A Special Book Review~ "Wren Bay" by Clarice Fox-Hughes

Dear Friends,

Last year my friend Clarice wrote a book based on her blog, Storybook Woods. I was intrigued by it and wanted to read it right away, but thought I'd wait until after the move, when I was settled enough to really do it justice.

I finally ordered and read Wren Bay~ The Story of Making a Home, and must say it was the best book I've read in a long, long time! Anyone who knows Clarice knows that she has a heart of gold, and she put her whole book into making this book. It has all the wonderful things that we love: homeschooling, Charlotte Mason, Mary Frances books, making things by hand, farming, wild edibles, herbs, French fashions, and faith in God (In fact, I had a book idea for something similar, which shows how much we are on the same wave length!).

Wren Bay, the main character, is a newly married young woman, whose husband has been called to fight in World War I. Wren was raised in Boston, but finds herself the mistress of her husband's farm with all its blessings and challenges. Her favorite saying is "A chance, not a loss," which means that we should seek for the blessings in any trial and grow from having had the experience.

Wren is delightful, sweet, and godly; always willing to learn and grow and help out others. Her husband, Devlin, wants her to move back to Boston while he is away, fearing that the work will be too much for her, but she rolls up her sleeves and does all she can to make her new house her own home.

Throughout the book, she writes in a "blessing book" that Devlin gave her. Each night she thinks of something that blessed her that day, and writes in her book to remember how blessed she is. At the end of each chapter is a recipe that goes along with both the story and her blessings.

That is all I will say about the story for now, but I will say that it has inspired me anew in my homemaking, to put my own "stamp" on everything I love. If you love the simple, yet elegant things in life, you will love this book.

My blessing for tonight is Wren Bay. :)

Love,

Marqueta

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"It is nice to be able to buy what you want, but there is little satisfaction in it. When you make something yourself, you own it. You see a part of yourself in whatever you have put your hand to, and are better for it. That does not happen when you buy things."

~Wren Bay