Charlotte's Honor by Ellen Gable

I eagerly awaited the second installment of this trilogy. I so enjoyed the first of book, Julia’s Gifts, that I couldn’t imagine Ellen Gable would be able to top book number one. I should have known better. Ellen Gable is so extremely talented that she never fails to entertain and delight her many fans. I follow her writing with great appreciation and enjoyment.

Charlotte’s Honor is set in the turmoil of the world at war. World War I was a violent and particularly nasty conflict with the introduction of chemical warfare and massive casualties. The dangers of being a nurse, medic, or physician in this struggle called for great courage and dedication.

With great accuracy Gable captures this part of history and places the reader in the middle of the battles and horrific destruction. As a reader, I felt as if I was right in the medical tents, holding the hands of dying men and rushing to hurried surgeries.

Yet despite the tragedy of the war-torn time, Gable pulls hope, faith, and love out of her well-rounded characters. With unique and unexpected twists and turns, Charlotte’s Honor kept me turning the pages just to keep up with the changes and dangers that the characters experienced.

Charlotte, a young nurse, finds she has a special calling to comfort the dying. She feels herself drawn to sit with terminal soldiers and bring her faith and love to the last moments of each young man’s life. Comforting the dying is a service that most avoid but it’s a devotion that Charlotte attends with compassion and hope. Perhaps she can sit and sing her songs of courage because she has risen above her own pain. She has known tragedy, including the loss of her own family.

While working tirelessly among the wounded, she meets a special physician who by an unexpected kiss awakens her heart. The barrier to accepting that love is fear. Painful memories block acceptance of what God has surely designed.

This second installment of the trilogy is a romance, mystery, and insight into history. That is magical enough. However Charlotte’s Honor is so much more. With great skill this author weaves a tale that puts God’s omnipotence on display. While this work is a historical romance full of mystery and tension, it is really a shining story of God’s pattern of bringing good out of evil. It is a story of finding faith, hope and love in the midst of chaos and evil. Only an author as gifted as Gable can pull this off. Gable’s own faithful and loving heart is woven between the lines of this beautifully compelling story. I can’t wait to read the third of the magnificent trilogy, and highly recommend Charlotte’s Honor to anyone who loves a good book. Available at https://www.fullquiverpublishing.com