1. Here Burns My Candle
    Liz Curtis Higgs
    WaterBrook / 2010 / Trade Paperback
    Our Price$12.99 Retail Price$18.00 Save 28% ($5.01)
    4.4 out of 5 stars for Here Burns My Candle. View reviews of this product. 95 Reviews
4.4 Stars Out Of 5
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Displaying items 1-5 of 95
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  1. Its About Time Mamaw
    Cleveland, Texas
    Age: 55-65
    Gender: female
    5 Stars Out Of 5
    Here Burns My Candle - A must read!
    December 12, 2011
    Its About Time Mamaw
    Cleveland, Texas
    Age: 55-65
    Gender: female
    Quality: 5
    Value: 5
    Meets Expectations: 5
    Eighteenth-century Scotland. Elisabeth was a born Highlander she went away to school and learned what it took to be a refined lady and returned to Edinburgh to work for friends of the family to learn the trade of seamstress. She falls in love and marries a Lowlander, Lord Donald Kerr. Lord Kerr's dowager mother Lady Marjory does not think Elisabeth is suitable for her son. Lady Marjory hides gold and guilt from her family. Love and betrayal,loss and redemption are many of things this family goes through. Will this family remain loyal to one another and their King? You can tell God continuously is trying to lead them if only they submit to his will.

    This was an intense book. It must have taken a lot of research by the author because it was full of history of Scotland and it's people, Highlanders and Lowlanders. The images she was able to put in writing was beyond anything I could imagine on my own. It gives you a true feeling of being there.

    Praises to all involved in creating this book. When I finished reading this book I was able to pick up book two in this series starting right where book one had left off.

    I highly recommend this book to any one that has a passion got reading.

    I rate this book a five out of five.

    I purchased this book for my own personal reading. In no way was I compensated by anyone for this review. This is my own honest opinion.
  2. April Carroll
    Goose Creek, SC
    Age: 45-54
    Gender: female
    5 Stars Out Of 5
    July 23, 2011
    April Carroll
    Goose Creek, SC
    Age: 45-54
    Gender: female
    Quality: 5
    Value: 5
    Meets Expectations: 5
    This story is a re-telling of the Biblical story of Naomi and Ruth set in 1745 Edinburgh, Scotland during a highly charged Jacobite rebellion. Marjory is the mother of two married adult sons, Donald and Andrew who are married to Elizabeth and Janet respectively. The history of the time period is fascinating and adds to the drama. Marjory doesn't want to let go of her sons and let them live their own lives. One wife (Janet) she chose and the other (Elizabeth) her eldest son chose. This creates some tension and some twists in the story line. The characters are well developed and the story well written - with one exception: there were a few chapters in the middle that were boring and difficult to wade through, but I'm glad I did! The story has drama, romance, betrayal and heartbreak. I'm looking forward to reading the sequel! This copy was given to me by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
  3. Lehrerin
    Roxboro, NC
    Age: 35-44
    Gender: Female
    5 Stars Out Of 5
    Full Scottish experience - real historical fiction
    July 20, 2011
    Lehrerin
    Roxboro, NC
    Age: 35-44
    Gender: Female
    Quality: 5
    Value: 5
    Meets Expectations: 5
    Lady Elisabeth Kerr has a secret - a secret practice that could get her ostracized by the entire capital city of Edinburgh. Her husband, Lord Donald, has a few secrets of his own, secrets that do not endear him to rest of titled society. Lord Donald's mother, Lady Marjory, is not fond of her Highlander daughter-in-law and struggles to protect the reputations of everyone living under her roof. When the Jacobite rebellion brings thousands of Highlanders to their doorsteps and the Kerr family loyalty to the throne is questioned, will their secrets be exposed? Will their relationships survive the war - and it's messy aftermath?

    Here Burns My Candle will immerse the reader fully in the culture of Scotland in 1745. The attention to historical detail is amazing, making this book far superior to your average historical novel. Higgs weaves real characters and events into her plot in such a way that without doing a bit of your own research, the reader can't tell the history from the fiction.

