Author Bio:
Jenny lives in Wisconsin with her husband, Ken, and their pet Yorkie, Ruby. She is also a mom and loves being a grandma. She enjoys many creative pursuits but finds writing the most fulfilling.
Spending many years as a librarian in a local public library, Jenny recently switched to using her skills as a floral designer in a retail flower shop. She is now retired from work due to disability. Her education background stems from psychology, music, and cultural missions.
She holds membership in the: Midwest Independent Booksellers Association, Wisconsin Writers Association, Christian Indie Publishing Association, and Independent Book Publishers Association.
Jenny’s favorite place to relax is by the western shore of Lake Superior, where her novel series, By The Light of the Moon, is set. A new historical fiction, four-part series entitled, Sheltering Trees, will be released in 2021 and 2022. Jenny is currently writing a novella series entitled, Botanical Seasons.
Social Media Links:
Website: https://jennyknipfer.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/jennyknipfer/
Facebook: https://facebook.com/jennyknipfe.writer/
Instagram: https://instagram.com/jennyknipferbrave/
Pinterest: https://pinterest.com/jennyknipfer/
Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/Jenny-Knipfer/e/B07QV9HPH4
Book Title: In a Grove of Maples
Series: Sheltering Trees: Book 1
Author: Jenny Knipfer
Publication Date: 1st July 2021
Publisher: Jenny Knipfer--Author
Page Length: 264 Pages
Genre: Historical Fiction, Christian Historical Fiction
In a Grove of Maples
(Sheltering Trees: Book 1)
By Jenny Knipfer
Audio Narrated By Jenn Lee
Book Blurb
"... a heartfelt tale of the struggles of married life on a nineteenth-century farm. Edward and Beryl are both relatable and sympathetic. Knipfer expertly captures the emotion and stress of their lives and relationship. It’s a touching and realistic portrayal of love, loss, and friendship." Heather Stockard for Readers’ Favorite five-star review
A HISTORICAL NOVEL OF THE PERILS OF NEWLYWED LIFE ANDF ALL THAT COMES TO DIVIDE LOVERS
In 1897 newly married Beryl and Edward Massart travel more than one thousand miles from Quebec to farm a plot of land in Wisconsin that they bought sight-unseen. An almost magical grove of maples on their property inspires them to dream of a real home built within the grove, not the tiny log cabin they’ve come to live in.
Misunderstandings and tempers get the better of them when difficulties and troubles arise. Just months after they wed, Edward leaves pregnant Beryl in the midst of the coming winter to tend the farm and animals while he goes to be a teamster at a northern Wisconsin logging camp.
Will Beryl and Edward walk into the future together to build their house of dreams in the grove of maples, or will their plans topple like a house of sticks when the winds of misunderstanding and disaster strike?
Readers of Christian historical fiction, Historical fiction, Women’s fiction, and Christian historical romance will be endeared to this slice of late 19th century farm life.
Buy Links:
Is your book on Kindle Unlimited? Yes
Universal Link: https://books2read.com/u/bojLRR
Book Excerpt
Excerpt 1: In a Grove of Maples
November 5th, 1897 Maple Grove, Wisconsin
Dear Diary,
I don’t know what I expected, but it wasn’t this. This broken wing. This storm between us. All the unmade memories I held dear before I put on my dress of white wound me. I grieve for a wish which hasn’t come to pass—a wish for happiness. My disillusioned, childhood fantasy has taken flight like a dandelion seed blown off course. Happiness has not come to germinate inside of me. I’m not even sure how to define that most elusive of desires. I simply know—I do not possess it.
Is there a way through the tornado of our differences, or will the cold and the heat in us clash and destroy what we’ve built? Will we topple like a house of sticks or stand because we’ve chosen to construct our home, our hearts, together, from something more substantial?
I don’t know. All I can do is try and pray that Edward is willing to do the same.
Book Review
In 1897 newly married Beryl and Edward Massart travel more than one thousand miles from Quebec to farm a plot of land in Wisconsin that they bought sight-unseen. An almost magical grove of maples on their property inspires them to dream of a real home built within the grove, not the tiny log cabin they’ve come to live in.
Misunderstandings and tempers get the better of them when difficulties and troubles arise. Just months after they wed, Edward leaves pregnant Beryl in the midst of the coming winter to tend the farm and animals while he goes to be a teamster at a northern Wisconsin logging camp.
Will Beryl and Edward walk into the future together to build their house of dreams in the grove of maples, or will their plans topple like a house of sticks when the winds of misunderstanding and disaster strike?
To start off with, this is definitely a book about the perils of newlywed life and all that comes to divide lovers; and this book did not disappoint as promoted as a Christian historical romance novel depicting late 19th century farming life.
This was an incredibly sweet book and reminded me of reading similar books such as the Laura Ingalls Wilder books of The Little House on the Prairie – I think readers will appreciate the care Knipfer took with the subject matters and giving us a novel showing the hardships and relatability of a young couple during those days. Nowadays we have the luxury of telephones and easy transportation to visit family and loved ones; back then, in the wilds of a new township and farmland of America, when a couple moved away from their family, much contact was lost. Months, even years, might pass before ever seeing or hearing from family again. This book does a good job in portraying the mounting hardships this caused and the strain of a couple reaching out for this new life.
I must admit, though, I was a bit confused at times about the timelines, the vacillating between the past and the present, and found myself having to reread several pages to catch up or understand what was going on. Also, I felt some things were not as clear as they might have been, such as Beryl’s fear of Edward’s anger. Sure, he snapped at times, but I didn’t truly feel he was out of control to the point that led Beryl to question so much about their relationship. But perhaps this was just from my point-of-view, after all, she was so very very innocent at the beginning, and very very naïve, which adds to the true purity of this book. My only other negative is some of the phrasing or descriptions felt very repetitive... for example: “She would have to wait to tell him about the baby now. She wondered what he would think when she did. Beryl was pregnant.” The line “Beryl was pregnant” felt unnecessary to me... and there were several instances of this type of unnecessary lines throughout the book. However, I must say, even with these slight sentence stylings, I enjoyed the overall atmospheric simplicity of the time period. So often we are presented with raw visceral imagery in historical fiction books... this is not one of those; this is, as I said, a sweet book, and a great “beach” read that you can read in one sitting - full of romance, heartbreak, lasting friendships, overcoming grief, and ultimately, prevailing love. As a reader, I appreciated learning that this was based on the author’s own grandparents, which is a beautiful homage to her family.
“4 stars” reader review from The Hist Fic Chickie at The Historical Fiction Company – as part of the blog tour of “In a Grove of Maples” by Jenny Knipfer
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