By Broken Birch Bay by Jennifer Knipfer

The fourth book of Jenny Knipfer’s excellent Sheltering Trees series, By Broken Birch Bay is another swirling portrayal of uncertain romance and intense family drama. Steeped in longing reveries and subtle prayers for deliverance, this is a tender and emotional story, particularly when it comes to Petra’s scarred heart and Honey’s innocent hopes for happiness, but there is also grit and struggle, giving the book the feel and import of a Christian parable. Knipfer masterfully weaves a small-town historical drama, peppered with a sharply crafted whodunit, resulting in a rustic and remarkably engaging work of pastoral historical fiction that offers a greater sense of mystery than previous installments in the series.