Seventeenth Century England Comes Alive

A fictionalized account of the life of Elizabeth Bunyon, wife of Pilgrim’s Progress author John Bunyon, The Preacher’s Bride, [Bethany House; Original edition (October 1, 2010)] by Jody Hedlund is the story of Elizabeth Whitbread, a Puritan woman called to assist a local preacher with his young children following the death of his wife.  It is a story of love, faith, determination, and devotion set in 17th century England during the end of Cromwellian rule, the subsequent reinstatement of King Charles, and the persecution of the Puritans by the Church of England.   

The Preacher’s Bride was a lovely read.  The characters are well-developed, and the story had me wanting to know more from the first page.  Although at times I wished I had a stronger foundation in English history of this time period, the story did not suffer from my unfamiliarity with this time period.

A note for my homeschooling writer friends, Jody is a homeschooling mom of five!  Just thought you’d like to know it can be done; homeschooling and writing a piece worthy of publication is possible, so keep writing and check out Jody’s website for encouraging ideas and advice.

Jody has written novels for the last 16 years (with a hiatus when her children were young. In May of 2009 she double-finaled in the Genesis contest, a national fiction-writing contest for unpublished writers, sponsored by American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW.Shortly after the final, Jody acquired an agent, Rachelle Gardner of Word Serve Literary. Her agent spent the summer of 2009 working on selling her books. In September of that year, Jody signed a three-book deal with Bethany House Publishers. Jody’s debut novel, The Preacher’s Bride, releases in Oct. 2010. Her next book will release in 2011 and a third in 2012.

In 1650s England, a young Puritan maiden is on a mission to save the baby of her newly widowed preacher–whether her assistance is wanted or not. Always ready to help those in need, Elizabeth ignores John’s protests of her aid. She’s even willing to risk her lone marriage prospect to help the little family. Yet Elizabeth’s new role as nanny takes a dangerous turn when John’s boldness from the pulpit makes him a target of political and religious leaders. As the preacher’s enemies become desperate to silence him, they draw Elizabeth into a deadly web of deception. Finding herself in more danger than she ever bargained for, she’s more determined than ever to save the child–and man–she’s come to love.