A Sparkling Vintage Life

sincerely yoursIf you appreciate shorter reads, this collection of inspirational historical novellas might be right up your alley. (A novella is shorter than a novel, but longer than a short story. Many of them can be read in one sitting–great for busy moms and others who don’t get a lot of time to read, and would actually like to finish something.)

Sincerely Yours is a collection of four novellas by four Christian authors known for the high quality of their historical fiction. Laurie Alice Eakes contributed “Moonlight Promise,” a romance set on an Erie Canal steamboat in 1825. In “One Little Word” by Amanda Cabot is set in New York City in 1892, the family fortune is at stake if the heroine does not make a proper marriage, and soon. Jane Kirkpatrick’s “A Saving Grace” moves the reader to Oregon in 1911, where Grace must rescue a friend from a “clinic” that is anything but healthy.

Because I love all things Chicago, my favorite story of the bunch was Ann Shorey’s “Lessons in Love,” set in Chicago of 1858, in which Merrie finds success as a fledgling magazine writer [another plot element to love!]. The trouble is, since she signs her correspondence with her initials, her editor assumes she’s a man, and she hasn’t corrected this assumption, since in those days men had an easier time getting published than women did. When the editor asks to meet in person, she has to think of a viable solution, and fast. Meanwhile, she’s falling in love with her handsome-yet-humble piano teacher, throwing her social-climbing family into a tizzy, since they expect her to make a Good (read: rich) Match.

Look for Sincerely Yours if you’d like some light, wholesome reading that transports you to another time and place. Also, until April 8, Jane Kirkpatrick is running a giveaway on her blog, where you can enter to win a free copy of Sincerely Yours along with a pen and stationery gift set. Visit Jane’s blog for details.

Disclosure: I’ve been given a review copy of this book by the publisher. This generosity, while appreciated, has not biased my review. I also post some of my reviews on Amazon and Goodreads.