This book was everything and nothing that I anticipated. I’ve come to expect great stories and beautiful writing from Jocelyn Green and she delivered, but she also gave me such a wonderful surprise along the way. This book veers away from the pattern of its genre and was all the more beloved for that reason.

Catherine-Stands-Apart was a character that I could root for. She experiences many of the same struggles that people still face today. Pleasing others to the detriment of yourself, the heartache that can come with love and acting for the greater good. The motivations that drive her felt east to relate to. I understood her reactions to the world around her and the actions of others. As a woman of the fur trade she was afforded greater independence without sacrificing historical accuracy and that was a selling point for me. Nothing takes me out of a story faster than modern thoughts or actions imposed on a historical situation.

Relationships between women, and especially sisters can be some of the most complicated. This book placed great importance on this, and watching the bonds between Catherine, Bright Star and Thankful grow and change was a pleasure. No one develops more than Catherine though as she experiences love in all its different forms. The love of siblings, love for a parent, romantic love, loving oneself and most importantly God’s love.

I received a copy of this book from the author and Bethany House Publishers in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

I love history. I love bits of French. Combine the two into a most compelling tale of the Seven Years’ War (French and Indian War), and I was caught more efficiently than a beaver or fox in a trap. Jocelyn Green unfolds her tale, Between Two Shores in alternating time swatches. Green starts when Catherine, part Mohawk, part Canadian- French, accepted by neither nation, is ten. Then, suddenly like rapids on the rushing river, the novel skips ahead to the “present time” of the narrative, 1759; then, like the river meandering and curling back on itself, retreats back to an earlier essential era, only to repeat this ebb and flow several times throughout the novel. A little truth here, a little more here, too much at one time could perhaps be overwhelming. It seems this could be symbolic of the way Catherine has to slowly piece together her life and how her faith will affect her actions toward her father, Bright Star, Joseph, and eventually two nations.
My heart hurts for Catherine as she searches for a hero and true love. She seems to think love is an equal trade of sorts until finally faced with the question of whether she can love for love’s sake alone.
I did not cry during this novel, but I wanted to. At times, I, too, wanted to wretch, or faint, or plan an escape. NOT for the faint of heart. Bravo to Jocelyn Green for writing a different kind of historical romance, one that surprised me around every bend of the river, and certainly had me talking back to her!

Great Quotes:
“What is courage... but moving forward in the face of fear? If there was nothing to be afraid of, we would have no need to be brave.” ~ Samuel


…"But she was wholly who the Great Good God had made her...”

There are discussion questions at the end. Also included are author’s notes about what events and people included are factual. This book comes highly recommended. I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author and NetGalley. All opinions are my own, and I was not required to leave a positive review.

Between Two Shores is yet another fabulous book by Jocelyn Green. I have and enjoyed every one of her historicals and this one does not disappoint. It is rich and vivid in historical details. I was transported back in time to mid eighteenth century Montreal. I instantly felt connected to Catherine. I loved her bravery, courage and determination. She is a woman before her time.
I am giving Between Two Shores a very well deserved five plus stars. I highly recommend it for readers who love well written historical fiction. I loved it!
I received this book from the publisher, but was not required to write a review. This review is 100% my own honest opinion.

I thought this book was really well written and I enjoyed it a lot. The female characters were strong and independent. The male characters were hard for me to like. One was abusive and another one seemed really selfish. While there is some romance, this isn't a love story. It's a story about war and adventure. There is a lot of historical detail, which I love. I would recommend this for lovers of historical fiction and readers who enjoy strong female characters.

I received a copy of this book from Netgalley and the publisher for the purpose of review.

Set in my very favorite time period, I was anxious to read Jocelyn Green's Between Two Shores. The story of a Metis girl and her fictional role in the very real fall of Quebec during the French and Indian War was heart-rending in the way good historical fiction can be. Green's attention to historical detail is vividly portrayed through the lives of Catherine Stands-Apart, her family, and the redeemed captives she deeply cares for. There are surprises in the story, and redemption reaches into several characters lives in deeper ways than they anticipate. I should note that as the story wove on, I saw an ending coming I hadn't anticipated at the beginning, and I was very satisfied with the way it concluded.

