Through Rushing Water by Catherine Richmond

The year is 1876.  Sophia Makinoff is a french teacher at the college of Vassar.  She is sure her life will be an influential one when a US congressman finally proposes to her.  She is sorely mistaken, however, when he instead asks her roommate to marry him.  Sophia wants to escape the humiliation, so she signs up to be a missionary.  She hopes she can be assigned to China, where she may be able to move back to Russia after her term is complete.  However, God has other plans.  He moves her into Dakota Territory, to teach school to the Ponca Indian tribe there.  She wonders how she could set an example as a missionary when her sights are not set on God.  However, one day something changes in her and she comes to love the Ponca people and wants to help them through their struggles.  This passion is shared by the village carpenter, Willoughby Dunn.  Together they try desperately to save the Ponca’s homeland as they are uprooted by the government and sent to live in Indian Territory.  They must wade through rushing water to help the people they love.

Through Rushing Water by Catherine Richmond was an excellent book.  I wanted to read it because of the potential to learn about Native American culture and their struggles as the West was settled in America.  I wasn’t disappointed.  The author gave a nice taste of history dashed through with a pinch of romance and a healthy dosage of a missionary’s experience.  I loved Sophia’s character, and in so many instances the other people made me laugh with their dialogue and quirks.  I also appreciated the way in which she presented God.  Obviously He would be prevalent because of the missionaries, but it didn’t stop there.  Sophia grew in her faith through the story, and that one piece of advice I will remember always: "Ignore the rushing water. Ignore everything that tries to pull you under or knock your feet out, or obscures your view. Plant your feet on solid rock.”  Not only was the book a good read, but it had something to be gained from it as well.  I think anyone who likes to read books about Early American/Native American history would like this book.

Also, thanks to BookSneeze.com for providing me with a free copy of the book in exchange for this review.

Garden of Madness by Tracy L. Higley

Garden of Madness by Tracy L. Higley tells the story of Tiamat, the daughter of King Nebuchadnezzar during his seven years of madness.  Princess Tia has anything she could ever hope for: she is rich and has luxuries coming out her ears.  Her husband has just recently died, and she revels in her newfound freedom.  She runs wild in the palace, driving her mother crazy with her “silly, childish exploits.”  Fed up, her mother, the queen, plans to wed her to another prince, which Tiamat despises.  But all is not well in the palace.  A body turns up one day in the Hanging Gardens where her mad father lurks, and Tia is determined to find the killer.  However, in her quest to find truth and answers for herself, she ends up learning a greater Truth than she could ever have imagined.  It takes the help of her family, the king’s friend Daniel, and her late husband’s brother Pedaiah for Tiamat to make the ultimate decision that will result in risking everything she’s ever known for Yahweh, the One True God.


I picked up this book because I am practically in love with historical fiction, especially when it tells of ancient cultures.  I didn’t get around to reading it for a while, but once I did, I couldn’t put it down.  It took me only the weekend to finish it.  The story moved along at a frantic pace, and the characters developed so much from the beginning to the end.  However, my favorite part about it was that the author did a splendid job of weaving multiple plot lines together without losing the reader.  I was gripping my seat in anticipation of the resolution, and it was well worth the wait.  I found myself disappointed the story was over, but pleased with the conclusion.  I would recommend this book to any fan of historical fiction, mystery, romance (yes, there was a touch of this), or anyone who just loves a good story.  I definitely look forward to reading future novels from this author, and will hopefully enjoy them as much as I did this first one.


Thanks to Booksneeze.com for providing me with a free copy of the book in exchange for a review.