The art work on this novel's cover is what drew my eye into taking this book out of our town library...that and the fact that the author is a Christian who lives in our area! The biography blurb says she attends Redeemer Church (the book is copyrighted 2008) and that's the church a former pastor of my founded which now is son is senior pastor over! A good friend of mine and a member of my book group goes there as well.
STORY SUMMARY
Sarah Graham is a lonely young women who lives a very secular life. She sleeps around and is always broke.
Shortly after her estranged father, Luke, dies, she goes to the small mountain town of Jonah, New York, to aquire her inheritance. But there's a catch: she has to live in his cabin for 6 months.
While in this somewhat simple, backwards, but loving community of people, she learns more about her past and needs to face her future in ways that she wasn't expecting.
She meets the local pastor and learns of his connection to her father.
Sarah is a tough young woman. She refuses to trust and open her heart.....until one day she learns the real truth about her father and her life changes.
MY THOUGHTS
This is a really good Christian fiction book and it isn't predictable at all or sappy (which I find most Christian fiction to be!).
The character development is rich and diverse.
The setting reminds me of some of the small hamlets in the central part of the Adirondack mountains where I love to hike.
It cracked me up when the author uses the fictional name Gloverstown in the story. Gloversville is the real place and my sister Hope used to live and work there and I have many relatives on my mom's side of the family who are connected to Gloversville. I pass through that town often on my way to the southern Adirondack region to swim, kayak or hike.
The author's depiction of the hard knock lives of mountain folk is so spot on.
I love this story because the chraracters are so life-like....like I know them.
The authentic faith of some of them really shine in this story.
Yet the author doesn't paint the picture of perfect Christians.....all of the characters have some kind of flaw...but they are faithful to God and to their pastor and the church. Even the pastor confesses to his congregation, an old sin, which shows that even pastors do mess up and that the mercy and grace of God is abundant for anyone.
The main themes in this story seem to be: loneliness, grace, redemption, forgiveness, emotional healing, friendship, and overcoming bitterness.
I love the ending and although I was surprised by it, I was happy that it wasn't predictable.
In my opinion, this book is appropriate for ages 14 and older.
On a scale of 1-10, with 10 being the highest, I rate this a 10.
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