Review: Short-Straw Bride by Karen Witemeyer

First off, let me say that it has been months since I wrote a review. Since losing my daughter Amy in May, my mind just hasn't been able to concentrate on reading and retaining information very well. But, I just had to request Karen's book when I was presented with the opportunity to review it for Bethany House. She is one of my favorite historical authors. 

Bethany House, 2012

From the moment I saw the cover on Short Straw Bride I knew it was the perfect book to get me back into blogging for books! Meredith trying to peek over Travis's shoulder...uh-huh. You know he's up to something sneaky. Especially since he's holding four straws and has a slight grin on his face. But what really drew me in even more than that was the grief aspect in the story line.

It seems everything I pick up to read deals in some way with death. It's a secondary theme in Short Straw Bride, but Travis Archer, at age 17, suddenly finds himself head of the home and caretaker to his three brothers after his father's passing. He made a death bed promise to him and felt convicted to keep it – Never let anyone on Archer land. What a responsibility to lay on a young man's shoulders.

Not long after, he finds Meredith, a 10 year old girl with mesmerizing eyes, trespassing and injured from one of the animal traps on his property, he tells no one, just frees her from the trap and carries her to her home quietly, thinking he will never see her again.

Meredith knew the stories about these strange Archer's but held a candle in her heart all through her teen years for Travis. Upon overhearing a devious plot to steal Archer land, she feels compelled to warn them and goes to their home. From there it is a non-stop delight of sharp wit and watching how the Lord uses Meredith to soften the heart of this wounded and misguided man, Travis, along with his brothers. They have some big issues to deal with, trust being the main one.

I think what resonated the most with me in this story is not how easy it is to shut ourselves off from others but the danger of letting it go on for too long. I understand too well the grief process and the desire to run and hide but it cannot be a place that is stayed in indefinitely. One must, at some point, come out and be among the living, allowing God to complete the healing process.

Don't get me wrong. It's not all serious. Not at all. I laughed out loud at those Archer brothers! They are a feisty bunch and when a pretty girl arrives, hold on to your hat because she is about to cause a heap o' trouble among them! I hope there will be three more books because those brothers all deserve a good woman to come along side and show them what they've been missing in life.

Bethany House provided a copy of this book for review purposes. I was not required to write a positive one, just my opinion, which I have done. No other compensation has been received.