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April Gold
Into lovely Marilla's troubled life bursts the discovery of true joy--and a promise of springtime love. Grace Livingston Hill is the beloved author of more than 100 books. Read and enjoyed by millions, her wholesome stories contain adventure, romance, and the heartwarming triumphs of people faced with the problems of life and love.
289 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1936
40 people are currently reading
267 people want to read
About the author
Grace Livingston Hill
599 books572 followersalso wrote under the pseudonym Marcia MacDonald
also published under the name Grace Livingston Hill Lutz
A popular author of her day, she wrote over 100 novels and numerous short stories of religious and Christian fiction. Her characters were most often young female ingénues, frequently strong Christian women or those who become so within the confines of the story.
niece to Isabella MacDonald Alden
also published under the name Grace Livingston Hill Lutz
A popular author of her day, she wrote over 100 novels and numerous short stories of religious and Christian fiction. Her characters were most often young female ingénues, frequently strong Christian women or those who become so within the confines of the story.
niece to Isabella MacDonald Alden
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 44 reviews
October 15, 2020
The synopsis is a bit misleading. I’d say the main character is Thurlow. Delightfully heartwarming classic Christian (and Christmas) involving a fallen-on-hard-times theme with a strong focus on letting go of riches, fixing up a dreary house, joining the working class, etc. It includes a few action scenes, gunshots, death, but it’s not gruesome. A quasi-historical set in a big city (Philly?) in the 1930s when banks were failing, houses were foreclosing, etc. A touch of romance, but mainly it’s about the upper-class family, Mrs. Reed, her college-bound son Thurlow (Whirl) and her high-school graduate, Marilla. Secondary characters include south side neighbors (hilarious Mrs. O’Henessey) college friends, church friends.
I loved how Mrs. Reed set her determined chin and showed her two grown children how to rough it in a dismal house in a squalid street — how to light a kerosene lantern, how to cook on a kerosene stove, how to coddle a rusty pump into action. Funny scene! Loved the imagery of April Gold (daffodils, forsythia, etc). Heartwarming Christmas scene with the seven little street urchins.
Bible quotes are embedded throughout but they didn’t feel as overwhelming as in some of Hill’s books. They felt more naturally suited to the theme of despair versus hope. Happy ending, of course.
Similar old-fashioned classic books involving fixing up a house or barn and making a cozy home out of nothing, see my review of Re-Creations. Also, try The Enchanted Barn and The Honor Girl.
I loved how Mrs. Reed set her determined chin and showed her two grown children how to rough it in a dismal house in a squalid street — how to light a kerosene lantern, how to cook on a kerosene stove, how to coddle a rusty pump into action. Funny scene! Loved the imagery of April Gold (daffodils, forsythia, etc). Heartwarming Christmas scene with the seven little street urchins.
Bible quotes are embedded throughout but they didn’t feel as overwhelming as in some of Hill’s books. They felt more naturally suited to the theme of despair versus hope. Happy ending, of course.
Similar old-fashioned classic books involving fixing up a house or barn and making a cozy home out of nothing, see my review of Re-Creations. Also, try The Enchanted Barn and The Honor Girl.
June 2, 2013
April Gold!
First I want to say that this isn't christian romance, it is faith-inspired story with a hint of romance. It is a second book I have read by this author and I look forward to read many more.
Second, I really think the writing the characters were delightful and exciting!!! You just cannot relay their conversations without delight. I loved it.
This story is about a family that found happiness and fulfillment while rich, through the loss of it all and in the life as dirt-poor hardworking little family. It is an indescribable blessing to find joy in any and every situation that God puts you in.
This novel stole my heart by Bat's transformation and more so by Rilla's retelling of 12 legions that protect us christians. We should never forget it.
Mother Reed and Pat were adorable in their eagerness to stoop to the level of poor uneducated wild neighbors to share treats as well as God's hope of salvation with them.
Hard to put down writing. Funny. Very touching and tear full at some parts. And totally inspiring all over.
Disclaimer: I got a free copy of this book from Barbour Publishing through NetGalley.com, in exchange for my honest opinion.
First I want to say that this isn't christian romance, it is faith-inspired story with a hint of romance. It is a second book I have read by this author and I look forward to read many more.
Second, I really think the writing the characters were delightful and exciting!!! You just cannot relay their conversations without delight. I loved it.
This story is about a family that found happiness and fulfillment while rich, through the loss of it all and in the life as dirt-poor hardworking little family. It is an indescribable blessing to find joy in any and every situation that God puts you in.
