A Bound Heart

Title: A Bound Heart

Author: Laura Frantz

Narrator: Aimee Lilly

Series: Stand-Alone

Genre: Historical Fiction

Audio Release Date: Jan 1, 2019

About the Book:

Though Magnus MacLeish and Lark MacDougall grew up on the same castle grounds, Magnus is now laird of the great house and the Isle of Kerrera. Lark is but the keeper of his bees and the woman he is hoping will provide a tincture that might help his ailing wife conceive and bear him an heir. But when his wife dies suddenly, Magnus and Lark find themselves caught up in a whirlwind of accusations, expelled from their beloved island, and sold as indentured servants across the Atlantic. Yet even when all hope seems dashed against the rocky coastline of the Virginia colony, it may be that in this New World the two of them could make a new beginning–together.

Laura Frantz’s prose sparkles with authenticity and deep feeling as she digs into her own family history to share this breathless tale of love, exile, and courage in Colonial America.

My Review:

I listened to the audio version of this book. I was absolutely amazed at the narrator’s ability to bring each of the characters to life through multiple different accents. The story itself is read without any strong accent except for the speaking parts of the characters. It was an incredible narration job.

The characters were well developed and I was quickly enmeshed in their journeys. Both Lark and Magnus breathed scripture and following Christ was etched into their deepest beings. Instead of allowing themselves to crumble under the injustice they faced, they sought their Heavenly Father and His will for their situations. My heart broke for them at the same time being encouraged by their faith that the Lord would work all things out for His purpose. Seeing this fleshed out was truly an incredible journey.

Lark was immediately a character that touched my heart. She was raised with privileges above what would be considered normal for her station in life. It wasn’t until she was older that she realized how fortunate she’d been and how that would impact her adult life. She’d been blessed with an education but she was still a prisoner of her social class. Despite hardship she accepted the cards she was dealt and sought to please the Lord in whatever she did. My heart went out to her and hoped that she would find a way to move the mountains in her way to happiness.

Magnus may very well be my favorite new hero. He was a real image of a righteous leader. He was born to privilege and yet was clothed in humility. His mindset as a leader was to ease the burdens of others around him instead of seeking his own luxuries. He took responsibility for his own choices and actions. He admitted his faults and sought restitution. He couldn’t stand by and watch others suffer for anything he felt was his responsibility. He was truly an amazing character!

I really loved this story and would highly recommend to historical fiction fans. I listened to it on CD but it’s also available in print and e-book. I’ve seen many rave reviews for this but I didn’t realize just how much of a treat I was in for until I dove into it. I would absolutely consider this a must-read!

I received an audio copy of this book through a giveaway. Thoughts and opinions expressed are mine alone.

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