Throstleford

by Susan Evans McCloud

When two American missionaries visit the English village of Throstleford in the early 1840s, they forever change the life of the village- and the villagers. Esther and her father, the local vicar, are the first to receive copies of the Book of Mormon. Both recognize truth in the book, but recoil from the challenges this knowledge brings. The new message affects the lives of other villagers as the Lutheran minister, the grocer, the stone mason, the local squire's son, the stable boy who finds a discarded Book of Mormon, and the innkeeper and his sons, who spearhead the opposition to this new faith. Faith, charm, and romance permeate this glimpse into nineteenth-century England and the early Church.

Genres: Lds, Historical Fiction, Adult, Christian Fiction, Lds Fiction, Religion

377 pages, Paperback

First published September 3, 2008

Reviews

[Ana · Rating 1 out of 5]

This looks to be an "eh" type of book. Having a hard time mustering the motivation to finish it.

Yep. This book was not worth my time. If I could give it zero stars I would. VERY poor characterization, sentimental, stereotypical (awful at that) and just poorly written. I haven't read one this bad in a LONG time. It was like she was making it all up as she went along, banking on her LDS audience to fill in the gaps where her writing fell short. UGH!

[Debbie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Wasn't sure what to rate this one. It started out very slow, I had a really hard time getting into it. So many characters and it just kept jumping from one to the other to the other, it was really hard to keep them all straight and to feel emotionally invested in them. Esther, the main character wasn't overly likable to me. I liked her better by the end but got really annoyed with the way she blamed everything on Mormons, whether it had anything to do with or not. Getting upset because the Mormons provided havens for abused women. Really? I know it was a different time but still. And the scene with the cat was horrific, totally unnecessary in my opinion. Yikes. Was debating between a 2 and a 3, probably a 2.5 overall.

[Apzmarshl · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5
This started slow and had many characters to get to know.
Missionaries come to Throstleford, England. As the precious story of restoration and the wholeness of truth spreads through the village, tears begin to form where once everything was set in its place. The vicar and his daughter face hard choices in the face of their increasing knowledge.
Initially slow moving, the story picks up depth, and is worth the effort.

[Marsha Burdick · Rating 3 out of 5]

Worth reading, in spite of a slow start and a somewhat disjointed plot development. Scenes randomly appear with little transition. However, I enjoyed seeing the effects of religious conversion from a different perspective, those of a long established minister and his daughter.

[Danni · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good book

[Shanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a story about a small town in England in the early 1840s & what occurs after a visit by two missionaries. While the story includes characters from around the town, the bulk of the story is about Esther & her father, Christian Grey, the local vicar for the Church of England. Esther & her father both read The Book of Mormon & are thrown into confusion about what to do with the truths they've found in their reading. The town has peaceably lived with two religions, the Church of England as well as those following the Lutheran minister, for many years. When Mormonism is introduced it divides the town & relationships within the village are torn. Dealings between a number of members of the town are uncomfortable. The full spectrum of "believing" is covered, from the skeptic to the troublemaker, the lukewarm to those aglow with the fire of the Spirit. Ultimately, there comes time to make a decision: stay close to what you know & things you care about or sacrifice what you've always known to stand up for what you know is right. For those readers who like romance, there's some of that as well, though it isn't necessarily central to the story.

Throstleford is a small town where things move slowly, and this book follows a similar pace. It is an enjoyable read, the characters are likeable & the storyline is good, but the reader should know not to expect a "quick" read. The pace stays true to what life was probably like in a small town in England in the 1840s. I would recommend this book, especially on a quiet Sunday afternoon.

[Sue Maxwell · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just recently discovered the novels of Susan Evans McCloud and was immediately captured by her great writing skill. Our library has nearly all of her books, and I feel such a strong affinity with her, as our interests seem to be similar. This particular book shows what it must have been like when the LDS missionaries went to small villages in England and delivered their message. Conversions often created problems in the community, but as in all wonderful books, there is a great ending. Her incredible use of imagery is staggering. I have started finding my favorites so that I can study her writing and plots. I highly recommend this and all of her books. She is a charming woman, internationaly recognized for her books as well as her poetry, hymns, and narratives for various productions. A strong Scottish/English flavor permeates many of the books.

[Katrina · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have been a McCloud fan for a long time but hadn't read a book by her in years. So when I saw this newer one I was excited. Maybe I was expecting too much and that's why it disappointed me for a while. It just seemed to me to take way too long to get moving--and I'm not one who requires constant action. More than halfway through I finally really got into it and enjoyed it. But I did feel like it built up and built up to a climax that ended up being somewhat anticlimactic. And toward the end when it finally got happy, it ended too quickly. So yeah, I enjoyed it, but it disappointed me. However, I may have been expecting too much or remembering her writing with rose-colored glasses from my adolescent days...

[Peggy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this author! I was so glad she finally wrote another book. This book rings with Susan's testimony of the gospel of Jesus Christ! Her love of her Scottish heritage is so evident in this book, and I was so thrilled to see the note at the end of the book that said that one of the characters that I had become so endeared to was actually the true story of her great great great grandmother!
Susan truly "paints pictures with words" and I am always so pulled into the storyline and her characters with her beautiful descriptions which are so real and so heartwarming.
This book is a keeper and I will definitely be reading it again!

[Melanie]

It was a little slow starting but when it did it was apparent it had everything to do with Church History. It was interesting to watch the development of Esther and her father, the Vicar, as they struggled with the knowledge that they both knew the Book of Mormon was true. They were both afraid to tell each other and there came all the problems. I am amazed at how strong those first members were and how they were able to endure all the persecutions and sometimes even death to follow their heart and the truth.

