Book Review: Lily’s Plight by Sally Laity and Dianna Crawford
Journey to Pennsylvania backcountry during the French and Indian War. Indentured servant Lily Harwood has always thought of herself as a good Christian lass. . .until she is struck with a deeper, more profound plight than the war that rages around her. When her mistress’s husband returns home on a short furlough, Lily finds herself falling in love with him. As Lily is caught between passion and sorrow in harrowing times, can she find hope in the promises of God?
This was a bit of a departure for me. I’ve not read any books [that I can recall] set during the French and Indian War. It turns out this is the third book in the series and while I wish I had read the other two first, I didn’t know they existed and found they weren’t necessary to enjoying this one.
The history major in me was enthralled by the tales of war on the frontier. The romantic in me was enthralled by the developing relationship with Lily and the eventually-widowed owner of her indenture papers.
As a romance, the result was a given, but how were they to get there? He’s married to her dearest friend – plus he’s her boss, but even more than that given the time period and her indenture. Even before the imminent death of his wife, Lily struggles with her feelings for John. John remains ever faithful, but does notice that Lily is no longer the fourteen-year-old who had come to live with them. He’s not too crazy about her suitors but in a semi-relational role at first [much like an older brother] but later because of his own growing feelings.
Both of them are tested time and again as they learn to trust God in all aspects of their lives, including their love life.
My biggest… complaint is the ending. My inner literary voyeur ALWAYS wants a bit more and I think this book would have been a perfect time for a couple of chapters after the “I dos” or at least an epilogue [and since it’s book 3, it’s unlikely there’s going to be a book 4, especially since they’re out of sisters]. That knocks it down at least a quarter point.
Overall, I’d recommend this series [first two books unread by me], but that ending did disappoint me some. It seemed to be set up for a bit more and then didn’t deliver.
Overall rating: 8 out of 10 stars