Violette Between & The Meaning of Night

It's a cold mix of rain and wind today, and supposed to turn into snow by tonight. It's seems a little early for snow; I hope it's not an indication of the winter to come, but if it is, I'm certainly glad we're moving! Today's one of those days you just want to grab a good book and tuck into bed until it's over. I'm reading Walter Isaacson's Benjamin Franklin, fascinating stuff. I think it's interesting that one of our Revolutionary Fathers who is considered to be the epitome of America spent nearly a third of his life on foreign soil and had little inclination to return home.

The Christian Fiction Blogger's Alliance is starting its blog tour today for Violette Between. Make sure you check it out!

Violette Between by Alison Strobel is the story of a woman given the chance to relive her past and the choice whether to stay within it or move forward to the future. Violette has suffered the loss of her beloved husband Saul, and her new relationship with Christian is rocky, so her choice is not an easy one. Strobel puts forth an intriguing question and handles it remarkably well. The narration switches between Violette and Christian, and the technique works well to convey the depth of emotion within each character. Strobel also stays true to Christian fiction, working in conversion experiences for both characters that seem natural. The theme of trusting God in all things is a hard lesson to learn, but a vital one.


The Meaning of Night: A Confession by Michael Cox is a book I didn’t want to like. At nearly 700 pages, I was hoping that the first few chapters would not catch my interest so I could return it to the library. Fortunately or unfortunately depending on how you look at it, the book grabbed me and didn’t let me loose until the last page. Edward Glyver, the narrator, begins his tale by confessing to the murder of a complete stranger and then tumbles the reader back through time to explain himself before propelling the reader forward again to the inevitable conclusion. The streets of Victorian London come alive under Cox’s descriptions, and Evenwood, the country estate of Glyver’s rival, is also beautifully described. The frequent footnotes by the “author” are an interesting addition along the lines of Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell, adding a note of realism to the fiction within. It’s hard to know what it true within the story, because of Glyver’s unstable character, but it’s fascinating reading, and impossible to put down. The final scene between Edward and Emily is spectacularly cinematic. Cox writes with strong visuals. It’s a captivating mix of a Edgar Allen Poe mystery with Jane Austen dialogue. This is great literature at its best.


If you can, grab one of these books and hide from the world for the rest of the day!