A Cord of Three Strands

When I saw the title of this book, I was very excited about reading it. It is from one of my favorite Bible verses Ecclesiastes 4:22. Of course one of the most meaningful portions of the book for me, is when as a child Elisabeth braids a lock of her hair, a lock of Isaac's and a lock of red wool to represent Jesus. Years later she finds it in her Bible and they are reminded at a very hard time of Gods promise. My favorite genre of novels is Christian Historical Romance, especially when they are done well. This book by Christy Distler was a cut above. I was drawn into the setting and characters write from the first few pages. There is a prologue at the very beginning explaining some of the words, terms and their meaning, so you do not get lost. Living in Pennsylvanian near the Pennsylvanian Dutch I found the language refreshing. The story was very sad and touching in places. Christy had such well crafted characters you can't help but fall in love with them. I was captivated and enjoyed this book from start to finish.
I thank BooksGoSocial for allowing me, through NetGalley, to read this great book. The opinions expressed in this review are my own.

A well-written book with expert use of language, true to the time and people. Definitely a recommended book for Christian book club gatherings, or personal reading with a cup of coffee in hand. If there was anything I would change, however, it would be the ending, which seemed slightly rushed, but the last chapter was sweet, if anything,

This book was so good y'all!
I appreciate the hard work that the author has put into her novel for people like me to enjoy and lose ourselves in. Even if only for a little while.
Living back in those times like Issac and Elizabeth did I'm sure was very scary! They were two of the most fascinating people that I've ever met. I admired them and their faith in God.
I liked this book. There were many things that I found that time hasn't changed things at all!
Racism for one. No matter what people will be people. They will be afraid of what they don't always understand. It's what makes them do unpleasant things.
Another thing is how fast friendships can change. Just wow! Over the slightest thing too.
The author has pulled this story off perfectly. I didn't find one thing wrong with it.
This book is exciting and in some places will make you cry and have you looking over your shoulder for what may be hidden or who may pop out at any time.
I liked this book so much that I just had to brag about it.
I recommend this book
My thanks to Netgalley for a copy of this book. I was NOT required to write a positive review and all opinions are my own.
5 stars!

It took me a long time to read A Cord of Three Strands (five days is a lot to me, especially when I'm used to reading at least a book a day), but the book is not to blame, rest assured.

I will absolutely pick up any book set during the French-Indian War because it's my favourite time period to read about. This one was a little different but no less enjoyable.

The language used surprised me at first, but after a few chapters I got the hang of it. I love how hard the author worked to make this sound authentic.

What I was not ready for, however, was how many times this book was going to make me cry. Ruthie and Samson were the first time, after that I didn't even try to stop myself. The descriptions of emotional events are easy to understand but extremely effective.

The scenery changes but most of the book happens in one location. That didn't bother me too much because it was the best location.

I wanted to smack Hiram from the first time we saw him. The man had bad vibes all around.

Meanwhile Isaac and Elisabeth were almost too slow burn. Isaac's quest to find his family was needed but I hated when he was away from Elisabeth. If they only realised they loved each other earlier...

The children were the cutest of all. Often when authors write children it feels as if they've never been children themselves (oops sorry) but Christy Distler made them very realistic.

Now the best part of this book was the wisdom and how devoted they all were to God. The Judas line was extremely powerful and it's my favourite. Well done.

I appreciate all the research that went into this and I'm looking forward to checking out the sources further.

The author's personal story is a very sweet addition to the ending, shame about Seneca, but it's true, the imagination is what matters.

*Thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review*

Cord of Three Strands
by Christy Distler
BooksGoSocial
Christian | Historical Fiction
Pub Date 08 Jun 2020


I am reviewing a copy of Cord of Three Hands through BooksGoSocial and Netgalley:



When 1756 begins Issac Lukens leaves the Pennsylvania wilderness after two years with the Lenape people. He has failed to find the families of his birth parents, a French trader and a Lenape woman. Even worse the tribe he has lived with has rejected his efforts at peacemaking, and now they are ravaging frontier settlements in retaliation. After Issac arrives in the Quaker community where he was reared, questions taunt him: He wants to know who he is a white man, or Lenape? Where does he belong?





Elisabeth Alden was Issac’s nearest and dearest childhood friend, she is left to to tend her young siblings alone upon her father’s death. Issac had promised to care for her and the children, she battles resentment toward him for having left, while an unspeakable tragedy and her discordant courtship with a prominent Philadelphian weigh on her as well.




Elisabeth finds that she must marry or she will loose custody or her young siblings and her options threaten the life with her and the children that Isaac has come to love. While faced with Elisabeth’s reluctance to Marry, and the prospect of finding his family at last, as well as being faced with the opportunity to help in the peace process between Pennsylvania and the Indian tribes. But Issac must first find out where and to whom he belongs.



