Guest Review of Lisa Norato's The Promise Keeper by Lynne Erickson Valle

The Promise Keeper

by Lisa Norato

a Sea Heroes of Duxbury novel

Danger reunites a sea captain's daughter with her childhood protector,

who is now a reclusive lighthouse keeper on an island across the bay.

Review by Guest Reviewer, Lynne Erickson Valle

Lisa Norato’s masterfully written inspirational romance novel, The Promise Keeper, is utterly captivating. This intriguing tale of the truest of love transpires in nineteenth century Duxbury, Massachusetts. The story unfolds two lives that were impacted by one remarkable man of valor-Captain Ezra Moon. In his character Norato eloquently demonstrates how one individual exemplifying Christ can make a monumental difference in our world. Her characters and scenes are so vividly depicted that the reader can’t help becoming eagerly invested in the great mystery that shadows Captain Moon’s daughter, Iris, and the promise that a young lad vowed to keep. One of the many aspects of this book that makes it stand out in the sea of Christian fiction is how Norato-true to real life-reveals the full spectrum of God’s power in the lives of believers. I enjoyed this book to such a high degree that The Promise Keeper has earned a place on my “Favorites” list in my home library.

and now for a quick peek into the novel:

     Johnny withdrew his spyglass from his waistcoat pocket and trained it across the deep waters of Duxbury Bay at Captain Moon’s rooftop. As expected, the visage of a young woman took focus in the lens. Pale ash blond hair, the color of moonlight, swirled around her, obscuring her face. It spilled to her waist, straight and unbound, then blew and danced around her head on a fresh breeze. Ethereal as an angel, a finely-made dressing gown billowed over her tall figure. Surely that garment was not warm enough to ward off the chill of this late December air.

     A moment passed, one quick glimpse, and then she disappeared. Johnny lowered the glass in disappointment.

     “Two things keep me sane on this island, Salty. Your faithful companionship and the Bible that was once my mother’s.” He tossed the rapt and eager gull another meat strip.

     It was a welcomed relief to exercise his voice, to hear the sound of it aloud and watch his breath steam in the frosty air. “Sometimes I find this tower lonelier than prison.”

     Pilgrim Light was an isolated place. There were no roads on the eighty-acre Clark’s Island. No homes, except for the Watson farm on the southernmost tip. The family raised hay and turnips and were in the process of replacing their farmhouse with a twelve-room Dutch Colonial.

     A two-day liberty was granted him every three weeks. More frequently Johnny found himself rowing to Duxbury to spend his earnings on grog in the old ordinary. He liked to sit quietly by the fire and listen to tongues wag. It mattered little what they said. It was the hearty rumble of other men’s voices that soothed him after weeks of nothing but silence.

     “What do you make of her, Salty? Iris has grown into an extremely beautiful woman, yet she remains the wide-eyed sea urchin I remember. Imagine her rowing out here alone to have a look at me and assuage her curiosity. How would she have reacted, do you think, had I told her we were once warm friends?”



The Promise Keeper is available on Amazon in trade paperback or ebook and on Barnes & Noble as an ebook.

GIVEAWAY! Lisa will be giving away a kindle or nook ebook of The Promise Keeper to one commenter. To enter, please be sure to include your name and email address with your comment.

Lynne Erickson Valle is a lyricist, storyteller, inspirational writer and the author of The Double Rose, a contemporary, Christian romance of predestined love.  Over two hundred of her articles have been featured on SUSIE magazine, King Cat Christian Music and Examiner. com.