How I Learned History

If you know me at all, you may know that I was home-schooled. Maybe you even remember this post.

What you may not know, is how I learned history.  I wasn’t given a textbook with dry boring content. In fact I don’t think we had a history text book in the house.  What I was given were books. Lots and lots and lots of books. And I loved love to read!

What were the books about? Well, interestingly enough, they were about history. But they weren’t text books, no, they were historical fiction.  Do you know that if you enjoy what you are reading, you will retain much more than if you are bored with the book?

We had books about both world wars, the cold war, great depression, civil war, church history and more. I read them all.

That being said…

I had a friend request on Facebook the other day, and the first thing I did was see who our common friends were. Our only common friend was a writer. So I accepted the friend request and asked her if she also wrote.

She replied that she did and sent me to her blog. She was writing a series called Casa De Naomi. Set in the Spanish Inquisition that began in 1492, it began with Naomi being rescued from the deportation office at Ellis Island and being hidden in plain sight. On the author’s (Paula) site, you can find the first chapter to this story.

I was instantly intrigued and knew I wanted to read the rest of the book. So I come back to Facebook, thinking, “I want to read this book and possibly review it!” Well as fate would have it, back on Facebook I have a new message from Paula that said she was looking for a few bloggers, to read and possibly review her new book!

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     Fifteen-year-old Naomi wants to practice her faith in public, find her uncle, and help him raise enough money to bring their family to America. To accomplish this she agrees to companion a blind, old woman whose family plans to tour Europe and settle in the United States. Her plans are thwarted when the woman passes away aboard ship, and Naomi is handed over to immigration. While she awaits her interview, an old Tía comes to Naomi’s rescue and offers to take her in. With nowhere to go and no one to turn to, Naomi agrees and unwittingly enters the country illegally.

This is Naomi’s journey from adolescence to womanhood, from frightened isolation and captivity to the noble status of heiress with a mission and responsibility many would shirk placed upon her shoulders. Along the way, she contends with piercing memories, hurtful loss, jealous opponents, a devious lawyer, and a curious priest. Through each step of this journey, she guards two secrets she dare not share with anyone, not even Chaz, the man she has married. Will she keep his love when he discovers who she really is? Find out in the first book of Paula Rose Michelson’s saga, The House of Blessing.

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I truly enjoyed this book, having never really read much about the Spanish inquisition, I loved how much I was able to learn, just reading a book. A book that I couldn’t hardly put down by the way. Ask hubby, I may or may not have burnt his supper one night!

While Paula writes in a manner that I am not accustomed to, I really enjoyed her writing style. It’s not a book that you can sit down and read in a couple hours. To fully grasp the beauty and the historical aspect of her writing you will want to find a little nook you can look yourself into for the weekend. Make sure you have a good supply of coffee with you.

I am looking forward to reading the next book in this series which will be released in 2013.

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About Paula

As the author of the Casa de Naomi: House of Blessing six book saga, and the wife of Messianic missionary, pastor, preacher, teacher Ron Michelson, her faith journey, like his, has been amazing!

Since she began her writing journey with Messiah, she has realized that writing is like breathing to her, and is already researching two more series. When not speaking, teaching, or involved in ministry with her husband, she can be found worshiping at the Messianic Congregation Ben David in Santa Ana, California.

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The really sweet thing about Paula is this, she has offered to give one of my readers a copy of the first book in the Casa De Naomi series!!! How cool is she?

You can enter via rafflecopter below.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

I was given a copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review. All views and opinions are my own.