I started this book at 9:30pm in a bubble bath.  Thought I’d read for a little while and then go to bed.

At 1:00am I finished the last page and went to bed.  Not exactly a good idea for a mom of 3 little munchkins who get up bright and early, but oh how fun the reading binge was!

The story line of A Constant Heart by Siri Mitchell was unpredictable as it took Marget from being a maid sitting at the edge of a marsh to rejection as a countess in Queen Elizabeth’s court and beyond.

Marget’s life is not a typical storybook life as she is introduced to her future husband the day of her marriage, is laughed at by the Queen, endures a miscarriage and stillbirth, and turns her life upside down to please her husband and further his career.

At one of the State dinners Marget and her Earl of Lytham attended they used their salad and the  language of flowers to communicate. I’ve always been fascinated by the meaning of flowers so I pulled out the plants and the meanings from that section.

• bitter lettuce = I do not love you
• olive = your love annoys me
• radish = I am sorry
• borage = I am made glad by you.
• bugloss = you please me
• cabbage lettuce = your love feeds me
• winter savory leaf = I offer my love
• rosemary flower = I accept your love
• strawberries = I am yours

The only thing I would change is to add more “religion” to the story.  Marget and Lytham make brief nods to God and prayer, but the story could easily have carried more.

It seems like Siri Mitchell left the ending wide open for a sequel so I’ll be keeping my eyes open for it.

To learn more about A Constant Heart or Siri Mitchell visit Christian Fiction Blog Alliance.