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Out of the Storm
Adrift on an angry ocean, lovely young Gail must struggle to save her life…and the life of a man she doesn't know.
Hardcover
First published January 1, 1929
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews
June 16, 2018
Okay, that's a purely emotional rating. There are too many gaps in the sequence of events, too many happenstances, but the story was narrated so well that I forgot those things. Very much an escape story for me. I ran off and ordered a couple more of hers online!
October 17, 2022
Second Rating: Still 4.5 / 5
I just realized, reading it this second time around, that while I DO agree with the twist (i.e. film industry portion), what still keeps it from being an absolutely, positively perfect read is that the ending and problem resolution is rather too abrupt and quick. I know that this isn't a long book, but even so, I think I would have preferred to draw out some of those happy moments at the end a bit more. Would have given both the messages of faith and love more time to shine.
All in all though, I still love this story lots lots overall, and will definitely re-read in the future!
Rating: 4.5 / 5
Yet another satisfying Grace Livingston Hill read to add to my collection. It's not often that I can continue reading on and on and on from one single author's works, but with the pure, simple, lovely Christian romances that Ms. Hill managed to produce, I can't seem to get enough!
In this story, we focus in immediately at the heart of the action, as lovely Gail Desmond is awoken by a sudden shudder of the ship she is on. Quickly, she resolves to save herself and her employer, but the crafty old lady she is working for runs only to save her own life, leaving Gail behind. Fortunately, a righteous young man has just enough time to put Gail out of harm's way, but unfortunately gets hit on the head and winds up unconscious in the process. Gail manages to get him onto the makeshift raft and together they make it through the storm and onto an island, from whence the healing process of the story really begins.
One of the shorter works that I've read by Hill, most of the "life endangerment" action is at the beginning of the novel, and most of the rest focuses on healing. I take points off because of a slight and unexpected plot twist that I wasn't 100% sure whether I agreed with, but all in all it didn't take away from my enjoyment of the story, so it's still enough to qualify for five stars. To its credit, this novel fared much better in my opinion than I expected, as I am not the fondest of seafaring novels--unless of course if I'm in a particular "pirate-y" mood, in which case I'll make exceptions.
In any case, a splendid read once again, and one that I am happy to add to my shelves.
I just realized, reading it this second time around, that while I DO agree with the twist (i.e. film industry portion), what still keeps it from being an absolutely, positively perfect read is that the ending and problem resolution is rather too abrupt and quick. I know that this isn't a long book, but even so, I think I would have preferred to draw out some of those happy moments at the end a bit more. Would have given both the messages of faith and love more time to shine.
All in all though, I still love this story lots lots overall, and will definitely re-read in the future!
Rating: 4.5 / 5
Yet another satisfying Grace Livingston Hill read to add to my collection. It's not often that I can continue reading on and on and on from one single author's works, but with the pure, simple, lovely Christian romances that Ms. Hill managed to produce, I can't seem to get enough!
In this story, we focus in immediately at the heart of the action, as lovely Gail Desmond is awoken by a sudden shudder of the ship she is on. Quickly, she resolves to save herself and her employer, but the crafty old lady she is working for runs only to save her own life, leaving Gail behind. Fortunately, a righteous young man has just enough time to put Gail out of harm's way, but unfortunately gets hit on the head and winds up unconscious in the process. Gail manages to get him onto the makeshift raft and together they make it through the storm and onto an island, from whence the healing process of the story really begins.
One of the shorter works that I've read by Hill, most of the "life endangerment" action is at the beginning of the novel, and most of the rest focuses on healing. I take points off because of a slight and unexpected plot twist that I wasn't 100% sure whether I agreed with, but all in all it didn't take away from my enjoyment of the story, so it's still enough to qualify for five stars. To its credit, this novel fared much better in my opinion than I expected, as I am not the fondest of seafaring novels--unless of course if I'm in a particular "pirate-y" mood, in which case I'll make exceptions.
In any case, a splendid read once again, and one that I am happy to add to my shelves.
January 1, 2021
This is one of my all-time favorite shipwreck stories. Here we start with the ship going down, our heroine being badly treated by an employer, even as she's on the brink of death. She runs for help...and then quite calmly assesses the situation, may be rescued (briefly) and then sets about to save the hero and prove that she's no wilting flower that needs to be tended
Whew! Given when this book was written, it's absolutely refreshing to see such a strong female lead, even as she takes self-sufficiency and independence to new levels of stupid and disappears precipitating some rather dire circumstances...
