Freedom's Ring

Boston, 2015
Two years after nearly losing her life in the Boston Marathon bombing, Annie David is still far from "Boston strong." Instead she remains isolated and defeated--plagued by guilt over her niece, crippled in the blast, and by an antique ring alongside a hazy hero's face. But when she learns the identity of her rescuer, will he be the hero she's imagined? And can the long-past history of the woman behind the ring set her free from the guilt and fears of the present?

Boston, 1770
As a woman alone in a rebellious town, Liberty Caldwell finds herself in a dangerous predicament. When a British lieutenant, Alexander Smythe, comes to her rescue and offers her employment, Liberty accepts. As months go by, Alexander not only begins to share his love of poetry with her, but protects Liberty from the advances of a lecherous captain living in the officers' house where she works.

Mounting tensions explode in the Boston Massacre, and Liberty's world is shattered as her brother, with whom she has just reunited, is killed in the fray. Desperate and alone, she returns home, only to be assaulted by the captain. Afraid and furious toward redcoats, Liberty leaves the officers' home, taking with her a ring that belonged to Alexander.

Two women, separated by centuries, must learn to face their fears. And when they feel they must be strong, they learn that sometimes true strength is found in surrender.

Review :
Heidi Chiavaroli crafts a wise Christian romance out of volatile circumstances in Freedom's Ring, a novel about finding the courage to start anew, detailing the lives of two women across centuries. From the Boston Massacre and the American Revolution to the Boston Marathon bombing, history proves the triumph of grace.

Anaya David--a marathoner injured in the 2013 bombing, whose now estranged sister and niece were also injured--struggles to reclaim her relationships. Together with Brad, a man who helped save her, and who entrusts her with a family ring, she embarks on a journey to uncover the ring's history. Their genealogical quest alternates with a fascinating account by Liberty Caldwell, a young American in the 1770s whose loyalty is tested, and with Anaya's slow re-entrance into her sister's life.

An uncomplicated plot emphasizes characters whose imagined guilt keeps them from accepting the bounty life has to offer. Christian themes on God's sovereignty and forgiveness are drawn without glossing over the hardships the characters face when confronting their fears. Anaya dwells on her role in her niece's injury, believing that had she only completed the race sooner, she and her relatives could have avoided the bombing. Liberty hesitates in admitting the full facts of her past to her betrothed. Each character finds the healing value in moving forward. A dynamic narrative alternates between eras, allowing one woman's challenges to spur the other's. Loose parallels between their attempts to embrace new love highlight the flawed self-image they've formed in response to pain.

Chiavaroli captures the spirit of the eighteenth century with sharp insights. Liberty's chapters especially resound for their delicate portrait of a woman caught between patriotism and pragmatism. Despite rising tensions in her community, the need to make a life for herself as the sole survivor of her immediate family takes precedence. Her involvement with the British--when it would have seemed traitorous--provides an original canvas for conflicting emotions. They reach a crescendo in an unexpected encounter that reveals Liberty's complex personality.

Evocative, rich with symbolism, honest in its portrayal of human errors, Freedom's Ring explores what happens when individuals reach the limit of their own ability and allow God to step in.--Foreword Magazine