in God’s universe even more as they are forced to serve the enemy, danger and malice surrounding them daily. Working aboard an enemy ship Noah realizes that Marianne is not the spoilt little rich girl he always thought her to be, and Marianne begins to see that Noah is not the mean spirited bully she always thought he was. Forced to put aside their differences, depend on each other, trust each other and work together to escape the British Navy that holds them captive, the question arises whether Marianne and Noah can surrender their hearts to each other, and to the God they both desperately want to believe in.

Surrender the heart is a beautiful story about destiny. It emphasizes how God uses the most seemingly ordinary of people to accomplish great acts (I especially loved the book’s dedication; I believe it is “To everyone who has ever felt ordinary”), and how God uses everything, even the most terrifying situations, to set in motion miracles that change the lives of thousands.

And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose ~ Romans 8.28