A Place Called Hope -- Philip Gulley

Backlist Review from 2016

Book: A Place Called Hope
Author: Philip Gulley
Series: Hope (Book 1) (Also reference Gulley's Harmony series)
My Star Rating: 2/5 stars
Tidbit: A new chapter of Pastor Sam Gardner's life as he begins preaching in a new church.  Lost the magic, for me, of the original Harmony series.
 

For 14 years, Sam Gardner has been the pastor at Harmony Friends Meeting in his small home-town of Harmony, Indiana. Nostalgia had returned him to his roots, and a desire to help the congregation kept him there.

But Sam's sons have grown up. And, quite frankly, after 14 years of dealing with the likes of Dale Hinshaw and Fern Hampton, Sam is fed up with Harmony Friends. He is unhappy and complains often to his wife, Barbara. The truth is, it's time for a change. But Sam isn't one to just walk away. So he stays. And he gripes. Until one day, on accident, he does something his congregation views as unforgivable: while filling in for a fellow pastor, he prays a blessing over a same-gender union. Now faced with being fired by the congregation he grew up with, Sam decides not to give them the pleasure and resigns.

Jobless and in no financial position to be so, Sam begins searching for a new job. Having been black-listed by the area's Quaker superintendent, Sam struggles to find a job and wonders if he ever will. But then there is Hope. Hope Friends Meeting has been searching for a new pastor for 3 years. And they have a hunch Sam may just be the right man for the job. And, suspecting nothing else will turn up anytime soon, Sam is inclined to believe them!


***It was okay. Worth the read, because I have read all the other Harmony books. But this one definitely has a different feel. I didn't get the warm fuzzies like I always did with the Harmony books. In fact, it seems as though Sam's character is quite different. Granted, a person will change over the years... It was just surprising. And a bit disappointing.

The Nightingale -- Kristin Hannah

 Originally Read and Reviewed in 2016.

Title: The Nightingale
Author: Kristin Hannah
My Star Rating: 5/5 Stars
Tidbit: Historical Fiction set in WW2 France. A story of strong women and their resistance to German occupation, though each resisted in her own way.

2022 Commentary:  Even after almost 6 years, this book remains one of my all-time favorites.  I've never forgotten it, and I have recommended it so many times.  Such a powerful book.

My original review:
In a world at war, nothing is guaranteed. When Vianne Mauriac's husband Antoine is called up to fight for France, he leaves his wife and daughter to care for their beautiful country estate Le Jardin. At first, all is well. Vianne has a good job as a teacher and her best friend lives next door. She has a beautiful and fruitful garden and she and Sophie want for little except the presence of their husband and father.

But soon France falls to the Germans, and Germany occupies the beautiful country. Isabelle, Vianne's impulsive and often-reckless sister, arrives from a war-torn Paris and moves into Le Jardin, and soon a German captain billets at the home, a fact Vianne has no choice but to accept. A house full of love becomes a house full of tension as Vianne tries to keep Isabelle from saying anything in front of the Captain that will bring punishment for her family.

Meanwhile, Isabelle yearns to join the war and fight for French freedom. With that desire burning in her heart, she lies to Vianne and returns to Paris, joining the French Resistance and ultimately risking her life again and again to help some of the Allies escape France. Her hope is that her efforts will help the Allies win the war against Germany and liberate German-occupied France where the food and supplies for the French are as rare as they are plentiful for the Germans who occupy.

In a war that seems endless, each woman finds herself choosing between impossible choices; hoping against hope that one day, life will be "normal" once again. Both women fight the war in their own way, choosing to believe and hope for a future.

***Initially, I thought I'd give this a 4.5. But upon reflection, it occurred to me that this novel actually made me cry. That never happens. And so I decided it must be a 5. It impacted me. A lot. There were things I wish weren't in the book; but I'm a realist, and I realize that what was depicted in this novel is very likely how things actually happened. Even if I wish we, as humans, didn't have the capability to do such horrors to each other. But what a beautiful message of love and the endurance of the human spirit. Hannah has a beautiful way of wording things in many parts -- and I knew that right from the opening chapter in which I read: "...I know that grief, like regret, settles into our DNA and remains forever a part of us." The Nightingale is a book that will stay with me for a long, long time.

