Review: The Pursuit of Tamsen Littlejohn by Lori Benton

March 4, 2014

Title: The Pursuit of Tamsen Littlejohn
Author: Lori Benton
Publisher: WaterBrook Press
Pages: 400
ISBN: 978-0-307-73149-4
Publication Date: April 15th, 2014

Synopsis:
Frontier dangers cannot hold a candle to the risks one woman takes by falling in love

In an act of brave defiance, Tamsen Littlejohn escapes the life her harsh stepfather has forced upon her. Forsaking security and an arranged marriage, she enlists frontiersman Jesse Bird to guide her to the Watauga settlement in western North Carolina. But shedding her old life doesn’t come without cost. As the two cross a vast mountain wilderness, Tamsen faces hardships that test the limits of her faith and endurance.

Convinced that Tamsen has been kidnapped, wealthy suitor Ambrose Kincaid follows after her, in company with her equally determined stepfather. With trouble in pursuit, Tamsen and Jesse find themselves thrust into the conflict of a divided community of Overmountain settlers. The State of Franklin has been declared, but many remain loyal to North Carolina. With one life left behind and chaos on the horizon, Tamsen struggles to adapt to a life for which she was never prepared. But could this challenging frontier life be what her soul has longed for, what God has been leading her toward? As pursuit draws ever nearer, will her faith see her through the greatest danger of all—loving a man who has risked everything for her?
Review:
Lori Benton's sophomore book, The Pursuit of Tamsen Littlejohn, was a thrilling story that kept me turning pages into the night, well, I should say, early morning hours. I honestly could not put down this book. Chases through the mountains on horseback, mystery, some not so well known history, and a bit of romance. The perfect combination for a book!

Tamsen Littlejohn is a young woman, who has been preened by her stepfather, to prepare her for a life as a planters wife so she can be an anchor to a wealthy family, and bring her stepfather's standings up. However, that is not the life Tamsen wants, she doesn't want be thrown into a cage for her stepfather's happiness, but what can she do when her mother takes the brunt of her stepfather's displeasure. She is trapped, or so she thinks. When her stepfather's brutality forces Tamsen's hand, she runs as fast and as hard as she can.

As Tamsen runs from the life her stepfather is forcing on her, she is able to discover secrets about herself and her family that have been hidden from her, her whole life. With these new revelations, she can't help but hope. Tamsen also finds out on her journey that all men aren't harsh like her stepfather, with the help of Jesse Bird, the man who helped her escape.

Jesse isn't your typical overmountain man. He is a man of compassion and has a strong desire to follow the Lord's lead. He is knowledgeable of all the land surrounding the area and he has made friends with the local Indian tribes, but he doesn't know much about his early childhood, other then what has been told to him by his adopted pa. His past is a mystery and no matter how he tries, he can't remember.

The Pursuit of Tamsen Littlejohn was a thrilling story! There was adventure and new discoveries to be had. At the end, I wondered what would now happen to one character, I will not say who, I'll leave that for you to discover, but I wonder how things will go for this person after the twist and turns and discoveries. Could there be more from this character? Those are just some thoughts I had when I turned the last page. It's always a good sign when a you want the story to keep going, and I did with this one.

Too Read
5 out of 5

About the Author:
Lori Benton was raised east of the Appalachian Mountains, surrounded by early American and family history going back three hundred years. Her novels transport readers to the 18th century, where she brings to life the Colonial and early Federal periods of American history, creating a melting pot of characters drawn from both sides of a turbulent and shifting frontier, brought together in the bonds of God's transforming grace. When she isn’t writing, Lori enjoys exploring beautiful Oregon with her husband.




Thank you to the author, I received copy of this book for free in exchange for an honest review.


4 comments

  1. Can't wait to read this one!!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Jamie, It was a wonderful story! I can't wait for more people to read so I can talk about it. :-)

    ReplyDelete
  3. This sounds so good! I can't wait to read it!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Courtney, It is really good! I hope you enjoy. :-)

    ReplyDelete

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