Book Review: For a Noble Purpose

I just finished reading the first book in the Larksong Legacy series, For a Noble Purpose, by Kelsey Gietl. The author describes her writing as "historical fiction with a dose of romance and a dash of intrigue." I thought this story was a perfect fit for this phrase, and the balance of these elements was just right. I personally love stories that are set in real times and places, but I also enjoy a touch of the supernatural or the spiritual. After reading the first two pages, I was drawn into the time period by a writing style that exhibits the skill of a historical fiction author.

The female protagonist, Sarah Walcott, believes herself to be cursed after seven marriages have resulted in seven dead husbands, all occurring on the wedding night before consummation. I was more than halfway through the novel before picking up on the parallel to the Book of Tobit from the Old Testament. The author did an excellent job in using this Biblical story as the basis for the storyline, and I enjoyed the Historical Notes included at the end of the book. The male protagonist, Tobias, is determined to be Sarah's eighth husband--and the first to survive. He believes Sarah is Gifted rather than cursed, and that maybe by two Gifteds coming together in marriage, the streak of deaths can be broken. 

The supernatural elements come into the story in the form of the Giftedness of the four brothers. I loved that these Gifts were clearly of a supernatural ability that set them apart, yet not so unbelievable as to be outside the bounds of reality. Tobias is able to build anything in a fraction of the time it would take a normal person. Another brother can sense storms and knows when to warn people to safety. A third can heal any illness or injury through his gift of medical talent, and the other can sense the location of other people with extreme accuracy. I saw these talents as gifts from God in the way that some people in real life are given extraordinary skills. I recently read a nonfiction book about exorcisms, and I learned that some people exhibit certain charisms to sense and recognize demons, which is extremely helpful to the exorcist in driving them out of a possessed person.  God's miracles exist, and this book, while fictional, supports a hope in God's presence with us in ways seen and unseen, noticed and unnoticed.

I don't want to spoil the story, but here are a few things I liked best. First, the characters are well-developed and realistic. Even Linden, Sarah's long-dead first husband, jumped off the page to me as a vivid and living character simply because the writing is descriptive and detailed. Second, I loved the real setting. Reading about actual places like Fort Laramie, Independence Rock, a plantation in Charleston, and the Pacific Ocean put me in the actual places, and even had me looking up Independence Rock to see photos and its map location so I could really immerse myself into the setting and imagine the characters in those places. And third, I loved the colorful writing style sprinkled with memorable metaphors. A few examples: "Their chatter roared as suppositions tumbled over each other like rapids falling upon rocks," "his back as rigid as the gate posts they walked through," and "Moist earth clumped atop the coffin one shovelful at a time, a thud for each beat of her rusted heart." This type of language is thoughtfully chosen and not at all overdone throughout the novel. It elevates the narrative to another level.

The novel touches on some difficult topics such as slavery. These are addressed tastefully. As a reader, I could see the characters struggling with these issues throughout the storyline with realistic emotions and reactions.

I very much enjoyed this page-turner and am looking forward to reading more of Kelsey Gietl's writing!