I absolutely loved each of the books in this series! Stephenia H. McGee just brings her characters to life! With each book I didn’t want to put it down! Her stories are so real and vivid in detail! This is a must read for historical fiction fans!
I was given a complimentary copy of this ebook from the author, but was not required to write a review. The thoughts and comments are my own.
Author
anita
2 years ago
Could not put this saga down. Loved the characters and story lines from page one book one through the end of book three. I didn’t want it to end! The way the author threaded the current day with the past was effortless too. Wonderful books.
Author
conniesaunders
2 years ago
This review is for Missing Mercy, book 3.
This is the third book of the Ironwood Plantation Family Saga and McGee has created memorable characters and exciting events to conclude this series. The Civil War is one of my favorite eras and this novel is set twenty-two years after the end of this war. It reaffirms what I’ve read before: that the end of the war wasn’t the end of the hate and prejudice that had bound the United States for so long.
Missing Mercy is a story of the search for freedom and for affirmation and it shares the universal need for hope, faith, and perseverance. There is also the possibility of romance for both Mercy and Faith but the real love story is the love between the two of them and this book reminds us once again that love isn’t determined by blood ties or family relations.
If you enjoy historical fiction and Christian romance you will certainly want to read Missing Mercy.
I received an advanced reader copy of this book but a positive review was not required. These are my honest thoughts.
Author
jcrea
2 years ago
1) I loved it! The Whistle Walk grabbed my attention and never let go. The Whistle Walk does deal with the horrors of the civil war, and at the same time, I love how this story shows what that time could have looked like if more people had been like Charles and Lydia Harper, owners of Ironwood Plantation. I love the unorthodox friendship between Lydia and her eventually freed slave Ruth. Author Stephenia H McGee tackles horrific topics with honesty and hope. I really enjoyed this work of historical fiction, and I look forward to reading Heir of Hope.
2) What a creative way to keep the reader turning pages. Heir of Hope takes place in the present but goes back and forth in time through a diary found in an old house and through dreams. Emily Burns, after losing her parents at a young age, and surviving abuse in foster care is now an adult, an aspiring novelist, and she inherits a family home (Ironwood Plantation) that has been in the family since the civil war. Emily had no idea of these family ties (or her connection to Lydia Harper) and the community she would find. I thoroughly enjoyed Emily’s journey of hope in The Heir of Hope, and the stories she plans to write from her experiences!
3) I can tell you from personal experience that Missing Mercy can be read as a standalone story, but I can also assure you that it is a wonderful third book in The Ironwood Novel Trilogy. If you have the chance, I would recommend reading them in order. I cannot wait to go back and dig into the earlier stories. Author Stephenia H. McGee has a wonderful way of melding the past with God’s timeless truth and creating an ideal version of what history (and the present) could be if we all truly lived with faith and mercy. This story begins with Emily Burns in the present and goes on to tell the story of the women who have lived at Ironwood Plantation I love that the main characters are Faith (Harper) and Mercy (Carpenter). This story takes place a generation after the civil war. Their parents are former slave owners (Harpers), and former slaves (Carpenters) who create a place where they all can live in peace and security. Faith and Mercy want more than living in this peaceful place, they each want to make a difference. This desire takes them individually on adventures they never could have imagined. This story has well-crafted characters, endearing minor characters, and one real slimeball. Topics introduced in the story cover racism, human trafficking, and natural disasters. One of my favorite lines is from Jed, a future preacher, “I have this impossible idea that God wants all his children to realize that what makes them different isn’t nearly as important as what makes them the same.” A timely message then and now.
Author
mjsh
2 years ago
This review is for the third book in the series Missing Mercy.
“I have this impossible idea that God wants all His children to realize that what makes them different isn’t nearly as important as what makes them the same. No matter what people look like, if they love Jesus and let Him lead their life, then they are a part of the body of Christ.”
What an amazing story of adventure, faith, and growth as two young women of 1887 Mississippi discover who they really are in a world steeped with hatred, evil, and bigotry. This is book 3 in the Ironwood Plantation Family Saga but can definitely be read as a stand alone. It isn’t a dual timeline or time slip novel; the story starts out in present day with Emily discovering an ancestor’s journal but Emily doesn’t come back into the story until the very end of the book to neatly tie up the story in the present day setting. The rest of the story takes place in 1887 Mississippi as Faith, the daughter of plantation owners Lydia and Charles, contemplates her future along with her best friend Mercy, the daughter of freed slaves who live and work on Ironwood Plantation. Faith and Mercy are both headstrong, stubborn, impulsive, delightfully intelligent but naive and get into trouble quite often together. With Faith’s strong opinions on women’s rights and Mercy’s strong belief that she will be treated as a journalist of equal standing in the North, they each set off on their own adventure only to realize that the world is bigger and scarier than they expected, sheltered as they were on Ironwood Plantation. Their faith and their views of themselves and others shift, change, and become molded into something more mature and tangible as they experience disappointment, heartache, disaster, comfort, and joy. Nolan and Jed are not your typical heroes but their faithful presence, patience, and steadfast devotion are truly admirable and noteworthy.
It’s well-written and the plot has plenty of surprises and twists along the way that build anticipation. The characters are lovely (though the girls really are spoiled and childish at the beginning of the book) and faith component is spot on with characters like Hezzie drilling in the difficult truths.
If you’re a fan of historical fiction, you will love this book! I received a copy of the book from the publisher/author and was under no obligation to post a positive review. All comments and opinions are solely my own.
