The Tea Chest

by Heidi Chiavoroli

Dakota County Library hardcover 433 pages

Published: 2020

Genre: Christian historical fiction

The story alternates between modern-day Hayley as she strives to become the first female Navy SEAL and Emma Malcolm of Revolutionary era Boston. Both women struggle with loyalty versus liberty and how to be strong. The two storylines intertwine, of course, with a tea chest (of the Boston tea party) binding them together.

I enjoyed this story, but was not blown away by it. I'm looking forward to our book club discussion this evening.

Page 2 - I love Hayley's advice / reminder from her uncle Joe:

"Your worth is not in where you come from, Hayley. Your worth is what you already have inside of you - what God put there from the very beginning - the will to live, the will to fight. No one can take that away from you. You have a say in how your life goes."

Page 170 - Emma's awareness of God's presence in her life. This came up from time to time. I love how God is at work in our lives and we need to pay attention!

Perhaps, after this night of chaos and destruction, I sought only to set something to rights. No, it was certainly more than that. Some otherworldly tug on my heart, some holy whisper, prodded me to stretch out my hand and straighten the portrait. And as I did so, the corner of a paper slid from the bottom.

Page 191 - Hayley's treatment of Ethan was hard for me to reconcile. He just seemed like such an all-around great guy.

The world had worn on Ethan, I saw that now. He had a weathered look about him as if afraid to hope for too much. I wondered at the disappointments life had dealt him. . . . And why did I feel guilty that maybe, just maybe, years ago, I'd contributed to that hopeless look, that shadow of defeat?

Page 275 - Hayley's contemplation of family and the importance of having relationships and history made me appreciate my family connections. They're more valuable than money!

 

Again, that foreign sensation of loss over not knowing my own family's history - over maybe not even really caring - came to me. A sense of loss over what would likely never be. To be proud of my family line, committed, loyal - as I was to my military family. But that happened over time. It was born of sacrifice for one another, going through tough times and sticking by one another. The only thing that linked me to Lena was a chain of tarnished memories: abandonment, neglect, manipulation. 

Page 383 - When she prayed for her persecuters! When she depended on God alone as she was tortured! Emma was a total hero.

As blinding pain tore up my arm and into my body until I could no longer tell the source of it, I muffled my screams in my elbow. I did not feel strong. But I depended on One who was. I was not alone.

 

I think the relationship between Emma and little Mary Fulton was my favorite part of the book. Samuel and his nastiness (and Emma's dad's awfulness) were the worst.