This novel stole my heart by Bat's transformation and more so by Rilla's retelling of 12 legions that protect us christians. We should never forget it.
Mother Reed and Pat were adorable in their eagerness to stoop to the level of poor uneducated wild neighbors to share treats as well as God's hope of salvation with them.
Hard to put down writing. Funny. Very touching and tear full at some parts. And totally inspiring all over.
Disclaimer: I got a free copy of this book from Barbour Publishing through NetGalley.com, in exchange for my honest opinion.
April 10, 2022
Poverty isn't terrifying when you're dealing with it the way the Reed family does. In this tale of family, of courage, and love we meet Marilla and Thurlow Reed and their lovely mother. They take to their new circumstances with a certain 'can do' attitude that shows the beautiful value of hard work, of being sufficient, and of making the best of things.
Every time I read one of Grace's books, I come away with a new appreciation for life, and a dedication to want to live differently, to do better that I am. While there are times Mrs. Reed is just too blind to the dangers of their new life, she still moves forward with an attitude of doing right being the only recourse - and in holding fast to those ideals, is of course rewarded.
While the ending maybe isn't realistic, you come away with a happy sigh. Just take the story as it comes. Enjoy the lessons and poetry of the words. And maybe when you're done, maybe find some ways to apply those lessons to your own life, even if in very small ways.
I want the faith of Mrs. Reed. The courage of Marilla, and the strength of Thurlow for my own. With God's help I will have those things.
Every time I read one of Grace's books, I come away with a new appreciation for life, and a dedication to want to live differently, to do better that I am. While there are times Mrs. Reed is just too blind to the dangers of their new life, she still moves forward with an attitude of doing right being the only recourse - and in holding fast to those ideals, is of course rewarded.
While the ending maybe isn't realistic, you come away with a happy sigh. Just take the story as it comes. Enjoy the lessons and poetry of the words. And maybe when you're done, maybe find some ways to apply those lessons to your own life, even if in very small ways.
I want the faith of Mrs. Reed. The courage of Marilla, and the strength of Thurlow for my own. With God's help I will have those things.
August 17, 2015
A Quickie Review
What can I say about the writings of Grace Livingston Hill that I haven't already said? This one is a little different than her other works, but the same heart and message shine through. Fans of the late Mrs. Hill know what to expect...and that's just what they'll get.
Score: 5/5
What can I say about the writings of Grace Livingston Hill that I haven't already said? This one is a little different than her other works, but the same heart and message shine through. Fans of the late Mrs. Hill know what to expect...and that's just what they'll get.
Score: 5/5
June 3, 2022
I found an original copy of this book in an antique shop (without the weird 1990s illustrations) and enjoyed it. The characters and plot were believable and uplifting. The romance was nicely muted and the story revolves around the family uniting in crises.
August 3, 2013
The Reed family's circumstances took a drastic turn. Father passed away unexpectedly and he defaulted on his house payment. Mother, Thurlow, and Marilla need to move and find employment. College is a distant dream for Thurl and Rilla. Will they survive their new circumstances in their new neighborhood?
I've read many Grace Livingston Hill books, but I never picked up April Gold until the new publishing by Barbour. Although Marilla is pictured on the cover, everyone in the Reed family is featured in this story. I would say Thurlow is the lead character in April Gold. It's a tale of how each of the Reeds overcome their new lifestyle - a move to a poor neighborhood and entering employment. They question God and find He is with them in their new life. Even with pain in their lives, they learn to lean on the Lord and find joy in their circumstances.
Reviewed from a NetGalley copy. Thank you, Barbour Publishing, Inc.!
I've read many Grace Livingston Hill books, but I never picked up April Gold until the new publishing by Barbour. Although Marilla is pictured on the cover, everyone in the Reed family is featured in this story. I would say Thurlow is the lead character in April Gold. It's a tale of how each of the Reeds overcome their new lifestyle - a move to a poor neighborhood and entering employment. They question God and find He is with them in their new life. Even with pain in their lives, they learn to lean on the Lord and find joy in their circumstances.
Reviewed from a NetGalley copy. Thank you, Barbour Publishing, Inc.!
February 5, 2025
After the first chapter I wasn’t sure I wanted to keep reading. I wasn’t in the mood for lying, cheating lawyers getting away with being mean. But then it got better. And I really liked it! Thurlow and Rilla were dears. The more I read the more I liked it. And the ending was perfect!
