Jocelyn Green

Lacemaker Vivienne Rivard never imagined her craft could threaten her life. Yet in revolutionary France, it is a death sentence when the nobility, and those associated with them, are forced to the guillotine. Vivienne flees to Philadelphia but finds the same dangers lurking in the French Quarter, as revolutionary sympathizers threaten the life of a young boy left in her care, who some suspect to be the Dauphin. Can the French settlement, Azilum, offer permanent refuge? Militiaman Liam Delaney proudly served in the American Revolution, but now that the new government has imposed an oppressive tax that impacts his family, he barely recognizes the democracy he fought for. He wants only to cultivate the land of his hard-won farm near Azilum, but soon finds himself drawn into the escalating tension of the Whiskey Rebellion. When he meets a beautiful young Frenchwoman recently arrived from Paris, they will be drawn together in surprising ways to fight for the peace and safety for which they long.

A Refuge Assured

Vicky (A City Girl's Thoughts)

A Refugee Assured is a story of faith, trust, hope, and love during The Whiskey Rebellion. Jocelyn Green weaves an interesting story of a woman who fled France as a refugee and a militiaman who fought alongside Alexander Hamilton during The Revolutionary War but questions his motives. Vivienne, who hired workers for her fashion business, had to flee France during The Reign of Terror because of her affiliation with the French monarchy. Upon arriving in the U.S., she meets Liam Delaney, a veteran who wants to own property but can't because he wasn't paid by the military. Together they overcome murderers and kidnappers while questioning where their respective nations stand on morality whilst standing up to Government officials and rebels on laws that weren't fair to every race and economic background. 

I understand Green wants to use Christianity as the pillar her characters rely on in times of trouble but it didn't come off smoothly; more often it sounded like an afterthought or page-filler, plus we don't know what denomination Vivienne is a part of. Most of the French observe Catholicism, which I'm assuming Vivienne observed, but Delaney most likely observed Protestantism, which means both of them will have difficulty with the finer details of Christianity, which will be a problem during their relationship. Green never touches on that, but the moral of this story is for readers to have faith and courage in God. She doesn't go into the details of each Christian denomination, neither does she say which one she thinks is better. Overall a lighthearted, enjoyable story with a thrill and a creative storyline (I've never read a book where the setting happens during The Whiskey Rebellion and France's Reign of Terror).

Courtney

I really enjoyed the historical accuracy presented in this novel and all of the effort made to research it thoroughly! I will say that there were some parts that dragged a bit for me but the gritty details of the settings intrigued me. The main character, Vivienne, was wonderful! I got a tiny bit annoyed with Liam, but honestly, I get a tiny bit annoyed with all men, so props for making his internal moral vs ethics struggle so realistic! I didn’t feel like the religious contexts were overbearing, but perfectly present, and would recommend this book to Christians and non-Christians alike!

A Refuge Assured

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