Tuesday 11 July 2017

All part of life's rich tapestry



Blurb:
This Decade-Spanning Novel of Family and Faith Will Delight
Now in her eighties, Perla Phillips has carried a secret since she was eighteen years old.  When she sees her granddaughter, Ella, struggling for perfection, she decades to share her secret to show that God can use even the biggest mistakes for good.  But before she can reveal what happened during that summer sixty years ago, she has a debilitating stroke.

Carrying a secret of her own, Ella arrives back in Wise, West Virginia, to help her aunt Sadie care for Perla.  Both know the woman wanted to tell them something, but she's now locked in silence.  Together they begin looking into the past, but they may learn more than they expected.

Will they have the courage t share their hearts?  Or will the truth reman buried forever?


Review:
I did not realise that a) this was the third book in the series; and that b) it was a religiously themed book.  If I had known either I would have avoided this book like the plague.  But then I would have missed out on a good read.

Although this is the third in a series it is a stand-alone and this reader had not read the previous novels which did not really matter.

Unlike other religiously based books the religion did not seem false but rather an integral part of the lives of the characters involved.  These characters were well developed and in its own way unique and the reader definitely roots for each of the characters.  Each character has secrets and troubles that they need to overcome and the reader feels as though they are experiencing journey with Ella and Pearl.  Indeed the challenges faced by these two characters are ones that many of us have experienced in our lives at some time (and for some of us this included questioning our faith, and how our dreams and actions align with God’s plan for us).

Equally the town within which they live is believable.  I live in the UK and have never been to the US and despite not having read the other novels, the author describes a small rural town that the reader immediately falls in love with (a la Little House on the Prarie-esque yet a modern take).  In this town everybody knows everybody else – and family is central to everything.

That said this is a stand-alone novel sure if one were to read them all there would be more depth to the story.  The plot moved along at a nice steady pace.

Overall this is a nice heart-warming gentle novel with some but not loads of drama.  The reader becomes invested in the characters, making you want to read to the very end.  If you love these types of books with a perfectly plotted story line, then I would highly recommend this one for you

Thank you Netgalley for providing me with a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

I rated this 3 stars on Amazon and 2 stars on Goodreads

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