Phoebe's Light by Suzanne Woods Fisher is a marvellous Christian historical adventure. It is the first book in the Nantucket Legacy series and what a fabulous series that promises to be.
The novel has two parallel stories, one set in 1658 and the other in 1767. Both have strong women who know what they want. One seeks the will of God. The other is led by her own thoughts and feelings. "An abundance of money seemed to be the answer to all of life's problems." Money is never the answer, God is.
The hand of her great grandmother, her story and her wisdom seems to travel down the years. As the truths sink in, the need for God is realised. The epiphany is "This peace. This sense that she was not alone." This is the peace of God that passes all understanding and is available for all.
God will pursue us. If we walk away from Him, He waits like the father in the Prodigal Son story, for us to return. Sometimes the world drowns God out but He waits, watches and whispers to us. "Could it be... this loving Good Shepherd is calling me to follow Him? And I have not heard His voice for it was drowned out by the clanging sounds of scolding clergy."
When one is driven by greed, one can expect a fall. We need to focus our interests on men and God not on money, power and stuff. "So many possessions of value. Treasure."
There is the theme of trust. We can trust God and we need to place our trust in good people. Life can be hard. We need to seek God and His will. " 'How do I walk in the light when I only see darkness?'... 'Trust God in the dark.'" God will always provide just enough light for the step we are on. We need to see no further as God will guide us.
Phoebe's Light is a fabulous tale with wonderful main characters. Watching the dual timeline play out and linking the characters down the years was entertaining. Relying on God and seeking His will was a strong main message.
A wonderful story with much Godly wisdom.
I received this book for free. A favourable review was not required and all views expressed are my own.

In Phoebe's Light, Suzanne Woods Fisher brings to life another entertaining historical tale. I liked the setting on Nantucket Island and the history around whaling. Although I liked Phoebe, I had moments that I would have loved to shake some sense into her, but unfortunately, she had to learn things the hard way.

The chapters ended with pieces from the diary of Mary Coffin; a diary Phoebe was reading. Honestly, I had expected a bit more of the diary, but perhaps that will come in the next books in this series.

All in all, a fascinating story full of twists and turns that will keep you turn the pages.

What a book to get lost in, and thank goodness there is a sequel, I didn’t want to leave, and yet I did want a conclusion.
This book is a perfect blend of history, romance, adventure and mystery, and boy do things explode when facts begin to unfold, and surprises sure abound.
Can you imagine reading the thoughts of your Great Grandmother, you never met, it would be such an irreplaceable treasure, and this is the gift that Phoebe is given. Now why would the Captain be interested in the thoughts of a young girl? Thank goodness it is very hard to read, but we get to peruse it, and I enjoyed reading it, and then it is a story in itself.
This is a new series that you really don’t want to miss, and I am glad I was given the chance to enjoy.

I received this book through Celebrate Lit, and was not required to give a positive review.

I am all Amished out when it comes to christian fiction books. I almost did not want to read this book because I thought it may follow along some of the same Amish story lines but I am glad that I did read it. I was a bit surprised by how much I enjoyed this book! The historical research seemed to be meticulous and seamlessly interwoven into the story. I can't wait for the next book in the series!

As always, Suzanne Fisher has created believable characters, and brings a time long ago to life for her readers. A good and interesting read!

d I, for one, am glad to note that it is a first in a series as I cannot wait to read the next one. Fisher is an expert storyteller and she does not disappoint with Phoebe's story. The characters are strong and vibrant. Phoebe is determined, perhaps a bit naive and yet she faces life head-on with a confident faith. Matthew has abandoned his faith for all its religious trappings and though he hides behind cynicism, he is a faithful friend. Barnabas, Phoebe's father, is a man who keeps on trying; despite failures, he never gives up and he loves his daughter. It was such a pleasure to get to know these characters and others in this book. A few twists to the plot were expected but there were a few that were 'wow, I didn't see that coming!' The author has written a dual story in this book as she uses Phoebe's great-grandmother's diary to allow readers to see a parallel life from years earlier. Lots of history and interesting facts about Nantucket and the whaling industry in the early colonial years of Quakers in Massachusetts help to keep the pages turning. Phoebe's Light is a wonderful book of regret--if only one could live life backwards--, the troubles that pride can bring and of learning to recognize love and to trust God in the dark, knowing that He is the Light to bring one through whatever difficulties might arise.
I received a complimentary copy of the book and was not required to write a review. The opinions are my own.

Where do I begin? Phoebe's Light by Suzanne Woods Fisher drew me in kept me riveted. I stayed up until 3:00 am just to finish it! I can hardly wait for the second book to come out. But first, let me tell you about this one.

