The Apothecary's Daughter by Julie Klassen

I really enjoyed The Apothecary's Daughter.  A very interesting and enjoyable read.  The story of Lillian (Lilly) Haswell, daughter of apothecary Charles Haswell, is well-written with details and depth by Julie Klassen's hand.  I found Lilly's story full of fascinating details about apothecaries in the 1800s, as well as details about England at the time the story takes place.  Lilly is the daughter of an apothecary, a man with great knowledge and understanding of ailments and their treatment.  She has an amazing memory for details of the past and knowledge of herbs, mixtures, treatments, etc. herself.  However, Lilly longs for something more from her life than what she has in Bedsley Priors.  She wants to travel, to see the world, to go beyond her little village and experience more of life.  The opportunity arises for her to go to London and spend time in the care of her aunt and uncle of wealth.  There, Lilly learns the finer points of being a young lady of proper upbringing, but she also misses the life she came from.  Throughout the story many young men vie for Lilly's affection, and she goes through many trials.  Lilly is a woman with many good qualities and a knowledge that during her time in London she has wandered from her life of prayer.  She rediscovers the importance of this, I think, upon her return to Bedsley Priors.  This story is full of rich characters, a twist or two, and many interesting historical pieces.  I found it to be a fairly quick read and an enjoyable story that I would certainly recommend to others.  If you enjoy a good historical novel, check out The Apothecary's Daughter!  Enjoy!

The Silent Governess by Julie Klassen

I learned a lot about governesses from this book.  This was my first time reading a novel by Julie Klassen and I was drawn in quickly to the story, setting, etc.  I am, admittedly, a huge Jane Austen fan so that may have something to do with my quick interest in this particular book.  Ms. Klassen tells the story of Olivia Keene - a young woman who goes through several trials of sorts throughout the tale.  She is thrust into a situation beyond her control and finds herself in unexpected circumstances in the home of an earl.  During her time in that place she befriends many individuals and eventually becomes the governess.  Olivia's story is full of hurts, heartaches, assumptions, and so much more.  In the end, everything is as it should be.  God's plan is worked out.  The true heart of each of the characters comes to light by the end of the book, but I felt that this story was somewhat lacking in sharing faith openly.  There were not many obviously Christian characters.  There were many moral issues throughout the book, but then I suppose those even (if we were honest) occur in the life of a Christian on occasion.  Overall, I found this story of Olivia, Lord Bradley, Lord Brightwell, Mr. Croome, Andrew, Audrey, and so many others to be a delightful tale with some twists and turns.  I certainly, after reading this novel, want to find and read more of Ms. Klassen's books.  She seems to have a real taste for the era of Jane Austen and her contemporaries.  If you enjoy a good historical read, check out The Silent Governess.  It's a real delight and hopefully a quick read!

Disclaimer:
This book provided free for review by Bethany House Publishers.

Links to check out:
Julie Klassen's website
The Silent Governess book
The Silent Governess excerpt