Plumfield Moms

Marmee and Louisa: The Untold Story of Louisa May Alcott and Her Mother by Eve LaPlante is a fascinating and insightful biography of both Louisa May Alcott and her mother Abigail. Because both Abigail and Louisa were private women who wanted their letters and journals to be destroyed upon their deaths, much of what we know about their lives has been speculation based upon what survived from Louisa...

The Master calls Servant Three worthless. He hasn’t matured, he’s of no use to anyone else, he has borne no fruit. Bearing fruit is a recurring theme throughout God’s Word. Jesus himself warns us that “every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire” ( Matthew 7:19 ESV ). He isn’t in a hurry, though, to cast unfruitful trees into the fire. In a parable in Luke 13, the...

Welcome to our third year of Our Reading Life! Our Reading Life - January 2025   Diane’s References The Daughter of Time by Josephine Tey    Sarah Kim’s References The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne Icon: A Novel by Georgia Briggs The Long Walk by Sławomir Rawicz Chitty Chitty Bang Bang by Ian Flemming  Tanya’s References  The Hiding Place by Corrie ten Boom   By the Great Horn Spoon! by Si...

Lily’s Victory Garden by Helen L. Wilbur is a beautiful tribute to the healing power of gardening and neighborliness during WWII in America. Every night Lily’s family listens to the news from their second floor apartment. When it is all done, Lily and her dad snuggle together in his Morris chair to read the paper aloud to each other. When Lily reads an article about a lottery for plots in the comm...

"We are blessed to live in a country where freedom to be obedient to Christ has been guaranteed for over two centuries. We’ve taken that for granted. If I have ever lost anything because of my faith, it wasn’t significant enough to come to mind at the moment. What if that should change?"

Gloria Whelan should be a household name. Her middle-grade fiction is excellent and, sadly, often overlooked today. Whelan’s historical fiction consistently features young protagonists navigating cultural crises, and their coming-of-age journeys are defined by moments of moral courage. Her stories, which are realistic and beautifully written, often feel almost exotic in their rich settings and uni...

I remember when, several years ago, I read one of the many instances of Jesus saying, “Fear not,” and realized it wasn’t just a suggestion. It was a command. Until then, I think I had taken those “fear nots” as Jesus kindly giving me a choice. There, there, my dear, you don’t have to be afraid if you don’t want to. Jesus spent the time of his ministry demonstrating for the disciples why they must...

Come Rack, Come Rope by Robert Hugh Benson is a powerful historical novel that plunges the reader into the intense religious persecution of Catholics in Elizabethan England. I recently revisited this book with my Tuesday Night Classics Club, and on this second read, I was again struck by the beauty of Benson’s writing and the emotional depth of the characters. The story centers on Robin and Marjor...

Our suffering is part of a bigger picture we can’t see from the ground. As the writer of Psalm 105 recounts God’s dealing with Israel, the emphasis is on the fact of God working out his word over hundreds and thousands of years. When he comes to the story of Joseph, the writer says, “When he summoned a famine on the land and broke all supply of bread, he had sent a man ahead of them.” What an asto...

Homeless Bird is a beautifully crafted middle-grade novel that transports readers into the heart of modern-day India, exploring the complex world of arranged marriages, cultural traditions, and the need for courageous virtue. Gloria Whelan’s compelling storytelling invites middle readers into the vibrant colors, sounds, and textures of Indian life, offering a truly poignant journey through the eye...

"What is it that Paul says he is afraid of here? He isn’t writing because he fears some of the Corinthians are on the verge of committing perjury or embezzling thousands of dollars or killing someone. He is afraid their “thoughts will be led astray from a sincere and pure devotion to Christ.” This is where all of the Big Ten horrible, obvious sins begin–with our thoughts going astray. When it come...

With this recipe in mind, she has been writing Christmas stories for years and has pulled them together for this collection of short stories. All of them are deeply human while also being about everyday people. All of them deal with some aspect of humanity that needs the kind of transformation that only the Christ of Christmas can bring. And all of them end well even if it is unclear, while you ar...