There are gang members and not nice men, but nothing is descriptive.
The Christian aspect of this story are so well done, and I loved all the hymns in it!
There are gang members and not nice men, but nothing is descriptive.
The Christian aspect of this story are so well done, and I loved all the hymns in it!
May 8, 2014
Hott Synopsis:
The Reed family is down on it’s luck. First, father died. Then the bank closed it’s doors. Then a small mortgage turned into a big problem.
Now, they’re stuck with no jobs, not hope of returning to college, and no place to live. Until mother remembers a small house that she’d forgotten they own. It’s in one of the worst districts but it’s their only chance to make it.
What is God’s plan for this loving family?
Hott Review:
I devoured this book! Honestly, the only thing that reminded me that it wasn’t happening now was the mention of money. Reading this book is like going home and relaxing.
April Gold is very much intended for one who already has faith in God and wants to strengthen it instead of one who knows nothing.
More…
Author: Grace Livingston Hill
Source: Barbour Books via Netgalley
Grade: A+
Ages: 16+
Steam: Nada
Series: Grace Livingston Hill #27
The Reed family is down on it’s luck. First, father died. Then the bank closed it’s doors. Then a small mortgage turned into a big problem.
Now, they’re stuck with no jobs, not hope of returning to college, and no place to live. Until mother remembers a small house that she’d forgotten they own. It’s in one of the worst districts but it’s their only chance to make it.
What is God’s plan for this loving family?
Hott Review:
I devoured this book! Honestly, the only thing that reminded me that it wasn’t happening now was the mention of money. Reading this book is like going home and relaxing.
April Gold is very much intended for one who already has faith in God and wants to strengthen it instead of one who knows nothing.
More…
Author: Grace Livingston Hill
Source: Barbour Books via Netgalley
Grade: A+
Ages: 16+
Steam: Nada
Series: Grace Livingston Hill #27
April 16, 2012
This was my first encounter with G.L.H. I picked it up at the library many years ago because of its beautiful cover, I'm a sucker for a beautiful book. I even made a color copy of the cover and put it up on my wall. While G.L.H. is no Charlotte Bronte I still love her books, they are warm and comforting easy to read when I don't feel like concentrating or thinking to hard.
November 5, 2018
It's not a great novel by any stretch of the imagination but, like all of Grace Livingston Hill's books, is sweet, wholesome, entertaining and refreshing. Perfect for a rainy afternoon when you just want to escape into the 1930s.
December 6, 2014
I really enjoyed this book. I have read a lot of Grace Livingston Hill's books and I love reading her books. You don't have to worry about dirty language or sex scenes in any of her books. I love Christian theme romances and the message they portray to the readers.
August 6, 2016
This was not my favorite, because the first two chapters or so felt very detached, like GHL was telling about the story, not telling the story, but after that it settled out nicely. I loved the story though, it was so sweet.
Read
January 18, 2008Hill, Grace Livingston
March 23, 2010
I read all of these books when I was young and found this one in a used book store so thought I would relive my youth. Wow - the writing is really bad!
June 4, 2010
Lovely little GLH book following a theme found in some of her other books, in that a respectable family is thrown into dire straits and must make the best of it. Very sweet.
July 10, 2010
Read it upon the recommendation of a friend so I finished it. I probably wouldn't have otherwise. It serves the purpose of a Christian romance. The writing left much to be desired.
January 24, 2011
As always Grace Livingston Hill presents a sweet uplifting Christian story.
April 21, 2013
It was very good. I have read it many times over the last 50 some odd years and still enjoy it.
Read
November 29, 2014I love her books.
Read
December 4, 2015Wonderful love story involving two couples.
This compelling story of unexpected turns in life and fortunes will keep the reader turning the pages. The Christmas party was precious.
This compelling story of unexpected turns in life and fortunes will keep the reader turning the pages. The Christmas party was precious.
January 3, 2017
My teeth hurt it was so sweet.
August 4, 2021
One of those GLH novels with lots of "making do" and cooking tasty things. The best kind, in other words!
Read
May 31, 2011Grace Livingston Hill is my guilty pleasure...
September 21, 2011
This is not my favorite GLH book, but shows courage in the face of desperate times, which I like.
May 22, 2022
The "April gold" of the title are blooms of forsythia and daffodils in the spring, which for the regular GLH reader is a hint that this is one of her books about someone formerly well-to-do who is dealing with a financial crisis and reconnecting with the everyday beauties of life. Add in Hill's descriptions of domestic life and how to improve it, and that's a story line I never get tired of.
