Here Burns My Candle: A Novel (Here Burns My Candle Series)

It's been four years since Liz Curtis Higgs' last novel set in the Lowlands of Scotland; four years of anxiously awaiting her next work. And after reading Here Burns My Candle I have to say it did not disappoint and was worth the wait. In her inimitable style, Higgs takes another familiar Bible story -- this time the Book of Ruth -- and retells it set in 18th century Scotland.The book is infused with Scottish culture of that time, creating a strong sense of the time and place. Higgs' style is interesting in that she doesn't use descriptive passages to evoke the setting or even the people. Rather, she is like a painter who creates a picture by dabbing little brushstrokes here and there, here and there, until gradually the picture emerges. The reader gradually develops a vision of what the characters and places look like by the little descriptive bits Higgs constantly works into her narrative and her dialog.Her style of developing her storyline could be called episodic, I suppose. That is, the book is broken into many short chapters, with each chapter essentially telling a scene. But within each chapter/scene much can happen, as the characters' thoughts, words and actions are generally not focused on a specific episodic issue, but often wander all over the place. In the hands of a less skilled writer this could all add up to a disastrous novel, and even as I'm writing this I realize it sounds like it would be poor reading. However, Higgs makes it work wonderfully well; such is the skill of a gifted storyteller.There are several scenes that don't seem to move the plot along at all, but seem to be there simply as a way to share many of the habits and traditions peculiar to Scotland in the 18th century. They don't detract or distract from the story, but unobtrusively add flavor to the book. Similarly, Higgs' use of the occasional Scottish dialect seemed far less frequent and distracting in this book than in her previous works. Although there is a glossary provided in the back, if you're like me and find that flipping back to check a word takes away from the reading experience you should still be fine; it's pretty easy to determine the meaning of the words just from the context in which they're used.Higgs' re-telling of the Book of Ruth doesn't seem to parallel the Biblical account quite as tightly as did her previous books; for instance, Elisabeth's/Ruth's separate identity from Marjory's/Naomi's is more of a philosophical and class distinction than a geographic one (and certainly not an ethnic one as in the Bible). As this book only covers the first few verses of the Book of Ruth, ending at the point where Marjory/Naomi leaves Edinburgh/Moab for Selkirkshire/Israel, Higgs has obviously done a lot of fleshing out of the Biblical story. It was engaging and well done, and all of the conflicts and inner struggles of the main characters were handled in such a way that they felt authentic. For example, Marjory's feelings towards Elisabeth go from disdain to sympathy to suspicion and mistrust to love and devotion; Higgs managed to navigate all of these without making it for one moment feel forced or contrived. I found myself engaged with the story, caring about the characters and wanting to know what would happen next. Yes, having read the Bible I know what was ultimately going to happen, but I wanted to see how Higgs was going to tell it!I am not giving the book 5 stars because, as good as it was, it didn't have that certain emotional pull that the best books must have. Although I felt for Elisabeth, I didn't ache for her the way I did for, say, Liana in Thorn In My Heart. This book is obviously setting the stage for the next one, which I don't want to miss! I want to know about Elisabeth/Ruth meeting her Boaz, the man who will truly love her as her first husband did not. Oooooh, that promises to be good......