    A fictionalized version of Naomi and Ruth, Here Burns My Candle challenges the reader to rethink previously held views of these Biblical characters. This story continues in the recently released Mine is the Night. Forgiveness and faithfulness are both important themes in the book, asking the important questions, "To whom am I faithful? Do I forgive readily?"

    Here Burns My Candle is a wonderful story of changing relationships and the focus on what is truly important. I will definitely be reading more of Liz Curtis Higgs' work. If history makes your heart race, don't miss this series.

    I received a free copy of this book from the Blogging for Books program.
  4. SugarSpunPages
    Louisville, KY
    Age: 18-24
    Gender: female
    5 Stars Out Of 5
    Highly Recommended to Historical Fiction Lovers!
    June 8, 2011
    SugarSpunPages
    Louisville, KY
    Age: 18-24
    Gender: female
    Quality: 5
    Value: 5
    Meets Expectations: 5
    "When the flame began to lick the edges, Elisabeth let his unsigned letter slip from her hands into the grate and watched Donald's sins turn to ash."

    Lady Elisabeth Kerr wasn't born with the typical resolve of a young society-dweller to climb the proverbial ladder of titles. A Highlander by birth and a silent follower of the auld ways, she is misplaced in the city of Edinburgh among her husband's family. Despite conflict, she remains deeply and, seemingly, mutually entranced with her husband - someone with his own secrets to keep. Her mother-in-law, the dowager Lady Marjory, and her sister-in-law by way of her husband's brother, Mrs. Janet Kerr, dwell within the same household offering bracing personalities and passive disapproval. However, the pulsing vibration of coins beneath the dowager lady's floorboards beat into a grasping story of their own.

    "Here Burns My Candle" holds a very special place in my heart for a number of reasons. However, the main point relevant to this review would be that it marked a newly ignited flame for audiobooks. I listened to Liz Curtis Higgs' voice on a long car trip to visit my parents and then on my (short) commute to and from work for several weeks after.

    As a historical novel, "Here Burns My Candle" soars above others. I, purposely, do not have an extensive collection of Christian fiction, as it is not something I typically gravitate towards due to themes or their sometimes repetitive nature. "Here Burns My Candle" does not push an over-ambitious sermon into the reader's experience - pulling from the story. Instead, the religious elements of the book are woven into the fabric of what's presented, more as a plot point than an agenda, despite the out-rightly Biblical roots drawn from the story of Ruth and Naomi.

    Through reading several reviews, I've gathered there has been some displeasure with Higgs' use of Scots terms. As I listened to the audiobook, I cannot comment on this as an issue with readability, but, for it's part in my experience, I felt these terms helped me to further immerse myself into the impeccably researched culture and atmosphere of Edinburgh in 1745.

    Every detail was studied down to its marrow for purest accuracy, and it's something I proudly display on my shelf. If you enjoy the concept of 18th Century Scotland, this is a book for you.
  5. JanM
    San Diego, CA
    Age: 45-54
    Gender: female
    5 Stars Out Of 5
    Great read!
    May 9, 2011
    JanM
    San Diego, CA
    Age: 45-54
    Gender: female
    Quality: 5
    Value: 5
    Meets Expectations: 5
    This is the first book by Liz Curtis Higgs I've read, and it will definitely not be the last. Here Burns My Candle is the story of a Lowlander family, Lady Marjory Kerr, her two sons and their wives who all live together in 18th century Scotland.

    The main characters, who enjoy a comfortable life at the top of Edinburg society, are incredibly well developed. It's interesting to watch them grow and develop through adversity. I found myself thinking about them during the day, and wondering how they would handle the betrayal, secrets and war they were to face. The love, loss and fears they face are familiar to today's readers.

    Here Burns My Candle is classified as Christian Historical Fiction. I feel this book would appeal to all readers, Christian or not, as it is a great historical read that happens to have similarities to the Biblical story of Ruth. The Christian message of the book is gentle, and not at all preachy. This is ultimately a story of redemption and forgiveness.

    The characters' speech represents the local dialect, which I found to increase the authenticity of the text, rather than distract from it. An occasional word not easily recognized from the text can be found in the brief Scottish glossary at the end of the book. Reader's Guide questions make this a perfect read for a book club. I'm anxious to read the sequel, Mine Is the Night.
Displaying items 1-5 of 95
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