Mark Of The King by Jocelyn Green

The Mark Of The King by Jocelyn Green is a Christian historical romance set in the French settlement of New Orleans in the 1720's. Julianne Chevalier is a midwife in France who loses a client, resulting in her imprisonment and branding as a murderer. When she hears of a shortage of women to help settle the new colony in Louisiana, she feels a surge of hopefulness at the prospect of maybe locating her long-lost brother and manages to exchange a life in prison for passage to the new land.

Julianne's relief at her perceived freedom is short-lived when all of the new colonists are forced to marry strangers - fellow prisoners - before being allowed to embark on the voyage. Once arriving at the young settlement of New Orleans, the colonists are forced to endure harsh weather, famine, and French soldiers with no respect wasted on the convicts and other lowlifes from this newly arrived vessel.

During the next two years, Julianne's world endures many upheavals and trials, forcing her to test the boundaries of who she can trust and rely upon in life's hardships. In the end, she is forced to commit herself to God's grace in the hope that his mercy and love can bring her the peace and happiness she so desperately craves.

Through her excellent story-telling, Jocelyn has brought to life a tale from a period in our history that is seldom told. She shows us not only what life was like in the early French settlement, but also the exchanges with the Chickasaw and Choctaw tribes in France's efforts to hold claim of the territory against the British. Jocelyn also reminds us very effectively that despite the judgments and edicts held against us within this world, God's grace and mercy is always ours for the asking.

This book contains lots of mid-chapter break points, making it a very easy and enjoyable read even with a hectic schedule. There are also discussion questions at the end, making this a great choice for a book club or reading group. Overall I'm giving it 4/5 stars, and would recommend it to anyone interested in the time period or needing a fresh perspective and a breath of God's grace in what can feel like dire circumstances.

*Disclaimer: I received a free print copy of this book from Bethany House for the purpose of an honest review. All opinions are my own.*

About the book's author (copied from inside book):

Jocelyn Green is an award-winning author of multiple fiction and nonfiction works, including Faith Deployed: Daily Encouragement for Military Wives and The Five Love Languages, Military Edition, which she co-wrote with Dr. Gary Chapman. Her first novel in the Heroines Behind The Lines series, Wedded to War, was a Christy Award finalist and the gold medal winner in historical fiction from the Military Writers Society of America. She and her husband live in Cedar Falls, Iowa, with their two children and two cats. Her goal with every book is to inspire faith and courage in her readers. Visit her at www.jocelyngreen.com.

Purchase Links:
     Bethany House
     Amazon
     Christian Book