I do, however, get a little tired of her patronizing attitudes toward the poor and uneducated. While on the one hand Hill's Christian characters do recognize that every life is worthy before God, they're still keenly aware that the educated and gracious are somehow better than the uneducated who've "never been taught right manners." They never say so, but there's still an elitism to some of her books that bugs me. It is not a racist thing -- in this book, for instance, she has Irish character on both sides, and she's done the same in other books with black people -- but she is quite definitely defending a more intellectual and introverted type as the ideal. Part of that may be that social attitudes were changing; she is defending a Victorian ideal in a world that was actively shunning introverts in favor of an ideal that was more extroverted, boisterous, and, frankly, crass than the type that had been admired up past the turn of the nineteenth century.
And, as others have said, there's nearly always someone rich to "rescue" her characters from a fate where they're actually doing pretty well on their own. I think there is a sense where she subconsciously wanted to have a Christ character who takes the main characters to heaven in the end but for me much of the appeal of her books is seeing her characters cope with difficult situations with style and grace, and watching them improve their own lives and the lives of others through service.
But, for all my gripes, GLH's books have been comfort reads for me since I read my first one when I was twelve or thirteen, and this one ticks a lot of my check list. Her prose is workmanlike and her plots either predictable or chaotic (she was a "seat of the pants" sort of writer, and when her editors weren't on the ball things could get wonky), but if you like where she's at, she provides a sense of satisfaction few others offer.
I do, however, get a little tired of her patronizing attitudes toward the poor and uneducated. While on the one hand Hill's Christian characters do recognize that every life is worthy before God, they're still keenly aware that the educated and gracious are somehow better than the uneducated who've "never been taught right manners." They never say so, but there's still an elitism to some of her books that bugs me. It is not a racist thing -- in this book, for instance, she has Irish character on both sides, and she's done the same in other books with black people -- but she is quite definitely defending a more intellectual and introverted type as the ideal. Part of that may be that social attitudes were changing; she is defending a Victorian ideal in a world that was actively shunning introverts in favor of an ideal that was more extroverted, boisterous, and, frankly, crass than the type that had been admired up past the turn of the nineteenth century.
And, as others have said, there's nearly always someone rich to "rescue" her characters from a fate where they're actually doing pretty well on their own. I think there is a sense where she subconsciously wanted to have a Christ character who takes the main characters to heaven in the end but for me much of the appeal of her books is seeing her characters cope with difficult situations with style and grace, and watching them improve their own lives and the lives of others through service.
But, for all my gripes, GLH's books have been comfort reads for me since I read my first one when I was twelve or thirteen, and this one ticks a lot of my check list. Her prose is workmanlike and her plots either predictable or chaotic (she was a "seat of the pants" sort of writer, and when her editors weren't on the ball things could get wonky), but if you like where she's at, she provides a sense of satisfaction few others offer.
October 5, 2017
I love Grace Livingston Hill's books, mainly because she writes from a different era. Though the publishers tried to update her books by putting a 70's picture on the front, her stories are still set in the classic Grace Livingston Hill time period, the 30's and 40's. This was a time in our history where life had rules, there was a distinct right and wrong, and classes of people were defined differently than today. Not that it was better, it was just different; unlike our world today where everything is relative to our feelings. The Bible played a major part in people's lives, but the sins of today were going on then too.
Grace Livingston Hill's books always have a beautiful and exciting love story, one where Christians and non-Christians lives collide. I read her books to my 97 year old mother-in-law, Anna, and she relates in a different way than me. I am awed by the way people lived in that time period, and she actually lived in the 30's. When Grace describes clothing of the day, Anna remembers having a dress made out of that material. If I don't understand an idiom of that day, Anna explains it to me. These are wonderful books to share with an older friend or relative. You can read them aloud and not worry that people listening will be shocked by any passages. Instead they will be encouraged.
Grace Livingston Hill's books always have a beautiful and exciting love story, one where Christians and non-Christians lives collide. I read her books to my 97 year old mother-in-law, Anna, and she relates in a different way than me. I am awed by the way people lived in that time period, and she actually lived in the 30's. When Grace describes clothing of the day, Anna remembers having a dress made out of that material. If I don't understand an idiom of that day, Anna explains it to me. These are wonderful books to share with an older friend or relative. You can read them aloud and not worry that people listening will be shocked by any passages. Instead they will be encouraged.
