History

A Lady’s Guide to Marvels and Misadventure by Angela Bell

/ kellyfbarr / 6 Comments

A Lady’s Guide to Marvels and Misadventure is the debut novel of Angela Bell, and what a debut it is!

I couldn’t wait to get my hands on this book, and once I did, I couldn’t wait to read it. While reading it, I found it increasingly difficult to put down. Unfortunately, I only have 2-3 hours each evening to spend reading. However, this past Sunday, I spent about 5 hours reading this book because I enjoyed it so much!

I have to say that Angela Bell is an outstanding author. This book is incredibly well written and is very unique. The characters grab your heart from the start. The troubles they face and the adventures they have keep you turning pages. A couple of the characters are quite quirky, which adds some unexpected twists and extra fun to the story. There are even some animal characters that have very interesting personalities and behaviors that add to the uniqueness and adventure. This novel includes adventure, history, steampunk, characters who face struggles that we can relate to, danger, suspense, and a sweet romance. Who could ask for more?

It’s also quite apparent that Ms. Bell not only enjoys using metaphors, but is a master at using metaphors. Her metaphors paint pictures in the reader’s mind and add to the fun of reading this book.

A Lady’s Guide to Marvels and Misadventure is also a story about faith, and as I read, I found a need to grab a journal and write down my favorite wise and inspirational quotes from the book:

“What-ifs are not acquainted with what-is, and they spread horrid falsehoods about what-will-be, so why bother entertaining them? I’d sooner invite hope into my home — for even when her predictions miss the mark, she makes for pleasant company and eats far less food.”

“Oh Clara Marie. The Lord never promised that life would be safe. But He did promise to be with us always. Whatever the harrowing journey life may bring, rest assured, you shall never be left to face it alone.”

“Romance and adventure are the idealistic scribblings of Austen and Dumas. Like Elizabeth Bennet and Athos, they are not real. Nor do they exist off the page. To believe otherwise is to suffer disillusionment and heartbreak.”

Elizabeth Bennet’s happily-ever-after might be a work of fiction, but love is real enough. Sometimes it takes idealistic scribblings to remind us of that truth when the whole of our very real, very dark world makes it feel like a lie.”

“You are A maker. Not THE Maker.” Miss Stanton gave his hand a firm squeeze. “Just as Grand would never expect a clock to fix its own windings, God would never expect us to mend our own hearts.”

“Lift your face to the heavens, granddaughter mine! Recall the joyous wonder of dwelling and dreaming beneath a canopy of stars, embracing the peace found in total dependence on Him who spoke their radiance into being. That is my wish for you. That is my prayer.”

“Not all people are treated as palaces, admired by travelers and protected by armed guard. Some of us are treated as a cobbled road, trod upon and soon forgotten. That’s just the way of things.”

“Love is much like a flower, child. You can’t guarantee it’ll grow or endure a bitter winter to bloom again. All you can do is plant what you’re given, tend it faithfully, and rely on the God who cares for the lillies of the field as much as He cares for our hearts.”

A Lady’s Guide to Marvels and Misadventure has definitely won a spot on my Top Ten Favorite Books of All Time and I will never forget characters, Theodore, Clara, Mrs. S, Grand, and even Mr. Forrester, as well as Fred, Phileas, Honorine, and Todd.

I will be eagerly awaiting what Angela Bell has for her readers next.

Whatever Happened to Justice? by Richard J. Maybury

/ kellyfbarr / 2 Comments

Wow! What a great book! Whatever Happened to Justice? by Richard J. Maybury is written in terms that are easy enough for middle school children to understand, and he offers so many examples and insights into what went wrong and is still spinning out of control in our country.

The entire book talks about Common Law and how it worked and enabled our country to become the prosperous land of the free that it was for a hundred years. This book also explains how things began to go wrong, when our country’s leaders turned to Political Law and cast Common Law aside. It explains about the two types of Law: Scientific Law and Political Law.

You’ve probably never even heard of Common Law. I know I wasn’t familiar with the term until I read this book. Mr. Maybury also points out how, not only did our leaders cast Common Law aside, but it has been buried. No one is taught about Common Law anymore, not even lawyers.

Mr. Maybury quotes many of our founding fathers, as well as other historical figures and resources to make his points. He has traveled the world and examined the many different types of government. He explains how “Case Law” is a method of evolving law on a case by case basis. It was developed by judges and was the beginning of “scientific law”.

Historically, the clergymen were the most highly respected and neutral third party in a community, and therefore were often the ones to listen to both sides of a story and then consult moral guidelines such as the Ten Commandments and make a decision.  The grapevine would spread this decision throughout the community. It would become a “precedent” for later decisions.

The reasoning behind it was simple. The fundamental nature of humans doesn’t change much; what was right yesterday remains right today.

Eventually some of the clergymen became so skilled at listening to cases and making sound judgments that they acquired much prestige. Demand for their services grew and they became full-time judges. The body of precedents they produced became the law of common usage, the “common law“.

Since judges were making decisions based on moral guidelines and dealt with people from different communities or of different religions, the guidelines on which cases were decided had to be those which all reasonable persons held in common.

Therefore, after much thought, the judges came up with two fundamental laws on which all major religions and philosophies agree: (1) do all you have agreed to do, and (2) do not encroach on other persons or their property.

Encroach means to enter steps or stealth into the possessions or rights of another; to trespass or intrude. To gain or intrude unlawfully upon the lands, property, or authority of another. (Black’s Law Dictionary)

These words are just the tip of the iceburg that is this book. Everything in italics and bold are direct quotes from the book, which I highly recommend and plan to use as part of my son’s homeschool government studies when he gets to high school.

If you’re interested in reading more of this book, or one of the other books that Mr. Maybury has written that teach wonderful lessons, you can find them at http://www.bluestockingpress.com