My review: BECOMING BEA, by Leslie Gould

  Bea Zook is a homebody who has few friends. Although she's of marriageable age, she's decided she'll never marry, which is an anomaly in her Amish community.

When near neighbors are overwhelmed by the birth of triplets, Bea decides to step out of her comfort zone to answer their call for help in dealing with the new babies.
 
After Bea goes to stay with the family, her confidence grows to the point where she begins to make friends with the other young people in her community. One person she can't stand, however, is Ben Rupp. They've been rivals ever since their school days. Ben knows all the ways to rile Bea, and she responds accordingly. Yet, they have more in common than they realize.

    Becoming Bea is an appealing story on many levels. The way the birth of the triplets impacted the family is a fascinating segment of the plot, as are Bea's own family issues.

   Readers of Leslie Gould's previous novels in The Courtship of Lancaster County series will enjoy updates on characters from Courting Cate, Adoring Addie, and Minding Molly. However, it’s not necessary to have read the previous books to enjoy Becoming Bea. I loved Bea--and Ben! This novel is one you don't want to miss.

My thanks to the author and Bethany House for my review copy.

 (As an aside, Bopplis is the Amish term used for babies. I think it's a darling name for little ones!)

ADORING ADDIE, by Leslie Gould

 Addie Cramer has a tough row to hoe. Literally. As the only girl in a family of boys, she's expected to do the cooking, cleaning, gardening, and laundry. Her overweight mother spends her days writing chore lists for Addie.
 If all that weren't enough, her parents expect her to marry Phillip Eicher, a staid young man who is considered a "good catch" in their Amish community.
 Although she has huge doubts, Addie is swept along in their plans until she meets Jonathan Mosier at a farmer's market. He has all of the caring qualities that Phillip lacks, and it doesn't hurt that he's handsome, to boot. Unfortunately, the Mosiers and the Cramers are feuding. Both sets of parents refuse to consider the match. Addie and Jonathan are at a loss unless they can bring their two families together.
 I enjoyed Leslie Gould's take on this timeless story. Her plot and characterizations lift Adoring Addie from a sweet Amish romance to a contemporary novel about dysfunctional families. Their story could take place anywhere, not just in Lancaster County.
 I give Adoring Addie two thumbs up! After you've read it, I'd love to know your opinion.

My thanks to the author and Bethany House for providing my review copy.

THE DANCE, by Dan Walsh and Gary Smalley

Jim Anderson is stunned when he arrives home from work after a busy day and discovers his wife is missing. His shirts aren't ironed. Dinner isn't on the stove. How could she do this to him?

After twenty-seven years of being Jim's version of a perfect wife, Marilyn Anderson has had enough. She leaves Jim a note telling him not to contact her, then settles into an apartment with a girlfriend.

Finally free to do what she wants for a change, Marilyn finds a job and fulfills a lifetime dream by signing up for dance lessons.

As it turns out, Jim is the only one who's clueless about why she left. Their children are not surprised and tell him so. At this point in The Dance, I have to confess that Walsh did such a good job of portraying Jim as a jerk that I was hoping Marilyn would just run far away and leave him forever. However, the focus of this story is restoration.

As the days of Marilyn's absence mount up, Jim slowly recognizes that he's to blame for the crumbling of his marriage, but has no idea what to do to win her back. How will he change a lifetime of putting himself first? And how can he expect to heal his marriage when Marilyn won"t even talk to him?

The Dance is the first in The Restoration series. Walsh and Smalley have written a remarkable novel that will impact readers as they take the journey of restoration along with the Andersons.

The Dance is a skillfully told story. I give it two hearty thumbs up!

My thanks to the author and Revell for providing me with a review copy.

AT HOME WITH THE TEMPLETONS, by Monica McInerney

I'm a great fan of Australian author Monica McInerney’s novels--At Home With the Templetons is no exception. This family saga opens with the widow Nina Donovan and her son, Tom, invited to a fete at neighboring Templeton Hall in the historic goldfields area of Australia.

