About the Book
Book: Shine Like the Dawn
Author: Carrie Turansky
Genre: Historical
In a quiet corner of northern Edwardian England, Margaret Lounsbury diligently works in her grandmother’s millinery shop, making hats and caring for her young sister. Several years earlier, a terrible tragedy reshaped their family, shattering an idyllic life and their future prospects. But Maggie is resilient and will do what she must to protect her sister Violet. Still, the loss of her parents weighs heavily on her heart and she begins to wonder if what happened that day on the lake…might not have been an accident.
When wealthy inventor and industrialist William Harcourt dies, his son Nathaniel, who is Maggie’s estranged childhood friend, returns from his time in the Royal Navy and inherits his father’s vast estate, Morningside Manor. He also assumes partial control of his father’s engineering company and the duty of repaying an old debt to the Lounsbury family. But years of separation between Nate and Maggie have taken a toll and Maggie struggles to trust her old friend.
Can Maggie let go of the resentment that keeps her from forgiving Nate—and reconciling with God? Will their search for the truth about her parents’ death draw them closer or will it leave them both with broken hearts?
My Thoughts
I really liked Nate and his desire to follow God and do what was the right thing to do even if others around him pressured him not to. I liked Maggie, too, but was a little perturbed with her and her stubbornness to see that Nate didn't abandon her when her parents died. I really didn't like Mrs. Harcourt, but I suspect it was meant that you wouldn't! I found the book to be easy to read and it flowed well. I still wished I could read faster so I could find out what was going to happen. The book is written in third person point of view and it is written from the view points of Nathaniel Harcourt, Maggie Lounsbury, and Lilly Neatherton. Besides the main romance between Maggie and Nate, there is a couple of side stories which include Lilly's love story and the mystery about what really happened to cause the boat to sink which killed Maggie's parents and sister. I really liked the faith thread woven through the book and how things worked out in the end.
About the Author
CARRIE TURANSKY is an award-winning author of more than a dozen novels and novellas. She has been the winner of the ACFW Carol Award, the Crystal Globe Award, and the International Digital Award, and a finalist for the Inspirational Readers Choice Award and the Maggie Award of Excellence. A prolific writer of contemporary and historical romance, women’s fiction, short stories, articles, and devotionals, Carrie lives in central New Jersey with her husband Scott. They have five adult children and four grandchildren.Guest Post from Carrie Turansky
Hats, Glorious Hats!
By Carrie Turansky
One fun part of my research for Shine Like the Dawn was learning about hat making in the early 1900s. My heroine, Maggie Lounsbury is a milliner who designs women’s hats. She learned this skill from her grandmother who owns a small shop in the village of Heatherton. Maggie has an artistic eye and she enjoys making stylish hats, but she doesn’t like the overdone designs some of their customers request, so that creates some humorous conflict in the story.
Hats in the Edwa
rdian era were large and often covered with feathers, flowers, lace, netting, berries and bows. The “bird nests,” as Coco Chanel called them, were held on with large hat pins stuck through piles of hair on the crown. These hats were called Gainsborough or Picture hats because of the way they framed a lady’s face. They often featured huge dried flower arrangements and sometimes included real leaves and twigs! No doubt the Garden hat was a fitting name.
1907 The Merry Window hat became very popular after the leading lady in the play by that same name wore a hat that was even taller and wider than usual. Some people complained these hats were too big and obtrusive in public places like the theater or picture shows. But English women loved them and wore them to all kinds of events.
rdian era were large and often covered with feathers, flowers, lace, netting, berries and bows. The “bird nests,” as Coco Chanel called them, were held on with large hat pins stuck through piles of hair on the crown. These hats were called Gainsborough or Picture hats because of the way they framed a lady’s face. They often featured huge dried flower arrangements and sometimes included real leaves and twigs! No doubt the Garden hat was a fitting name.1907 The Merry Window hat became very popular after the leading lady in the play by that same name wore a hat that was even taller and wider than usual. Some people complained these hats were too big and obtrusive in public places like the theater or picture shows. But English women loved them and wore them to all kinds of events.
The popularity of using large feathers and stuffed birds on hats caused concern for the welfare of birds. Many protective laws took effect and milliners had to use more ribbon and tulle and only large ostrich feathers to decorate hats. Those ostrich feathers came from birds that were raised on farms and their feathers were collected as they fell out naturally.
