Sons of Blackbird Mountain by Joanne Bischof

SYNOPSIS: A Tale of Family, Brotherhood, and the Healing Power of Love

After the tragic death of her husband, Aven Norgaard is beckoned to give up her life in Norway to become a housekeeper in the rugged hills of Nineteenth-Century Appalachia. Upon arrival, she finds herself in the home of her late husband’s cousins—three brothers who make a living by brewing hard cider on their three-hundred acre farm. Yet even as a stranger in a foreign land, Aven has hope to build a new life in this tight-knit family.

But her unassuming beauty disrupts the bond between the brothers. The youngest two both desire her hand, and Aven is caught in the middle, unsure where—and whether—to offer her affection. While Haakon is bold and passionate, it is Thor who casts the greatest spell upon her. Though Deaf, mute, and dependent on hard drink to cope with his silent pain, Thor possesses a sobering strength.

As autumn ushers in the apple harvest, the rift between Thor and Haakon deepens and Aven faces a choice that risks hearts. Will two brothers’ longing for her quiet spirit tear apart a family? Can she find a tender belonging in this remote, rugged, and unfamiliar world?

A haunting tale of struggle and redemption, Sons of Blackbird Mountain is a portrait of grace in a world where the broken may find new life through the healing mercy of love.

MY THOUGHTS ON THIS BOOK

After Aven Norgaard looses her husband, there was nothing left for her in Norway. She responds to an invitation from her deceased husband’s aunt to come to the US and live in their home. But when she got there, things are not what she imagined. As the aunt describes the three cousins, her vision was not the three men she finds when she arrives at their home. Nor did she know the aunt was no longer there. And she certainly didn’t approve of their way of making money. Aven has decisions to make. Would she still stay in their home despite everything she has learned, or will she leave and find a place of her own.

Wow this is such an amazing read! Joanne Bischof creates characters in this story that seem to pop off the page into the readers like, at least that’s how it felt with me. I loved that each scene, each page was full of details, so professionally written with amazing results. There are so many different issues the author attacks here, she did a beautiful job of relating how to deal with someone deaf, someone dealing with substance abuse, brother and neighbors rivalry, and these issues are woven together in a way that makes you not only want to keep reading, but I was wanting to help people in these issues. I just couldn’t put this book down until the last page. When you want to pray for the characters, you have it bad!!

One thing I learn in this book is the precise way good hard cider is made. And apparently it takes an expert to make the different flavors and taste. And I found it interesting how Aven came up with different ways to use it. And threw it all, her faith in God was there, sustaining her, carrying her through the issues. As you can see, I love everything about this book! And I highly recommend this book to anyone wanting a good clean read!

I received this book from TLC Tours to read and review. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 55.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Joanne has a long-standing passion for romance and a budding fervor for theology. She is more and more awed by how wondrously the two go hand in hand.

So depraved are we in our sinful state—so in need of a Savior—that the love story between God and his people is nothing short of astounding. A quenching of the thirst to parched souls. A light that makes the darkness tremble. A freedom from the bondage of pain and sin. Joanne is beyond thankful to be a part of this great love story and writes books to not only portray the glorious wonder of human love, but to reflect the ultimate romance and rescue that comes through Christ.