Daughter of Joy (Brides of Culdee Creek)

I usually read the low star ratings then move on up to the 5 star ratings. What I found was a common complaint about Kathleen Morgan using her character's own thoughts and interactions with the other characters to promote her (Kathleen's) personal beliefs--and preaching them to each reader.I personally am very thankful that Kathleen Morgan did that. I advocate natural family planning, and today in 2011 there is no reason to use 'female preventatives' when a doctor advises you to avoid pregnancy. (NFP today is not your grandma's rhythm method--the relationship between the medical community and science is hand in hand.) But back in the late 1800s, there were fertility suppressing methods in practice by using various herbs and plants. These would be the preventatives the author had the characters discuss. The storyline between Ella and Devlin is one that women who adhere to Catholic teaching may find themselves in today in 2011. (women to adhere to catholic teaching may not be catholic, but embrace the catholic teachings on matters of family planning) The virtue of self control is a gift of the spirit. And if a doctor suggests that having another baby may be very damaging to her health...and it is against your religious convictions to use artificial birth control, abstaining would be your only choice. Through many methods of NFP, periodic abstainance is the way a woman avoids pregnancy--she is able to know when she is fertile and when she isn't. For the reality of Devlin to not be able to control his desires to be with a woman...he goes to a brothel. And our author allows us to experience with him his internal guilt from his sin. We also see his wife lovingly forgive him and show compassion for the very hard situation they were in. And through it all, we see Ella remain faithful to her convictions in faith...to me, this was very encouraging. We also see her own struggle with her guilt in that her hard place was driving the two of them apart--it truly can be a matter when a husband feels his wife loves God more than him... And then at the end of the book...her revelation to Abby filled me up with hope.There are many comments Abby made to her fellow characters (the preachy comments written negatively about) that I actually bookmarked and plan to journal on and meditate upon. The depth of spiritual maturity really communicates to us Kathleen's own faith and the degree of refinement her own struggles and sadness have brought to her.All in all, when I met my husband, I was in a very low point in my life...and he found himself in a similar place. We were both struggling with various aspects in our life...and coming together actually made things harder at first...but in the end, everything has been made right. The character of Conor actually reminded me so much of my husband...and to tell the truth, I fell in love with Conor's character, because of the spiritual condition and the core of his character Kathleen laid out before us. Many of the things Conor said...so too did my husband say to me. "Whatever it is you want, just tell me and I will do it." And Abby's reply...it replied the echos in my own soul. Everything works out in God's timing...that is something my husband and I have learned through our 8 years of marriage.At the beginning of this book, Kathleen Morgan revealed a part of her heart. Her sufferings of losing her youngest son...and made a comment about how this book was a way of healing for her...and that in many ways reflected elements of her life. She concluded with, and perhaps you will find the same goes for you.I want to thank you Kathleen for writing this book. Abby's character inspired me greatly on how God's ways are not our ways....and in the end all things will work out. Our hearts will be at peace. God bless your continued work and may you be comforted.

My book review is on the book Daughter of Joy, it is the first book  Daughter of Joy (Brides of Culdee Creek Book #1) in the Brides of Culdee Creek Series by Kathleen Morgan. I don't read a lot of historical fiction, although I am reading more than I use to. I really enjoyed this book. The characters were broken and just trying to survive but God had another plan, they helped each other to heal. I liked that concept because that is the best way for a person to heal, to help someone else. The story was very well written and quite humorous as they journey back to the true meaning of life and God's purpose for them. Kathleen did an excellent job.Abigail Stanton was the daughter of a minister who married her off to a man fifteen years older than she was.Her husband had a call to build a mission but died before he could complete it. Abby had lived under her father's faith and then her husband's, so when her husband died she had a hard time but after God took her son, her faith was floundering. Her sister-in-law thought she should start the mission but Abby saw no way to do that without money. Answering an ad in the paper, she interviewed for a job as a housekeeper and a teacher. Her sister-in-law told her all about how terrible this man was, a widower, womanizer, and Godless man. The interview didn't go well. He demanded an answer right away so she left but God dealt with her so she ran back told him she would take it.Conor MacKay is a rancher. He desperately needs a housekeeper and a teacher for his young daughter who had been thrown out of school. His wife had left him over ten years ago, he later found out she had been killed in a fire. He took an Indian woman to help raise his small son finally taking her into his bed. She died leaving him a daughter. He had hired many housekeepers, most just wanted him or his ranch and had done much harm to his young half-breed daughter. His son had ran off last year with all of his savings, forcing him to sell some of his land. As far as Conor it was all God's fault. Drink seemed to be his only comfort. He didn't want this pious, beautiful woman but he had no choice.He told Abby she could work for him only if she never mentioned God's name in his house and so starts a journey for the three of them. You will laugh and you will cry as they take step after step closer to where God wants to take them. I know you will love this story, I know I will find the next one in the series.