I give A Cord of Three Strands five out of five stars!


Happy Reading!

I really enjoyed this book. It takes place in 1744 in Pennsylvania, and it is about a young lady named Elisabetg and her dearest friend in all the world, Isaac who was half white and half Lenape Indian. Both were from Quaker families, and were considered "Friends", as they both gave their lives to Christ and embraced the Quaker lifestyle. They lived very close to each other growing up, and when Elisabeth was 6 and Isaac was 8, Elisabeth decided they would be friends forever, so she took a strand of Isaac's hair, a strand of her own hair, and a red cord to represent Jesus, and braided them together as she remembered from their worship service. Here's the quote she shared with Isaac when he questioned her doing this :" “This cord will always remind us that no matter what happens, because we have each other and Jesus, we will not easily be broken.”

Isaac's mother was a Lenape indian, and his father was French, but when Isaac was two they passed away at a Quaker care facility, and the young Quaker mother who nursed his parents took Isaac into their family, and he became her son. Later, Isaac feels the call to find out more about his family and leaves the Friends community for a few years. He feels he is called by God to be a peacekeeper between the Indians and the white settlers as there is much turmoil between the two groups. Isaac comes to point where that work is done, so he feels as if he should go home, back to the Friends community and back to Elisabeth.

Elizabeth, now 19, has grown up since Isaac left, and finds herself raising three of her siblings, and in a very hard position. She loves being a part of the Friends community, but tragedy strikes her hard, and she needs help to keep her and her siblings safe, especially with the rumors of Indian raids, sickness, slavery, and every day struggles that settlers faced during that time. As a Friend, she has strong moral standards, and tries very hard to show the light of Christ through the love and care of people, hence she has learned midwifery, and even helps deliver a runaway slave's baby. But she doesn't see the color of her skin, only a mother to be! Now she is faced with caring for her siblings, but can a single, unmarried young woman handle such a task? Will the community allow that? She struggles with her options, but wants so badly to keep her siblings together!

Elisabeth and Isaac will be reunited, but will find life very different from when they were children. This book is their story of when they are reunited, and through struggle, hardship and turmoil, they try to keep that friendship intact, but so much is against them. The Friends community does not leave them to flounder by themselves, but sometimes they may had to make hard decisions depending on what was best for all involved. I won't give any spoilers, but this book is seriously worth the time to find out how Elisabeth and Isaac weather these stormy waters, and if their friendship can also weather it, either proving or disproving that a cord of three strands is not easily broken. Read the book and find out!

I love historical fiction and this book was a joy to read! It taught me a lot about the Friends community, their love of Christ and how they desire to show it to others, no matter their race, religion, or lack ok it! I learned about the struggles between the Indians and the settlers, as the author shared both sides! Family is the most important, and I see that Elisabeth and Isaac, and their relationship with the children. Life was hard back then, but love made it bearable! The biggest takeaway for me was the truth of how a three-fold cord is not easily broken, especially with Christ as the third strand. It made me so glad that He is the third strand in all my relationships as He was in Elisabeth & Isaac's relationship! I really enjoyed this book, and would highly recommend it.

An interesting story of Pennsylvania in mid 1700s. Isaac Lukens has been away trying to find out about his birth parents. His mother was Lenape and his father a French trader. They died when he was very young and he was taken in by a Friend family the Lukens. They did not know anything about him when they took him in so they named him Isaac, He was raised with Elizabeth Alden and after two years of being gone returning to see her and his adopted family.
Elizabeth's father died just before Isaac returns leaving her with his second wife's two children and the child he had with her to raise alone. She has the Friend community to help her but that can't go on forever. Can the the two of them find the love they need to marry and raise the children who they both love very much.
The story takes us through their lives and finding each other. They have to find peace in their own life as well as the love they need for each other.

Ecclesiastes 4:12
And if one prevail against him, two shall withstand him; and a threefold cord is not quickly broken.

I love fiction with Native Americans and their different cultures. A Cord of Three Strands instantly piqued my interest because it merged the Lenape (or Delaware) culture with the Quaker culture. This Historical is set during the French and Indian War. You learn a lot about the happenings that took place during the time period. You can also tell the author put in lots of research, especially with the languages, customs, and historical content. Everything was accurate and detailed.
ACOTS is a slow burn romance, so if you are looking for insta-love this is not it but in no way did this detract it from being a great story. Isaac and Elisabeth were friends first but throughout the story you see their friendship morph into something spectacular. The author thoroughly serenades the reader.

“But then there is thee. With thee, I need not be one or the other
I’m simply myself, and thee loves me as I am. -- And because
thee is here, and when I’m with thee, I belong.”
- Christy Distler

~ SIGH ~
Yezzzz….So beautiful and sweet. I could not get enough! Keep it comin’ with those Thees and Thous!
*Cough*
Any way….