September 26, 2024
What's the same about this book:
The father dies, he was an amazing man who amassed a tidy fortune, but then the bank goes broke and all is lost, so the family is thrown into poverty, and must leave society behind.
What's different about this book:
They end up in the slums, a still in the garage, vagrants living in the barn, gangs watching their house, a deadbeat tailing the girl to work, the son becomes a police officer (!!).
What makes no sense in this book:
They 'fix up' the derelict house by adding the chicken coop on as the new kitchen. That's not how renovations have *EVER* worked. There's absolutely no way that could happen. In any world.
What I hated about the book:
I don't believe in 'deathbed salvation'. And GLH has a lot of them. They aggravate me. James 2 says that faith without works is dead, and frankly you can't be obedient to God/works as you're passing from the earth. Even the thieves on the cross - yes, they did something illegal, but their whole lives they kept Torah, so there *were* works for them to hold up, alongside of faith.
What I liked about the book:
The little mother starting her own business. The two boys, taking care of both Rilla and mother. The fact that they never 'magically' got their money back. But really there wasn't much for romance, so it wasn't my favorite.
The father dies, he was an amazing man who amassed a tidy fortune, but then the bank goes broke and all is lost, so the family is thrown into poverty, and must leave society behind.
What's different about this book:
They end up in the slums, a still in the garage, vagrants living in the barn, gangs watching their house, a deadbeat tailing the girl to work, the son becomes a police officer (!!).
What makes no sense in this book:
They 'fix up' the derelict house by adding the chicken coop on as the new kitchen. That's not how renovations have *EVER* worked. There's absolutely no way that could happen. In any world.
What I hated about the book:
I don't believe in 'deathbed salvation'. And GLH has a lot of them. They aggravate me. James 2 says that faith without works is dead, and frankly you can't be obedient to God/works as you're passing from the earth. Even the thieves on the cross - yes, they did something illegal, but their whole lives they kept Torah, so there *were* works for them to hold up, alongside of faith.
What I liked about the book:
The little mother starting her own business. The two boys, taking care of both Rilla and mother. The fact that they never 'magically' got their money back. But really there wasn't much for romance, so it wasn't my favorite.
December 27, 2025
Grace Livingston Hill's books are my comfort reads. While some of her books are more intense than others, I still know they are going to end out all right. April Gold is not one of the intense ones; nor is it one of her "fairy tale/knight-in-shining-armor" romances. It falls in the "family unity among hard times" with a romantic undercurrent and dash of intensity. One reviewer considers this a Christmas Hill book, which is why I read it around this time. Christmas does happen, but it is not the main focus (the title might give you a hint it isn't!).
One complaint if possibly the only complaint I have of Hill's writing is that she often lingers on the antagonists too much for my liking. In this book, I understand why she focused on the antagonist so as to give him character development/redemption, but I wasn't interested enough to read his perspective that spans several pages. Also, it bothered me that the family viewed a policeman as a lowly job.
It doesn't stand out as one of my favorites, but it is still a good Hill read.
One complaint if possibly the only complaint I have of Hill's writing is that she often lingers on the antagonists too much for my liking. In this book, I understand why she focused on the antagonist so as to give him character development/redemption, but I wasn't interested enough to read his perspective that spans several pages. Also, it bothered me that the family viewed a policeman as a lowly job.
It doesn't stand out as one of my favorites, but it is still a good Hill read.
November 23, 2020
Grace Livingston Hill's books are okay for affordable, clean and uplifting books to read during long wakeful nights, but I do wish she would have had more books in which the poor girl is saved by the rich guy. Seriously. Even the books where her heroine is down on her luck and does an admirable job of being content in a shabby house, it still ends with her being carried of by a rich dude.
Still, the stories are sweet and well written. So we read on and stay awake when needed ;)
Still, the stories are sweet and well written. So we read on and stay awake when needed ;)
April 24, 2022
Living witness
April Gold is an appropriate name for the blooming forsythia and daffodils of spring. The story illustrates how God uses situations that we consider bad for His purposes. We don't always understand why something bad happens in human terms, but in heavenly terms all things work for good according to God's Holy purposes.
April Gold is an appropriate name for the blooming forsythia and daffodils of spring. The story illustrates how God uses situations that we consider bad for His purposes. We don't always understand why something bad happens in human terms, but in heavenly terms all things work for good according to God's Holy purposes.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 44 reviews