The Saturday Six

One.

Last Saturday was a blessing-filled day, and one of the extra special moments for me was this very sweet post our friend Odie wrote! You may or may not remember that last August, Ryan and I drove over to Ohio to surprise her at her housewarming party. It was the first time we'd ever met her in real life after many years of blog friendship, and in the post, she tells the story from her perspective! Loved it! Thanks, Odie!

Two.

Does birth order fascinate you? It fascinates me! :) I found this article by longtime birth order expert Dr. Kevin Leman, and yep, there I am! (I'm actually a weirdo on this spectrum, because even though I'm the baby of the family, I have no baby child characteristics. I fall squarely into the only child description, because that's how my upbringing looked. My sisters had moved out pretty much by the time I have memories, so I was raised as an only child.) How about you? Did you find yourself on the list?

Three.

This is just cool. What a great principal!

Four.

You know the theme of being still is dear to my heart. Maybe today you're struggling to be still. Maybe these words are for you. (Beautifully written by Lysa TerKeurst.)

Five.

Lent begins soon, and whether or not you participate with a fast, I think you'll find this article by Barbara Rainey well worth the read. Much to think about! I know I'm convicted!

Six.

I love fiction, but I try to mix up the types of fiction I read so I don't get stuck in a rut. This week I read a new-to-me author and a different sort of fiction, and I had a great time with this story.

Grace Hitchcock is a new name for me, but I have to love the fact that she writes about crime and her last name is Hitchcock! :) This book is the first in a series called True Colors, and it's titled The White City. 

The book is set back in 1893 around the Chicago World's Fair. I've never read much about the World's Fair, so this was new and fascinating for me. After I read the whole book, I did a little research and learned that the majority of the framework of this story is quite factual. I recognized many of the names of the characters when reading about the real H. H. Holmes. (Yes, I know many of you history buffs are probably rolling your eyes, because you already know about him, but he was new to me!) Learning about history through fiction is one of my favorite things, so I particularly loved this!

Hitchcock's story introduces us to young Winnifred Wylde, the daughter of an Chicago police inspector. Winnifred's mother has died, and her aunt has appointed herself the task of finding Winnifred an acceptable suitor to marry her before she becomes an "old maid" - at twenty. But Winnifred would far prefer to bury her nose in any of Percival Valentine's romance novels, and in her reading breaks, she loves a good real-life mystery. Unfortunately, her father doesn't take her amateur sleuthing seriously and he absolutely forbids her to entertain any thought of courting a lawman.

While on an outing (a hideous one at that) at the World's Fair - orchestrated by her aunt - Winnifred witnesses a man kidnapping a young woman at gunpoint and rushes to tell her father. He insists her eyes surely deceived her, but with reports of mysterious disappearances taking place around the city, he assigns a new detective to follow her and keep her safe. Winnifred spots him immediately and asks him to help her investigate the kidnapping - without her father knowing.

The book is a beautiful blend of life in the late 1800s, the suspense of mystery, a little danger, and a little fun. (And after reading, I'm OH so glad I do not have to wear a corset!) It was fascinating to me to learn about the rules of high society, the setting of the World's Fair, and the methods of investigation back then, and I got completely caught up in the storyline.

I'm excited to have uncovered a new author, and I'm excited that the next book, The Gray Chamber, will release next January. I'll be sure to read it!

* I received a complimentary copy of this book from Barbour Publishing and was under no obligation to post a review. *