Review of Maren, The Fisherman's Daughter

[Bertha Jackson]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Maren, The Fisherman's Daughter" by Eve Gwartney.]

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5 out of 5 stars

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Maren, The Fisherman's Daughter by Eve Gwartney is a religious, historical fiction romance novel based on the lives of Martha Clemmensdatte and her mother, Maren. In this fictional story, Maren was only ten years old when her father and brother were swept away at sea, and she and her eight-year-old sister, Betina, became indentured servants to work for Agner Estridsen. The two girls discover an old stone that serves as a property marker that they call Stone Face. One day, they meet Sallie and her newborn daughter, Tessa, in the forest. Sallie knows of herbs that will heal the blisters on Betina's feet. While being bullied by a seasonal fieldhand named Vike, a horrible accident happens in the wheat field they were working in that has a lasting impact on all those involved. What did Vike do? What did Stone Face represent for the girls? What was Sallie doing in the forest with a newborn baby?

One of my favorite aspects of this book is the exploration of the many paradoxes that exist in our lives. For example, good things can come from bad things, and bad days and good days can happen at the same time. I enjoyed that this story took place in Denmark, as I learned about their holidays, including St. Martin's Day, Jul, Easter, Great Prayer Day, and Constitution Day. In addition, I was able to learn a few Norwegian words. Their currency is called "kroner," "mor" means "mother," and "far" means "father," to name a few. Throughout the storyline, many moral and life lessons about fate, addiction, redemption, forgiveness, regret, hope, and courage are revealed. One of my favorites was about saying you're sorry and asking for forgiveness when you offend someone. It was thought-provoking to consider how many family stories get forgotten.

The only negative aspect I encountered was the lack of formal chapter headings to break up the reading. The only breaks were wavy characters (~~~~) or proverbs that did not provide a sense of where I was in the book. I prefer chapter headings, but this may not be important to other readers. Therefore, my personal preference did not impact my rating for this book.

I appreciate the author telling the true story of what happened to Martha and Maren at the end of the book, which allowed me to distinguish between fictional and actual events. The author did an excellent job of pulling my emotional heartstrings throughout this enjoyable book, showing how any decision or choice I make can have either a positive or negative effect on not only myself but also on others. Many people don't realize that often enough. Due to this and the positive aspects discussed above, I gave this book 5 out of 5 stars. There were no objective negative aspects to justify giving this professionally edited book less than a perfect score.

I recommend this book to Christian readers who enjoy historical fiction romance stories that are based on real people. Non-religious readers may not enjoy this book due to its numerous proverbs and biblical stories.

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Maren, The Fisherman's Daughter
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[Kibet Hillary]

It is good to read that the story is moving and the rhetorical questions employed in the first paragraph definitely piqued my curiosity. I am still wondering what Vike did and what the accident was, but I know I will only know this after reading the book. Thank you, @Bertha Jackson, for the review.