Secretive Nina is overwhelmed by the Templeton clan’s lavish family estate, which they open to the public for weekend tours. The family dresses in period costumes as they guide tourists through the Hall, and are wearing these costumes when Nina first encounters them.

As the story progresses, the reader comes to know each of the characters (and I use this term in every sense of its meaning) in the Templeton family as their lives intertwine ever more closely. McInerney does an impressive job of detailing each person’s life, although the focus of the story is on Gracie Templeton and Tom Donovan. When a tragedy tears the families apart, secret after secret is revealed about each life.  

The story reaches a satisfying climax, yet the thought-provoking issues raised left me pondering how I would have reacted in the same set of circumstances.

If you enjoy reading stories of family dynamics, as I do, you’ll love At Home With the Templetons. This novel is general market fiction and as such contains infrequent profanity and sexual references.

THE FENCE MY FATHER BUILT, by Linda S. Clare

The teaser on the back cover of The Fence My Father Built reads, "This is the story of finding your way home--even when home is a trailer in the middle of nowhere."

And what a story this is. Muri Pond's parents divorced when she was a small child, and she has spent her life dreaming about reuniting with her father. When she decides to take the journey to eastern Oregon to find him, she takes her less-than-eager children with her. Her fifteen-year-old daughter would be a handful for two parents, but Muri is newly single and barely able to cope with the girl's rebellion.

When they reach her father's property, her aunt and uncle welcome her with open arms--to a rattle-trap single wide trailer set in the middle of the arid eastern Oregon landscape. Muri quickly learns that a wealthy neighbor will do almost anything to buy Muri's father's land. The question is, why would he want it?

Solving this mystery, learning about the father she barely remembers, and coping with her children is made somewhat bearable for Muri when she meets the veterinarian who lives nearby. But he, too, is being pressured by the same wealthy man who is making the Pond family's life difficult.

In The Fence My Father Built, Clare has crafted a story that moves along without a hitch. If you enjoy family drama sparked with suspense, you’ll love this book.

REMEMBERING CHRISTMAS, by Dan Walsh

         In Remembering Christmas, Dan Walsh has written a story that’s sure to be a holiday classic. The story opens when Rick Denton, a successful (and self-centered) individual, receives a phone call from his mother asking for his help in the bookstore she and her husband own. Rick’s stepfather, Art, has suffered a brain aneurysm and is hovering between life and death.

            Grudgingly , Rick travels to the small town of Sea Breeze, Florida, grumbling all the while about giving up his ski vacation. He avoids the quirky customers in the store as much as possible, preferring to let the intriguing young woman assistant deal with their questions.

            But there must be something in the air at the Book Nook. Rick finds himself questioning his past memories as well as his present attitudes. As the story moved from one surprise to another, I found myself stealing free moments to read when I should have been doing other things.

            Although Remembering Christmas would make an ideal gift, don’t wait for Christmas to read the book. This wonderful story will resonate with you no matter what the season.

My thanks to Revell for providing my review copy.

ANGEL SISTER, by Ann H. Gabhart

Angel Sister is set in 1936 in the little town of Rosey Corner, Kentucky, where Kate Merritt is the middle child in a family of three daughters. Gabhart's skillful writing puts the reader in the midst of this community and its characters--we know the people, and we feel the heat of a Kentucky summer.

Kate is the responsible sister who feels it's up to her to keep her family together. The task she takes onto her fourteen-year-old shoulders is a daunting one. Her father is sliding into alcoholism and her mother is trying desperately to keep food on the table. Kate's sisters are no help--the older one is a prima donna and the younger girl is just, well, too young. Throw in a couple of disagreeable grandfathers and you can see what Kate faces daily.