AND gives us a look at what the silent movie industry looked like in NYC at the turn of the century.
This book is just a whole lot of fun. Exciting, and sometimes heartbreaking, you can't help but root for Gail from beginning to end. I love this one!
Whew! Given when this book was written, it's absolutely refreshing to see such a strong female lead, even as she takes self-sufficiency and independence to new levels of stupid and disappears precipitating some rather dire circumstances...
AND gives us a look at what the silent movie industry looked like in NYC at the turn of the century.
This book is just a whole lot of fun. Exciting, and sometimes heartbreaking, you can't help but root for Gail from beginning to end. I love this one!
April 13, 2016
Reviewed for THC Reviews
I recall reading a few of Grace Livingston Hill’s books in my youth, but I probably haven’t picked one up for more than twenty years. So Out of the Storm reintroduced me to her work all over again. In all honesty, if this was a more modern romance, I would probably be judging it a bit more harshly, because it does have it’s weaknesses, which I’ll get to later. But I’m making allowances for the differences in writing styles from nearly a century ago. This alone made it a rather interesting study, as does the viewing of the historical story through the eyes of someone who lived during that time. So while there were several things I thought could have been better, it was still a pretty enjoyable read.
As an only child, Gail is all alone in the world, having lost both her parents somewhat recently. She took a job as a lady’s companion, but her employer is selfish and difficult. They go on a summer ocean voyage, but not far into the journey, the ship founders. Here, I had to admire Gail for keeping a cool head in a crisis, especially after her employer hops into a lifeboat, leaving Gail to her own devices. Her calm demeanor still stands as a man who is a stranger to her straps her to a makeshift life raft and casts her over the side, then jumps into the water himself. When he is hit by falling debris and knocked unconscious, Gail saves his life by pulling him onto the raft and holding tightly to him throughout the storm until they eventually float into shore. Once she finds shelter for them, problems still arise, but Gail handles each one with grace. She nurses the man for many weeks after, always watching over him like a mother hen, as well as reading to him from the Bible and praying for his recovery. Gail was a brave, kind, and compassionate woman who I liked, but in her fear that he doesn’t return her affections, she does make one really huge mistake. Who knew the “big misunderstanding” as a conflict device was alive and well even back then.:-)
Clinton also proved to have a cool head in a crisis to have saved Gail’s life like he did. But after that, for quite a ways into the story, he’s either unconscious or too weak to talk much. Eventually we find out that he, too, is alone in the world, but he was recently enamored of a young lady. He’d gradually come to realize that she was a selfish and vain creature, and that he was no longer certain of his feelings for her, so he went on the cruise to think things over. When he awakens to find that the woman whose life he saved has in turn saved his, he is more than grateful. Over the weeks they spend together, he can’t help wondering how he ever could have believed himself in love with the other woman, because Gail is his dream woman. He falls madly in love with her, but when he sees an engagement announcement in the newspaper for his old flame who believes him dead, he knows he must go and put that relationship to rest once and for all before telling Gail how he feels. Of course, Gail misconstrues his actions and runs away before he can return, leaving him heartsick. Clinton is a wealthy businessman, and I thought it very romantic that he hired investigators to try to track her down and even went to New York several times himself to follow up on leads. He was determined to find her no matter what he had to do and no expense was too great to get her back.
Now for the weaknesses I mentioned. The relationship building between Clinton and Gail is minimal at best and extremely chaste. They don’t even kiss. For the majority of the story, they’re either apart or Clinton is unconscious, and when they are together, most of the details of their falling in love are skimmed over. They don’t really have any in-depth conversations that would have added to the budding romance. That said, though, there were a few moments where I could feel the emotions passing between them, and as I already mentioned, Clinton’s dogged search for Gail was in and of itself romantic. Therefore, for those reasons, I still believed in their love for one another.
