Review and Giveaway: Alone Yet Not Alone

Alone Yet Not Alone, by Tracy Leininger Craven.

Outside, the tall figure, who just hours before had stood still as a statue watching the family, had long since sneaked back into the slumbering forest just as quickly as he had come. He now sat in front of his own campfire, his eyes burning as bright as the light that flickered before him. His face did not soften in the gleam, but instead the dancing reflection highlighted his hardened features and accentuated the furrows in his brow. Soon his companions joined him, engaging in deep and agitated conversation until, at last, all was settled and they too fell asleep. Only, their dreams were of a different sort than Barbara's; they were not of peace and tranquility.

Alone Yet Not Alone is a faith-based book that focuses on the true story of the Leininger family's abduction (the relatives of the author, as you may have guessed) during the French and Indian War. I myself am not very religious, and I think this book is definitely geared more towards those who have a strong Christian faith; however, the story was interesting and it's a quick read, which is good for kids.

Official synopsis:
Settled in the Blue Mountains of Pennsylvania, deep within America's new frontier, the Leininger family celebrates the blessings of a beautiful homestead and bountiful harvest. That is, until tragedy strikes with the beginning of the French and Indian War and the devastating raid known as the Penn's Creek Massacre.

The lives of this simple, God-fearing family are forever altered when Barbara and Regina, two young sisters, are carried away by the Delaware tribe. Driven by their faith in God and the powerful bonds of family, Barbara and Regina hold firmly to the belief that they are never alone, even in their darkest hour, and that they will be reunited again.

Rich in historical details, Alone Yet Not Alone is an inspirational, true story of a family caught in the cross fire of the French and Indian War.
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The book is actually being made into a film, which will be out on September 27th, and the trailer does look interesting. One of the main problems I have with the book is that it didn't go into much depth - at about 150 pages there's not a lot of time to do that - but a feature-length film looks like it can adding more to the story.

Also be aware, as I mentioned above, that this is an extremely faith-based book. In one scene, Barbara, the oldest girl who was captured, asked one of her Native American captors how his world was created, and he talks about a god of sorts that created everything. Barbara wishes he could "know" Jesus Christ and how Jesus looks out for everyone, as she puts it. In another scene, Barbara is in love with a good friend of her brothers, but declines his marriage proposal because he's not religious; it's only after he "accepts Jesus into his heart" that she agrees to marry him. I myself am not Christian or religious, so to me this was a little jarring, but I believe that someone like me was not the intended audience for this sort of book to begin with.

I also would have liked to have known more about the true Leininger story, to see how closely this book captures the sisters' experiences - it took place in the 1700s, so obviously the author can't know everything about the experience, but I assume that the gist of their adventure that took place in real life takes place in the book, too.

2.5 stars out of 5.

*Disclosure: I received a copy of this novel for reviewing purposes. The opinions expressed here, however, are my own.

You can view the movie trailer here:

GIVEAWAY:

I have one copy of Alone Yet Not Alone to give away. U.S. and Canada only, please. Enter to win via the Rafflecopter below. The contest ends Thursday, September 5th at 11:59pm - winner will be notified September 6th and have 24 hours to respond or an alternate winner will be chosen.

Good luck!

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