Rating: 
Summary: CAN'T WAIT TO READ BOOK TWO!
Review: What a novel! It has everything! Love, great conflict, good vs. evil! The Thoenes have done it again! Not to mention the fact that now the whole family is writing! I just read Heart of Allegience, the latest novel by Jake and Luke Thoene, and I have to say that the sons write every bit as powerfully as their famous parents! The torch of great historical fiction has been passed to the next generation! Congrats to the Thoenes on their great novels in the Galway Chronicles and big congratulations on two sons who write so beautifully! I'm reading the books by Jake and Luke and passing their Baker Street and Last Chance Detectives kids books on to my kids. Keep it up!What we have found in our house is that the Thoene name means good, exciting, meaningful fiction.I'm reading all the Thoenes!
Rating:
Summary: Different Setting, Same Great Writing
Review: When Joseph Connor Burke returned to the small Irish village of Ballynockanor, he only expected to stay a few months. Just long enough to put the past and his stolen inheritance behind him. But as he gets reacquainted with his neighbors, he finds himself drawn into their struggles against Protestants in general and his uncle in particular. Is there a way to reclaim what is rightfully his? Is the priesthood his true calling? And what about his feelings for Kate?The Thoenes went in an unexpected direction when they started this series. Up til now, they'd been writing about Israel and America. For that reason, I've put off starting this series, even though I've heard such good thing about it. Boy, was that a mistake! I know very little about Irish history. In this one book, I learned so much that helps me understand the current struggles. Yet, as always, the history is wrapped in a wonderful story with very real characters. While I figured a few things out before they happened, most of the time I was unsure what would happen next and had a hard time putting the book down as a result. As always, the Thoenes develop their characters well and I felt myself getting angry on their behalf on more then one occasion. I'm already planning my next trip to Ballynockanor for the next chapter in this sage. Any fan of the Thoenes or anyone wanting some fictitious background on Ireland will love this book.
Rating:
Summary: Different Setting, Same Great Writing
Review: When Joseph Connor Burke returned to the small Irish village of Ballynockanor, he only expected to stay a few months. Just long enough to put the past and his stolen inheritance behind him. But as he gets reacquainted with his neighbors, he finds himself drawn into their struggles against Protestants in general and his uncle in particular. Is there a way to reclaim what is rightfully his? Is the priesthood his true calling? And what about his feelings for Kate? The Thoenes went in an unexpected direction when they started this series. Up til now, they'd been writing about Israel and America. For that reason, I've put off starting this series, even though I've heard such good thing about it. Boy, was that a mistake! I know very little about Irish history. In this one book, I learned so much that helps me understand the current struggles. Yet, as always, the history is wrapped in a wonderful story with very real characters. While I figured a few things out before they happened, most of the time I was unsure what would happen next and had a hard time putting the book down as a result. As always, the Thoenes develop their characters well and I felt myself getting angry on their behalf on more then one occasion. I'm already planning my next trip to Ballynockanor for the next chapter in this sage. Any fan of the Thoenes or anyone wanting some fictitious background on Ireland will love this book.
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