Gladness for Mourning

by June Caedmon

A war that divides families is a particular kind of evil. Victoria Elliot can't bear the thought of her husband and father meeting on the battlefield -on different sides! As the war drags on, Victoria falls into a deep despair, eventually turning to the arms of another man for comfort. When Sam Elliott is captured and held on charges of treason, he learns that his home lies in ruins and his wife is guilty of a treason of another kind. Will they find forgiveness and love among the ashes? Luann Cantrell has no such illusions about love and forgiveness. She will never forgive the man who destroyed her family. But guilt calls her out of hiding to tend the wounded and in the process she meets a woman who teaches her about grace, and a man who just may convince her to open her heart to love. For Dutch, the war is an opportunity to begin again. He's received God's forgiveness, but still dreams of hearing the words from the one whose life was forever changed by the mark of his sword. But there are those who would use the war to further their own cause for revenge. Before the end, both Dutch and Luann will suffer at the hands of men who unjustly hate them. Through it all, they will see God working in the midst of their circumstances, teaching them to praise Him and ultimately... to forgive.

242 pages, Paperback

First published May 26, 2013

About the author

I'm a storyteller. I write stories that offer encouragement and hope, and sometimes, a little mystery. I'm a child of God. Rescued. Saved. Redeemed. By His unmerited favor.

I'm a woman 'in the middle' who has learned a thing or two, but still has a whole lot left to learn. I'm an avid reader, love coffee as much as I love tea, cross-stitching, and walks with my Lady-bug (our GSD rescue). Full disclosure: by "walk" I mean that she drags me along while I attempt to take pictures of sky, leaf, and flower.

I'm passionate about telling stories that communicate mercy, justice, and a closer walk with Jesus.

Connect with me at any of these online haunts:

My Facebook Page

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My Inspired By Blog

My Author Website

Reviews

[The Literary Maidens · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the second book that I have read by June Caedmon (the first one being "Heart's Desire"), and I loved them both. Her stories are interesting, and her characters are just perfect. I loved how she kind of continued the story of Melinda from the first book alongside Victoria's tale. Melinda is as hardheaded and quick thinking as ever.



We are first introduced to Victoria through the first book in this literary duo "Heart's Desire", but this book is where you really start to get into her story, since the first book was about her now sister-in-law. Victoria Elliot is the wife of Doctor Sam Elliot, and she is in charge of running the family plantation while the men are away at war. She is missing her husband and grieving the loss of her first child when a troupe of soldiers come to rest and heal at her home



The Elliot brothers (Sam and John) are both away fighting for what they believe in. One is for the South, one for the North. Will their political opinions split their family apart, or will the family stick together in the end?



Luann is a woman scarred by the death of her family. When she joins a convent she finds peace and love in her savior Jesus Christ, but will his forgiveness of her sins encourage her to do the same for the man that did this to her, or will bitterness capture her heart and soul?



Dutch just wants Lu's forgiveness. He has repented and accepted Christ, but he can never forget what he did to this young woman, and he will do anything and everything to make it right.



~



"Gladness For Mourning" is such a wonderful sequel to "Heart's Desire"! I was so excited for the opportunity to read it. And the cover is just precious! It represents the story so well! I loved seeing the war between the states in this perspective. It's not often that you read a book about two families living under the same roof with such a drastic difference of opinions on the subject of politics and war. Melinda is smuggling slaves to freedom while her brother-in-law fights for the opposite side. It's quite an interesting read! My only critique is that the transitions between characters and scenes could have been a little bit smoother, but overall I really enjoyed it! And I collected a few quotes for my quote book while reading this as well! Here are a few of my



/ / Favorite Quotes From This Book / /

"I believe in the Union, but the government must know it's place."



"Remember, Luann, he does not need your forgiveness to be saved. Only belief in Jesus offers salvation. Your judgment of this man will not change his fate, only yours."



"You cannot become the woman He created you to be until you forgive."

[Brittany · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gladness for Mourning is the second book in the Whispers of Grace series. Having read Heart's Desire, the first book in the series, I was really looking forward to reading this book. I have to say that I really enjoyed the first book. It was very good and the characters were so interesting. Well, in Gladness for Mourning, we follow those same characters as they now are embroiled in the war between the states.

I love what the author did with this story. She crafted such compelling stories for each of the characters. Sam and Victoria are separated due to war, as are John and Melinda. The catch is that the two brothers are fighting on different sides. That is one aspect of the story. Another story line that is followed is the story of Luann Cantrell and Dutch. Will Luann ever be able to forgive him? There are other interesting characters that join the mix, as well. The theme of forgiveness runs heavily through this story. We find Victoria in need of Sam's forgiveness later in the book, as well.

Overall, the theme of God's forgiveness through Christ stands as an example throughout this story. Will the characters submit their lives to Him and, in turn, forgive? What a wonderful book!

I received a copy of this book for free from the author in exchange for my honest review, which I have given.

[Shena · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book! I didn't realize that it was the second in a series until I began to read and I was having a hard time figuring out some of the characters that were popping up. So I definitely recommend this book, but I also suggest that you read the series in order. I am now starting book one and will re-read this one when I am finished. I love the way this author developed her main characters and the way she talks about the civil war time period. Over all, its a wonderful book!