THE PAINTED CASTLE

Reviewed by:

Cindy Akre, blogger and voracious reader

REVIEW INTRODUCTION

Title:

THE PAINTED CASTLE

Author:

Kristy Cambron

Publisher:

Thomas Nelson

Date:

2019

Format:

Paperback

Length:

270 pages

Review:

Three women, one castle, spanning almost 180 years… This enthralling novel covers three time periods, all revolving around their lives at one English castle. For those of you who may have a difficult time keeping time periods/characters straight, don’t let this frighten you. This book was so well-written it draws readers right into the action. The 1840s, the 1940s and present day are covered brilliantly by the author who weaves such beauty in her storytelling it draws the reader into the story. We begin in Victorian England with Elizabeth, a child who witnesses her father’s murder on the streets of Victorian England. She believes she has seen the murderer and, even as a child, vows to find the man who killed her beloved father; the 1940s bring us to WWII England, and it is there we begin our connection to Parham Hill as we meet Amelia, managing her husband’s family estate following his death in the war. Given military orders to open the estate to American pilots, Amelia struggles to find a way to open her heart in caring for them, as she also cares for displaced children who reside there during the war. In the present day, we meet Keira, a valued art historian called in to validate a painting found at Parham Hill. 

The painting and its history is woven into the story as the layers are peeled back on what happened to both Elizabeth and Amelia decades before. Even Keira’s story speaks of heartbreak as she moves forward in learning to trust one who appears to have secrets of his own. This novel is compelling, and is one definitely difficult to put down. Like any great work of Christian fiction, it is also one where we can learn of our own vulnerabilities and how to overcome them with faith in the only One who can transform us and our broken lives.

 On page 369, there is a quote that says this, “I have to believe there’s no guarantee of anything good in this life outside of the One who offers it to us…What lasts isn’t what we build on our own, but the stories He builds within and around us.”  What a precious reminder for us today.

ASSESSMENT

Rating (1 to 5):

5

Suggested Audience:

High school through adult

Christian Impact:

Christian impact was very well done, woven right into the story and the characters’ lives.