The movement toward smaller hats began around 1913 when hats still had high crowns but smaller brims. Straw boaters, small top hats, and mini versions of picture hats were very common.
The movement toward smaller hats began around 1913 when hats still had high crowns but smaller brims. Straw boaters, small top hats, and mini versions of picture hats were very common.
Motion pictures had the greatest influence on Edwardian hat fashion. After the release of The Three Musketeers many ladies wanted to wear tricorne and bicorne shaped hats. They were still very large but now had shapes other than just round. Hat brims were folded up on the side, at an angle, or all around to create drama. Veils disappeared in the early 1900s only to come back again as a long scarf that wrapped over the hat and under the chin for the new sport called motoring.
I’ve had fun dressing Edwardian style for book launch tea parties and other book events. It made me feel very special to wear these lovely hats. What do you think of Edwardian Hats? Would you like to wear one?
Thanks to friends at the Vintage Dancer website for some of this information.
Stop by Carrie’s Facebook author page and view her live videos February 21 – 25, 3:00 pm Eastern. She’ll be talking about the story behind Shine Like the Dawn and giving away a fun prize each day to one person who leaves a comment. Even if you can’t catch the live video you can still enter for 24 hours after it’s posted. She is also hosting a book launch celebration and giveaway on her blog February 25 – March 6.
Like to my Facebook Author page: https://www.facebook.com/
Link to my Book Launch Blog Post: http://carrieturansky.com/
Blog Stops
February 21: New Horizon Reviews
February 21: Bookworm Mama
February 21: Book Bites, Bee Stings, & Butterfly Kisses
February 22: Tell Tale Book Reviews
February 22: Book by Book
February 22: History, Mystery and Faith
February 23: Bibliophile Reviews
February 23: Smiling Book Reviews
February 23: A Readers Brain
February 23: Faithfully Bookish
February 23: Lane Hill House
February 24: Back Porch Reads
February 24: The Scribbler
February 24: I Hope You Dance
February 25: Stuff & Nonsense
February 25: The Power of Words
February 25: A Greater Yes
February 26: cherylbbookblog
February 26: Moments Dipped in Ink
February 26: Splashes of Joy
February 27: Genesis 5020
February 27: inklings and notions
February 27: D’S QUILTS & BOOKS
February 28: Karen Sue Hadley
February 28: A Simple Life, really?!
February 28: Neverending Stories
March 1: Daysong Reflections
March 1: Connie’s History Classroom
March 1: Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations
March 2: These Splendid Sentences
March 2: Singing Librarian Books
March 2: Blossoms and Blessings
March 3: Pause for Tales
March 3: blogging With Carol
March 3: Mary Hake
March 4: Radiant Light
March 4: For The Love of Books
March 5: Christian Bookaholic
March 5: Rachel Scott McDaniel
March 6: Baker Kella
Giveaway
To celebrate her tour, Carrie is giving away all 4 books: Shine Like the Dawn, The Governess of Highland Hall, The Daughter of Highland Hall, and A Refuge at Highland Hall.! Click below to enter. Be sure to comment on this post before you enter to claim 9 extra entries! https://promosimple.com/ps/b0fb
"Shine Like the Dawn" is available in paperback:
- Paperback: 352 pages
- Publisher: Multnomah; Uncorrected edition (February 21, 2017)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 1601429401
- ISBN-13: 978-1601429407
- Product Dimensions: 5.8 x 1 x 8.4 inches
and in Kindle edition:
- File Size: 4131 KB
- Print Length: 354 pages
- Page Numbers Source ISBN: 1601429401
- Publisher: Multnomah (February 21, 2017)
- Publication Date: February 21, 2017
- Sold by: Random House LLC
- Language: English
- ASIN: B01GBAKF7A
I got a free copy of this book as part of the blog tour. All thoughts and opinions are my own and given voluntarily. No compensation was received.
Hi Becky, Thanks for posting your thoughts about Shine Like the Dawn on your blog today! I've enjoyed connecting with the Celebrate Lit team! I'm glad you enjoyed Maggie and Nate's story. Blessings to you!
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing! Becky, I enjoyed your review.
ReplyDelete