Between Two Shores (Paperback)

This new book by Jocelyn Green is a story steeped in history and rich in both the triumphs and the failings of the human spirit. I was immediately caught up in the story of a young girl who is part Mohawk Indian/part French and the choices that she was forced to make after moving from Quebec to Montreal. It is 1759 and Catherine Duval is involved in several struggles. She struggles constantly to please her alcoholic father but she is often verbally abused when he is intoxicated. It is during these moments that he taunts her about her heritage from her Indian mother. Catherine becomes a fur trader and she trades furs with both the British and the French while working out of a store in Canada. She has every intention of remaining neutral in the war that is raging but, with her decision to help her ex-fiance to deliver secret information to a British soldier, she realizes that neutrality isn't possible. Catherine begins a harrowing journey over the land and the rivers of Canada that could result in her being charged with treason. Author Jocelyn Green has written a beautiful story of being caught between two cultures, two lands and two loyalties. Catherine Duval is also known as Catherine Stands-Apart and she is scarred emotionally by her father's cruelty. Even as my heart broke for her I questioned why she continued to stay; I rejoiced when she eventually realized that she wasn't responsible for the happiness of her father and she could therefore distance herself from him. Catherine is also torn over her relationship with her Mohawk brother and sister and the sudden reappearance of the man that she had once loved and lost. There is so much to like about Between Two Shores. It is full of historical information and geographical detail. The French and Indian War that started over control of the Ohio Valley eventually turned into a full-scale war that involved several countries and Green's battle scenes were strinkinly real! I also learned much about the Canadian landscape because of the author's detailed description. I was reminded of the importance of the fur trade during this time and the immense part that women played during this time. There are other female characters who also play heavily in this story and I greatly admired their independence and bravery but it is Catherine Duval's victory over doubts about her self-worth that makes this story so special! This is never more evident than when she replies to a comment about having two names. "What does it matter what we are called, when God alone can judge the heart?" Between Two Shores is a wonderful read for anyone who enjoys historical fiction with a strong faith element. It is my first Jocelyn Green book but it certainly won't be my last! Disclaimer: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author and publisher but a positive review was not required.

A must read for historical fiction fans. Through vivid prose and rich historical detail, Jocelyn Green proves once again that she is a master storyteller. Through a strong heroine and supporting cast, Green allows the reader to experience the turmoil and hardship experienced by the Canadian settlers and native Indians during the seven years of the French and Indian War. In Catherine Stands-Apart, we have a strong yet vulnerable heroine who is searching for a place to belong. The image of standing apart is both literal and figurative. She is caught between the heritage of both parents, her mother a Mohawk while her father was a French-Canadian. In her search to belong, she needs to discern which side of the conflict will benefit her family and people the most. This is not only a story of a physical journey but a spiritual one of as well. Through descriptive prose, I was able to empathize with Catherine's anger, sorrow and pain as she struggled to find her place among family and her Creator. A couple of my favorite quotes: " Here in this creek. behind a black cavern shaped by water, she would shed the burden of others' expectations. She would be the river that set its own course and not the rock hollowed out by continual force. A river that flowed between nations and did not heed a man-made war." " God was not to be bargained with. She had nothing to entice Him, for she possessed nothing He needed. Yet He loved her, and that was what she cling to....If she could not bend God's will to hers, could she possible bow to His?" I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book which I received from the author/publisher. I was not required to write a review. All opinions expressed are my own.