A Life of Alexander Campbell

A Life of Alexander Campbell by Douglas A. Foster
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I had not read or studied the life of Alexander Campbell although I had some familiarity due to my involvement in the Stone-Campbell Movement and specifically my place of my employment. A full review is being published in a journal but here are a few impressions.

While reading the book, I wish I had kept a notebook to jot down all of the things I wanted to look up or follow-up for later reading or research. I thoroughly enjoyed how Foster set the stage historically to introduce Campbell and his ideas. While focused on the Stone-Cammpbell movement, there is quite a bit about reforms in Presbyterian and Baptist churches during this time period as well due to the frequent debates. From the book, I have the impression that while doing a great deal of good work that can be lauded, Campbell was a hot-head and a genius who thought highly of himself.

The Lost Jewels

The Lost Jewels by Kirsty Manning
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The Lost Jewels is an intriguing book that is difficult to categorize but definitely keeps you reading until the end. Manning combines a split narrative that tells the rags to riches story of Essie while also telling the story of Essie's great-granddaughter who is an art historian specializing in jewelry. While pursuing her latest research project on the Cheapside jewels, Kate soon finds herself in the middle of researching her own family history which has numerous twists and turns. Beyond these two main narratives, numerous other historical sidelines are intertwined with the story as the history of the specific jewels unfolds as well.

Manning does a spectacular job of weaving all of the various plots and sub-plots together into a cohesive story. While readers may ferret out some of the mysteries along the way, Manning does a great job of keeping the story wrapped up until the big reveal. Enough mystery to keep you reading, a little romance thrown in, and strong female protagonists in both the modern and historical stories. A thoroughly enjoyable book!