A Refuge Assured

by Jocelyn Green

Lacemaker Vivienne Rivard never imagined her craft could threaten her life. Yet in revolutionary France, it is a death sentence when the nobility, and those associated with them, are forced to the guillotine. Vivienne flees to Philadelphia but finds the same dangers lurking in the French Quarter, as revolutionary sympathizers threaten the life of a young boy left in her care, who some suspect to be the Dauphin. Can the French settlement, Azilum, offer permanent refuge?

Militiaman Liam Delaney proudly served in the American Revolution, but now that the new government has imposed an oppressive tax that impacts his family, he barely recognizes the democracy he fought for. He wants only to cultivate the land of his hard-won farm near Azilum, but soon finds himself drawn into the escalating tension of the Whiskey Rebellion. When he meets a beautiful young Frenchwoman recently arrived from Paris, they will be drawn together in surprising ways to fight for the peace and safety for which they long.

• ISBN10: 0764219073
• ISBN13: 9780764219078
• Publish Date: 6 February 2018
• Publish Status: Active
• Publish Country: US
• Publisher: Baker Publishing Group
• Imprint: Bethany House Publishers, a division of Baker Publishing Group
• Format: Paperback
• Pages: 414
• Language: English

Reviews

[phyllish]

I am grateful to Bethany House Publishers for giving me a copy of this book. The fact I received this book for free does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

I was drawn in by A Refuge Assured from the very start, and my interest did not wane at all through the entire book.  The writing style was very engaging, the story enthralling and the characters were very likable.

The story was filled with people who weren't what they seemed.  Not knowing who was friend or foe added to the interest.  And then there was Henri, the orphaned boy Vivienne ended up caring for.  Was he the son of Marie Antoinette or not?

While I enjoyed Liam and Vivienne and the way they were portrayed, my favorite was Henri.  The author did such an amazing job in writing his character.  The sections of the book that conveyed his thoughts and emotions were masterfully done so that you really felt like it was an 8-year-old boy relating them.  My favorite scene for that was when he was at the farm and going around trying to conquer his boredom.

While I have read books and seen movies that deal with the French Revolution, I have only been vaguely aware that there even was such a thing as the Whiskey Rebellion.  It was fascinating to learn about this time in my country's history. As these were dark and gruesome days, there were some elements in this story that was as well, however, the overall tone and mood of the story were hopeful and faith-filled.

The author's notes at the end of the book mention that there is a tie between this story and The Lacemaker by Laura Franz other than just that the main characters made lace.  I didn't make the connection as I read, but maybe you will.

This review was originally posted on Among the Reads