Hills of the Shatemuc

The hero of this book, Winthrop, made me think of the Lord Jesus, and the relationship he had with his little sister made me think of myself with the Lord and made me want more of that kind of relationship. She told someone that she always obeyed her big brother and was asked, What kind of power does he have over you? She answered, Why, it's not power! It's…it's…goodness. I realized that it is God's goodness that makes us want to obey Him, because He doesn't use His power against our free will. The heroine of the story, and the subject of the romance, was easy to identify with and to love and admire in spite of her pride and selfishness, and it was very interesting to see her spiritual struggle. The historical setting was fascinating--the way people ate, and dressed, and lived, and thought in those days in the U.S. Surprising to me how the class system of England was replicated to a great extent in the U.S. then. The firm limits on women's independence were clearly shown. The absolute dependence of the poor on the generosity of the rich was likewise clearly shown. A young black girl, Clam, is one of the most memorable, most real characters I have ever encountered in fiction. Fell in love with her. Of oourse, Susan Warner always supplies one or two characters to get angry at as well. No real villain here but a few people to despise, which is always fun.