SUMMARY:
LIFE IN THIS NEW WORLD
REQUIRES MORE STRENGTH
THAN SHE EVER IMAGINED.
After the death of her client, midwife Julianne Chevalier is imprisoned and branded, marking her as a criminal beyond redemption. Hoping to reunite with her brother, a soldier, she trades her life sentence for exile to the fledgling French colony of Louisiana. The price of her transport, however, is a forced marriage to a fellow convict.
New Orleans is nothing like Julianne expects. The settlement is steeped in mud and mosquitoes, and there is no news of her brother, Benjamin. When tragedy strikes, she turns to military officer Marc-Paul Girand for help, but does he know more about her brother than he will admit?
With her dreams shattered, Julianne must find her way in this dangerous land, where only grace - and love - can overcome the stigma of the king's mark upon her shoulder.
REVIEW: In Jocelyn Green's book, The Mark of the King, the author portrays the difficulty of life in the new Louisiana Territory, especially for a woman who was wrongly convicted of murder. Forced into a marriage she didn't want, then having to prove herself over and over again, Julianne doesn't let her difficulties bring her down but does her best to help those around her and make the best of seemingly endless bad situations. I like how the author portrays Julianne's strength without making her too independent, choosing to see the best in everyone and doing what she can to make her forced marriage one of tenderness and respect. She learns to embrace the brand she wears on her shoulder (marking her as a criminal beyond redemption) as a sign marking her a cherished child of God's grace as it brings her closer to the ones she loves.
The story is well written and kept my attention. There is just enough action to keep the story moving without bogging it down in details. There are also twists and turns I saw coming and quite a few I didn't and enjoyed. The author does use a lot of French words and phrases without explaining what they are in the dialog or in the setting. Having a French dictionary or translating app is really helpful as it helps the reader fully comprehend what is being referred to and gives the reader the full effect of what the author intended. I really enjoyed this book and look forward to reading more by Jocelyn Green.
Jocelyn Green inspires faith and courage as the award-winning author of numerous fiction and nonfiction books, including Wedded to War, a Christy Award finalist in 2013, and The 5 Love Languages Military Edition, which she coauthored with bestselling author Dr. Gary Chapman. Jocelyn lives with her husband and two children in Iowa. Visit her at www.jocelyngreen.com.
The story is well written and kept my attention. There is just enough action to keep the story moving without bogging it down in details. There are also twists and turns I saw coming and quite a few I didn't and enjoyed. The author does use a lot of French words and phrases without explaining what they are in the dialog or in the setting. Having a French dictionary or translating app is really helpful as it helps the reader fully comprehend what is being referred to and gives the reader the full effect of what the author intended. I really enjoyed this book and look forward to reading more by Jocelyn Green.
This book was provided by Bethany House for review without any compensation.
Jocelyn Green inspires faith and courage as the award-winning author of numerous fiction and nonfiction books, including Wedded to War, a Christy Award finalist in 2013, and The 5 Love Languages Military Edition, which she coauthored with bestselling author Dr. Gary Chapman. Jocelyn lives with her husband and two children in Iowa. Visit her at www.jocelyngreen.com.
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