"Hurricane" by Janice Thompson

About this book:

  “It's 1900 and Brent Murphy, a prodigal son, is disillusioned with New York and his life as a newspaperman. Drawn home to Galveston Island, Brent knows it is likely he will face rejection from his father.
  On Saturday September 8, 1900, without warning, the citizens of Galveston Island are in for the fight of their lives when the hurricane of the century hits. In a single night of horror, more than 6,000 islanders lose their lives and countless others are left in devastation.
  Through the experience, Brent finally faces the truth of his own childhood and the stormy relationship he has with his parents. He finds the courage to write the story of his past and discovers a loving God.”


Series: As of now, it’s not connected to any other book, but is part of the “Deep in the Heart of Texas” series.


Spiritual Content- Isaiah 43:1-2 at the beginning; Scriptures are quoted, mentioned, & remembered; Many Prayers; Many talks about God & praying; ‘H’s are not capital when referring to God; Many mentions of God; Many mentions of prayers, praying, & the Lord’s prayer; Mentions of thanking & praising God; Mentions of a calling; Mentions of churches/chapels, church going, services, sermons, & ministers; Mentions of hymns; Mentions of Christians & faiths; Mentions of different denominations & Catholic beliefs; Mentions of Heaven & angels; Mentions of blessings & being one; A few mentions of those & places in the Bible; A few mentions of Sunday School classes; A couple mentions of miracles; A couple mentions of crossing;

             *Note: A few mentions of a wicked & sinful place; A few mentions of someone being with the devil & fire; A mention of a place feeling like Hades because of the weather; A mention of a devil of a time.

Negative Content- Minor cussing including: a ‘bitty’, a ‘dumb’, an ‘old bag’ (referring to a woman), and a ‘suckers’; Some sarcasm; Pain, injuries/wounds, blood/bleeding, dealing with high waters & fainting (up to semi-detailed); Nearly drowning, being swept away, & seeing others dead or nearly (semi-detailed); All about mentions of hurricanes, deaths, drownings, & disasters (semi-detailed); Many mentions of pain, blood/bleeding, broken glass, & injuries/wounds (up to semi-detailed); Mentions of corpses/bodies everywhere, the smell of death, & burning them (barely-above-not-detailed); Mentions of seeing people dead or dying (barely-above-not-detailed); Mentions of fires & deaths; Mentions of illnesses, fevers, & deaths; Mentions of wars & battles; Mentions of Brent’s father’s verbal abuse towards him; Mentions of vandals, looting, & awful stealing; Mentions of nightmares (barely-above-not-detailed); Mentions of cigars & tobacco; A few mentions of jealousy; A few mentions of rumors; A couple mentions of nailing someone’s hand to a wall; A couple mentions of bets; A couple mentions of lies; A couple mentions of eating animals.

Sexual Content- two nose kisses (married couples), and three barely-above-not-detailed kisses; Touches, Embraces, & Hand Holding (barely-above-not-detailed); Some noticing; A couple mentions of a man eyeing a young lady; A couple mentions of crushes; Love, falling/being in love, & the emotions (2x);

             *Note: Mentions of not being able to produce an heir; A few mentions of labor & helping a new mother deliver; A few mentions of female curves; A few mentions of naked bodies; A mention of a marriage being terribly passionate in their intimacy.

-Brent Murphy, age 26-27

-Gillian Murphy, age 48-49

-(Sister) Henrietta “Henri” Mullins, age 22-23(?)

-Everett Maxwell

-Emma Sanders
                                P.O.V. switches between them

                                              Set in 1900 {Epilogue set in 1901}
                                                        286 pages

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Pre Teens-

New Teens-

Early High School Teens-

Older High School Teens-

My personal Rating-

{Add ½ star for those who grew up near coasts or interested in hurricane history}

Growing up in South Texas, it’s kind of a given that you learn or at least know about the 1900 Galveston Hurricane. You’re taught in schools about hurricanes and hurricane patterns from a young age.

Even with that history in my head, this was still such a tough book to read. Especially after seeing my state harmed by Hurricane Harvey a few months ago. I could go on with how much I love seeing Texans rise together again after such a disaster, but let’s talk about this book, shall we?
I loved seeing the character development of all those we met. I found all the reporter parts very interesting, but the romance was such a sweet aspect to this story. “Hurricane” really was a hard book to read, but I still enjoyed it for all the faith content.

See y’all on Monday with a new review!

*BFCG may (Read the review to see) recommend this book by this author. It does not mean I recommend all the books by this author.