The Cottage

Loni sighed thoughtfully. "That's what makes all this so complicated. It's about more than an inheritance. The very fact of my being here stirs up the unknown of my past. Who were my parents, who was my mother, where did she come from? Suddenly here I am in the very place where my mother's grandfather was born. Trying to put that into the perspective of my American Quaker heritage, and then figure out what I believe as a Christian myself... I'm not sure what to think."

Book: The Cottage by Michael Phillips, Bethany House Publishers, 2016

Genre: Modern Realistic Fiction

Target Audience: Adult men and women

Subjects: Identity, heritage

Summary: Loni has inherited the land, but has no idea what to do with it! If only it were as simple as selling it and moving on with her life. Between the oil company trying to get their hands on the island, the business tied up in the inheritance, the interesting

connection between the chief and the laird roles, the greedy young man next in line to inherit, the taxes on the property and the heritage she is discovering it is far from simple! The more she discovers of this Shetland Island, the more intrigued she becomes. Playing no small part in that is the chief, the spiritual leader of the land, David Tulloch, a humble, yet passionate man. Soon, her visit to Whales Reef brings up more questions than just what to do with the inheritance, it has her questioning her heritage as well as her future!

Notes: The Cottage is the second in the Secrets Of The Shetlands series. In typical Michael Phillips fashion, it is a fairly good sized book, rich with spiritual content. The characters are challenged to look beyond the obvious, to seek God and follow His direction and leading in every decision they make. This book especially deals with heritage - the spiritual legacy left by those who have gone on before. Loni has rebelled against the spiritual heritage of her grandparents who raised her, whereas David has totally embraced his, even leading the people of the island in the things he was taught. Many questions are brought up in the story, challenging the characters, and therefore the readers, in pursuit of true maturity. I HIGHLY recommend this book as well as the first in the series - The Inheritance.

Spiritual Content Recommendation Scale: 5/5

Reviewer: J:-)mi

Psalm 78:4 - We will not hide them from their children. We will tell the next generation the praiseworthy deeds of the Lord, His power and the wonders He has done.

Thank you to the publishers for providing me with a free review copy of this book!
I greatly appreciated it!

All opinions are my own.