One day, on her way to visit one of her grandfathers, Kate is stopped by the sight of a little girl alone and crying on the steps of Kate,s grandfather,s church. How Lorena Birdsong,s arrival affects the Merritt family and the community of Rosey Corner is the catalyst for this all-consuming story.

Gabhart does a masterful job of weaving plot lines together as Angel Sister rolls to a suspenseful conclusion.

This book is on my "keeper" shelf for re-reading. I loved the characters and will want to visit Rosey Corner again.

SEEDS OF SUMMER, by Deborah Vogts

Seeds of Summer is a true-to-life story about family bonds. Set on a cattle ranch in the Flint Hills area of Kansas, Seeds of Summer reflects Vogts' love for the area and her knowledge of ranch life.

The story opens when the main character, Natalie Adams, is one of two finalists in the Miss Rodeo America competition. Natalie has spent years in preparation for this moment, and when she comes in second, she’s lost more than a contest--she’s lost her focus. To compound events, her father is killed soon after in a ranch accident.

Natalie is forced to leave college to be a full-time ranch owner and mother to her younger half-sister and brother. Parenting is never easy, especially with children who are acting out their grief for the father in rebellious ways.

Through her little brother, Natalie meets the new pastor in town--a man she suspects of making her little family his personal mission project. Vogts has incorporated the faith element organically, so that it never feels forced into the story.

Seeds of Summer is filled with realistic characters and situations. Vogts' use of a rodeo background adds depth and interest. I recommend this novel--and be sure to try the recipe for Chelsey's Spice Pancakes included in the back of the book. They’re delicious!

Deborah Vogts will appear as a guest on my blog tomorrow. Be sure to come back and leave a comment for a drawing to win a free copy of Seeds of Summer.

My thanks to Zondervan for providing me with a copy for review purposes.

SEEING THINGS, by Patti Hill

In Seeing Things, Patti Hill has crafted a memorable novel about multi-generational family issues. The plot centers around seventy-something Birdie Wainwright, an independent woman whose active life is curtailed by the onset of macular degeneration.

When she breaks an ankle due to her faulty vision, Birdie is forced to stay with her son and his ever-so-uptight wife. The bright side to her situation is her grandson, Fletcher, who rapidly becomes her ally in a cold and sterile household.

The back cover description made the story sound like a humorous romp, but I found it to be anything but. The family situations portrayed struck me as painfully real. My heart ached for poor Fletcher, and for Birdie, as she tries to bring love into a family at odds with one another.

On that level, Seeing Things is a compelling story. However, when Hill brought Birdie's hallucinations of Huckleberry Finn into the mix, I had a little trouble relating. I found myself skipping over the Huck portions to read the "real" story. Having said that, though, I’d still recommend Seeing Things. It contains one of the best family dramas I've read in a long time.

I'd love to hear from other readers as to their opinions about the "Huck parts." –Maybe it’s just me.

Family Baggage, by Monica McInerney

I haven't posted a review since late November. "Family Baggage" in my personal life has kept me busy! Even though I wasn't posting blogs, I didn't stop reading, so I have a backlog of reviews to catch up on. For starters, I want to share my enjoyment of Family Baggage, by Australian author, Monica McInerney.

Harriet Turner, the protagonist in Family Baggage, carries this novel in a thoroughly captivating manner. McInerney has created a woman to whom many of us can relate.

The story opens with Harriet recovering from a breakdown following the deaths of her parents. Turner Travel, the family business, was started by Harriet’s parents, and is now carried on by Harriet and her siblings. She’s been given an assignment to take a tour group of senior citizens from Australia (her home) to the Cornish countryside. Her adopted sister, Lara, is scheduled to meet the group in England and guide their eccentric charges on the path a television series crime-solver of the previous decade followed. (Think “Murder She Wrote”.)

However, Lara fails to show up at the airport as planned. Harriet finds herself alone with a busload of characters who have all but memorized every episode of the old television show. If this weren’t enough, she discovers that Lara has disappeared. Uncovering her sister’s whereabouts leads to confronting long-held family secrets and resolving old family baggage.