[Kristen · Rating 3 out of 5]

I struggled to get through this book, probably since I started reading it at my in-laws one weekend, when they had 25 people in their house. I kept going and I did find it enjoyable, but somewhat choppy. The author created quite a few characters and sometimes I couldn't remember who they were when she jumped from one cottage to the next. But still it was interesting to think about what my English forebearers might have experienced when the LDS missionaries came to their villages, converted them, and they prepared to gather to Nauvoo.

[Dana Sanders · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very lyrical transport back to England 1830's. The Mormon missionaries are invited to a quaint town by the village doctor, who was set afire spiritually, during his experience with them in Preston while visiting his brother. The town is populated with non-stereoptypes who are doing their best to assimilate the stir this new "book" has caused amongst the town's faithful--particularly the local vicar and pastor.

Loved the journey. Write more Susan Evans McCloud!

[Gina Morgan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked this book although it took awhile to set the story up (otherwise I probably would have given it 5 stars). It had some very likeable and interesting characters and gave me a feel for the early Saints in England. It was interesting to see the difficulties they faced as new converts. I was so excited to find a new book by Susan Evans McCloud as she was the first LDS fiction author I ever read.

[Cheryl · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a beautiful story about growing pains that a small town in England must endure when the LDS church is introduced to them. It was a struggle for me to get into at first because it was told from so many different people's point if view. It was particularly interesting to see things from the vicar's daughter's viewpoint though. How are good people who don't accept the gospel affected? That is an angle that I enjoyed exploring.

[Patti · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting story of small town England in the 1840's. Religious fervor was sweeping Europe and Throstleford was not left out. The characters were very vibrant and enjoyable to read about. The missionary experiences were very well portrayed. People must have been searching for something more in their lives. The protagonists were aptly described as those with contention in their hearts and looking for something to lash out against.

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the story of what happened when missionaries come to the small English town of Throstleford. It's set in the 1830s-1840s. Some people eagerly join the Church, while others are suspicious, and others overtly hostile. It left me thinking about what a sacrifice people made to join the Church back in the early days, and the sacrifices that are made now.

[Kristelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

I personally like books that are driven by the characters and so the bouncing around kept me from reading it as quickly as I might have. Also the ending was pretty obivious. I did love getting to know Esther and watching her deal with the changes in her life. I wish she would have focused more on Esther and her father rather than trying to write about the whole town.

[Heidi · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was featured in the BYU Alumni magazine and brought to my attention by a good friend who knew I was looking for clean romance novels to read. It was clean and had some romance in its storyline, but most of the drama revolved around Mormonism being introduced into their small town in England. It was interesting, but not emotionally engaging (at least for me).

[Lorraine · Rating 4 out of 5]

LDS genre. A village in 1950s England is torn apart by Mormon missionaries converting many. Has good conflicts that seem plausible, especially for that time. Love interest is apparent, but good. Happy ending for those who join with the Mormons and emigrate (implied) to America. Heartwarming, but realistic about the resistance many must have felt about Mormonism.

[Susan · Rating 3 out of 5]

This novel, about the LDS church being brought to England in the 1840's, was kind of hard to get into. McCloud is writing a novel about an entire village, so there are very many different stories going on at once. However, after about 100 pages, I started enjoying it and ended up really liking it.

[Melissa]

I thought this book was pretty good but what I didn't like was that it kept switching around so much and there were too many characters to keep track of. It did make me think about what it would be like to be someone reading the Book of Mormon for the first time.

[Wendy · Rating 4 out of 5]

All the small town people are affected by this new religion and sometimes it divided them. There are lots of interesting characters and it is interesting reading to the end. It is not just a set simple " I know what will happen story".

[Sarah · Rating 2 out of 5]

I couldn't finish. I love Susan Evans Mcloud books and was excited to read this new one. It's not at all what I expected. It followed probably 15 different people and their perspectives. It was hard to follow and sadly a bit boring. I need a clear story line.

[Darlis · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is one of the better "LDS fiction" books that I have read. The author creates an interesting cast of townspeople and their reactions when the Mormon missionaries come to town. She looks at their struggles to understand the gospel and how it will change their lives. A very interesting read.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's the early years of the restored Church and two Mormon missionaries have come to the small village of Throstleford. Many read the Book of Mormon and are baptized causing a division amongst the people including their beloved preacher. Conflicts ensue and miracles happen.

[Shauna · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a good book although I couldn't really get into it and found myself rushing through parts to get to the end. I enjoyed how she brought the thoughts and feelings of the other villagers into the story. It was about all of them but a love story at the same time.

[Sandy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. It is set in 1800 Scotland, if I remember correctly, and tells of the arrival of LDS missionaries to this village and what their effect was on the local ministers, the local wealthy landowner, the trouble makers etc. Well done.

[Michele · Rating 5 out of 5]

For a few glorious hours I was transported back two hundred years to England. I lived the life. I imagined what contribution I would have made to the beginnings of Mormonism then. I loved this book.

[Debbie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an interesting book about the early days of the LDS Church in England. A village is visited by missionaries. Some accept the Gospel, others don't and some try to make trouble for those who accepted the Gospel.

[Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book shows what could have happened when a new religion was introduced to a small community. How divisions sprung up, and how everyone questioned the future. The heroine could have been more active though. She is sort of a passive character, and that bugged me a bit.