A Refuge Assured By Jocelyn Green

Revolutionary France has no refuges. Vivienne Rivard knows this firsthand. She’s lost her aunt to their cause. Lost even the mother that never cared about her. Her only hope to escape France and begin anew is a mysterious friend of her mother’s. But she soon finds America has its own problems . . . and is all too willing to dabble in France’s when it is believed that a boy Vivienne has taken in is the French prince.

I’d read Jocelyn Green’s  Between Two Shores from our church library and had been pleasantly surprised at the depth of plot, the vivid history, and the conflicted characters. When I ran across A Refuge Assured in my favorite bookstore, I didn’t hesitate to pick it up.

I wasn’t disappointed.

A Refuge Assured features a diverse cast of characters—not only in their own personalities, but in their loyalties and beliefs, and how they make those known. It created for crackling tension as the pages went on. Each belief was presented in its own way, and none of them felt pushy or “you must think this character is right.” It made you slow down every so often from the action and wonder what you would have done had you been faced with the same situation.

Speaking of the action, the mystery and suspense plot woven into the novel was a wonderful and welcome touch. It kept me turning pages to find out if Henri truly was Prince Louis-Charles, and if not, how he could explain the similarities. Not to mention whether the French revolutionaries would track him down or not!

I can’t think of anything negative to mention about this book. It’s a thoughtfully written book that truly does transport you back in time until you wonder where true refuges lie . . .

And then it shows you where they do.