Outside of the relationship, my issues mostly have to do with the way in which the book was written, which is very different from modern romances. Much of the story is told in narrative prose, sometimes stepping into the omniscient. As writers nowadays, we’re told to show don’t tell, but there was quite a bit of telling here. When the author does use dialogue, it’s written in an almost stilted, rather formal way, that’s unfamiliar to my modern ear, or sometimes, one character will monologue for several paragraphs. Also sensitive readers should be aware that there is an African American character who is basically the stereotypical Southern mammy complete with a thick accent that sometimes makes her seems unintelligent or uneducated. Most of the time, I could make out what she was saying pretty easily but occasionally, I couldn’t figure it out. Also there is one brief passage where it flat-out says that women are helpless creatures who need men to take care of them, which kind of made me chuckle. These things didn’t bother me overmuch, because these elements were nothing more than a product of their time and it would be unfair to expect the book to reflect a modern mindset.
The faith message was present throughout, but for the most part, it didn’t push my buttons. It’s mostly limited to the characters praying, reading the Bible, and generally trusting God to help them work out their problems. The only thing that made me slightly uncomfortable was that when Gail was flat broke and needed a job quick, she took one as an actress in a movie, a decision she deeply regretted later, though why, I’m not really sure as she didn’t do anything immoral or unethical during the filming of it. Still, throughout her time working on the film, she feels incredibly guilty, and the film industry in general is portrayed as being an immoral place. The director of the film doesn’t tell Gail the entire gist of one scene she’s acting in until it occurs, leaving her completely freaking out when the actor playing the villain behaves in a predatory manner toward her. This is in spite of the fact that it never even mentions him laying a finger on her, yet she beats the crap out of him. In this way and a few others, the story could sometimes devolve into a bit of melodrama, which might not be everyone’s cup of tea.
Overall, though, Out of the Storm was an interesting book to read if for no other reason than to get a taste of how authors wrote in the past, as well as for that birds-eye view of what life was like back then, rather than the sanitized version that’s often infused with our own modern sensibilities. There’s nothing wrong with that, but occasionally it’s nice to get the real deal. So I enjoyed Out of the Storm for its historical significance. And even though the romance isn’t developed in the same way modern romances usually are, there was a certain charm to it that made me believe in the HEA anyway. Perhaps I’m giving the author a pass because of fond memories of reading her work in my youth, but I don’t think that’s the only reason. Next time I’m in the mood for a romance with this kind of flavor, I’d gladly pick up another of Grace Livingston Hill’s stories.
I recall reading a few of Grace Livingston Hill’s books in my youth, but I probably haven’t picked one up for more than twenty years. So Out of the Storm reintroduced me to her work all over again. In all honesty, if this was a more modern romance, I would probably be judging it a bit more harshly, because it does have it’s weaknesses, which I’ll get to later. But I’m making allowances for the differences in writing styles from nearly a century ago. This alone made it a rather interesting study, as does the viewing of the historical story through the eyes of someone who lived during that time. So while there were several things I thought could have been better, it was still a pretty enjoyable read.
As an only child, Gail is all alone in the world, having lost both her parents somewhat recently. She took a job as a lady’s companion, but her employer is selfish and difficult. They go on a summer ocean voyage, but not far into the journey, the ship founders. Here, I had to admire Gail for keeping a cool head in a crisis, especially after her employer hops into a lifeboat, leaving Gail to her own devices. Her calm demeanor still stands as a man who is a stranger to her straps her to a makeshift life raft and casts her over the side, then jumps into the water himself. When he is hit by falling debris and knocked unconscious, Gail saves his life by pulling him onto the raft and holding tightly to him throughout the storm until they eventually float into shore. Once she finds shelter for them, problems still arise, but Gail handles each one with grace. She nurses the man for many weeks after, always watching over him like a mother hen, as well as reading to him from the Bible and praying for his recovery. Gail was a brave, kind, and compassionate woman who I liked, but in her fear that he doesn’t return her affections, she does make one really huge mistake. Who knew the “big misunderstanding” as a conflict device was alive and well even back then.:-)
Clinton also proved to have a cool head in a crisis to have saved Gail’s life like he did. But after that, for quite a ways into the story, he’s either unconscious or too weak to talk much. Eventually we find out that he, too, is alone in the world, but he was recently enamored of a young lady. He’d gradually come to realize that she was a selfish and vain creature, and that he was no longer certain of his feelings for her, so he went on the cruise to think things over. When he awakens to find that the woman whose life he saved has in turn saved his, he is more than grateful. Over the weeks they spend together, he can’t help wondering how he ever could have believed himself in love with the other woman, because Gail is his dream woman. He falls madly in love with her, but when he sees an engagement announcement in the newspaper for his old flame who believes him dead, he knows he must go and put that relationship to rest once and for all before telling Gail how he feels. Of course, Gail misconstrues his actions and runs away before he can return, leaving him heartsick. Clinton is a wealthy businessman, and I thought it very romantic that he hired investigators to try to track her down and even went to New York several times himself to follow up on leads. He was determined to find her no matter what he had to do and no expense was too great to get her back.
