Daughters of the Northern Shore

Daughters of Northern Shores By Joanne Bischof / Thomas Nelson

The men are valiant and the women resilient. These are the lead characters in Daughters of the Northern Shore written by Joanne Bischof. It’s a plot that moves at a moderate pace at first, but finishes like a 50 yard dash. Initially you wonder how all the parts will weave together. We meet Northern European immigrants, a prodigal son, a deaf sibling, moonshiners, and a band of abusive and racist thugs. The action soon heats up to a feverish pitch. A strategy devised to end the thug’s tyranny is as good as any top-rated TV crime drama. Once it’s set to action, you’re right there with them in the smoke, confusion, and volley of ammunition. With the women safeguarded at a faraway location, you’ll root for the Norgaard Brothers and their allies, hoping they will emerge unscathed. No spoiler alert here. You’ll have to read the book to discover the outcome.

The post Civil War setting is unique and draws quite a story line out of an often overlooked consequence of sending thousands into battle during a time when sanitation and medical procedures were primitive.

Cora shares wisdom that soothes troubled souls. Eventually Haakon, the prodigal son, accepts the gift of forgiveness Cora describes and stops running from the consequences of his bad choices. At the conclusion, Haakon gains his heart’s desire.

There are no straw characters here. Tate Kennedy, the Doctor, Mrs. Sorrel, and Sibby are secondary characters with power. They unveil mysteries and take action when called upon. This book is a sequel to Sons of Blackbird Mountain. I did not read the first book, but this in no way hindered my interest in the sequel. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book, and appreciated the author’s remarkable word choice. I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange of my honest review.