Jacob Have I Loved ... A Northern Light

Dreams and goals don't usually come about as we hoped or planned, rather they are often brought about through other avenues which may include hardships, disappointment, discovery, love, and adventure. I have recently completed these books and wanted to share both since they were equally wonderful in various ways, and I couldn't decide which was better to share. In simple terms, each book described a young woman's dream of leaving their small town to get an education and better themselves. Unexpected love, family challenges, and other factors get in the way of their goals. Each young woman learns to deal with the challenges she encounters and eventually fulfills her dream in around about way.


Jacob Have I Loved by Katherine Patterson
This engaging story had me completely enthralled the whole time. Based on its summary description and title, I assumed the storyline would be a fairly predictable - Young girl falls in love with a young man, budding romance that is broken, and the recovery from such a relationship. There was that in way. Yet, I kept wondering who Jacob was in the story. He was never mentioned as a character. If you haven't read this classic, I don't want to give it away. But I absolutely loved how the author used the title to tie in the culminating feelings of the main character. Such a strong and moving descriptive lesson.




A Northern Light by Jennifer Donnelly

Also a very enthralling read, I just couldn't wait to find out what happened in this historical fiction. It is based on a true murder story of the early 1900's. The author tells the story of a fictional character whose dreams of college are shattered through various events. In the meanwhile, she alone discovers the secrets of an unsuspected murder which gives her the strength to make necessary changes in her own crumbling life. The author was also very clever at introducing a new word, its meaning, and application in each chapter. A very clever read.

Enjoy!