BKMT READING GUIDES
His Steadfast Love (Darkness to Light)
by Golden Keyes Parsons
Paperback : 336 pages
0 club reading this now
0 members have read this book
It's the spring of 1861 on the Gulf Coast of Texas. Amanda never thought she would marry because of a promise she made to her dying mother, but her attraction to Captain Kent ...
Introduction
It isn't until the Civil War comes to her doorstep that Amanda Bell must choose between love and family.
It's the spring of 1861 on the Gulf Coast of Texas. Amanda never thought she would marry because of a promise she made to her dying mother, but her attraction to Captain Kent Littlefield is undeniable.
When Texas secedes from the Union, her brother Daniel aligns with the Confederate States, while Kent remains with the Union troops.
Her heart is torn between the two men she is closest to and the two sides of the conflict. Amanda prays to God for direction and support, but hears only silence. Where is God in the atrocities of war-and whose side is He on?
Amanda senses her life is at a turning point. She must trust God to deliver her family through the chaos of war with her heart and her faith intact.Discussion Questions
From the publisher:1. Amanda’s love and loyalty to her Southern family were tested by her love for her Union officer sweetheart. She was torn between the two. In your opinion, which one—her family or her sweetheart—should have commanded her first priority? Do you think she handled the dichotomy well? Why or why not?
2. Prior to the war, Amanda’s faith was in word only. She was riding on the coattails of her father’s faith, but it wasn’t enough. She had gone to church all her life, but she didn’t really believe that God was to be trusted because He allowed the trauma and atrocities of war. Then she came to the end of herself and realized that God is faithful and she could trust Him. Have you had a similar journey? Share it with the group.
3. What were your feelings when Amanda decided to take information of the Red River invasion to her Confederate colonel uncle? Did you think she was being disloyal to Kent?
4. Who was your favorite character? Why?
5. What was your favorite scene? Why?
6. Whether your empathies were with the North or the South prior to reading His Steadfast Love, did your perspective change at all? In what way?
7. Did you learn anything new about the Civil War? What was it?
8. Did Daniel have a “right” to be bitter? Why or why not?
9. What would you imagine is going to be the most difficult obstacle for Kent and Amanda to overcome in building their lives together?
Notes From the Author to the Bookclub
Q&A with the author: Q: What do you want readers to take away with them after reading the book? The central theme of His Steadfast Love deals with divided loyalties - in the Southern heroine's home, her state and the nation, but the steadfast love of her Union officer sweetheart and of her God prevails and ushers in the forgiveness that begins the healing process. Q: What made you want to write this book? I wanted to write something set in Texas, my home state, but I wasn't interested in a western setting. Not much had been written about the Civil War in Texas, so I decided to jump in and formulate a story around that unique scenario. Q: What was the idea that sparked your imagination? I borrowed a book from my neighbor, who works at the Texas Collection at Baylor University, which had personal recollections of Texas during that era. There was a journal of a woman who lived in Indianola, TX, on the Gulf coast, who wrote of the hard times during the occupation of her small town by the Federal troops. That small entry started the wheels turning! Q: What do you want readers to take away with them after reading the book? That God is faithful and even in difficult, even horrid circumstances, such as the Civil War, we need only to trust that He will take us through those deep waters.Book Club Recommendations
Recommended to book clubs by 0 of 0 members.
Book Club HQ to over 88,000+ book clubs and ready to welcome yours.
Get free weekly updates on top club picks, book giveaways, author events and more