This is an incredible historical novel!

I am amazed at the depth of the characters in this book. There is quite a variety and I was able to picture them and their mannerisms very clearly. They all had different baggage and hangups that they were dealing with. All of them were slowly revealed and developed throughout the book.

The period and historical setting were wonderfully presented. I had never learned anything about the French and Indian War beyond George Washington’s involvement. I was fascinated by the fact that this book presented it from the sides of all three people groups, the French, Canadians, and Mohawk people. The conflict and distrust between them was great.

I love the fact that the author includes a section at the end explaining which portions of the story are actual historical events. This really shows how much research she did prior to writing this wonderful book.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher and through NetGalley. I have chosen to write this review to express my personal opinion.

This is the first book that I have read by Jocelyn Green, and I was blown away. I loved this story. The layers of depth and the vivid details that highlight the French Indian War makes this a must read for Historical Romance fans.

Wow, I really enjoyed this book. Having read a couple other stories from this author I knew I was in for a treat and I was not disappointed. Between Two Shores by Jocelyn Green is a wonderful historical romance. Green does an extraordinary job with the historical detail in this story about the French and Indian war as we Americans call the Seven Years War that involved a number of countries and has been said to be the first world war. Famine, traveling on the St Lawrence River in the midst of war, the ins and outs of a trading post--so much detail that keeps the reader's interest high. Green is a master at beautiful imagery that draws one into the scenes and feelings of the characters. "The stars seemed almost low enough to touch, diamond chips scattered against night's mantle." "a comfort that was a pouring of water into places of her heart that had been dust-dry for years." The characters are vivid and realistic. Catherine and Samuel's story rings true with wartime hardships, broken dreams, and broken families. Her wounds were deep and Catherine had gone numb and given up hope that Samuel would return. When he did could she bear the wounds being opened again? She had shaped Samuel into the man he had become and he had given her hope and love and confidence when she needed it most. Could he ask her to help him when he knew he could break her heart again? Throughout Catherine and Samuel's story there is another story of three women of different heritages and yet sisters through choice and commitment. I loved Bright Star's character--so strong even as grief upon grief is heaped on her heart. Between Two Shores is a complex and multifaceted story that reminds readers that God is in the business of forgiveness, redemption and restoration, and of an eternal love that is not given in trade for anything--it just is. I received a complimentary copy of this book and was not required to write a review. The opinions are my own.

Amazing book! I took my time reading this story, savoring its pages. I always learn so much when I read a Jocelyn Green book. The historical detail does not disappoint in Between Two Shores. This is not a romance novel, it's a great lesson in history.
The fictional and real-life people in this story take you on a journey through the French and Indian War/Seven Years War. But more than that, it is a story about a woman, Catherine Stands-Apart, half French Canadian half Mohawk, searching for who she is. At a young age, she chooses to live with her French father after her mother dies, much to her sister's dismay for it is not the custom. She takes care of him and his trading post. He is mean and drunk most of the time, she longs for the Papa she once knew him to be. I felt like Catherine was searching for a place to belong, to be accepted and loved. This is a quote from her thoughts as she is running from information that is personally devastating to her hopes, I thought it was very telling of her struggle; "Did she really only give when she expected to get back in equal measure? Did she consider all of life a trade?"
The journey is treacherous and very ugly at times but the ending is good.
I think historical fiction lovers will really enjoy this book. I know I did.

*I received a review copy of this book from the publisher/author. A positive review was not required. All thoughts are entirely my own.

Half-Mohawk and half-French, Catherine Duval must choose between the two worlds that formed her. When her mother dies, she decides to leave the Indian camp to keep house for her French father, Gabriel Duval, and manage his trading post. As much as he relies on her, however, she always proves a disappointment to him, and his unhealthy dependence on alcohol frequently leads him to treat her with harshness and violence. This departure from the Mohawk camp is seen as a betrayal by Catherine’s sister, Bright Star, and it is only after years of bitterness, heartache, tragedy, and hope that the sisters bridge the gap between them.

