Daughters of Northern Shores by Joanne Bischof

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Synopsis:~

From Christy Award-winning author Joanne Bischof comes the sequel to her beautiful novel Sons of Blackbird Mountain.

 
Aven Norgaard understands courage. Orphaned within an Irish workhouse, then widowed at just nineteen, she voyaged to America where she was wooed and wed by Thor Norgaard, a Deaf man in rural Appalachia. That the Lord saw her along the winding journey and that Aven now carries Thor’s child are blessings beyond measure. Yet while Thor holds her heart, it is his younger brother and rival who haunts her memories. Haakon–whose selfish choices shattered her trust in him.
 
Having fled the Norgaard orchard after trying to take Aven as his own, Haakon sails on the North Atlantic ice trade, where his soul is plagued with regrets that distance cannot heal. Not even the beautiful Norwegian woman he’s pursued can ease the torment. When the winds bear him home after four years away, Haakon finds the family on the brink of tragedy. A decades-old feud with the neighboring farm has wrenched them into the fiercest confrontation on Blackbird Mountain since the Civil War. Haakon’s cunning and strength hold the power to seal many fates, including Thor’s–which is already imperiled due to a grave illness brought to him at the first prick of warfare.
  
Now Haakon faces the hardest choice of his life. One that shapes a battlefield where pride must be broken enough to be restored, and where a prodigal son may finally know the healing peace of surrender and the boundless gift of forgiveness. And when it comes to the woman he left behind in Norway, he just might discover that while his heart belongs to a daughter of the north, she’s been awaiting him on shores more distant than the land he’s fighting for.

My take:~

With delicate, intricate prose, Joanne Bischof entranced me with another tale of the very fine Norwegian Norgaard brothers, in her sequel to the stunning [easyazon_link identifier=”B077CS7X8G” locale=”US” tag=”relzrevi-20″]Sons of Blackbird Mountain[/easyazon_link]. Atmospheric and intriguing, [easyazon_link identifier=”0718099125″ locale=”US” tag=”relzrevi-20″]Daughters of Northern Shores[/easyazon_link] focuses on Haakon Norgaard, the youngest brother who attempted the unforgiveable and fled in shame and fear at the end of the previous novel. This is a redemptive story of heartbreaking betrayal turned inside out when forgiveness, love, and restitution are offered. Sharing the pages with Haakon are Aven and Thor, their journey as a married couple marred by illness and the threat of revenge. As circumstances, heartbreak, and fierce loyalty begin to shave the harsh edges from Haakon’s shame, new possibilities begin to glimmer across Blackbird Mountain as the tension and threats come closer to the Norgaard family and those close to them. While the story is beautifully told, I did yearn for more page time with Haakon’s awakening to love, the only part of the story that seemed lacking to me, especially with Joanne’s gift for writing tender and meaningful love stories. That’s not to say love doesn’t bleed from the pages – romantic love between Aven and Thor, brotherly love as the Norgaard men try to find a way to repair their fractured family, and deep and abiding friendships, refined through fire. I can’t wait to read what Joanne will pen next!

With thanks to the publisher for my review copy. All opinions expressed are my own.

Relz Reviewz Extras
All Things Bischof @ Relz Reviewz
Visit Joanne’s website and blog
Buy from Amazon: [easyazon_link identifier=”0718099125″ locale=”US” tag=”relzrevi-20″]Daughters of Northern Shores[/easyazon_link] or Koorong

4 comments

  2. I also am looking forward to reading the continuing saga. The “Sons of Blackbird Mountain” was so well told and although it ended with a prodigal son on the run (Haakon), it also had a satisfying closure with Aven and Thor. But now the continuing mountain feud is firing up again . . . . here we go again.

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  3. Beautiful review, Rel! Joanne writes such fantastic stories. I just finished this one last night and loved it. I did feel, like you said, that there could have been more to Haakon’s love story.

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