McInerney is an Australian author whose novels remind me of Maeve Binchey’s. I love Binchey’s stories and love McInerney’s in the same way—appealing characters, a touch of humor, and plots that keep me turning pages.

Family Baggage is a terrific story. It's fiction for the general market, but contains little objectionable material.

The Art of Racing in the Rain, by Garth Stein

The month of November has been a tumultuous one in our household. My husband had an unexpected heart procedure done on the 10^th, and is now recovering well, praise God. During that time, The Art of Racing in the Rain was the perfect book to take my mind away from my worries. I had postponed reading The Art of Racing in the Rain for months because dog stories always make me cry. The Art of Racing in the Rain was no exception.

But having said that, I hasten to add that Garth Stein’s novel about a race-car driver and his dog, Enzo, is one of the best books I've read in years. I've gone back through the novel more than once to reread my favorite portions. The Art of Racing in the Rain will stay on my shelf so I can read it again and again.

The story is told by Enzo, a dog who knows he has the soul of a human. Enzo and his master, Denny, have been together since Enzo's puppy days. The Art of Racing in the Rain follows their journey as Denny marries and adds a child to the family, all the while pursuing his dream of being a championship race-car driver. At turns humorous, poignant, and downright tragic, this book is an uplifting story of love and hope.

For sheer perfection in writing, Chapter 26 is an absolute delight. It brings the essence of Denny and Enzo into clear focus and thrills the reader with a behind-the-wheel look at techniques involved in auto racing. You don’t have to be a racing fan (I’m not) to love this book. The ending is nothing less than brilliant. This is more a love letter to a book than it is a review—that’s how deeply this story touched me.

Stein writes for the general market, so there are a few instances of profanity and sexual references. Nevertheless, I thoroughly recommend The Art of Racing in the Rain. It’s a keeper!

The Deep End of the Ocean

It's not that I haven't been reading over the holidays--I haven't been posting reviews! I've read several books this month, and am eager to share them with you.

The first one I have to recommend is general market fiction, The Deep End of the Ocean, by Jacquelyn Mitchard.
The Deep End of the Ocean, published in 1996, was not only Jacquelyn Mitchard’s debut novel, it was the debut novel in Oprah’s Book Club. I can’t think why it took me so long to get around to reading this gripping, suspenseful book, but having read it, I can’t get it out of my mind.
The Deep End of the Ocean hooked me from the first page. I picked it up one evening recently and 110 pages later finally gave in to my burning eyes and turned off the light. The story begins in a crowded hotel lobby, where Beth Cappadora is registering for a room. She leaves her seven and three-year-old sons together while she talks to the desk clerk, and when she turns around, three-year-old Ben is gone. How could he have disappeared in a hotel lobby filled with people, none of whom remember seeing him?
The novel explores the impact of his disappearance on Ben’s parents, siblings, and extended family. There are twists and turns throughout the plot. Suffice to say, Mitchard’s novel takes the reader in unexpected directions. The book is skillfully written, using the alternating points of view of Ben’s mother and older brother. Mitchard nails both viewpoints perfectly.
I think one reason I hesitated to read The Deep End of the Ocean for such a long time was that I feared it would be depressing. It isn’t. I completely recommend this book for adult readers. To use a film rating, I’d give it an “R” for adult themes and language, and an A+ for being one of the best books I’ve read in a long time.
A note to my readers who are also writers: In the Author’s Interview at the back of the book, Jacquelyn Mitchard is asked what advice she would give to aspiring writers. Here’s her reply: “Two pieces of advice, and they’re in order of importance. One, read a lot more than you think you have time for. And two, never let anyone talk you out of your dreams.” I agree completely.
If you’ve already read The Deep End of the Ocean, I’d love to hear what you thought of it. Please leave a comment.