Told in two parallel story lines, ten years apart, the book commences with the return of Samuel Crane, an imprisoned British soldier, to the small Canadian town on the St. Lawrence River. Samuel had been indentured to Gabriel Duval ten years earlier, developing a relationship with Catherine that is now sundered. Resentful of his absence, Catherine finds herself troubled by his return–can it be that he still holds a piece of her heart, even after all these years?

As Catherine struggles to understand her feelings, the war between England and France takes a heavy toll on the Canadian colonies. Famine threatens both Montreal and Quebec, and Catherine helps harvest grain to send to the French soldiers. As her people suffer, she must answer the difficult question: is she willing to aid the enemy just so that the war will end?

The French and Indian War is typically examined from the side of the English, but here, we see the effects of the conflict on both the Canadian colonists and the native tribles. The setting of this story comes to life with ferocious grandeur and startling intensity. The plot itself unfolded beautifully like a flower, with layer after layer of disclosures piquing my interest throughout. At first, the book seems to be a tale of star-crossed lovers (the scene where Samuel takes the beating that Gabriel Duval means for Catherine is romance at its finest), but the story veers like a river channel to the deeper waters of the loyalty that binds family together.

Catherine is a strong, courageous, and capable young woman, trading with the rough men of Canadian territory and braving the rapids of the river in her own canoe, shifting between the many-layered gowns of eighteenth-century French women and the simple deerskin dress of a Mohawk huntress. The secondary characters in this story also stand out. Catherine’s half-brother, Joseph Many Feathers, is a devoted ally to those he calls family, providing meat for their hungry bellies and protection from every threat. Gabriel Duval alternates between apologetic episodes and alocholic rages, never quite accepting Catherine because of her half-breed status but regretful of his behavior when his mind clears. Bright Star, Catherine’s enigmatic sister, bears sorrows too many to count–her true feelings toward Catherine remain elusive even as she grudgingly agrees to assist Catherine in her time of need.

I thoroughly enjoyed this tale of early Canada. One of my favorite books as a child was Calico Captive by Elizabeth George Speare, and this book explored the same setting in 1700s Montreal and the same harsh realities of massacre/capture at the hands of the Native Americans. The character arcs were excellent, the surprise twist in the book was wholly a surprise to me, and the dual timeline plot was fresh and well-structured. The only thing that detracted from my enjoyment was the long span of time spent dwelling on the siege of Quebec, but other than that, highly recommended!

Between Two Shores, by Jocelyn Green, tells the tale of Catherine Stands-Apart Duval. This woman, born to a Mohawk mother and a French father, has a hard road to walk!

The story is set in Quebec in the year 1759. In those days, the world was full of danger and this book recounts the details. You soon learn that Catherine has been introduced to the One who is all-powerful. Hold on to see if Catherine will trust in Him, through all of the trials set before her!

Parts of this book were difficult to read; however, I think the details are true concerning this time in our history!

Jocelyn Green writes wonderful novels combining faith and family and this book is no exception. The year is 1759 and Catherine Stands-Apart is torn between two worlds, her mother was a Mohawk Indian and her father is French-Canadian. Her mother has passed and her father becomes an embittered abusive man who drinks too much due to a hunting accident. She makes her home with him because she still clings to the father that she knew before his accident. She runs the family business, a trading post. As was custom, her father took on an indentured servant, Samuel Crane, who worked around the trading post. He won Catherine’s heart, but had to leave on a trip back to his home in hopes of finding his brother. He leaves Catherine with a promise to return. With Samuel gone Catherine goes on trying to survive by herself walking between her two worlds, as the French and Indian war rages.

This story is told in the third person. It involves plots and subplots that are woven together for an exciting story line that is packed full of historical facts. It has many twists and turns that will keep you guessing. Just when you think you know where the tale is heading, it goes in another direction. Catherine is caught in a moral dilemma where her heart pulls her in a direction that she longs to take but knows isn’t right. She must decide if betrayal is justified and if she can live with the consequences.

I have read and loved Jocelyn Green’s novels from the very first one I read and this one is no exception. Her stories include adult situations that are related in such a way that they can be read and enjoyed by all ages. They are more than just stories, they have a moral basis and her strong faith is apparent in her writing. Whether a new reader to Ms. Green’s novels or she is a favorite, you will definitely enjoy this book.

