Sunday, April 15, 2018

A Refuge Assured by Jocelyn Green - REVIEWED


About the Book:
Fleeing One Revolution to the Aftermath of Another, She Seeks and Dreams of Peace

Lacemaker Vivienne Rivard never imagined her craft could threaten her life. Yet in revolutionary France, it is a death sentence when the nobility, and those associated with them, are forced to the guillotine. Vivienne flees to Philadelphia, but danger lurks in the French Quarter, as revolutionary sympathizers begin to suspect a young boy left in her care might be the Dauphin. Can the French settlement Asylum offer permanent refuge?


Militiaman Liam Delaney proudly served in the American Revolution, but now that the new government has imposed an oppressive tax that impacts his family, he barely recognizes the democracy he fought for. He wants only to cultivate his hard-won farm near Asylum, but he soon finds himself drawn into the escalating tension of the Whiskey Rebellion. When he meets a beautiful young Frenchwoman recently arrived from Paris, they are drawn together in surprising ways to fight for the peace and safety for which they long.

My Thoughts:

“When Vienne punched through the air pockets in a lump of dough, she prayed, Fill my empty places with Your love and faithfulness.  As she rolled and sealed her baguettes:  Make smooth my rough edges, Lord.  And so with flour dusting her hair and sweat beading her face and neck, Vienne shaped her bread, and believed that God was shaping her, too.”  (p. 128)

This small paragraph encapsulates the journey that Vienne Rivard traverses throughout the length of Jocelyn Green’s latest novel, A Refuge Assured.  Green’s ability to connect the revolutionary conflict in France in the late 1700’s to the Whiskey rebellion during the infancy of the United States just after their own revolution…absolutely fascinating!!!  The place of Asylum for the French refugees fleeing the trouble in their home country – and to have Vienne tangled so intricately  - through no fault of her own – in every aspect of each trial – this is an absolutely captivating novel!!  You won’t want to miss a single word!

Vienne is a character who exhibits the mix of faith, steadfastness and humanity that I hope my life reflects in some measure.  I honestly don’t know if I would have had the courage to face the things she had to navigate, but all along the journey, she is true to herself and to God.  The way she loves and serves others reflects the transformation that has taken place in her heart through each tragic event she has been forced to navigate.

Readers will come to care deeply for Vienne, Henri, Liam and all the other amazing characters that fill the pages of this very powerfully written novel.  I’ve read many of Jocelyn’s novels, but this one will always be dear to my heart, because she has shown me a version of my life that I long for – a version, that by God’s grace I will walk out with the same strength and integrity that Vienne did.  This is an AMAZING novel!!

About the Author:
Jocelyn Green inspires faith and courage as the award-winning and bestselling author of numerous fiction and nonfiction books, including The Mark of the KingWedded to War, and The 5 Love Languages Military Edition, which she coauthored with bestselling author Dr. Gary Chapman. Her books have garnered starred reviews from Booklist and Publishers Weekly, and have been honored with the Christy Award, the gold medal from the Military Writers Society of America, and the Golden Scroll Award from the Advanced Writers & Speakers Association. She graduated from Taylor University in Upland, Indiana, with a B.A. in English, concentration in writing. Jocelyn lives with her husband, Rob, and two children in Cedar Falls, Iowa. Visit her at www.jocelyngreen.com.