Thursday, July 20, 2023

About the Book

Book: A Summer at Thousand Island House

Author: Susan G. Mathis

Genre: Christian Historical Romance

Release Date: July 25, 2023

She came to work with the children, not fall in love.

Part-nanny, part entertainer, Addison Bell has always had an enduring love for children. So what better way to use her creative energy than to spend the summer nannying at the renowned Thousand Island House on Staple’s Island? As Addi thrives in her work, she attracts the attention of the recreation pavilion’s manager, Liam Donovan, as well as the handsome Navy Officer Lt. Worthington, a lighthouse inspector, hotel patron, and single father of mischievous little Jimmy.

But when Jimmy goes missing, Addi finds both her job and her reputation in danger. How can she calm the churning waters of Liam, Lt. Worthington, and the President, clear her name, and avoid becoming the scorn of the Thousand Islands community?

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About the Author

Susan G Mathis is an international award-winning, multi-published author of stories set in the beautiful Thousand Islands, her childhood stomping ground in upstate NY. Susan has been published more than twenty-five times in full-length novels, novellas, and non-fiction books. She has eleven in her fiction line including, The Fabric of Hope, Christmas Charity, Katelyn’s Choice, Devyn’s Dilemma, Peyton’s Promise, Sara’s Surprise, Reagan’s Reward, Colleen’s Confession, Rachel’s Reunion, Mary’s Moment and A Summer at Thousand Island House. Her book awards include three Illumination Book Awards, four American Fiction Awards, two Indie Excellence Book Awards, and four Literary Titan Book Awards. Reagan’s Reward is a Selah Awards finalist. Susan is also a published author of two premarital books, two children’s picture books, stories in a dozen compilations, and hundreds of published articles. Susan makes her home in Colorado Springs and enjoys traveling around the world but returns each summer to enjoy the Thousand Islands. Visit www.SusanGMathis.com/fiction for more.

More from Susan

BEHIND THE SCENES AT A SUMMER AT THOUSAND ISLAND HOUSE

I’ve been writing about the Gilded Age for several years now. A Summer at Thousand Island House is my eleventh published story, and I had so much fun creating it. The American Gilded Age was a time of rapid technical advances, industrialization, and thousands of new inventions from about 1870-1910. Mark Twain coined the term in his 1873 novel The Gilded Age: A Tale of Today that satirized the era of social problems that were masked by a layer of thin, gold gilding.

It’s a fascinating time in history, especially in the Thousand Islands. I grew up just twenty minutes from the Thousand Islands in upstate New York. Actually, half of the 1,864 islands are in NY and the other half in Ontario, Canada. All of my books are set during the Thousand Islands Gilded Age, when the wealthy came and scooped up the islands and built lavish summer homes, mansions, and castles.

It was an era of economic growth and wages were higher than Europe, so massive immigration drew about twenty million to the U.S. shores. Unfortunately, it was also a time of unequal distribution of wealth where the rich got richer and the poor working class suffered.

Many young women worked as servants until they married, and that’s what my stories are about—those nameless, faithful women who cooked and cleaned and served tables for the rich and famous. These “downstairs” women had fascinating stories to tell, and I plan to tell many of them.

All my novels are based on a specific place in the Thousand Islands and are the true stories of the owners of that island. So, my plot is generally true. There really was an entertainment pavilion on Staple’s Island where the patrons of Thousand Island House enjoyed all kinds of amenities, including a daycare. And US Presidents, including President Grant and President Chester Arthur (whom you meet), vacationed at Thousand Island House.

Then I overlay the storyline of the fictional servants to create the story. This makes my stories a bit more challenging, but I love a good challenge. Addison Bell cares for children. Liam Donovan manages the pavilion and Navy Officer Lt. Worthington, a lighthouse inspector and single father, comes and goes.

And all of my Thousand Islands’ stories have hope as the central theme. Hope for a better future. Hope for love. Hope for healing. A Summer at Thousand Island House also focuses on healing broken hearts and embracing God’s redemption.

Mathis’s attention to detail and rich history is classic Mathis, and no one does it better.—Margaret Brownley, N.Y. Times bestselling author

MY REVIEW

This has been a fun book to read as the author incorporates historical facts that bring the story to life. I love lighthouses and enjoyed all the information that was included in this charming story. The characters are relatable and teach us lessons on forgiveness and humility.

Addie is a gifted teacher who finds the perfect job as a nanny to children whose families are visiting the gorgeous Thousand Island House. Its beauty is enchanting and offers many comforts for those who stay there. Addie is excited to have the opportunity to give the children time to interact with each other as they play games, learn about the world around them and give them confidence to try new things. I loved how Addie was able to share her faith with the children and how patient she was with each child.

Liam has a big responsibility as manager of the hotel. His counters with Addie are fun to watch as they grow to trust each other. I liked that Liam was always cautious not to overstep with Addie and treated her with respect. He does ask Addie to do something as a favor for one of the guests which doesn’t go as planned. Who knew that someone else had their eyes on Addie? She is quite pretty and has been admired by a certain man whose child she watches.

It was interesting to see how jealousy shows itself in the story when Addie is accused of something unfairly. Addie wants to see this person pay for causing her name to be slandered but she has to choose to forgive and allow God to handle the situation. We all have had an incident where we were wronged and wanted revenge. When we turn it over to God instead, we allow our bitterness to go away.

One of the best lessons Addie teaches one of the children is about how life isn’t always fair. She tells the young boy, “Life isn’t fair, but we can still find joy in each and every day.” We need to learn to be thankful for each day and overcome any obstacles that try to turn us away from God.

I loved this book and how easy it was to feel as if you are part of the story. The ending is everything I had hoped for and left me with a warm heart.

I received a copy of this book from Celebrate Lit. The review is my own opinion.