Jocelyn Green's Between Two Shores captures the essence of the French and Indian War on the Canadian grounds. With a strong mixed breed heroine, she captured the strong-willed women of the age. The conflict between the characters and the nations sparked an overwhelming story filled with heart and hate. While the story moved along at a great rate, I did find myself nodding off a couple of times. It didn't capture my attention the whole time. It was a dry read for me personally. On the other hand, Green does a wonderful job at bringing the late eighteenth century to life for readers. The unpredictable ending to the romance threat was different, and I actually enjoyed this different viewpoint. Overall, Between Two Shores sweeps the reader into a fascinating world of conflict, but the enduring heroine of Catherine brings heart to the dilemma. Fans of Jocelyn Green's other stories or historical romance might enjoy this novel.

I received a complimentary copy of Between Two Shores by Jocelyn Green from Bethany House Publishers, but the opinions stated are all my own.

"What is courage.....but moving forward in the face of fear?"
The author has once again done incredible research to bring us this historically accurate book. It's 1759 and the Seven Years War is being fought on multiple sites and in a number of countries. This book highlights the war between the French and English with both sides the St. Lawrence River as the main battleground. Catharine Stands-Apart, our heroine, who is half French and half Mohawk, has chosen to live with her father and run his trading post. While the war has created some shortages, the fact that she refuses to pick sides has allows the post to continue to flourish. When ultimately she must make a choice, will she make the right one?
I received an ARC from the Bethany House Publishers. All impressions and opinions are my own.

Do you ever think, "I just want a historical novel that really gives you a feel of what it was like to live then?"
If so, pick up a copy of this author's books. Between Two Shores is set in a time period that is not always written about, so you will find yourself learning a ton. While this is not a romantic historical fiction book, it does have the struggles that someone might have faced with relationships. As with her other books, it doesn't sugar coat the hard stuff. I would encourage you to expect descriptions of reality from history.
This book is beautiful though. It is about strong women that live through incredible pain and come out on top, although banged up, thriving.
You want depth in your historical fiction? Look no further than this read!

I obtained this book from the publisher and NetGalley. The opinions contained herein are my own.

And now for something completely different… That's what I thought on picking up Jocelyn Green’s Between Two Shores. I’d not read the author before, but it’d been a minute since I’d tackled anything set during the French and Indian War and I was giddy at the possibilities.

The novel incorporates some great historical subject matter, the experiences of captives taken by Native American tribes are more than noteworthy, but I was transfixed by Green’s depiction of the fur trade’s female practitioners. This little-known chapter was entirely new to me and I love how it afforded Green the opportunity to explore authentic feminine fortitude without inventing an anachronistic exception to eighteen-century norms.

The novel affords great insight into the lives of Quebec’s French colonists and I found the atmospheric details quite comprehensive. I also liked the cross-cultural notes Green was able to explore by virtue of Catherine’s unique heritage and complex emotional relationships.

The religious themes of the novel are moderate, but I felt they paired nicely with Catherine’s struggle to identify both her place and individual purpose. Green plays with ideas of guilt, familial obligation, and personal happiness and while I’m not particularly religious, I found the material compelling and intensely creative.

I really don't know what to say about this book other than I loved it. I've thought about this review and what to write and I really had a hard time finding the right words. I found it hard to come up with a review that would do the book justice, but I'll try. This has got to be one of the best books I have ever read. I always feel I've had history lesson without even realizing it when I read one of Jocelyn Green's books. Her research is always amazing. I learned about the Seven Year War and as I read I realized it is a piece of history not many people talk about. I pretty much knew nothing about it so it was fun to read about it. The other thing I liked about the story is that it was not all mushy romance, but just a bit. I was warned about this and was wary, but was SO glad I read it. I absolutely loved this book!

A must read for historical fiction fans.

