Self-help ✦ Penny’s Take 📱 Kindle
Thorn in My Heart
Liz Curtis Higgs · 2003
70/100
👍 Worth It
A rich, ambitious retelling of the Jacob-and-Esau story set in 18th-century Scotland, with real depth in both the historical texture and the characters. Some readers find it runs long and get frustrated with a few character choices, and I'd want a closer look at the courtship/language content before handing it to a younger reader — but overall it's a strong, faithful reimagining.
✦ Penny’s Take — this is The Review Group’s own editorial assessment. Penny’s analytical review line researched this book from real sources and scored it across the lenses shown below. It’s an honest first-party read — not a page-by-page personal one. The gold ✓ Penny Tested mark is reserved for books Penny reads cover to cover herself.
⚠ Parent note — our reviewers flagged: Content details on courtship/language not independently confirmed — recommend a direct read for family-safety specifics. We still scored it 70; these are context for your family, not an automatic skip.
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Show the math
Verdict receipt0–100
Faith & family safety70
Substance / usefulness72
Craft & writing75
Originality70
Evidence & accuracy70
Hype vs delivers60
Age-fit75
Human-eye read70
Penny’s verdict70
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