“Julie” by Catherine Marshall ~ Blog Tour with Giveaway and Review!

 

Welcome to this stop on the Julie by Catherine Marshall Reissue Celebration Blog Tour with JustRead Publicity Tours! I pleased to be sharing about this book, my review of it, and a giveaway! Let’s get started :)

 

Title: Julie

Author: Catherine Marshall

Publisher: Gilead Publishing

ReIssue Date: April 17, 2018
Genre: Historical Romance Fiction

Links: Goodreads l Amazon l ChristianBook l Book Depository l Itunes

*A New York Times bestseller*

——————————-

Will the dam hold?

Julie Wallace has always wanted to write. Trying to 
escape the Great Depression, Julie’s father buys the
Alderton Sentinel, a small-town newspaper in flood-prone Alderton, Pennsylvania, and moves his family
there. As flash floods ominously increase, Julie’s investigative reporting uncovers secrets that could
endanger the entire community.

Julie, the newspaper, and her family are thrown into a perilous standoff with the owners of the steel mills
as they investigate the conditions of the immigrant laborers. As the Alderton Sentinel and Julie take on a more aggressive role to reform these conditions, seething tensions come to a head.

When a devastating tragedy follows a shocking revelation, Julie’s courage and strength are tested. 
Will truth and justice win, or will Julie lose everything she holds dear?

 

TO PURCHASE A COPY

Amazon l ChristianBook l Book Depository l Itunes

 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

 

 

Catherine Marshall (1914-1983), “The New York Times” best-selling author of 30 books, is best known for her novel “Christy.” Based on the life of her mother, “Christy” captured the hearts of millions and became a popular CBS television series. Around the kitchen table at Evergreen Farm, as her mother reminisced, Catherine probed for details and insights into the rugged lives of these Appalachian highlanders. Catherine shared the story of her husband, Dr. Peter Marshall, Chaplain of the United States Senate, in “A Man Called Peter.” A decade after Dr. Marshall’s untimely death, Catherine married Leonard LeSourd, Executive Editor of “Guideposts,” forging a dynamic writer-editor partnership. A beloved inspirational writer and speaker, Catherine’s enduring career spanned four decades and reached over 30 million readers.

 

 

MY REVIEW:

 

 

I’m probably one of the few that hasn’t read or seen Catherine Marshall’s infamous “Christy”, but when “Julie” was brought to my attention, I wanted to give this author a try. And I love the new cover of “Julie” – truly beautiful!

The story itself was an interesting one. It was good, and the author obviously put a lot of effort into the historical fact side of it. Sometimes the facts got a little heavy when I wanted to focus more on the characters and their relationships/lives, but overall it wasn’t too much, and it all was indeed interesting. The build-up to the dam-break was a slow crescendo but well-written as we received more information piece by piece. And the newspaper aspect was an enjoyable story – I’ve always enjoyed plots like that.

The characters: The book is of course centered around Julie, as the title suggest. It’s written from her POV and that reads nicely. She is an eighteen year old girl with a lot of gumption and passion. I applauded her devotion to her family, even when crisis after crisis hit. The Wallace family was in it together, no matter what.

The romance struck me as a bit…odd/underdeveloped. First off, there was a sort of love-triangle, only Julie couldn’t decide which of the three men she liked best. And she had no problem flirting with each one nonchalantly. I didn’t care for that. Also, there was a lot of physical attraction between her and Rand, and they shared their kisses freely – and often times, passionately – but with no definite commitment, and then there was the fact that Rand might’ve been in love with someone else…it just did not come across as virtuous or gentlemanly on his part, or caution on her part. And then, towards the end, when we’re expecting to find the conclusion of her romance – find who she chooses – it was summed up really quickly without depth or much emotion. That kind of shocked me. I was expecting a bit more…story on that. Of the three men, I admit I was definitely more for Rand, though their relationship definitely could’ve used some foundation other than just physical attraction.

I appreciated the faith-message, and relying on God through the various trials life throws our way, and the growth we go through under such pressured. There was one character who was particularly strong in his faith, and that was Dean Flemming. I liked him quite a bit and his mission. He was steady in his beliefs and loved the Lord.  However, the desire to keep his “ministry”, if you will, so secret didn’t sit right with me. Yes, we are to “not let the left hand know what the right hand is doing” and not do our deeds for man to see, but when someone asks us of our faith, we are to be always ready to give an answer and to be transparent. To let our acts be known so that they glorify God. Having a “secret society” just felt very off to me, and didn’t sit well.

But that’s not to say I didn’t like what they did, and their commitment to serving God’s people. That was respectable and encouraging. I just don’t think the secrecy aspect was needed.

I realize that my review so far seems a bit critical. I did enjoy “Julie” and am glad I read it! I just had some concerns, which I’ve stated. It was a fascinating story, with happy moments and sad moments, and many gripping scenes. The dam-breaking scene was fairly heart-rending, and I cannot imagine all the horrors entailed. Seeing the town recover was inspiring.

 

 

 

GIVEAWAY

 

 

(1) Winner will win:

• $25 Amazon Gift Card
• Bookmark Swag
• Necklace (exact or similar & *subject to change)
• Print Copy of Julie

(Only Gift Card open internationally. Others open to US Mailing Addresses)

ENTER HERE (or click on the giveaway image above)

 

 

TOUR SCHEDULE:

JustRead Publicity Tour Landing Page

April 23
Backing Books
Beautifully Broken 
Glamamamas Goodies
Glimpse of Our Life
The Power of Words
Remembrancy
Just Commonly
Book Reviews by Steph


April 24
All of a Kind Mom
Amanda In PA
Locks, Hooks and Books
Two Points of Interest
This Chattanooga Mommy Saves
Savings in Seconds
Veronica’s ‘Views
Meagan Davenport
Faery Tales Are Real


April 25
As We Walk Along the Road
Texas Book-aholic
Book by Book
Christian Chick’s Thoughts
Bibliophile Reviews
Moments
Quilting Along Life’s Way
Girls in White Dresses
Mom 2 Mom Connection


April 26
A Baker’s Perspective
Impressions In Ink
A Room Without Books is Empty 
Christian bookaholic
Mocha with Linda
Lighthouse Academy
Running Through the Storms 
Coffee Addicted Writer
Live. Love. Read.
Thoughts from Mill Street
God’s Peculiar Treasure Rae


April 27
For the Love of Books
I’m Hooked on Books
She Lives to Read
Becky J Miller
Jami’s Words
Ponderings of a Poet & Procrastinator
Have A Wonderful Day 
Pause for Tales
Hope for Today’s Heart
Neverending Stories
Jen Around the World
Maureen’s Musings
Singing Librarian Books
Splashes of Joy 
Katherine Scott Jones
My Full Cup