The Promise Keeper
by Lisa Norato
a Sea Heroes of Duxbury novel
Danger reunites a sea captain's daughter with her childhood protector,
who is now a reclusive lighthouse keeper on an island across the bay.
Review by Guest Reviewer, Lynne Erickson Valle
Lisa Norato’s masterfully written inspirational romance
novel, The Promise Keeper, is utterly
captivating. This intriguing tale of the truest of love transpires in
nineteenth century Duxbury, Massachusetts. The story unfolds two lives that
were impacted by one remarkable man of valor-Captain Ezra Moon. In his character Norato eloquently
demonstrates how one individual exemplifying Christ can make a monumental
difference in our world. Her characters and scenes are so vividly depicted that
the reader can’t help becoming eagerly invested in the great mystery that
shadows Captain Moon’s daughter, Iris, and the promise that a young lad vowed
to keep. One of the many aspects of this book that makes it stand out in the
sea of Christian fiction is how Norato-true
to real life-reveals
the full spectrum of God’s power in the lives of believers. I enjoyed this book
to such a high degree that The Promise
Keeper has earned a place on my “Favorites” list in my home library.
and now for a quick peek into the novel:
Johnny withdrew
his spyglass from his waistcoat pocket and trained it across the deep waters of
Duxbury Bay at Captain Moon’s rooftop. As expected, the visage of a young woman
took focus in the lens. Pale ash blond hair, the color of moonlight, swirled
around her, obscuring her face. It spilled to her waist, straight and unbound,
then blew and danced around her head on a fresh breeze. Ethereal as an angel, a
finely-made dressing gown billowed over her tall figure. Surely that garment
was not warm enough to ward off the chill of this late December air.
A moment passed,
one quick glimpse, and then she disappeared. Johnny lowered the glass in
disappointment.
“Two things keep
me sane on this island, Salty. Your faithful companionship and the Bible that
was once my mother’s.” He tossed the rapt and eager gull another meat strip.
It was a
welcomed relief to exercise his voice, to hear the sound of it aloud and watch
his breath steam in the frosty air. “Sometimes I find this tower lonelier than
prison.”
Pilgrim Light
was an isolated place. There were no roads on the eighty-acre Clark’s Island.
No homes, except for the Watson farm on the southernmost tip. The family raised
hay and turnips and were in the process of replacing their farmhouse with a
twelve-room Dutch Colonial.
A two-day
liberty was granted him every three weeks. More frequently Johnny found himself
rowing to Duxbury to spend his earnings on grog in the old ordinary. He liked
to sit quietly by the fire and listen to tongues wag. It mattered little what
they said. It was the hearty rumble of other men’s voices that soothed him
after weeks of nothing but silence.
“What do you
make of her, Salty? Iris has grown into an extremely beautiful woman, yet she
remains the wide-eyed sea urchin I remember. Imagine her rowing out here alone
to have a look at me and assuage her curiosity. How would she have reacted, do
you think, had I told her we were once warm friends?”
The Promise Keeper is available on Amazon in trade paperback or ebook and on Barnes & Noble as an ebook.
GIVEAWAY! Lisa will be giving away a kindle or nook ebook of The Promise Keeper to one commenter. To enter, please be sure to include your name and email address with your comment.
Lynne Erickson Valle is a lyricist, storyteller, inspirational writer and the author of The Double Rose, a contemporary, Christian romance of predestined love. Over two hundred of her articles have been featured on SUSIE magazine, King Cat Christian Music and Examiner. com.