"The Mark of the King"

by Jocelyn Green!

Description

Sweeping Historical Fiction Set at the Edge of the Continent

After being imprisoned and branded for the death of her client, twenty-five-year-old midwife Julianne Chevalier trades her life sentence for exile to the fledgling 1720s French colony of Louisiana, where she hopes to be reunited with her brother, serving there as a soldier. To make the journey, though, women must be married, and Julianne is forced to wed a fellow convict.

When they arrive in New Orleans, there is no news of Benjamin, Julianne's brother, and searching for answers proves dangerous. What is behind the mystery, and does military officer Marc-Paul Girard know more than he is letting on?

With her dreams of a new life shattered, Julianne must find her way in this dangerous, rugged land, despite never being able to escape the king's mark on her shoulder that brands her a criminal beyond redemption. 

Biography

Jocelyn Green is a former journalist who puts her investigative skills to work in writing both nonfiction and historical fiction to inspire faith and courage.

Her books have finaled in the Christy Awards and Inspirational Readers Choice Awards, and have won gold from the Military Writers Society of America and the Advanced Writers and Speakers Association.

Jocelyn loves Broadway musicals, the color red, Toblerone chocolate bars, Mexican food, and well-done documentaries. She lives in Iowa with her husband, two children, and two cats she should have named Catticus Finch and Purrman Meowville.

Visit her at jocelyngreen.com, and receive a free gift when joining her e-newsletter mailing list at jocelyngreen.com/subscribe.


My Thoughts ~

Julianne Chevalier's life was in shreds. Convicted for a crime that she didn't commit, she was arrested and branded with the mark of the King of France. Forced to marry and travel to Louisianna with orders to help develop a colony resulted in near hopeless conditions. As a midwife she was scrupulous, but loneliness and adversity were her constant companions. Her brand induced recurring horrors.

I loved Julianne's character, a strong, capable young woman whose sensitivity and fortitude accompanied her through struggles in a new world where the unknown was a perpetual threat. The numerous other characters throughout the book are well defined and credible as well. Growth in faith and redemption are important aspects.

Descriptive elements throughout this book are brilliant, as pictorial as an artist's creation. Ex: "Bright green feathers seemed to sprout from the tips of their branches. Their limbs were hung with pale grey tendrils that swayed in the wind like witches' hair." The author portrays eloquent visions of the most mundane objects. The book flows in a poetic manner. Ex: "Spring rain drove into the ground like arrows, pockmarking the mud and stippling puddles." This detailing is so impressive. I savored every page of this book. 

Ms. Green has done a great deal of research regarding the historical details throughout this book. Steeped in facts, The Mark of the King is realistic fiction. The documentation and detailing of the subject matter is brilliant! I will be reading this book again. I don't say that about many books, but there are a few that are worthy of experiencing more than once, and this is a winner.

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from Bethany House with no expectations for a positive review. All expressed opinions are my own.