Now for the weaknesses I mentioned. The relationship building between Clinton and Gail is minimal at best and extremely chaste. They don’t even kiss. For the majority of the story, they’re either apart or Clinton is unconscious, and when they are together, most of the details of their falling in love are skimmed over. They don’t really have any in-depth conversations that would have added to the budding romance. That said, though, there were a few moments where I could feel the emotions passing between them, and as I already mentioned, Clinton’s dogged search for Gail was in and of itself romantic. Therefore, for those reasons, I still believed in their love for one another.
Outside of the relationship, my issues mostly have to do with the way in which the book was written, which is very different from modern romances. Much of the story is told in narrative prose, sometimes stepping into the omniscient. As writers nowadays, we’re told to show don’t tell, but there was quite a bit of telling here. When the author does use dialogue, it’s written in an almost stilted, rather formal way, that’s unfamiliar to my modern ear, or sometimes, one character will monologue for several paragraphs. Also sensitive readers should be aware that there is an African American character who is basically the stereotypical Southern mammy complete with a thick accent that sometimes makes her seems unintelligent or uneducated. Most of the time, I could make out what she was saying pretty easily but occasionally, I couldn’t figure it out. Also there is one brief passage where it flat-out says that women are helpless creatures who need men to take care of them, which kind of made me chuckle. These things didn’t bother me overmuch, because these elements were nothing more than a product of their time and it would be unfair to expect the book to reflect a modern mindset.
The faith message was present throughout, but for the most part, it didn’t push my buttons. It’s mostly limited to the characters praying, reading the Bible, and generally trusting God to help them work out their problems. The only thing that made me slightly uncomfortable was that when Gail was flat broke and needed a job quick, she took one as an actress in a movie, a decision she deeply regretted later, though why, I’m not really sure as she didn’t do anything immoral or unethical during the filming of it. Still, throughout her time working on the film, she feels incredibly guilty, and the film industry in general is portrayed as being an immoral place. The director of the film doesn’t tell Gail the entire gist of one scene she’s acting in until it occurs, leaving her completely freaking out when the actor playing the villain behaves in a predatory manner toward her. This is in spite of the fact that it never even mentions him laying a finger on her, yet she beats the crap out of him. In this way and a few others, the story could sometimes devolve into a bit of melodrama, which might not be everyone’s cup of tea.
Overall, though, Out of the Storm was an interesting book to read if for no other reason than to get a taste of how authors wrote in the past, as well as for that birds-eye view of what life was like back then, rather than the sanitized version that’s often infused with our own modern sensibilities. There’s nothing wrong with that, but occasionally it’s nice to get the real deal. So I enjoyed Out of the Storm for its historical significance. And even though the romance isn’t developed in the same way modern romances usually are, there was a certain charm to it that made me believe in the HEA anyway. Perhaps I’m giving the author a pass because of fond memories of reading her work in my youth, but I don’t think that’s the only reason. Next time I’m in the mood for a romance with this kind of flavor, I’d gladly pick up another of Grace Livingston Hill’s stories.
June 11, 2024
I occasionally read GLH but this one had racism throughout that was annoying. It felt like the main character was an angel who never wears lipstick or does anything sinful at all. Lot of legalism and not much grace.
April 10, 2018
At first, I really liked this book, but serval things ended up sinking it for me.
1. The girl refers to the main guy at a "boy" and says she's "caring for him like her own child" and than they go on to have a romantic relationship. It felt weird.
2. The ending was SO FAST. I have never read a Hill book with such a fast ending.
Overall, the only thing that saves this from being a two star was the fact that I really did like the main characters.
1. The girl refers to the main guy at a "boy" and says she's "caring for him like her own child" and than they go on to have a romantic relationship. It felt weird.
2. The ending was SO FAST. I have never read a Hill book with such a fast ending.
Overall, the only thing that saves this from being a two star was the fact that I really did like the main characters.
