Happy Friday! Can you believe Christmas is one week from today? I hope you’ve had some time to relax and enjoy this season, even in the midst of the busyness!

The book I’m featuring today for First Line Friday is definitely not a fun, lighthearted read, but it is a powerful and emotional story. Night Bird Calling by Cathy Gohlke won’t be out for a couple of weeks, but you can read the first line and my review below!

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

May 1941

“My mother was a beautiful woman, a magnificent and generous woman who loved music and poetry and literature and gardens.”

Night Bird Calling by Cathy Gohlke

The Basics

Title: Night Bird Calling

Author: Cathy Gohlke

Release Date: January 5, 2021

Genre: Christian historical fiction

My Rating: 3.5 Stars

From the Back Cover: When Lilliana Swope’s beloved mother dies, Lilliana gathers her last ounce of courage and flees her abusive husband for the home of her only living relative in the foothills of No Creek, North Carolina. Though Hyacinth Belvidere hasn’t seen Lilliana since she was five, she offers her cherished great-niece a safe harbor. Their joyful reunion inspires plans to revive Aunt Hyacinth’s estate and open a public library where everyone is welcome, no matter the color of their skin.

Slowly Lilliana finds revival and friendship in No Creek—with precocious eleven-year-old Celia Percy, with kindhearted Reverend Jesse Willard, and with Ruby Lynne Wishon, a young woman whose secrets could destroy both them and the town. When the plans for the library also incite the wrath of the Klan, the dangers of Lilliana’s past and present threaten to topple her before she’s learned to stand.

With war brewing for the nation and for her newfound community, Lilliana must overcome a hard truth voiced by her young friend Celia: Wishing comes easy. Change don’t.

My Thoughts

This book was my introduction to Cathy Gohlke’s writing, and I was impressed by her ability to weave a rich story full of historical detail and authentic characters. She offers a glimpse into the South in the early 1940s, when the horrors of racism and the KKK were still prevalent. Those topics, combined with the abuse several characters face, make this a book I would only recommend to older teenagers and above. However, the way these difficult topics are handled with such honesty and grace is what makes this such a powerful, moving story. Lilliana’s determination, Celia’s spunk, and Hyacinth’s story of redemption will stay with you long after the last page. This book is a must-read for historical fiction fans!

Now it’s your turn! Please share the first line of the book you’re reading in the comments below. Don’t forget to head to Hoarding Books to see what first lines other bloggers are sharing, or to share your own!

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Happy Friday! I can’t believe it’s already time for another First Line Friday… December is flying by, and Christmas will be here before we know it! Today I’m featuring All Through the Night, an upcoming release by new-to-me author Tara Johnson.

April 1861

“‘What do you think, Songbird?'”

All Through the Night by Tara Johnson

The Basics

Title: All Through the Night

Author: Tara Johnson

Release Date: January 5, 2021

Genre: Christian Historical Fiction

My Rating: 5 Stars

From the Back Cover: With her stammering tongue and quiet ways, Cadence Piper has always struggled to be accepted. After the death of her mother, Cadence sets her heart on becoming a nurse, both to erase the stain her brother has left on the family’s honor and to find long-sought approval in the eyes of her father. When Dorothea Dix turns her away due to her young age and pretty face, Cadence finds another way to serve . . . singing to the soldiers in Judiciary Square Hospital. Only one stubborn doctor stands in her way.

Joshua Ivy is an intense man with a compassionate heart for the hurting and downtrodden. The one thing he can’t have is an idealistic woman destroying the plans he’s so carefully laid. When the chaos of war thrusts Cadence into the middle of his clandestine activities, he must decide if the lives at stake, and his own heart, are worth the risk of letting Cadence inside.

Everything changes when Joshua and Cadence unearth the workings of a secret society so vile, the course of their lives, and the war, could be altered forever. If they fight an enemy they cannot see, will the One who sees all show them the way in the darkest night?

My Thoughts

This was the first of Tara Johnson’s books I’ve read, but it won’t be the last! I can be a little picky when it comes to historical fiction, but this book had just the right balance of an intriguing storyline, historical detail, and engaging characters. I enjoyed the unique historical aspects, with a focus on the brave doctors and nurses who served the Union during the Civil War, both in Washington DC and on the battlefield. The added elements of Joshua’s clandestine work were fascinating from a historical perspective, and made the book hard to put down!

I loved Cadence and Joshua as characters and thought they complemented each other very well, even though they got off to a rocky start! They brought out the best in each other, helped each other grow, and accomplished so much more together than they could have on their own. This multifaceted story even had some suspense mixed in that led to some tense moments at the end! This book is a must-read for fans of historical fiction, especially from the Civil War era.

Now it’s your turn! Please share the first line of the book you’re reading in the comments below. Don’t forget to head to Hoarding Books to see what first lines other bloggers are sharing, or to share your own!

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Happy Friday! It’s hard to believe it’s already December, and Christmas is only three weeks from today!

For today’s First Line Friday linkup, hosted by Hoarding Books, I’m sharing a new release by debut author Ashley Clark – The Dress Shop on King Street.

Downtown Charleston, 1946

“Millicent Middleton. That’s the name Mama told her to give if anyone asked. Half of it was honest, at least.”

The Dress Shop on King Street by Ashley Clark

The Basics

Title: The Dress Shop on King Street

Author: Ashley Clark

Series: Heirloom Secrets (Book 1)

Genre: Historical/Contemporary Fiction

My Rating: 4 Stars

From the Back Cover: Harper Dupree has pinned all her hopes on a future in fashion design. But when it comes crashing down around her, she returns home to Fairhope, Alabama, and to Millie, the woman who first taught her how to sew. As Harper rethinks her own future, long-hidden secrets about Millie’s past are brought to light.

In 1946, Millie Middleton–the daughter of an Italian man and a Black woman–boarded a train and left Charleston to keep half of her heritage hidden. She carried with her two heirloom buttons and the dream of owning a dress store. She never expected to meet a charming train jumper who changed her life forever . . . and led her yet again to a heartbreaking choice about which heritage would define her future.

Now, together, Harper and Millie return to Charleston to find the man who may hold the answers they seek . . . and a chance at the dress shop they’ve both dreamed of. But it’s not until all appears lost that they see the unexpected ways to mend what frayed between the seams.

My Thoughts

How could a heritage half-denied bring a life fully lived?

The Dress Shop on King Street is a fascinating story about two women whose lives are intertwined in ways they never imagined. It’s hard to believe this skillfully crafted time-slip novel is Ashley Clark’s debut!

Although they share a love of dressmaking, Millie and Harper are different in many ways. Living in the South in the 1940s, Millie was able to pass as white but struggled with feeling like she was abandoning her heritage. In the present day, Harper is facing rejection of a different kind – in her education and career. When she and Millie decide to open a dress shop together, pursuing their shared dream brings them both healing and new relationships they didn’t expect. Peter was a kind, endearing hero to both Millie and Harper. I really enjoyed seeing how all the threads of the different timelines and characters came together in the end!

One of the hallmarks of a great novel is relatable characters, even when their experiences are so different from your own. Those kinds of stories remind us of the humanity we share, and that was definitely the case in this book! This story of second chances, forgotten dreams, and sacrificial love will stick with you long after the last page. I can’t wait to read the next book in the series in May 2021!

Now it’s your turn! Please share the first line of the book you’re reading in the comments below. Don’t forget to head to Hoarding Books to see what first lines other bloggers are sharing, or to share your own!

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.