Love's First Bloom

We're back from our fabulous mini-break to New York!  We met Mumsy at the airport and helped her complete her five items on her "New York Must Do" list between Thursday and Saturday before we attended the astronomically brilliant wedding of my lifelong childhood friend Laina.  Seriously, we met the first day of seventh grade.  And she was wearing pink overalls, for which we still poke fun at her.  Pictures, stories, and more details are forthcoming, so calm down a bit (Tracie, I'm talking to you specifically here).

We had a 6:00 am flight out of Laguardia today, and after a few minor mishaps (thank you Gypsy cab for taking us to the wrong terminal at 4:45 in the morning), we made it back to Louisville to the smiling faces of our good friends the Pascarellas who drove us home.  Fortunately, we walked in our door by 11:30 in the morning; unfortunately, I decided against taking a nap and instead opened the box of books waiting for me.  Bethany House sent me more of those cheesy historical fiction books, and the timing was impeccable since my brain was not functioning at its highest level after only acquiring approximately three hours of sleep the night before and riding the emotional roller coaster of watching one of my best friends marry the love of her life while getting to see some amazing 'family' (I am obsessed with Laina's family) and friends (No No and Jenny Mac, to be specific).

Love's First Bloom tells the story of Ruth Livingstone, the daughter of a minister in New York.  Ruth's father leads a controversial ministry reaching out to the 'fallen angels' of the city.  He visits brothels and tries to encourage the women to leave their lifestyle of prostitution; though he had many partners and supporters in this ministry, there were also many people who spoke against his activities.  When the Reverend is accused of murdering one of the young women whom he tried to help, he sends his daughter away to a nearby village and places a young child- the child of the murdered woman- in her arms.  Ruth must live the lie that she is Ruth Malloy, a widow who sought help from distant family in the small town in New Jersey.  As the suspense and drama of her father's trial heightens to a pitch, Ruth realizes that several reporters are diligently searching for her in order to determine the truth behind her disappearance.  All the while, Ruth must maintain her identity as the widow and hope her father is acquitted and can send for her soon.

Of course, this book is typical no-brainer read, but I did like the fact that Delia Parr drew attention to the issue of prostitution and ministering to those who are 'fallen' in the eyes of society and the world.  The book has a solid foundation of faith, and it is really much more than a sappy love story; in fact, I though the love story played a very minor role.  The book deals with issues in parenting, forgiveness, and the need to strive for truthfulness.  I read the book in one day- even running on my extreme lack sleep- and still enjoyed the story.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Behtny House Publishers as part of their Blogger Review Program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commision's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."