Official Review: For Her Courage by Andria Redlin

[CataclysmicKnight]

[Following is the official OnlineBookClub.org review of "For Her Courage" by Andria Redlin.]

---

3 out of 4 stars

---

Share This Review

---

Christmas is a magical time, and much like the way the same classic Christmas music is played every year, the same classic Christmas stories are told. New additions to either that are any kind of decent are few and far between, and it's been far too long since a worthy addition has come along. Andria Redlin looks to change that with her book, For Her Courage, a book that tells the tale of The Blue Angel, how it united a town and eventually changed a family forever.

In 1870, not even a decade after the American Civil War ended, the mayor of a small town sought to unite it's people once more. The town had been split during the war, and that hatred and anger didn't magically go away the second it ended. To unite people, the mayor decided to plant a pine tree in town square and have everyone contribute an ornament. For the topper, a gorgeous blue angel was chosen, made by Callidus O'Callahan. Callidus was a master toy maker, and the Angel was his masterpiece.

As time went on, the tradition continued, with the same blue angel placed on top every year. Nearly 40 years later, Callidus's wife Belinda Jane is found by Callidus dead in her sleep Christmas morning. He's left rightfully devastated, and so is the rest of his family, but for Callidus things take an even worse turn when he discovers a crate outside his home the next morning. In it is his blue angel, destroyed by a storm, along with a note from the mayor. The combination is just too much, and Callidus closes his toy shop and can't even leave his home. His whole family relied on their income from the shop, but in the end only his granddaughter Samantha tried to help.

If I'm going to be honest, I really wasn't a fan of the book at first. There were run-on sentences galore and a handful of grammatical mistakes. Also, while it's a short book at only 67 pages, the first third of the book felt like it went at a snail's pace. Once I got into the real plot of the book, however, it became a gem of a story. Really, to make the book a classic, all it would take is some editing and probably a fair amount of cutting away pages from that first third of the book. Samantha is a fantastic character - a powerful, sweet girl back in the days when girls weren't allowed to be powerful or independent. I'd love a whole series just based on her! And there's a fun little bonus twist in the story as well, sssshhhhh!

I was fairly certain I was going to be giving this one a 2 (maybe even a 2 rounded up from a 1.5), but by the end it amazed me and really earned its solid 3 out of 4 stars. I'd recommend the book to anyone who loves the magic of Christmas or the importance of family; as an adult I ended up enjoying it, and it could also be read to (or by) kiddos! Just keep in mind that it begins rather slowly.

******
For Her Courage
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon

Like CataclysmicKnight's review? Post a comment saying so!

[prospero1501]

Thank you for an outstanding, honest, and entertaining review!

[MrsCatInTheHat]

The post Civil War period is an interesting one to me, so I am always on the lookout for books covering that time period. Strong female characters are important to see at a time when women were definitely not expected to be strong. Do you see potential for this story being expanded, so that perhaps the reader learns more about Belinda Jane before she died? Perhaps replacing the parts you feel should be cut?

[prospero1501]

Post Number:#3 by CatInTheHat » less than a minute ago

The post Civil War period is an interesting one to me, so I am always on the lookout for books covering that time period. Strong female characters are important to see at a time when women were definitely not expected to be strong. Do you see potential for this story being expanded, so that perhaps the reader learns more about Belinda Jane before she died? Perhaps replacing the parts you feel should be cut?

Hi, CatInTheHat,

It's strange that you should mention an interest in an expanded story, because "For Her Courage" is just the first in the Holly Hollow Tales series. My next novella is going to take place during the Great Depression, but I do believe I shall one day write a prequel about Belinda Jane's story that would tell what happened before she came to live in Holly Hollow. Because this was a novella, it is not practical to cut out parts of the book unless it is absolutely necessary. A few more scenes involving Belinda Jane would have been a nice addition, but I fear that they may have slowed down the pace of the book even more. There are three scenes that showcase her character's traits, as well as her personality. I think the book's pacing at the beginning was a bit slow because I had to describe the town in detail, but in the other books of the series, I won't have to do that. The first book of a series is often like that, one big info-dump. I often enjoy writing the second book because the scene is already set-all I have to do is tell a story.

