Mystic Sweet Communion

by Jane Kirkpatrick

Book Overview

Set in turn-of-the-century Florida, this frontier saga traces the life of Ivy Cromartie Stranahan, the first English-speaking teacher in the region, as she struggles to teach school in the Seminole Nation and lead Indian families to Christ. Ivy is disliked by tribal leaders in spite of her obvious love for their children, yet she eventually overcomes their resistance and serves as their spokesman in negotiations with the U S government. Already scarred...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1576732932
• ISBN13: 9781576732939
• Release Date: October 1998
• Publisher: Random House Publishing Group
• Length: 400 Pages
• Weight: 0.68 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.0" x 6.0" x 9.0"

Customer Reviews

One of my all-time favorites

I read this book because it is about early Florida, the state in which I live. I fell in love with it because it's about characters who jumped off the page and captured my heart and my imagination. I was inspired and uplifted by the dedication, determination and self-discipline of Ivy Stranahan. She is the purest example of an early feminist. The true story of how she struggled and fought to improve the lives of women and to increase their say in government and in everyday life is every bit as strong as the story of her determination to help the Seminole Indians. Ms. Kirkpatrick's ability to bring to life early Florida is astounding. I felt I was there. I marveled at the hardships that faced the early settlers of South Florida. I cheered for their victories and cried at their tragedies. Completing this book was sad because I could not longer learn about those extraordinary people. Without a doubt, this book is now on my all-time favorite list!This was the first, but certainly not the last, of Ms. Kirkpatrick's books that I will read.

Delightful, literary, historical fiction.

This delightful historical fiction blends a tender love story with the real life struggles of the Seminole Indians at the turn of the last century. It's a tale of commitment to marriage vows made by two strong individuals willing to support one another in the pursuit of their altruistic goals no matter the personal cost. It's also a story of the Lord's faithfulness. Through these pages roam real characters facing real dilemmas and and living with the consequences of their choices. Memories of Ivy, the heroine, and her determination to secure justice for the Seminoles will haunt you long after you turn the last page. Added to the enticing story line and the various subplots is a unique literary style that's sure to please discriminating readers who savor delicately turned phrases.

A book filled with delight and discovery with each new page

Jane Kirkpatrick has done it again! MYSTIC SWEET COMMUNION is my favorite book yet by this talented author. She weaves her stories with literary grace and emotional depth, and builds worlds filled with characters that live on in your heart long after the last page is read. I am in awe of Ivy Stranahan, her compassion, honor, and perseverance. What we can learn from this woman's life journey! I highly recommend this book.

A real life story of true devotion!

This is a wonderful story of two amazing people--Ivy and Frank Stranahan. Ivy's dream to become a teacher turned into much more when she married Frank Stranahan. They became very important in the growth of Ft. Lauderdale and to the Seminole Indians who lived there. They were a unique couple with a very surprising relationship. As I read the book, I felt as though I knew Ivy and Frank and could visual the area. It is an inspiring book about two very real people. Jane has the ability to make you "feel a part of" what is happening in the book! Enjoy!

A wonderful blend of history and uncommon literary flair

In previous novels, Jane Kirkpatrick has showed the literary world that she knows people, history, faith, language and the great Northwest. But in her latest work, "Mystic Sweet Communion," the Oregon author reveals she's far from a one-region writer. Intead, she shows an impressive ability to bring to life historical characters about as far from her beloved Northwest as possible."Mystic Sweet Communion," the story of woman-for-all-seasons Ivy Cromartie Stranahan, not only establishes Kirkpatrick as being regionally broad but also strengthens her position as the standard setter for faith-infused historical novels.Frankly, "Sweet Communion" surprised me. "Love to Water My Soul," "Sweetness to the Soul" and "A Gathering of Finches" all benefited from Kirkpatrick's deep understanding of the Northwest. I doubted whether she could bring to life turn-of-the-century Florida with the same realness. I was wrong. "Mystic Sweet Communion" is one of those novels so wonderfully woven with detail that you'd think Kirkpatrick and her family tree were planted there. Instead, the book reflects exhaustive research spawned by her scination with Stranahan, which makes for a wonderful blend of history and uncommon literary flair.Kirkpatrick's lead character, Stranahan, is a tapestry of faith, ambition and ahead-of-her-time activism. The first teacher in Florida's Broward County, she and husband Frank are among the few people courageous and compassionate enough to reach out to to Seminole Indians along the New River, along which Fort Lauderdale would eventually emerge. She begins as a young woman with small dreams, and winds up being called upon by no less than the president of the United States. In the meantime, she deals with society that suppresses women, legalistic religion that often strays from the grace-filled God it purports to serve and people who, unlike Stranahan, seems content with not questioning cultural norms.The book's plot isn't particularly deep, nor does it twist and turn with heart-stopping drama. But such constraints are a small, and necessary, price to pay for remaining true to a story about real people, whose value needn't be Hollywood-esque to be admired. Kirkpatrick develops characters so real that, as you're reading, you get the same feeling you get in a movie theater when you forget you're watching a movie. But Kirkpatrick's greatest asset as a writer goes deeper than both plot and characters, to something even more significant: meaning.