Sarah's Gift

Sarah's gift was enjoyable to read. Skye Wieland blended quite a lot of technical information into the the storyline - and did it very well. I felt like I travelled to Africa and learnt quite a lot about horses. The Christian themes throughout this story are prevalent and the main driving force. I look forward to reading the next book in the series, Mark's Strength.

Sarah's Gift is the first book in the 'Dare to Follow' trilogy by Skye Wieland. Set in the African savannah it brings alive the beauty of the wildlife and surrounds, cleverly intertwined with the main character's journey of newfound faith and love. There is a positive Gospel message that is encouraging and inspirational. The novel is interesting and well written, with a well thought out plot that keeps you hooked - once I started reading this book I found it difficult to put down. Skye is a talented writer with a clear love of animals, and I look forward to the next installment of the 'Dare to Follow' trilogy.

Sarah's Gift is a great debut novel from Australian author, Skye Wieland. Her descriptions of the African savannah and the different wildlife which exists there brought them to life as I read. Skye is obviously very familiar with horses as well, as the relationship between horse and rider throughout the novel is a highlight. \\r\\n\\r\\nThe development of Sarah and Mark in their character as well as their relationship together progressed to a wonderful ending, with a hint of more to come in the following books in the series. This novel struck me as being delightfully different from many other romances, and the difference lies in 'Sarah's gift' -- a unique idea that made me think 'what if', but it was thoroughly enjoyable, and you will have to read it to find out more. \\r\\n\\r\\nThe best thing I took away from this Sarah's Gift was the reminder that God doesn't revoke His calling, even when we make huge mistakes. One warning for sensitive readers: there was a moment in the story which I felt was quite gory, but it was relatively brief and didn't detract from the story as a whole. If that doesn't bother you, if you love romance and animals, and enjoy a bit of adventure thrown in, this book is for you. \\r\\n

Sarah White was raised by foster parents after witnessing her father murder her mother when she was ten. As a result, she has problems forming real relationships with people. She has no such problem with horses, which serves her well in her role as Stable Manager for a safari company on the border of South Africa's Kruger National Park. She enjoys her job, but doesn't really get on well with Johnno, her boss, or Mark, another park employee who often accompanies her supervising tourist safari rides. \\r\\n\\r\\nWhat seems like a normal trek turns strange when Sarah hears a gunshot and finds a huge area of the veldt devoid of wildlife. And there is something strange, almost like a presence, even though no one is around. Her natural curiosity and care for the animals puts her at risk when the elephant culls begin and she is approached by a local witch doctor, then begins to have strange dreams of a man in white. This is a Christian novel, so there is no real surprise about the identity of her dream man, but this is the only predicable element. \\r\\n\\r\\nAlthough this book has undergone extensive editing, there are still numerous grammatical, point of view and homophone errors which occasionally impact on the reading experience. Despite the faults, the end was quite gripping and I didn't want to finish reading. \\r\\n\\r\\nThanks to Skye Wieland and ShadeTree Publishing for providing a free ebook for review.