Wednesday, September 19, 2012

Whence Came a Prince

by Liz Curtis Higgs

Random House

In the Scottish Lowlands, it is the summer of 1790, and Jamie McKie is the prodigal returning home in the hopes they have forgiven him from his shameful past. His father Alec, whom he deceived, and his brother Evan, who's inheritance he stole. Wrestling his fears of a confrontation, and trying to stay a step ahead of his devious uncle Lachlan, Jamie is pressed on all sides to make the hardest decisions of his life.

Two women lay claim to him and his affections; Leana, the mother of his firstborn and heir, and Rose, who is carrying his second child. Uncertain of his future with the scandal that rivaled any marriage in all of Christendom, and even less certain of his fate when he arrives home - Jamie sets out on a journey that will either be his redemption, or will cost him everything he loves.

This imaginative re-telling of the story of Jacob, Leah and Rachel is as heartbreaking as it's Biblical counterpart. There are many joys and sorrows that simply are part of the story, but that doesn't make it any easier to bear. The thing I loved the most about this book and the series in general, is that it's not the romantic happily-ever-after feel-good kind of story. Yes, liberties were take with the story lines, but it is a parallel work of fiction set in 1700's Scotland. That said, Whence Came a Prince is a beautiful fictional account of a timeless Biblical story.

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