There will come a day when “ night will be no more ” and we “need no light of lamp or sun,” because the Lord God will be our light. Until then, the eyes of our hearts can be enlightened, and we can walk as children of light. In the first chapter of Paul's letter to the Ephesians, he tells them he is praying that God will give them a spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him, having t...

Facebook Group - 21st Century Packhorse Librarians Jack vs. the Tornado by Amanda Cleary Eastep  Down Cut Shin Creek by Kathi Appelt That Book Woman by Heather Henson The Tree Street Kids by Amanda Cleary Estep S. D. Smith - Favorite Author The Green Ember by S. D. Smith The Bark of the Bog Owl by Jonathan Rogers Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows P...

Trinka Hakes Noble’s The Scarlet Stockings Spy is a compelling historical picture book that captivates readers with the story of a young patriot, set against the backdrop of the American Revolution. Part of the celebrated Tales of Young Americans series , this book brings history to life by exploring a lesser-known, civilian side of the war in 1777 Philadelphia. The story centers on Maddy Rose, a...

“Concerning this salvation, the prophets who prophesied about the grace that was to be yours searched and inquired carefully, inquiring what person or time the Spirit of Christ in them was indicating when he predicted the sufferings of Christ and the subsequent glories. It was revealed to them that they were serving not themselves but you, in the things that have now been announced to you through...

Welcome to our December 2024 episode of Our Reading Life where we chat with our dear friends, Tanya Arnold and Sarah Kim from Biblioguides about our reading lives. We are so glad you are here!   Sara Masarik’s References  Tree Street Kids Series by Amanda Cleary Eastep Jack Versus the Tornado by Amanda Cleary Eastep The Viking Quest Books by Lois Walfrid Johnson Amos Fortune, Free Man by Elizabeth...

The Impossible Journey by Gloria Whelan is a fascinating sequel to Angel on the Square , delving deeper into the complexities of post-Czarist Soviet Russia with a storyline that grabs readers at the start. Now grown up, the heroes from the first book are married, have two children, and are living in Leningrad (formerly St. Petersburg). Living in the harsh reality of a regime that persecutes their...

“See to it that no one fails to obtain the grace of God; that no ‘root of bitterness’ springs up and causes trouble, and by it many become defiled” (Heb. 12:15). It’s disturbing the way God startles you into looking at something you’ve been busy not seeing. I’ve read through Hebrews many times and noted the phrase “root of bitterness.” I’ve even looked up the Greek words to see if their meaning wo...

“The world is always at the beginnings of things,” writes Padraic Colum in The Voyagers , a testament to the boundless human spirit and its quest to explore as far as human ingenuity and tenacity would permit. In this exciting middle-grade adventure, Colum masterfully weaves together the stories of voyagers across time—sailors, explorers, and seekers, all embarking on daring journeys into the unkn...

by Sara Masarik A few years ago, I became aware of the practice of prayerfully discerning a word of the year (or phrase) that could be used as a touchstone for the upcoming year. This word is not a charm nor an omen, but rather it is a reminder of some spiritual concept or truth that I wish to contemplate this year. It is a word to be used as an anthem and a call.  One year when we were in a time...

The Secret Princess: A Tale of Hope by J.C. Prins is a delightful middle-grade illustrated chapter book that weaves Catholic themes and fairy tale elements into a touching story of faith, family, hope, and perseverance. The book is beautifully written. Prins incorporates devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus in a way that adds spiritual depth without feeling forced or uninspired. The story follows...

“O death, where is your victory?     O death, where is your sting?” The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

Mail Bag The Card Catalog Book Care and Book Repair Packhorse Librarians Book List 21st Century Pack Horse Librarians  on Facebook The Green Writer Program Clementine by Sara Pennypacker  The Town That Fooled the British by Lisa Papp The Scarlet Stockings Spy by Trinka Hakes Noble Books published or republished in 2024 - suggestion form Biblioguides  Semicolon Book Review Roundup  Mighty Networks...

The Misadventured Summer of Tumbleweed Thompson by Glenn McCarty is a delightful, fast-paced western adventure that will capture the imaginations of middle-grade readers and families alike. Set during the settling of the American West, this story is a perfect blend of humor, action, and heart, making it an ideal family read-aloud. The tale follows the unlikely friendship between Eugene, a thoughtf...