My Brother's Crown (Cousins of the Dove #1) by Mindy Starns Clark & Leslie Gould

Title: My Brother’s Crown (Cousins of the Dove #1)

Author: Mindy Starns Clark & Leslie Gould

Pages: 368

Release Date: October 1, 2015

Genre: Historical (1685, France) / Contemporary (Virginia)

Publisher: Harvest House Publishers

Format: eBook (paperback & hardback are also available)

Note: I received a free eBook copy of this novel through NetGalley in exchange for my honest opinion.

About the book:

France, 1685.

     Catherine Gillet knows her brother, Jules, wants to protect her from the sinister threats of the French crown. But Jules is involved in a potentially deadly enterprise, one connected with an encoded document. When his actions put the whole family at risk, will Catherine find a way to save them?

Virginia, present day.

     Renee Talbot, a direct descendant of Catherine’s, is fascinated by the document that’s been part of her family legacy for more than three centuries. Certain its pages hold hidden secrets, she takes a closer look – and makes a shocking discovery. But when memories of a childhood trauma are rekindled, she’s forced to seek answers of a different kind. Inspired by the faith and bravery of Catherine, can Renee find the truth and face her deepest fears at last?

     From the authors of the Christy Award-winning The Amish Midwife comes an epic story of two women, centuries apart, each discovering her own hidden bravery, standing for what she believes in, and finding love in unexpected places.

My review:

     This is a compelling look at life in 1685 France.

     I am amazed at the vast cast of incredibly well developed and written characters there are in both time periods. A number of them grew and matured over the course of the story which was wonderful. I really enjoyed reading of the faith and belief in God that was contained, especially in the historical segments.

     I was fascinated with the pamphlet that had survived from 1685 and how it was used to tie the two time periods together. Before reading this book I had only heard the term Huguenots. I didn’t know anything at all about them or the persecution that they faced. Now that I have read this wonderful book I think I will be trying to learn more about their lifestyle and the trials they faced as a group.

     This is the first book by this team of authors that I have ever read. I will definitely be looking for more books by them. I am highly recommending this fantastic story and giving it a rating of 5 stars.