The children Abigail, Ethan, and Jon-Isaac stole my heart. Their personalities were very mischievous and cute which made their characters tangible. All in all, I would recommend this book to those who love historical fiction with a dash of romance and
faith. Defiantly a keeper.

Isaac and Elisabeth have been friends for most of their lives, but he left to find family he has only heard of. When he returns, he finds Elisabeth grown into a lovely woman with some trust issues when it comes to trusting Isaac. She never expected him to be gone for over two years. Herr father dies, but before he does he has Isaac promise to take care of Elisabeth and her young siblings,who have nobody else to care for them. As their friendship returns, it begins to grow into something more, a stronger relationship than they had before. She has a secret she is afraid to share, but when she does, she learns that he still cares deeply for her, in spite of it. It's a very good story that is clean, and I enjoyed reading it very much!

A Cord of Three Strands by Christy Distler,what can really be said that I really and truly tell in love with this story. It's written as if you are right there in the story where you feel the love the hurt the hate the pain of all the characters! Very,very well research this story is you can see history unfolding in front of you and you are living it! You have so many different characters and places to see and visit and learn a part of history I was never taught. The way the story unfolds for you,the description of the places and people are so unbelievable true to life! It is a very much a story to make you think of what you believe and don't and it will bring your faith stronger in God it did for me! Can't explain enough and rave on what a fantastic read this is!! I received from New Gallery and thank you so very much. I know I was to read and review 2020,but it didn't get done but at least I did get to read and review and I'm so glad I finally did cause I would have missed a excel!ent read!!I will be looking for many more books from this author.

This is a very sweet romance that takes place in the 1700s of Colonial America. The two main characters have been friends since childhood and through all their hardships, they learn that their bond isn't easily broken. It was a well written story and I enjoyed the writing style.

I like this book it was well written and very interesting. I liked the fact that it took place in PA and close to where I live. The book's focus is on the settling of our new country for religious freedom, but how that in itself causes hostility with the Indians. The story is about a young man who is half Indian and half white, he is raised by Quakers from infancy due to his birth parents deaths. The story shows us how we always want to know about our family dead or alive and where we fit in. In that search with God's guidance we find that family and love are all around us if we take the time to look.

It's the mid 1700's in Pennsylvania. Isaac Lukens, an adopted bi-racial child of French and Lanape Indian heritage, and Elisabeth, a neighbor, both of whom are Quaker have become the best of friends. It is now 1756 and Isaac has been gone for almost 2 years searching for relatives of his deceased parents. Elisabeth has been through a broken engagement and heartbreaking times. Now Isaac has returned and Elisabeth is caring for the 3 siblings after the loss of both her parents. Both are now looking ahead to what the future might hold.

This was a very interesting look in to the Quaker life and culture during that time period. I enjoyed how Distler kept the dialogue to the Quaker style of that period with the thees and thous. Her glossary at the front of the book was also very helpful as it explained Quaker terms with which I was not at all familiar.

The storyline was heartwarming as both Isaac and Elisabeth found their way through numerous events and pitfalls to their HEA. I appreciated that Distler kept the real life events and Quaker beliefs forefront with the romance as a side theme. Definitely an enjoyable read from this new-to-me author.

**I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley. Opinions are mine alone. I was not compensated for this review.

A rich historical tale that looks at the colonial conflicts between Native American tribes and Pennsylvania residents. Enlightening and emotional all at once, I could not put this one down. Character development is well done, and it moves along at a good pace. Elisabeth and Isaac have both endured painful times and have to learn to love and trust. I enjoyed their backstory and how they came together. I love all the details and authenticity the author captures as well. A new to me author that I look forward to seeing more from soon.
I received a complimentary copy from the publisher via NetGalley. All opinions expressed are solely my own, freely given.

I was captivated by the story from the beginning. A beautifully written story and I will definitely recommend this book.

This extensively researched book concerning Pennsylvania in the time period before the Revolutionary War is excellent. It gives a very honest and thoughtful look at the Friends of the time and place as well as the difficulties with the local indigenous people and a glimpse into the trials and troubles that developed with intermarriage between the Lenape and the settlers. Isaac and Elizabeth and the children are portrayed in a realistic fashion and some topics of an adult nature are carefully dealt with. The whole flavor of #acordofthreestrands. by Ms Distler seems true to her Christianity and to the tenets of the Quaker faith.
I thank #netgalley and the publisher for bringing this book to my attention and am happy to write this honest review.

A Cord of Three Strands is an awesome book by Christy Distler. I highly recommend it! I am giving it five stars.

i enjoyed that they used the French & Indian War as a backdrop, it was something that I hadn't read in a while. The characters worked from the backdrop.