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3.71 AVERAGE
3.71 AVERAGE
lgray99's review against another edition
5.0
Loved this book! I read it on the plane from LAX to Venice (Italy) - couldn't put it down!
lindamarieaustin110159's review against another edition
3.0
I was attracted by the beautiful cover, and went into this read without any background on the novel. I was disappointed. This book may be correct in its view of the roles of men and women at the time, but I found it to be very sexist. The only saving grace is that Gist endowed Rachel with a keen interest in the natural world, specifically insects, which was atypical of women in that era. I also understand that Rachel would likely be ordinary as a woman of the 1840’s in her views of prostitutes, but I found her to be very judgmental and far too rigid. Christian fiction is not my genre, so this just was not for me.
The Van Buren siblings, Rachel, Lissa, and Michael lost their mother when they were young. In the late 1840’s their father heard tales of easy gold in California, decided to try his luck and bought tickets for his family to sail to San Francisco. Unfortunately, he died during the voyage. Now his three children find themselves alone, far from their native Elizabeth, New Jersey. Rachel, at twenty, is the oldest and takes responsibility for finding a place for them to stay and way to support themselves until they can save enough money and hopefully find a ship that they can return home on. In this foreign land drinking, gambling, and rough living are all too prevalent. Women are few and far between and are called “sunbonnets”. Rachel is guided by her faith and the bible. She has little toleration for the exploitation she witnesses and finds it very difficult to associate with those she deems to be sinners.
The Van Buren siblings, Rachel, Lissa, and Michael lost their mother when they were young. In the late 1840’s their father heard tales of easy gold in California, decided to try his luck and bought tickets for his family to sail to San Francisco. Unfortunately, he died during the voyage. Now his three children find themselves alone, far from their native Elizabeth, New Jersey. Rachel, at twenty, is the oldest and takes responsibility for finding a place for them to stay and way to support themselves until they can save enough money and hopefully find a ship that they can return home on. In this foreign land drinking, gambling, and rough living are all too prevalent. Women are few and far between and are called “sunbonnets”. Rachel is guided by her faith and the bible. She has little toleration for the exploitation she witnesses and finds it very difficult to associate with those she deems to be sinners.
macabresiren's review against another edition
3.0
I liked The Measure of a Lady decidedly better than I liked A Bride Most Begrudging.
That's really all I can say. This will be my last Gist book (didn't I say that once before?) Presuming of course that there are no more already laying in the pile of Goodwill books in my closet....
That's really all I can say. This will be my last Gist book (didn't I say that once before?) Presuming of course that there are no more already laying in the pile of Goodwill books in my closet....
savyleighann's review against another edition
2.0
I believe in giving every book a chance but no matter how much I tried, I couldn't muster up any good feelings about it. I couldn't stand the characters and it was a slow read for me.
danimuniz's review against another edition
4.0
I really liked this book, I finished it in an evening because I wanted to know what happened.
I really loved the characters, they seemed real and relatable. I appreciated the message of true Christian acceptance and love. So many Christian stories come across as very judgmental, they tend to show anyone with flaws as the bad guys. This book showed that everyone has flaws, and that what is important is how we treat each other.
I really loved the characters, they seemed real and relatable. I appreciated the message of true Christian acceptance and love. So many Christian stories come across as very judgmental, they tend to show anyone with flaws as the bad guys. This book showed that everyone has flaws, and that what is important is how we treat each other.
red1176's review against another edition
2.0
Started out as a quick and interesting read. Turned out to be preachy with a heavy religious message at the end...was definitely a surprise.
gracelasarsky's review against another edition
5.0
Set during the time of the California Gold Rush,the background was helpful in setting up a lot of the plot. I enjoyed how Rachel’s story was about her learning the importance of loving all people. This book had such a sweet ending and I encourage all of you to read it.
XOXO,
Grace
XOXO,
Grace
pilateschick's review against another edition
4.0
Read for book club. Good choice; great topics for a lively discussion! Because I recently read a similar book, yet somewhat opposite - Redeeming Love, about a prostitute turned Christian living in San Francisco during the gold rush - I was constantly drawing comparisons. I related more to Rachel, the protagonist in Measure of a Lady, as I am often torn between "standing for truth and righteousness" and tolerance. Yes, Rachel was a major pain in the neck, but she let go of her pride and used her faith in the Lord to help her change from within. Great message and a good reminder.
dotreadsbooks's review against another edition
4.0
Muddy and beautiful
I’ve always been fascinated by the California Gold Rush so this story fed my imagination to the max! I identified with the main character due to my own sheltered childhood. God’s grace is sufficient, a lesson I’m still learning. I especially loved Johnnie, the love interest in the story. His character and stubbornness made me giggle and blush. I highly recommend and thank you to Mrs. Gist for another great historical novel!
I’ve always been fascinated by the California Gold Rush so this story fed my imagination to the max! I identified with the main character due to my own sheltered childhood. God’s grace is sufficient, a lesson I’m still learning. I especially loved Johnnie, the love interest in the story. His character and stubbornness made me giggle and blush. I highly recommend and thank you to Mrs. Gist for another great historical novel!