Reviewed by: Alyssa Roat, a professional writing major at Taylor University.

Introduction

Title: Phoebe’s Light

Author: Suzanne Woods Fisher

Publisher: Suzanne Woods Fisher

Publication Date: 2018

Format: Paperback

Length: 352 pages

OVERVIEW

    As Book One of the Nantucket Legacy Series, this book kicks off the saga with a fascinating historical setting, an adventurous plot, and heartwarming romance. It’s 1767, and Nantucket native Phoebe Starbuck is thrilled to marry the dashing sea captain Phineas Foulger, but her father is not so sure. When Phoebe insists on joining Phineas on the high seas, her father sends along her childhood friend Matthew Macy to keep watch over her. However, the sea is not what Phoebe expected, and she finds solace in the diary of her legendary great-grandmother. As she spends hours deciphering the faint script, she begins to realize “Great Mary” had a secret that could change Phoebe’s life—and that Captain Phineas Foulger may not be exactly what or who he has claimed to be.

     One of the best features of this book is its historical setting, featuring whaling ships, Quaker meetinghouses, and Nantucket Island as it was before the Revolutionary War. The journal pages from Pheobe’s great-grandmother provide a fascinating look at colonial life in the 1650s. The settings shine like characters all their own, illuminating a tumultuous time for the Christian faith.

     The romance is predictable, but still cute, and the redemption elements of the plot (as characters come to rely on Christ) are sweet, if somewhat clichéd. However, the plot does have some unexpected twists that add spice to the narrative.

ASSESSMENT

Rating (1 to 5)

4 stars

Suggested Audience

Christian women with a taste for romance and historical fiction will find this book a delight.

Christian Impact

This book is clearly fiction, designed to entertain, but God plays a prominent role guiding the characters and leading them to Himself. 

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