The Book:http://www.amazon.com/exec
The Author:http://www.christineschaub
The Review:
High school history books should be this beautiful, I would've done so much better on tests.
"The Longing Season" is written as a fully fleshed story wrapped around historical facts. The hand and love of God within the stories of Horatio Spafford and John Newton fill me with wonder. Schaub tackled Spafford in "Finding Anna," her previous novel. Fictionalized accounts of historical people bring their testimonies to life and end up teaching us more than bare facts.
Schaub takes her time and develops the characters in a style closer to literary than pop fiction. She has painted a realistic and almost shocking hero in John Newton. The story behind Amazing Grace has always intrigued me, and that was before I knew of the separation and longings of two young people who communicated not through instant messaging but by letters written and transported by ship.
If you are a fan of Jack Cavanaugh's "Storm" you should find much to appreciate in "The Longing Season."
If you yawn at richly woven prose and descriptions or at hymns, you might not appreciate this amazing story. If romance is your thing, you might feel a bit cheated because the story focuses on the longing and waiting, or the journey rather than the trophy at the end of the long, dusty trip. Some descriptions read closer to PG-13 than PG so if this is something you'd like a child to read for the rich history lesson make sure you preview it.
As for me, I'm going back to pick up Schaub's "Finding Anna."
