title: Lady of Milkweed Manor
author:  Julie Klassen 
description: In this inspirational historical romance debut novel set in 19th-century England, a young pregnant woman is forced to make difficult choices. Twenty-year-old Charlotte Lamb is the daughter of a heartless English vicar, as we discover when she becomes pregnant and he throws her out of her childhood home. Vulnerable and unprotected, she is forced to a lodging place for unwed mothers. Soon, Lamb must make decisions involving true love and sacrifice, providing many powerful turning points throughout the story. Although Klassen occasionally lapses into back-to-back dialogue, her prose is generally smooth, and Charlotte has the reader's sympathy from the earliest pages. The amount of information about wet nurses, lactation and breastfeeding can become weighty, although often intriguing (such as the practice of using goats to directly feed foundling infants to avoid the spread of syphilis). Faith themes are subtly woven throughout. The reader will need to suspend disbelief to enjoy some of the plot twists, especially the happily-ever-after ending, which provides the redemptive conclusion common to Christian fiction. A bonus is the milkweed poetry, lore and symbolism knitted into the narrative. Both readers of faith fiction and general readers of historical romance should enjoy this lovely first offering from Klassen. <I>(Jan.)</I><I>Cut to the Quick</I> (reviewed Oct. 29) will be published in July 2008. <BR>Copyright &copy; Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
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  Praise for Julie Klassen’s first book,  
  Lady of Milkweed Manor
  
  “Both readers of faith fiction and general readers of historical romance
  should enjoy this lovely first offering from Klassen.”
  
  > > > —Publishers Weekly
  
  “Klassen has written an amazing historical novel. Her style may remind readers
  of Jane Austen and Lawana Blackwell, and she handles a 19th-century taboo with
  grace, style and respect.”
  
  > > > —Patsy Glans, Romantic Times
  
  “It’s a rare book that forces me to press the pause button on my life and
  simply devour the story—this is one such book. Well-written, emotionally
  charged, unexpected plot twists, and an amazing balance of foreshadowing with
  backstory all lend to a remarkable debut novel by author Julie Klassen. The
  tension builds throughout and keeps the reader guessing until the last page.”
  
  > > > —Michelle Griep, Novel Reviews
  
  “This was an excellent first novel and one of th