I am a BIG fan of Liz Curtis Higgs. I have read all her novels and have done 4 of her Bible studies. Here Burns My Candle is by far her finest offering.Here Burns My Candle is a retelling of the story of Ruth, set in 1745 Edinburg. The book opens with the Dowager Lady Marjory Kerr enjoying her very comfortable life at the top of Edinburg society. Living with her are her two much loved sons, Lord Donald and Andrew and her daughters-in-law, Lady Elizabeth and Janet. All seems well in the Kerr household. The family is well-respected and accepted throughout the royal city. Their apartments are filled with the things that bring them pleasure and there is more than enough gold to pay for whatever their hearts desire.In marches Bonny Prince Charlie and his quest to regain the British crown for his father. The Kerrs all join in his cause, some for pride, some for hopes of valor and one with the heart of a true follower. All of Edinburg welcomes the Prince and his Highlanders, until the tide turns against the Jacobite cause.Everyone loves the story of Ruth, especially women. We love how Ruth loves and cares for her mother-in-law, and how she is rewarded for her faithfulness with a kinsman redeemer. But the first 18 verses of the book is the only glimpse we see into how Ruth and Naomi's relationship developed. I love the amount of time Liz spent in developing the relationship between Lady Marjory and Elizabeth. The reader really experiences how a woman can go from Naomi (pleasure) to Mara (bitter), and how a daughter-in-law truly becomes a daughter. I can't wait to rejoin Elizabeth and Marjory in the sequel, and last book in the series, Mine Is The Night. I recommend this book to any reader. Do not be turned off by the length (450+ pages) or the fact that it is an historical. Here Burns My Candle is a timeless, can't-put-it-down novel you'll love.The best book yet from Liz Curtis Higgs!(I received a free review copy of this book from Waterbrook Publishers. The opinion expressed are mine alone)

I was excited to read my copy when I received it for review from Waterbrook Multnomah Blogging for Books for a couple reasons.First, I am a fan of Liz Curtis Higgs and I also had heard so many good things about this book.The novel follows the Kerr family in 1745, the story focusing on Lady Elisabeth Kerr and her mother-in-law, the dowager Lady Marjory Kerr. The bonny Prince Charlie and his army of Jacobites have ridden into town and are preparing to take back their land. The Rising has a profound effect on Elisabeth and her husband Lord Donald, his brother and sister-in-law Andrew and Janet, and Marjory. The family is initially mixed in their loyalties- do they throw their support to Prince Charlie or stay loyal to King George? Elisabeth worries her Highlander loyalties, and thus to the bonny Prince, will divide her against her family. Each character's reaction to the turmoil around them sets the course for our tale.Liz Curtis Higgs's historical novels trace a Biblical story. "Here Burns My Candle" is the first in a two-book series. This time around, the story is based on Ruth, Naomi, and Orpah.The story moved quickly, for me, thanks to the dynamics between Elisabeth and Marjory. Marjory starts off as a snobby, critical, domineering mother-in-law. Watching her grow, seeing her reclaim her faith as Elisabeth comes to know who God is, was beautiful. I don't want to say much more than that. It is easy to say, I was captivated from the start. I'm very excited to dive into the sequel: Mine is the Night.If you are a fan of historical fiction you will love this, but be prepared to look back in the glossary to try to decipher some of the words that Liz uses. It can be pretty crazy!

I am enjoying this novel set in Scotland at the time of the Jacobite uprising in 1745. The detail of life in Edinburgh at that time is well-researched and I easily enter into the reality of the situation. I haven't finished reading the novel yet but I find myself engrossed in the plot-line. The heroine is learning to trust God instead of her 'old' religion of worshipping the moon. The plot is loosely based on the early part of 'Ruth' in the Bible, so I have an inkling of how the story will develop - but that doesn't spoil the suspense brought by each new situation.

Another wonderful novel by Liz Curtis Higgs. A treat for anyone who loves Bible based stories, and who loves Scotland.

Excellent story based in the Highlands of Scotland. Central character was another person from the bible . I found it very enjoyable.

Received on time and in perfect condition! This series is one of my favourite out there! Liz Curtis Higgs is a brilliant writer and has done a fabulous job re-creating biblical stories into fictional historical romances that renew and refresh the stories we’ve all heard a thousand times!

I loved this book and was sad that it ended, I loved how God was first and foremost in the lives of the characters and it wasn't a surface God it was an in-depth relationship with God. The struggles were very realistic and I felt very close with the characters, from start to finish I couldn't out the book down; beware you I will be very hungry reading this book!