A Passion Most Pure by Julie Lessman is the first book in her Daughters of Boston trilogy. Like my earlier review of A Hope Undaunted, this book also follows the O'Connor Family of Boston. This first book tells the story of Faith, Charity, and their mutual love for an Irish Rogue named Collin McGuire. If you love Downton Abbey, you will love this book and the family within!Synopsis: Faith, the oldest sister in the family has been in love with Collin since she was a girl. Faith also lives up to her name, and has a very strong relationship with God, something neither Collin, nor her sister Charity share. From the beginning, Collin has no idea she loves him, he is too enamored with sixteen year old Charity. Charity, on the other hand, knows full well that Faith loves Collin, and knows how to use that against her at every turn. Charity also wants him for herself and does everything she can to make that happen. Faith's belief in God keeps her from responding in kind, until Charity does something that pushes everyone over the edge.
Meanwhile, The Great War is raging, and everyone fears that the United States will get involved. Parents Marcy and Patrick struggle handling the hostility and jealousy between their two daughters, Collin, a player from the wrong side of the tracks, and the threat of war that may tear their family apart before the discord within has a chance to.
From Boston, to Ireland, France and back, this book is full of excitement, heartbreak, faith, and love. The O'Connor family must deal with all of these issues while still trying to be the close family they have always been
What I loved: I love the O'Connor family. They are so fun and exciting. I love how strong Faith's relationship with God is, and how even though she loses sight of that for a while, God still prevails. I love the relationship between Marcy and Patrick. They are so in love even after so many years of marriage, and even though they have their fights, they always turn back to each other. I love that Faith held on to her morals and beliefs in spite of her emotions and physical attractions. I loved how real these characters were. You felt their agony and pain. During some of the scenes with Charity and Faith, I felt myself crying at the injustice of it all, or angry at how cruel Charity, could be. As I was reading, I realized how much this family reminded me of Downton Abbey. It is not the same story, however, it is the same time period, and while there are no servants, some of the drama is a bit similar - in a very good way. If you loved Downton Abbey, you'll love this book.
What I didn't like as much: I disliked how back and forth the love triangle went. I also didn't like how convicting this book was to me personally....which probably means I needed to read it, right? ;)
Application: Jealousy and sibling rivalry are something that many people struggle with, even when they don't admit to it. Mrs. Gerson and Grandma are both right when they remind the girls that jealousy can ruin you on the inside, and destroy your relationships on the outside. Like one character learned, jealousy and revenge can get you what you want, but they will also destroy you and everyone else involved at the same time. We all need to give up our jealousy - big or small - and our desire for revenge. There is a reason God says "Vengeance is mine, I will repay."
Obedience to God is also difficult sometimes. Sometimes doing it "my way" feels better. Sometimes, like a few characters, doing something in anger, and keeping one's self angry may keep away the pain for a little while, but doing so destroys our relationship with God. When we are focused on being angry, we lose sight of the good that God wants to do. It may not be the good that we want, but it is. God's best is always better than our good.
Finally, never underestimate the power of prayer. If the book wasn't clear enough, I will be: God answers prayer! It isn't a myth, and it isn't a delusion. It may not be the answer we want, but He will still answer. Never give up praying. If God has placed something or someone on your heart, PRAY FOR IT!!! :) Pray for His will to be done. Pray for salvation for that loved one. Pray for miracles. God can and does take the worst situations and use them for His glory, and He can and does save anyone who asks no matter their background, lifestyle, or any other reason or excuse we can give.
Overall, a fantastic read. The story was wonderful, and the characters endearing. I'm excited to see what happens to Charity in the next book, A Passion Redeemed. While I did not care for her much in this book, seeing what happened to her in A Hope Undaunted gave me hope for Charity's character. She was a good villain in this book, it will be interesting to see what she's like as the heroine. I can't wait to see how God grabs her!
As for A Passion Most Pure, I highly recommend it! I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!
God bless, and happy reading!
Sarah
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