Love's Pursuit

I was very disappointed in the ending of this book. While I enjoyed the beginning and descriptions of the Purtian culture, the ending just ruined it for me. This is a tragedy story, not a romance. Somewhat scattered and at times hard to follow. After (spoiler alert!!!) killing off the main live intrest for no reason, I just skimmed to the end. I don't usually do this, but I'm just throwing this book away.

For all the talk these days about author branding, Siri Mitchell bucks the trend. Chick-lit. Women's Fiction. Historical fiction. A little of each. Tragedy. Comedy. Unexpected endings or expected ones. You just never quite know what to expect next. But after reading Love's Pursuit, I'm certain of Siri's "brand"...an extraordinary read.

From the back cover: In Stoneybrooke, Massachusetts, Susannah Phillips obeys the rules. Dress the right way. Believe the right things. Live the right life. But when love interferes, she faces a choice: Follow the rules or follow her heart. I wanted to include the back cover of the book for this review because it really summarizes this story without giving anything away. I felt my summary would not have done this story justice. I must admit it took me a little while to warm up to this book. That is probably because of some reviews I read before I started reading. Some readers had problems with the book's ending, so I went into the book with fairly low expectations. I don't know what book some of these readers read because Love's Pursuit is fantastic, in every way. Susannah is living in a Puritan colony in the 1640's. The living is hard, the rules are rigid and Susannah feels she is not good enough and certainly not worthy of God's love. She could not be more wrong and the journey life takes her on helps her to understand that. There is not a single woman, even in today's society, who won't be able to relate to Susannah in some way. Love's Pursuit is inspiring and filled with hope. Historical fiction fans will love this book because Siri Mitchell has not left out a single detail about the Puritan lifestyle. I am very impressed with the amount of research the author has done while writing this book. I loved this book and I recommend it very highly. Just read it, you will love it!

First off, I've always found the time period Love's Pursuit is set during to be very interesting so was instantly excited about that. Ever since the success of Beverly Lewis' books, most of the inspirational fiction that's been coming out lately is about the Amish so it's refreshing to read about another religious sect. I had just read A Constant Heart-by Siri-thought it was excellent, and was looking for another great novel to follow in its footsteps. Well, I saw Love's Pursuit in the store and picked it up hoping it would be just as good as the previous book. I wasn't disappointed. I really love the way Siri got into the character's heads and brought out the emotions of how they could/would have felt during that era. Being able to hear the vivid thoughts of Susannah and Small Hope made the contrast of their simple lifestyles, plain dress, and expectations of "proper behavior" all the more stark. It made you feel their sense of confinement, frustration, and need to break free but without knowing how. They reminded me of caged birds, locked in prisons of self loathing and guilt wanting to be let out, yet afraid of the consequences. I thought the parallels of grace and Christ-like sacrifice were well emphasized and only added to the richness of the story. My heart ached for Susannah toward the end as she finally realizes her own efforts will never be enough to earn God's love and favor, nor do they need to be. The physical and spiritual love story between Susannah, Daniel, and ultimately God brought me to tears...it was beautiful. I won't spoil the ending for anyone but it was truly thought provoking. Maybe not the conclusion readers were expecting-or hoping for-but it tied the story together amazingly well and left a lasting impact. As Susannah finds, we don't always get the things we want or think we need to be happy. That's how I felt when I read the last page and closed the book. I sat reflecting, feeling some sadness that the ending hadn't been the "happily ever after" I wanted. But it was realistic of how life really is and I appreciate that Siri was brave enough to challenge readers expectations and write honestly. It was quite refreshing to read something with a level of maturity and emotional authenticity rarely seen in most Christian novels to date. This story has some real "meat" to it, something that will stick to your heart long after wards. When I invest time in a book I want to come away more knowledgeable having learned something, having grown as a person. And after reading Love's Pursuit I know that I have. Thank you Siri Mitchell...I'm really looking forward to your next story. Hurry and write another one!

FINALLY! A book about the Puritans that doesn't involve the Salem Witch Trials! I was so relieved after finishing this book that the subject wasn't even brought up. I just feel like it's just become a stereotype of the Puritans to always include in in every book about that. It was so refreshing to have it not mentioned at all. There were hints of how and why it happened as from the reactions and personalities of the people. However it was just nice to have a different change of topic for these people. The book also gives a great insight into Puritan culture without focusing too heavily on the religious aspect. There's not a lot of doctrine or Biblical rules that one sees in other literature about Puritans. It was also nice to see that famous people were not included in this story, as it gives historical folks a rest from having that dreaded cameo. I wanted to cry when reading both Susannah and Small Hope's stories. They are both very tragic and just heartbreaking. The story made me mad that this man had so much power over an entire town and no one could do anything about it. However, this story is a wonderful allegory about a savior. I don't want to spoil anything else but that's really what it's about. The biggest complaint that I have seen so far about the book is that the beginning of the book is difficult to get into and the switching of first person narrators is confusing. I agree with both of these as I found it hard to get into the book at first. It's a bit dry until a few chapters in. Also it's very confusing with no indication of who is narrating at the moment. When the narration first switches from Susannah to Small Hope, I had no idea that a change had taken places until I realized that Susannah was being talked about. Other than this, this truly was an enjoyable book to read. I really like the different perspectives and thoughts given in this novel and it really helped me to understand the Puritans more. This book gives a lot to think about later. HIGHLY recommended. One more note: I've seen this book classified as an Amish book purely because the girl on the cover looks like she's wearing a kapp. This is NOT an Amish book.

"Love's Pursuit" is filled with emotion--lives intertwining, beliefs being challenged, dreams being pursued and yes, even hearts being broken. Siri Mitchell beautifully captures life in Stoneybrooke Towne in the 1640s: the strict religious beliefs, the daily life--and raises the question "What happens if someone wants something more, something different?" While I loved the characters of Susannah and Daniel, I was equally intrigued by Small-hope. And even though the book's ending was not the one I imagined, it was the right ending for the book. Siri Mitchell is a gifted writer.