One of the biggest problems with being a writer is that we look at our own work so many times that we become blind to its obvious flaws. I often set aside a draft for a few months to let it 'cool down' and fade from my memory while I work on another one of my books, but during the editing process I can't always do this. One of the most difficult parts about editing a book is remembering all the changes I've made, along with keeping everything consistent. It is too easy to start a ripple effect. Change one thing in Chapter 3, for example, and that may affect the events of all future chapters.

[MrsCatInTheHat]

Hi, CatInTheHat,

It's strange that you should mention an interest in an expanded story, because "For Her Courage" is just the first in the Holly Hollow Tales series. My next novella is going to take place during the Great Depression, but I do believe I shall one day write a prequel about Belinda Jane's story that would tell what happened before she came to live in Holly Hollow. Because this was a novella, it is not practical to cut out parts of the book unless it is absolutely necessary. A few more scenes involving Belinda Jane would have been a nice addition, but I fear that they may have slowed down the pace of the book even more. There are three scenes that showcase her character's traits, as well as her personality. I think the book's pacing at the beginning was a bit slow because I had to describe the town in detail, but in the other books of the series, I won't have to do that. The first book of a series is often like that, one big info-dump. I often enjoy writing the second book because the scene is already set-all I have to do is tell a story.

One of the biggest problems with being a writer is that we look at our own work so many times that we become blind to its obvious flaws. I often set aside a draft for a few months to let it 'cool down' and fade from my memory while I work on another one of my books, but during the editing process I can't always do this. One of the most difficult parts about editing a book is remembering all the changes I've made, along with keeping everything consistent. It is too easy to start a ripple effect. Change one thing in Chapter 3, for example, and that may affect the events of all future chapters.

The Depression era is another one of my favorite time periods to read about, so now I'm even more interested in your series. Thank you for explaining a bit about where you are going with it.

[prospero1501]

As you are very interested, I shall explain even further. As a history lover, I plan to write each book in my series to depict small-town stories, each one occurring in a different era in United States history, though the town of Holly Hollow is of my own invention. I plan to reach as far back as the 17th century (possibly further) to explain the town's origins, as well as tell a few tales from our own modern time to give the series a sense of completion. As I don't have the will to focus one a single era for too long, this is one of the main reasons the entire series will be comprised of novellas. Short, quick reads are quite enjoyable, I think, and I believe many people who are intimidated by the more weighty volumes that make up the majority of books these days would be delighted by them. Sometimes, we want a story that is longer and more-detailed than a short story, yet short enough to enjoy in one sitting with a few cups of our favorite beverage, and that is the need I am trying to fill with the Holly Hollow Tales. Thank you for taking an interest in my work.

[MrsCatInTheHat]

As you are very interested, I shall explain even further. As a history lover, I plan to write each book in my series to depict small-town stories, each one occurring in a different era in United States history, though the town of Holly Hollow is of my own invention. I plan to reach as far back as the 17th century (possibly further) to explain the town's origins, as well as tell a few tales from our own modern time to give the series a sense of completion. As I don't have the will to focus one a single era for too long, this is one of the main reasons the entire series will be comprised of novellas. Short, quick reads are quite enjoyable, I think, and I believe many people who are intimidated by the more weighty volumes that make up the majority of books these days would be delighted by them. Sometimes, we want a story that is longer and more-detailed than a short story, yet short enough to enjoy in one sitting with a few cups of our favorite beverage, and that is the need I am trying to fill with the Holly Hollow Tales. Thank you for taking an interest in my work.

Thank you for sharing more about your goals with this series. The concept is one that isn't seen often. I'll be on the look out for more.

[prospero1501]

Thank you. It's nice to have a fan. I do have a fan page on Facebook called Holly Hollow Fans. If you would like to join, you are welcome to. That way, you can stay informed of when the next book is coming out. I work on it every day, so it should be published by spring, but that is only an estimate.

[Serena [Poetree]]

Despite its flaws, this sounds like a great little Christmas story! I'll have to keep it in mind for this winter. It's even more appealing knowing that there may be more books to follow.

Thanks for the great review!