A touching story that on the surface might be about woman and her employee both recovering from loss of loved ones. A bit deeper is heroine Abigail who trying to isolate and free herself as she determines where and how to serve God now that she is on her own. And rancher Conor who has been so hurt he struggles to let anyone past the walls he has placed around himself and his daughter. When love surprised the two, rancher/boss and unsettling hired housekeeper, neither is quite sure how to react. Is Conor, a man who seemingly has turned his back on God and has a poor reputation, possibly a man to which Abigail, a woman who loves God and seeks His will, could could fall in love, resulting in an unequal yoke?We finally find out that when really challenged, Conor's deepest need is to understand, give, and receive forgiveness, both from God and from those who have hurt him. And Abigail comes to understand that God really does work everything together for good, and He has a purpose for her, even when she doesn't quite understand what it is.

Daughters of Joy follows Abby, a widow in 1890s Colorado, as she tries to escape life by taking up a post as housekeeper and governess on the MacKay ranch. Kathleen weaves the concepts of redemption and forgiveness, as well as grief, through the storyline of the book, and brings some personal insights through to the reader regarding these topics. I found this book easy to read, and vivid in its emotional input and imagery. It shows very real lives without making the Christianity aspect feel contrived.I have two quotes from this book that I felt were good to take away."Don't limit the Lord with your own shallow perceptions of Him, or assign Him a level of compassion equal only to yours...""Standing close to her would not bring him to salvation. For that he had to walk on, past her, and find God in his own way."I will be looking out the other books in the series.

I initially didn't download this book because I thought it wasn't for me as an "unbeliever" however I thought it would do no harm to see another viewpoint. It is a fairly predictable and a somewhat repetitive story but I did read to the end so it must have something going for it. I would say this is written with women in mind and not very interesting to most men - I'm prepared to be wrong on that though, please comment accordingly. I was able to predict the storyline and the main drawback is that the ending is cut off with a hatchet - I won't be bothering to read book 2 as once is enough. The religious theme is understandable but tedious and probably quite representative of that era. Worth a download as it's free but I wouldn't have been happy to spend money on it - it really isn't that gripping.

It has been a very long time since I read books like this. I was a new Christian with a new husband and a new baby and everything about me was innocent, naive, and longing for romance. I knew nothing. When you know nothing, books like this seem like dreams to aspire to. Later on, when you realize life is nothing like this, you wonder how it is you liked them so much. Don't get me wrong I loved Janette Oke and she was a much better writer in her stark simplicity and innocent love. But, I grew out of romances a long time ago and my foray into this was really for nostalgic reasons.This is a tale of the love of God and how that plays out in the lives of the inhabitants of the fictionalized territory of Culdee Creek, Colorado. Prostitutes are "soiled doves", women stick by their men and take the blame when these same men are "forced" to get their needs met due to their wives' selfishness, prostitutes are reformed instantaneously, and everyone sticks to their Godly principles no matter what happens. These kinds of romances are great when you look at life through the rosy colored glasses of Christianity and where a woman's virtue is the highest thing God asks of her.Morgan's writing is clumsy in parts especially when she writes the main male character's last name over and over, even in personal conversation, as if we could possibly forget it. Many paragraphs read like didactic lessons rather than actual conversations. However, the plot did surprise me at times and the message is straightforward and clear. Always be led by God and reason, never by emotion. The characters are of biblical proportions and either heroically faithful or godlessly miserable. Wounds are healed instantly at the mere mention of forgiveness and nothing beats the love of a good woman.It was mostly enjoyable and I'll probably read another just for old times' sake.

Interesting preface to this book, which helps with insight into story. Far too many Bible quotes for my taste, found the heroine a bit too goody, goody and if she was such a good Christian woman, she would surely have shown more empathy towards the residents of Culdee Creek, instead of being so judgemental.The will they, won't they, plot line trundles along nicely, with some surprising twists and turns, but, the ending is a damp squib.After all that suspense, a few measly pages about a posh honeymoon? Almost as if the author was in a hurry to finish off.pleasant, light read, ok for long winter nights. Glad it was free. Would not buy another book from this author

I enjoyed the book, not my usual type of romance. It's all a bit frustrating at times when she quotes God at him as a means to not give in to her feelings. I just wanted to shout at her for coming over so holier than thou. I hated the questions for discussion at the end even tho not part of the storyline because I felt as if I was being preached to. I'm not sure the story would have worked without the referrals to God tho despite the fact that her beliefs are not mine. It wasn't a book that gripped me enough to not want to put down sadly. I began it as I was looking for another series of books to get to grips with. I may give the 2nd one a try but if it's equally as God-filled I probably won't get much further.