The Secret Bridge- Homeschool Review Crew Book Review

Books arrive at my door sometimes even weekly, but when a leather tone, beautifully embossed hardback arrives, everyone in the house takes notice.  And then fights over who gets to read it first.  Trust me, it is a real problem in this house.  So yes, when the The Secret Bridge by Lamplighter Publishing arrived, it was quickly whisked off.  My 15 year old got to it first.

I will tell you why.  In addition to the really cool look of the book cover, he recognized the name Lamplighter!  We have more than a few of their audio books and they are some of our favorites, often finding their way to our car on our frequent trips.  Lamplighter's aim is to produce "Christlike character one story at a time."


I love that!  We read a lot of books around here, and let's face it, not all books are created equal.  Although we read quite a variety of books, I do prefer that what we read be wholesome and uplifting.  Have you looked at the teen or even family section of your local bookstore lately?  They are filled with a bunch of sub-standard literature, in my opinion.  It is so hard to find anything suitable for our kids, especially the teens.  To know that a publisher like Lamplighter is actually purposing to infuse their stories with Godly character traits, Biblical references, and wholesome content is a win for me.  Just a quick perusal of their website will win you over.

So on to the book-

Overview-
The original book was written in 1899 by Amy Le Feuvre.  Recommended for ages 12 and up, this  272 page story begins as Bridget Channing sets sail upon a ship to England to join her uncle after losing her parents.  On the ship she meets fellow passenger Godfrey Bullingham.  He is kind, a favorite among the other passengers, and immediately takes an interest in Bridget.  Upon arrival and hearing the news that her uncle has died, Bridget again runs into Godfrey and quickly realizes she has no one else to turn to for help.  Although his offer of marriage takes Bridget by surprise, she recognizes it is the best course of action.  After the quick marriage and departure of her new husband, Bridget soon realizes there is a family feud to be dealt with.  Through many ups and downs, Bridget begins to explore scripture and her faith grows, waiting for her bridegroom as we as believers wait for Christ as our bridegroom.  

Our thoughts- 
This really is a lovely book.  While it was a slow start for my son, age 15, once he got into it he was intrigued by the multiple plot twists.  He did say that the older style of writing was occasionally a bit hard to follow and seemed to slow him down a little, but he does feel that it is appropriate reading for middle and high schoolers.  He liked that the content is clearly Christian without having a "preachy" (his words) tone.  I like that, for kids, there are footnotes included for any lesser known words, loquacious, for example, as well as scripture references. Now that I have rescued the book from his room, I am looking forward to being the next in line to read it!

This is our first Lamplighter Publishing book, but it will most definitely not be our last.  We are looking forward to adding more of these beautiful books to our collection!