​Phoebe Starbuck is a girl with a mission and no one, not even her father, can keep her from it. She is determined to marry Captain Phineas Foulger, a prosperous whaling ship captain. A man who is way too old for her, but nevertheless, Phoebe is besotted. And wonder of wonders, the Captain seems to be taken with her also. It doesn't matter he has a daughter the same age as her and it doesn't matter that her father thinks it's a bad match. She marries him anyway, not just because she loves the Captain (or thinks she does) but to save her father from jail (more on him in a bit). And to make sure the marriage works, she convinces the Captain to take her on his whaling ship as they begin their married life. That's her second mistake (her first was marrying the Captain, but I'm getting ahead of myself).

Speaking of her father - wow! What a character! Barnabas is continuously distracted by new ideas that would make him rich. Only they never do, and when Phoebe finds out that he re-mortgaged their home but failed to make payments on it, she does something desperate. She marries the Captain who promises to pay off his debt so that Barnabas won't go to jail.

And then there is Matthew Mitchell. Phoebe was once engaged to him, but then he turned away from God causing Phoebe to break their engagement. After she marries the Captain, Barnabas asks Matthew to go along on the voyage to watch over her, and it's a good thing he does because Captain Foulger is not exactly a good Quaker.

I loved this book! There is so much more to this story - Great Mary's diary with its hidden secret, Matthew's love for Phoebe, another character named Silo - the list goes on. And the theme of this book - trusting in God and having faith when all seems lost. Having faith in God means that sometimes you have to wait for answers to prayers. It means listening to your parents when they try to guide you in the right direction and most importantly it means listening to and obeying God when He speaks to you. Unfortunately for Phoebe, she learns the hard way how important those things are.

If you want a book that will sweep you up and take you away, this is the one. Word of warning - you will not be able to put it down so be prepared to stay up late to finish it!

I asked Revell Publishing for the chance to read and review this book and was chosen to do so.

This book is a Historical Christian Fiction book. It goes back and forth between the mid-6500s and the mid=1700s. It is actually two stories in one. It works very well. There is a glossary at the beginning of the book. I did read it, but even if you didn't, you wouldn't be lost as the words are pretty self-explanatory. I enjoyed this book so much that I finished the book in three days. That is doing well, for me as it usually takes a week. I did not want to put the book down, nor did I want it to end.

You know I do not provide a synopsis of the book as you can read that for yourself on the book. cover I give you my opinion. I think that Suzanne Woods Fisher did an excellent job on this first book in the new series. She portrays the community well. You feel like you are right there. She shows how areas were settled and turned into communities. She gives a look at a whaling community also. She does both of this without being like a textbook, full of description and interest.

The characters in this book are very well developed. You feel that Phoebe could be you or your close friend. You see the community and the other main characters through her eyes. Even the minor characters are quite well developed and you feel you know something about them, at least would recognize them if you lived in that community.

The story flows very well. Even the moving from one story to the other and back is done very skillfully. It is not jumpy or choppy in any way. The editing was also superb. Poor editing can ruin a perfectly good book in my opinion. This is a Christain book, but it is not preachy. It gives a nice look at the Quaker religion. It also shows how religion and religious persecution were some of the reasons we became our own nation. It also gives a glimpse of what whaling was like and why it was done.

I would recommend this book and give it five stars. You will not be disappointed if you enjoy Christian historical fiction.

I really enjoyed reading Phoebe's light. It is the first book in a new series called Nantucket Legacy by author Suzanne Woods Fisher. I have read several of Suzanne Woods Fisher's Amish novels in the past. I think she has done a better job with historical fiction. Her characters are described with great detail both physically and personality. I knew who I liked and didn't like right away. Her plot lines are good and flow easily. The book is intertwined with journal entries from Phoebe's great-grandmother, Mary Coffin.

Phoebe Starbuck is a young Quaker woman living with her father on Nantucket Island. She is hopelessly in love with Captain Phineas Fougler and hopes that the captain will see her as woman now that she has turned eighteen. She wants to leave the island and find adventure as a captain's wife. For her birthday, her father gives her the legendary diaries of her great-grandmother, Mary Coffin. Mary was well known during her life for being a righteous woman like Deborah in the Bible.

Phoebe is elated when Captain Phineas asks for her hand in marriage. Against the advice of her father and friends, she marries him and sets sail for adventure. But life on a ship is nothing like she imagined. The man she married is nothing like she imagined. She is comforted only by the presence of an old friend, Matthew Macy. She and Matthew had once been in love years ago, but when Matthew lost his faith, he was kicked out of the Quaker gatherings. Matthew signed on as the ship's cooper at the insistence of Phoebe's father to watch over her. What happens to Phoebe over the course of book, brings her to the realization that she had love and a home on Nantucket all along.

I would definitely recommend this book. It's a good read!

Loved this story it really took me back in time! I got in to from the start was easy to get to and hard to put down. Have the second one per-ordered! She's got A glossary in the book of the eighteenth century language for you if your not Familiar with that time frame! She's a fantastic story teller. One of my favorites. Love her cover and the title of it really suited the story of it! Hope you get your copy Feb.6th recommending this book to others!