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.

BETWEEN TWO SHORES is the story of Catherine Duval, a young woman in the mid 1700's who has a French father and Mohawk mother, living near Montreal. After the death of her mother when she was ten, she went to live with her father who ran a trading post, much to the disapproval of her older sister Bright Star who chose to remain with their mother's people along with their younger brother, Joseph. This book (and Catherine) deals with issues of trust, betrayal, forgiveness, need, the many kinds of love, regret, bitterness, guilt, and redemption. She struggles with the question of whether she should "only give when she expected to get back in equal measure? Did she consider all of life a trade?" (p. 248) The man who she loved left "So she had bound up her dreams of a family into hard knots and cast them into the river to be stepping-stones to the other side of disappointment." (p. 18), a statement that resonates with me. When Sam returns after five years and needs her help, Catherine has extremely difficult choices to make at this time of war between the French and the British. She has always traded with both and endeavored to remain neutral. Choosing to do the right thing is sometimes difficult as is living with the consequences. "But the question trailing her prayers grew harder to ignore. If she could not bend God's will to hers, could she possibly bow to His?" (p. 369) Jocelyn Green's books are always well researched and full of historical detail. Since this book is set during a time of war, there is danger and so much grief. As Catherine's redeemed sister, Thankful Winslet says, quoting a Psalm, "'Weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.' But the night, you see, can last a very long time." (p. 377). Bright Star answers in part, "I do know that however far off the sun is, morning is on the way. ..And I know that sisters help us see the light a little faster."(p. 378) If you are looking for a light novel, this isn't it. BETWEEN TWO SHORES is a beautifully written historical novel that spoke to my heart. I highly recommend it. I received a complementary copy of the book. All thoughts are my own.