Under a Blackberry Moon Review!!!

Under a Blackberry Moon

 by Serena B. Miller 

Book Description:
Just a few days after she gives birth alone in the Northwoods, a recently widowed young Chippewa woman stumbles into a nearby lumber camp in search of refuge and sustenance. Come summer, the camp owner sends Skypilot, his most trusted friend, to accompany Moon Song and her baby on the long and treacherous journey back to her people. But when tragedy strikes off the shore of Michigan's Upper Peninsula wilderness, Moon Song and Skypilot must depend on each other for survival. With every step they take into the forbidding woods, they are drawn closer together, until the tough questions must be asked. Will she leave her culture to enter his? Will he leave his world to enter hers? Or will they walk away from a love that seems too complicated to last?

With evocative descriptions of a breathtaking landscape, Under a Blackberry Moon will sweep readers into a wild realm where beauty masks danger and only the truly courageous survive, even as the sweet love story along the way tightly grips their hearts.


My Opinion:
Absolutely amazing!!!  When I read the book description I thought that I'd give it a shot.  It sounded pretty interesting.  I WAS blown away with how amazing this story turned out to be, and I'm not sure the description really does it justice!!!  I laughed SO hard at some of the dialogue and the pages are filled with surprise after surprise.  This story is SO great that I can read it again and again.  I enjoyed it so much I didn't want it to end!  The pace is excellent, blending one great scene after another, and I absolutely love the scenes where the characters must survive in the wilderness!  Serena made it all so realistic with the way Moon Song had to find food and shelter.  I love when an author has to come up with ways for their characters to survive with little to no tools and Serena knocks it out of the ball park.  The messages of strength in body, mind, and faith are expressed beautifully in this rugged background.  From "civilization", to Lake Superior, to the deep forest, Under a Blackberry Moon takes you through it all!  Serena has also captured the sad devastation the Indian tribes faced through history.  From losing the old ways to having everything stolen from them, to the prejudices against them; these characters must find a way to survive not just the harshness of the wilderness but also from the changing times.  After reading this book I would LOVE to go back and read where Moon Song was first introduced in The Measure of Katie Calloway.  This is a MUST READ!!!  Entertaining, beautiful, humorous, lovable, surprising, and heartwarming!  

And a shout out to Koechel Peterson & Associates and Bryan Hansel!  They out did themselves on this beautiful cover!!!   

Songs: "Loon - Bird Call Song" by Sound Affection, "For The Beauty Of The Earth (Album Version)" by BarlowGirl, "Believer" by Kutless, "How Can I Not Love You (Anna and the King) [Karaoke Instrumental Track] [In the Style of Joy Enriquez]" by ProSound Karaoke Band, "A Mighty Fortress Is Our God, Rock Of Ages, Victory In Jesus, Because He Lives (Medley) (LP Version)" by Sandi Patty,
and when I found what I think is the strange French lullaby from the book I couldn't resist adding it's instrumental: "La petite poule grise" by The Kiboomers

Joshua 1:5

~ASC

*I received this book free from Revell in exchange for my honest review.  This in no way affected my opinion and the above is what I truly think about Under a Blackberry Moon.  ~ASC

“Available October 2013 at your favorite bookseller from Revell,

 a division of Baker Publishing Group.”