May 20, 2009
This book was an antique that my mom has had forever, copyright 1929. It was so sappy that it bordered ridiculous. I love old books, however, the way they feel and the way they smell ... and I found it so refreshing that the characters prayed and asked God for help in facing their difficulties. Would love to see more of that in modern literature.
October 5, 2021
I REALLY want to rate this a one star, but the beginning was just SO good, I have to give it a 2.
The book started out with an exciting shipwreck! A man hacks down a door or something to make a raft for the last woman on board and lashes her onto the raft before hitting his head on the wreckage and getting a concussion. The woman manages to get a life jacket on his limp body and drag him partially on the raft with her (see that Rose? It IS possible!). They wash ashore and they fall in love while she nurses him back to health. How sweet!
Here's where it derails though. Neither of them share their feelings and when the man decides to leave suddenly (apparently to give his blessing on the marriage of his ex-fiancee who thought he died in the shipwreck?) the woman thinks he's going back to this other woman and runs away. Man searches. Drama happens (literally- the only job the woman can find is as an actress, of which they are very ashamed). Abrupt ending when they are reunited in a hospital.
I have never hard-core skimmed a book so much in my life as I did the last 60% of this novel. I despise books where the main drama happens because a character simply makes a poor assumption, doesn't communicate, and then gives no communication options. (*cough* Dawn of the Morning *cough*) Therefore I despise this book. But, but, but the beginning started so well!! I was so disappointed!
Overall, I cannot recommend this book, unless you read the first 35-40% and then immediately skip to the second to last chapter. Trust me, you won't miss much that you can't fill in the gaps. Unless you uber like unnecessary drama, in which case, pick this book up immediately and read it straight through!
The book started out with an exciting shipwreck! A man hacks down a door or something to make a raft for the last woman on board and lashes her onto the raft before hitting his head on the wreckage and getting a concussion. The woman manages to get a life jacket on his limp body and drag him partially on the raft with her (see that Rose? It IS possible!). They wash ashore and they fall in love while she nurses him back to health. How sweet!
Here's where it derails though. Neither of them share their feelings and when the man decides to leave suddenly (apparently to give his blessing on the marriage of his ex-fiancee who thought he died in the shipwreck?) the woman thinks he's going back to this other woman and runs away. Man searches. Drama happens (literally- the only job the woman can find is as an actress, of which they are very ashamed). Abrupt ending when they are reunited in a hospital.
I have never hard-core skimmed a book so much in my life as I did the last 60% of this novel. I despise books where the main drama happens because a character simply makes a poor assumption, doesn't communicate, and then gives no communication options. (*cough* Dawn of the Morning *cough*) Therefore I despise this book. But, but, but the beginning started so well!! I was so disappointed!
Overall, I cannot recommend this book, unless you read the first 35-40% and then immediately skip to the second to last chapter. Trust me, you won't miss much that you can't fill in the gaps. Unless you uber like unnecessary drama, in which case, pick this book up immediately and read it straight through!
October 5, 2017
This was my favorite Grace Livingston Hill book so far. I love Grace Livingston Hill's books, mainly because she writes from a different era. Though the publishers tried to update her books by putting a 70's picture on the front, her stories are still set in the classic Grace Livingston Hill time period, the 30's and 40's. This was a time in our history where life had rules, there was a distinct right and wrong, and classes of people were defined differently than today. Not that it was better, it was just different; unlike our world today where everything is relative to our feelings. The Bible played a major part in people's lives, but the sins of today were going on then too.
Grace Livingston Hill's books always have a beautiful and exciting love story, one where Christians and non-Christians lives collide. I read her books to my 97 year old mother-in-law, Anna, and she relates in a different way than me. I am awed by the way people lived in that time period, and she actually lived in the 30's. When Grace describes clothing of the day, Anna remembers having a dress made out of that material. If I don't understand an idiom of that day, Anna explains it to me. These are wonderful books to share with an older friend or relative. You can read them aloud and not worry that people listening will be shocked by any passages. Instead they will be encouraged.
Grace Livingston Hill's books always have a beautiful and exciting love story, one where Christians and non-Christians lives collide. I read her books to my 97 year old mother-in-law, Anna, and she relates in a different way than me. I am awed by the way people lived in that time period, and she actually lived in the 30's. When Grace describes clothing of the day, Anna remembers having a dress made out of that material. If I don't understand an idiom of that day, Anna explains it to me. These are wonderful books to share with an older friend or relative. You can read them aloud and not worry that people listening will be shocked by any passages. Instead they will be encouraged.
