The Gift of Belonging has been out for a little over six weeks now. To say I’m thrilled to bits by the reviews is an understatement.
There have been several from existing Wise Women fans, and huge thanks to those readers.
I also engaged Itsy Bitsy Books to offer The Gift of Belonging to their readers. They receive a free read in exchange for an honest review. And I’ve been blown away by the heartfelt quality of the reviews received. Below is one of my many favourites.
When I first picked up The Gift of Belonging by Cheryl Burman, I did not realize that it was Book 3 in The Wise Women series. Without reading the other two, I had no issues reading this as a standalone. The information relevant to this story is given within the book and I didn’t feel like I missed out on anything. However, I now want to pick up the other two books so I can read about the other women!
The Gift of Belonging follows Rose, who is feeling rather lost and alone. A biological family that won’t accept her, an adoptive family where she doesn’t fit in, and a small town fraught with gossip; all force Rose to seek a place to belong, a place to call home.
The world-building in this book is amazing and vividly detailed. I could hear the wind whisper through the trees, I could feel the cool breeze from the River Severn, and see the lights and people of Bristol and London. The characters are amazingly well-written, realistic, and believable. I found myself invested in Rose’s journey and her happiness. From small-town life to wartime nurse and everything in between, Rose is unapologetically herself and I’m here for it.I cannot wait to read the first two books in The Wise Women series! Thank you Cheryl Burman for an amazing historical fiction!
Reader Review Goodreads
What’s The Gift of Belonging about? Fans of The Wise Women books might remember Rose is the infant the river nymphs carry to Hester and her baby daughter Ellen towards the end of River Witch. And in The Herbalist’s Daughters, there is mention that Rose is working as a VAD (Voluntary Aid Detachment) nurse in a field hospital in France. From such beginnings, came The Gift of Belonging (which works fine as a standalone as the reviews attest).
Taken from the arms of the river nymphs as an infant and raised by a woman with ancient healing gifts, Rose learned early she is different.
But when told the brutal truth of her birth, her brittle sense of belonging shatters.
Check out The Gift of Belonging for yourself here.
You can find the series and all my books here.