I absolutely loved each of the books in this series! Stephenia H. McGee just brings her characters to life! With each book I didn’t want to put it down! Her stories are so real and vivid in detail! This is a must read for historical fiction fans!
I was given a complimentary copy of this ebook from the author, but was not required to write a review. The thoughts and comments are my own.
Could not put this saga down. Loved the characters and story lines from page one book one through the end of book three. I didn’t want it to end! The way the author threaded the current day with the past was effortless too. Wonderful books.
This review is for Missing Mercy, book 3.
This is the third book of the Ironwood Plantation Family Saga and McGee has created memorable characters and exciting events to conclude this series. The Civil War is one of my favorite eras and this novel is set twenty-two years after the end of this war. It reaffirms what I’ve read before: that the end of the war wasn’t the end of the hate and prejudice that had bound the United States for so long.
Missing Mercy is a story of the search for freedom and for affirmation and it shares the universal need for hope, faith, and perseverance. There is also the possibility of romance for both Mercy and Faith but the real love story is the love between the two of them and this book reminds us once again that love isn’t determined by blood ties or family relations.
If you enjoy historical fiction and Christian romance you will certainly want to read Missing Mercy.
I received an advanced reader copy of this book but a positive review was not required. These are my honest thoughts.
1) I loved it! The Whistle Walk grabbed my attention and never let go. The Whistle Walk does deal with the horrors of the civil war, and at the same time, I love how this story shows what that time could have looked like if more people had been like Charles and Lydia Harper, owners of Ironwood Plantation. I love the unorthodox friendship between Lydia and her eventually freed slave Ruth. Author Stephenia H McGee tackles horrific topics with honesty and hope. I really enjoyed this work of historical fiction, and I look forward to reading Heir of Hope.
2) What a creative way to keep the reader turning pages. Heir of Hope takes place in the present but goes back and forth in time through a diary found in an old house and through dreams. Emily Burns, after losing her parents at a young age, and surviving abuse in foster care is now an adult, an aspiring novelist, and she inherits a family home (Ironwood Plantation) that has been in the family since the civil war. Emily had no idea of these family ties (or her connection to Lydia Harper) and the community she would find. I thoroughly enjoyed Emily’s journey of hope in The Heir of Hope, and the stories she plans to write from her experiences!
3) I can tell you from personal experience that Missing Mercy can be read as a standalone story, but I can also assure you that it is a wonderful third book in The Ironwood Novel Trilogy. If you have the chance, I would recommend reading them in order. I cannot wait to go back and dig into the earlier stories. Author Stephenia H. McGee has a wonderful way of melding the past with God’s timeless truth and creating an ideal version of what history (and the present) could be if we all truly lived with faith and mercy. This story begins with Emily Burns in the present and goes on to tell the story of the women who have lived at Ironwood Plantation I love that the main characters are Faith (Harper) and Mercy (Carpenter). This story takes place a generation after the civil war. Their parents are former slave owners (Harpers), and former slaves (Carpenters) who create a place where they all can live in peace and security. Faith and Mercy want more than living in this peaceful place, they each want to make a difference. This desire takes them individually on adventures they never could have imagined. This story has well-crafted characters, endearing minor characters, and one real slimeball. Topics introduced in the story cover racism, human trafficking, and natural disasters. One of my favorite lines is from Jed, a future preacher, “I have this impossible idea that God wants all his children to realize that what makes them different isn’t nearly as important as what makes them the same.” A timely message then and now.
This review is for the third book in the series Missing Mercy.
“I have this impossible idea that God wants all His children to realize that what makes them different isn’t nearly as important as what makes them the same. No matter what people look like, if they love Jesus and let Him lead their life, then they are a part of the body of Christ.”
What an amazing story of adventure, faith, and growth as two young women of 1887 Mississippi discover who they really are in a world steeped with hatred, evil, and bigotry. This is book 3 in the Ironwood Plantation Family Saga but can definitely be read as a stand alone. It isn’t a dual timeline or time slip novel; the story starts out in present day with Emily discovering an ancestor’s journal but Emily doesn’t come back into the story until the very end of the book to neatly tie up the story in the present day setting. The rest of the story takes place in 1887 Mississippi as Faith, the daughter of plantation owners Lydia and Charles, contemplates her future along with her best friend Mercy, the daughter of freed slaves who live and work on Ironwood Plantation. Faith and Mercy are both headstrong, stubborn, impulsive, delightfully intelligent but naive and get into trouble quite often together. With Faith’s strong opinions on women’s rights and Mercy’s strong belief that she will be treated as a journalist of equal standing in the North, they each set off on their own adventure only to realize that the world is bigger and scarier than they expected, sheltered as they were on Ironwood Plantation. Their faith and their views of themselves and others shift, change, and become molded into something more mature and tangible as they experience disappointment, heartache, disaster, comfort, and joy. Nolan and Jed are not your typical heroes but their faithful presence, patience, and steadfast devotion are truly admirable and noteworthy.
It’s well-written and the plot has plenty of surprises and twists along the way that build anticipation. The characters are lovely (though the girls really are spoiled and childish at the beginning of the book) and faith component is spot on with characters like Hezzie drilling in the difficult truths.
If you’re a fan of historical fiction, you will love this book! I received a copy of the book from the publisher/author and was under no obligation to post a positive review. All comments and opinions are solely my own.