March 11, 2008
I grew up reading many of Hill's books because my mom had a bunch of them. They tend to be sweet stories of overcoming hardship and finding true love, and every once in a while, that's nice to read about.
Okay, so, Christian Romance hasn't come far since the early 1900's as shown by this early book. Sweet, clean and full of adverbs, this story is nice but simple. There were holes that show that Ms. Hill didn't have the resources and or desire to research. But I do love harking back to a time when you could take a train trip for less than $10 and eat for less than a $1 a day and still get a good meal!
Okay, so, Christian Romance hasn't come far since the early 1900's as shown by this early book. Sweet, clean and full of adverbs, this story is nice but simple. There were holes that show that Ms. Hill didn't have the resources and or desire to research. But I do love harking back to a time when you could take a train trip for less than $10 and eat for less than a $1 a day and still get a good meal!
September 27, 2013
This is so ridiculous. I love it, but it is INSANE. Shipwrecks and snuff films and dialect. Oh my.
And lots of weeping, and a(n unintentionally) hilarious scene in a theater where the responsible-eyed hero starts heavy breathing and freaks out his neighbor.
You need this in your life, or at least your Kindle. GLH does the sweetest cozy home scenes, the best Got-Jesus-evangelizing, and then throws some batsh*t craycray in because she can.
This ish cray. I love it.
And lots of weeping, and a(n unintentionally) hilarious scene in a theater where the responsible-eyed hero starts heavy breathing and freaks out his neighbor.
You need this in your life, or at least your Kindle. GLH does the sweetest cozy home scenes, the best Got-Jesus-evangelizing, and then throws some batsh*t craycray in because she can.
This ish cray. I love it.
February 6, 2008
This book may be many years old, but it is one of the best romances I have read. It is a romance that focusses on how the main characters fall for each other and the misunderstandings that happen. It is unlike the modern romances, where it seems like the author is seeing how fast the characters will fall in bed with each other. It is a beautiful, innocent romance.
July 22, 2016
I read this book for the first time as a young girl in about 1960 and loved it. It is a sentimental favorite for me. I would call it vintage Christian fiction. It is a sweet story but was published in 1929 and the culture was very different then. I enjoyed rereading it!!
April 26, 2018
Another successful telling
Another successful telling of some of the ways God works to bring his children, all of us that will listen, to his wonderful salvation. We often run ahead and get in trouble which can delay his plans for us.
Another successful telling of some of the ways God works to bring his children, all of us that will listen, to his wonderful salvation. We often run ahead and get in trouble which can delay his plans for us.
November 13, 2007
Not one of my favorite GLH's.
December 27, 2010
romantic, dramatic
September 14, 2019
Very melodramatic.
June 3, 2017
Storms of Life
Another wonderful book by Grace Livingston Hill. Through rough seas of life and relationships a young couple find the Lord and love.
Another wonderful book by Grace Livingston Hill. Through rough seas of life and relationships a young couple find the Lord and love.
April 8, 2021
A different story. Good read.
April 28, 2024
A smaller (and apparently free complimentary) story by GLH.
This one moves VERY quickly, mostly because of its size (it's really slender, for a GLH book). The story takes place as a ship has a collision with something, and everything happens almost too quickly - if GLH had slowed down a tiny bit, we would've *felt* that the elderly woman was taking far too long to rouse/get ready. Instead, it almost feels wrong that the boats were already gone when Gail gets to the deck.
I had some issues with the fact that the hatch she was lashed to never flipped or threatened to flip over in the insanely huge waves. It seemed crazy and while I believe in miracles... it was a toughy, for me.
Worse was the 'misunderstanding'. All he'd had to do was TELL HER that he loved her, and was going to clear up unfinished business with a previous relationship. SHOW HER the engagement posting in the paper. Explain things. It felt contrived that he didn't say a word about any of it, just 'trust me'. Yes, men are obtuse, but THAT obtuse?!
I also had a hard time believing that the movie producers would simply let an academy award-worthy 'performance' go, like that. They wouldn't have let Benedict pay them off. Not a chance.
I could really enjoy taking this and re-writing it over, fleshing it out, fixing the mess that it is. Not to say it wasn't enjoyable, had good ideas, and was well-worth reading --- it definitely was. I just feel this wasn't one of her better ones. It was too rushed.
