Sunday, July 6, 2014

Captured by Love by Jody Hedlund (Review & Giveaway)

About the book: Michigan Territory, 1814

A voyageur and a young woman swept up in a time of upheaval and danger discover firsthand the high price of freedom.



The British Army has taken control of Michilimackinac Island and its fort, forcing the Americans to swear an oath of loyalty to the crown in order to retain their land. Pierre Durant is a fur trader who returns after being away from the island for years, only to find the family farm a shambles and those he cares about starving and at the mercy of British invaders.

Torn between the adventurous life of fur trading and guilt over neglecting his defenseless mother, Pierre is drawn deeper into the fight against the British--and into a relationship with Angelique MacKenzie, a childhood friend who's grown into a beautiful woman. She now finds herself trapped by the circumstances of war and poverty, and the cruelty of her guardian, Ebenezer Whiley.

As tensions mount and the violence rages on, Pierre and Angelique must decide where their loyalties rest and how much they'll risk for love.

My thoughts:  Jody Hedlund has captured our attention and the essence of life during the turmoil of the War of 1812 as it impacted the area between America, specifically the Michigan area, and Canada. The opposing forces of the British and American armies and involvement of the Native American Indians vying for control of the island of Michilimackinac is realistically portrayed. The residents of the island, though American, were under the control of the British army.  Food supplies were scarce to the point of near starvation. The fur traders and Indians had returned from their forays to summer on the Island. Though under British control, the American army was close and an encounter was inevitable.

The story of Captured By Love revolves around a young lady, Angelique, whose stepfather, Ebenezer, imposes unbearable restraints on her and punishes her unfairly and cruelly for small infractions. 

The poverty and social stress are dramatically portrayed by the characters and the settings drawn from the pen of Jody Hedlund. She has drawn upon her historical research of the area and period and captured it vividly. There is a sad love triangle that seems to be unsolvable. It involves unmarried brothers and Angelique. It is chaste and sweet and involves circumstances and seeking for the true will of God.

This is another of Ms. Hedlund’s good reads and one I can recommend.
This work of fiction took place during the War of 1812 which many categorize as America's Second War for Independence. If you're a history buff as I am, you might want to read a bit. Why not start with this?  Click here. Those of us here in the South traditionally relate to this period of history as it impacted the Southern states. Captured By Love is situated in the Michigan/Lower Canada area and you can see how the armies and peoples of that area were impacted.

GIVEAWAY: Jody Hedlund, author, has graciously provided a copy of Captured By Love for one of Chat With Vera's readers to win. Use the Rafflecopter form below to enter. Begins July 6 & ENDS July 28 @ 12:01 a.m. EDT. Open for USA addresses only.
About the author: Jody Hedlund is the bestselling author of The Doctor's Lady and The Preacher's Bride. She won the 2011 Inspirational Reader's Choice Award, the 2011 Award of Excellence from the Colorado Romance Writers and was a finalist for Best Debut Novel in the 2011 ACFW Carol Awards. Currently she makes her home in central Michigan with her husband and five busy children. She loves hearing from readers on Facebook and on her blog at JodyHedlund.com. or Twitter

DISCLOSURE:  I received a complimentary copy of Captured By Love from the author in exchange for my review. Opinions and insights are solely my own. I received no compensation for this review. The giveaway copy is also provided by the author and will be sent directly to the winner by the author or publisher.

24 comments:

  1. Hello Vera. This sounds very good and being Jody's it is sure to be. I especially love the WW ll books because this is where my oldest brother, some brother-in-laws, many other family and many friends went to serve. All returned except two family friends. I remember this war well tho young. Maxie Anderson ( mac262(at)me(dot)com )

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  2. If I were an American captured by the British in 1812 I think I would have had a hard time coping with it.

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  3. If that were my situation I don't think it would be easy, but somehow I would do my best to cope. I know my mom made it in WWII in the Russian camps. So if she can, I could somehow, as well.

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  4. Hello Vera, thank you for sharing and a chance to win a copy of Jody's book. War is difficult during any time or place but with a strong faith in God you learn to cope and do what you need to do. I know it would be hard! ~ Blessings ~ lisastifler(at)yahoo(dot)com

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  5. My favorite time period to read about is the Civil War. There is so much to learn.

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  6. I would have a difficult time being captured by anyone let alone the British. Ü

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  7. I think I would be very careful and yet loyal to America. I hope! :)

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  8. I've always been fascinated by the mid 1800's and the settling of the West.

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  9. How fun! If I was living where the British occupied America, I think that I would try to cope as well as I could. It might be hard due to the war, but I think that I would try my best to live at peace with them. ;)

    I love reading about all time periods in American history! The Revolutionary War is very interesting, and lately I've had an interest in the Civil War as well. Oh, and the WWI and WWII are fascinating too! I'm always up for learning something new about a different time period. =)

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  10. If I lived on an island captured by the British....I don't know exactly how I would cope. I think I could only hope that God would get me through it. I'd keep my head down and just try to live as unnoticed as possible.

    I think that my favorite time period in history would have to be the 40's. There's something about the years during ww2 that really show how America could come together as a unit. Although, I do think we sometimes romanticize those years, there is something wholesome about the homefront and seeing how we supported our troops back then.

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  11. I enjoy the World War I and II periods. Life for the everyday person changed significantly during these years which shaped America to what it is today.
    Thank you for this giveaway!

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  12. Thanks for sharing this book Vera! Jody has some great books out there, I especially enjoyed The Doctor's Lady. Love how she incorporates real people and events into many of her books.
    As for living on an island occupied by the British, it's hard to know! I think in difficult situations like that we just do our best to get through it.

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  13. I guess I would cope by making the best of the situation and trying to stay safe! My favorite time period in US history to read about is 1800's western pioneers since I'm fascinated by how hard they worked to survive.

    http://heidi-reads.blogspot.com

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  14. It's one thing to read about war in books, but to live through it, I can't even imagine. I am sure I would be praying and reading my Bible a lot. God is my strength and he would see me through it.

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  15. I'm more in to time periods such as the Regency era than actual history. My husband is the history buff in our family.

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  16. Living with captors would be scary but I would hope that prayer and family would help me cope.

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  17. The time in US history that I am most interested in, is when pioneers headed west. It intrigues me that people could give up ever seeing family and friends again to eek a living out on their own homestead. It must have been mostly men making this decision. I can't imagine women wanting to take those risks.

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  18. Jody is such a talented author! I have yet to hear anyone who DIDN'T like this one! Thanks for sharing at Booknificent Thursday!

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  19. I realized how little I knew about the War of 1812 when I taught it to my daughters this year in our homeschool. This book looks great! Thanks for sharing it at Booknificent Thursday! Be sure to check out the giveaway this week!
    Tina

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  20. I would have hid as long as I could and I would try to find a way off of the island.
    heather hgtempaddy@hotmail.com

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  21. I love historical fiction novels - and Jody's are my favorite because they are like mini history lessons :) My favorite time period in the US was when they were still settling and exploring the west.

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  22. I would have a hard time coping, & I love WWII history!

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  23. Oh my goodness! I can't imagine how I would cope. My life has been so different. Living in American during this age has not really prepared me for such an experience.

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  24. I minored in history in college and taught high school US History. I am interested in all periods, but the colonial period might be my favorite at the present time.

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