The Mark of the King by Jocelyn Green

The Mark of the King

by Jocelyn Green   Historical Fiction Bethany House Life in this new world requires more strength than she ever imagined. After the death of her client, midwife Julianne Chevalier is imprisoned and branded, marking her as a criminal beyond redemption. Hoping to reunite with her brother, a soldier, she trades her life sentence for exile to the fledgling French colony of Louisiana. The price of her transport, however, is a forced marriage to a fellow convict. New Orleans is nothing like Julianne expects. The settlement is steeped in mud and mosquitoes, and there is no news of her brother, Benjamin. When tragedy strikes, she turns to military officer Marc-Paul Girard for help, but does he know more about her brother than he will admit? With her dreams shattered, Julianne must find her way in this dangerous land, where only grace---and love---can overcome the stigma of the king's mark upon her shoulder. "Exquisitely penned, this look at colonial Louisiana is enhanced by Green's attention to detail, creating memorable characters and vivid scenes. . . . Rich with history and redemption, Green's latest is ideal for fans of Lynn Austin or Laura Frantz." ---RT Book Reviews

Meet the Author

Jocelyn Green inspires faith and courage as the award-winning author of ten books to date, including Wedded to War, a Christy Award finalist in 2013; Widow of Gettysburg; Yankee in Atlanta; and The 5 Love Languages Military Edition, which she coauthored with bestselling author Dr. Gary Chapman. A former military wife herself, her passion for military families informs all of her writing as well as her numerous speaking opportunities. Jocelyn graduated from Taylor University with a BA in English and now lives with her husband and two children in Iowa.    Here's my review of this Terrific work of Historical Fiction: First, I would like to extend a heartfelt “Thank you” to Jocelyn Green and her publisher for sending me a copy of "The Mark of the King" to review for them. I am truly grateful for this generosity. I really appreciate the time, effort and expense it takes to make a reviewer copy available to me. 'The Mark of the King' by Jocelyn Green is a touching, adventurous, heart-wrenching read that engages the heart, mind and emotions.  This work of historical fiction paints a picture of human history from which we must learn so we don’t repeat.  This is actually a difficult book to review without giving away spoilers to the story because each event is significant and quickly affects the direction the story takes.  This makes for an emotional, intense read that is easy to become completely immersed in. Julianne Chevalier is a likeable character who is falsely accused of murder and branded with the fleur-de-lis, as was the custom during this time of history.  To be in her situation and be offered a second chance at life in a French colony would be a straw of hope I would probably grab, myself.  Then to learn you must marry another convict to populate the new colony for France might have me thinking that this man might be wrongly accused just like me…I hope.  When Julianne chooses her husband because of the look in his eyes, I thought the romance of the ages had begun as I’ve heard about with arranged marriages that actually worked.  But then the arrival in the Louisiana Territory revealed a less than civilized culture and seemed to bring out the worst in many people, sending Julianne on an emotional adventure that will keep the reader turning pages well past bedtime.  What a great read!