This one moves VERY quickly, mostly because of its size (it's really slender, for a GLH book). The story takes place as a ship has a collision with something, and everything happens almost too quickly - if GLH had slowed down a tiny bit, we would've *felt* that the elderly woman was taking far too long to rouse/get ready. Instead, it almost feels wrong that the boats were already gone when Gail gets to the deck.
I had some issues with the fact that the hatch she was lashed to never flipped or threatened to flip over in the insanely huge waves. It seemed crazy and while I believe in miracles... it was a toughy, for me.
Worse was the 'misunderstanding'. All he'd had to do was TELL HER that he loved her, and was going to clear up unfinished business with a previous relationship. SHOW HER the engagement posting in the paper. Explain things. It felt contrived that he didn't say a word about any of it, just 'trust me'. Yes, men are obtuse, but THAT obtuse?!
I also had a hard time believing that the movie producers would simply let an academy award-worthy 'performance' go, like that. They wouldn't have let Benedict pay them off. Not a chance.
I could really enjoy taking this and re-writing it over, fleshing it out, fixing the mess that it is. Not to say it wasn't enjoyable, had good ideas, and was well-worth reading --- it definitely was. I just feel this wasn't one of her better ones. It was too rushed.
April 27, 2020
Out of the Storm
There was only one thing I didn't like about this book. I was reading it on a tablet and suddenly it was done. It was so enthralling I would have gladly read several more chapters. Just an example of how thrilling it was: Gail was bound to a hatch cover with rope to keep from drowning when the ship sunk and I could 'see' the waves crashing over her while she bobbed around in the raging sea.
There was only one thing I didn't like about this book. I was reading it on a tablet and suddenly it was done. It was so enthralling I would have gladly read several more chapters. Just an example of how thrilling it was: Gail was bound to a hatch cover with rope to keep from drowning when the ship sunk and I could 'see' the waves crashing over her while she bobbed around in the raging sea.
January 15, 2024
A product of its day
This story is a typical Grace L Hill story, but for the most part enjoyable. I usually read GLH when I want a mindless distraction. Unfortunately, she followed the trend of her day of giving a black woman's speech in phonetics, making her sound less intelligent than the people around her. Very annoying to a modern reader. If you can overlook that, though, the story itself is fine, if predictable.
This story is a typical Grace L Hill story, but for the most part enjoyable. I usually read GLH when I want a mindless distraction. Unfortunately, she followed the trend of her day of giving a black woman's speech in phonetics, making her sound less intelligent than the people around her. Very annoying to a modern reader. If you can overlook that, though, the story itself is fine, if predictable.
August 28, 2022
You know what you are getting with GLH and I do enjoy the old fashioned sweetness.
Want to read
December 9, 2023first published Jan 2029
February 15, 2024
An easy read, as all of Hill's books are. A simple, sweet, old-fashioned romance.
May 17, 2024
Amazing! As always!
August 22, 2024
This one has been one of my all time favorite GLH books since I read it when I was about 11. It holds an extra special place in my heart. I remember reading this for the first time at the family cabin, cozied upstairs in my room with stacks of books to read. Apparently I’ve always been a sucker for ship wreck/survival stories, because I still love the themes in this one as an adult.
The ship is going down, and the hero is ready to go down with the ship, until he realizes there’s still someone left who missed the lifeboat. He and the heroine manage to survive on a piece of the deck, and they wash up to shore on an island where an old lady and her staff live.
Romance, adventure, miscommunication, lost love, heartbreak, hardship, and eventually reunited love. I do love this one!
The ship is going down, and the hero is ready to go down with the ship, until he realizes there’s still someone left who missed the lifeboat. He and the heroine manage to survive on a piece of the deck, and they wash up to shore on an island where an old lady and her staff live.
Romance, adventure, miscommunication, lost love, heartbreak, hardship, and eventually reunited love. I do love this one!
March 10, 2016
From list of books read in 1963 diary complete with star ratings. This would have been one of my mother's books.
February 10, 2024
4.5 stars
My first Grace book!
My first Grace book!
February 17, 2023
Great read
Such dedication to find real love
Such principles a rarity. God's plan always works for those who believe! Worth the time to read
Such dedication to find real love
Such principles a rarity. God's plan always works for those who believe! Worth the time to read
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