Through vivid prose and rich historical detail, Jocelyn Green proves once again that she is a master storyteller. Through a strong heroine and supporting cast, Green allows the reader to experience the turmoil and hardship experienced by the Canadian settlers and native Indians during the seven years of the French and Indian War. In Catherine Stands-Apart, we have a strong yet vulnerable heroine who is searching for a place to belong. The image of standing apart is both literal and figurative. She is caught between the heritage of both parents, her mother a Mohawk while her father was a French-Canadian. In her search to belong, she needs to discern which side of the conflict will benefit her family and people the most. This is not only a story of a physical journey but a spiritual one of as well. Through descriptive prose, I was able to empathize with Catherine's anger, sorrow and pain as she struggled to find her place among family and her Creator.

A couple of my favorite quotes:

" Here in this creek. behind a black cavern shaped by water, she would shed the burden of others' expectations. She would be the river that set its own course and not the rock hollowed out by continual force. A river that flowed between nations and did not heed a man-made war."

" God was not to be bargained with. She had nothing to entice Him, for she possessed nothing He needed. Yet He loved her, and that was what she cling to....If she could not bend God's will to hers, could she possible bow to His?"


I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book which I received from the author/publisher. I was not required to write a review. All opinions expressed are my own.

Between Two Shores spans from 1744 to 1761 and chronicles the life of Catherine Stands-Apart, a woman born from the union of a French trapper and his Mohawk wife. After the death of her mother, Catherine's decision to leave her sister and brother in the village of Kahnawake and join her father at his trading post located across the St. Lawrence River from Montreal, would set the course for her life. From that moment on, she became a woman caught in the middle of two worlds and eventually two nations.

Family dynamics drive this story, while unique circumstances precipitated by the French and Indian War ratchet up the tension even higher. Green made me feel so much empathy for Catherine, whose heart was broken time and time again by those who were supposed to love and cherish her the most. First, by her sister whose bitterness took root when Catherine abandoned the People. Then repeatedly by her father, who tried to have the "savage" trained out of his daughter, and when that failed took to abusing her—a problem compounded by alcohol. Last of all by her betrothed, who she assumed to be dead until he was ransomed by her father.

In this novel, some characters are adopted by Indians while others are ransomed. "Once a captive is ransomed, he or she stays and works in that location like an indentured servant for six years or so, until the money spent on the ransom is considered paid off by labor. At the end of that time, the ransomed captive is usually free to leave New France.” While these practices were common in the period, my favorite aspect of this story was how Green turns them into spiritual lessons about how Christians are ransomed by Christ and adopted into the Kingdom of God. It's absolutely beautiful!

As a veteran fan of the author, I've come to know and cherish her vivid imagery and impeccable research. I like the direction she's taken with her 7th novel—steering away from romance without sacrificing deep interpersonal relationships. Between Two Shores was an excellent way to kick off 2019! Pick up a copy when it releases February 5th from Bethany House Publishers.

Between Two Shores by Jocelyn Green was an excellent novel that honestly delved into the sometimes ignored aspect of history -namely the French and Indian War and its effects on the French-Canadian settlers and the native peoples alike. The plot was well crafted and flowed seamlessly between flashbacks of Catherine's past and the present time. The story was told almost exclusively from Catherine's point of view and allowed the reader to understand her feelings, struggles, and actions. I enjoyed discovering more about how the different Indian tribes were allied with the French and/or British, the different practices that occurred between these groups (such as the ransoming of British captives by the French-Canadians for servants), and the rationale for why certain groups performed particular acts. Jocelyn Green did a marvelous job with her research and then crafting a story that allowed the reader to sympathize with all parties involved.

The characters were also well developed and multi-dimensional with unique experiences, flaws, and strengths that added to the story's development. Catherine was an intriguing character who suffered much but also learned to trust God and to find her identity in Him instead of struggling with her mixed heritage. Oftentimes historical fiction leans heavily on romance for the plot, and I really appreciated that romance was not the defining feature of this novel. Instead, the author pointed to the fact that happiness, contentment, and satisfaction are found first in God, not in another person. So while my heart was left somewhat broken at the end for the main characters in this novel, I was satisfied with the conclusion and the reality of what the real people affected by these true events might have experienced and felt.

I received this novel from Bethany House Publishers through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts are my own.