Hatchet by Gary Paulsen

 Book Title: Hatchet
Author: Gary Paulsen
Book Series: Brian's Saga (book 1)
Reading Level: middle-grade to Young Adult
My Content Rating: PG (recommend for more mature readers)
My Star Rating: 4/5 stars
Tidbit: Coming of age survival story geared toward upper-middle grade and younger YA readers.

I've seen this book around a lot over the years. Since my very first job was in the Children's Room of a public library, and then I continued in the library world for years after that, I probably shelved it a time or two. But until now, I'd never read it. I didn't even know what it was about, but it won a Newbery Honor award, so I figured it had to have some value to it.

Turns out it's a survival story.  And it was quite a ride! Brian Robeson is on his way to spend the summer with his dad for the first time following his parents' divorce. Brian is still trying to come to terms with all that has happened, including the secret he knows led to the divorce.  In the middle of the flight, which he alone shared with the pilot, somewhere over Canada, the pilot has a heart attack, and the plane goes down. Miraculously, Brian survives the crash, but can be survive in the wild alone until help arrives? 

I'm not going to lie, this book felt pretty stressful for me. I listened to it on audio, and the added musical aspects certainly added to the suspense and anxiety of the book for me. The reader, Peter Coyote, did a great job, and there were times I thought he reminded me of Tom Hanks (who I listened to reading The Dutch House by Anne Patchett last month, and I'll eventually get around to reviewing here).  Hatchet is a well-crafted novel, and I was very interested to know how it would end. It was also to awesome to watch the character growth. 

I don't feel like there are any major content concerns (though the secret is mature in nature). I would recommend for older middle-grade and YA. But that's based on my own readers. This book would freak my kids out at their current ages.

Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle by Betty MacDonald

Book: Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle
Author: Betty MacDonald
Series: Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle series
Reading Level: Middle-grade (4th through 6th grade)
My Content Rating: G (ideal for all readers)
My Star Rating: 5/5 (as a read-aloud!)

This was our family's most recent read-aloud.  We loved it!  My kids are ages 8, 6, 4, and 2.  The 2 year old wasn't engaged much, but the other 3 thought this was such a fun story!

Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle lives in an upside-down house, she adores children, and her late husband may have been a pirate who buried treasure in the backyard. Kids love Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle, and love to hang out at her house. The neighborhood parents love her, because she has the perfect cure for every childhood "ailment" from won't-pick-up-toys-itis to the fighter-quarrelers disease (this one was our favorite chapter, by the way). Once the parents use Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle's cures, life at home is perfect. 

Oh how my kids giggled!!! My 8 year old even said, "it looks like we need a Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle!" This was a perfect read-aloud!

Believing Christ by Stephen E. Robinson

Book: Believing Christ
Author: Stephen E. Robinson
My book rating: 4/5 stars
Tidbit: Uplifting and beautiful commentary on a covenant relationship with Jesus Christ.

"What matters is not how much we bring to the equation, but only that we can make the equation by entering into a covenant relationship with an infinite Christ, however great or small we may think ourselves to be."

This had been my Sunday read for the last couple months. So many beautiful insights about how Jesus Christ's all plus my best efforts (however minimal they may be) equal enough, always. And while I've always been taught this truth and believed it, something in the way it was presented in this book touched me in a new way. I feel such gratitude for my Savior and all He does for me. 

The Nature of Fragile Things by Susan Meissner

 

"When people are thrown into an abyss and together find their way out of it, they are not the same people. They are bound to one another ever after..." 

Book:  The Nature of Fragile Things

Author: Susan Meissner
My book rating: 4.5/5 stars

Tidbit: Historical fiction with strong female characters and a bit of suspense and mystery.

I love Susan Meissner's books! This is the 3rd I've read by her, and I am consistently amazed by the stories she crafts with amazing female characters. I also love the historical aspect of them. This one has me wanting to read some nonfiction about the 1906 earthquake. 

This book is set in San Francisco, California, just after the turn of the 20th Century. After answering an ad for a wife - and for a mother for a young girl, Sophie Whalen finds herself leaving the awful tenements of New York and marrying Martin Hocking, a widower, in San Francisco. Sophie has her reasons for making such a choice as to marry a complete stranger. She assumes Martin has his reasons too. In time, though, Martin's behavior begins to seem odd, and an unexpected evening visitor will change the course of Sophie's life... as will a devastating earthquake which will follow the next morning. 

The characters in this novel are tragically beautiful, but also powerful.  I love the connections shared, the friendships formed through mutual understanding of the experiences they had in common. This was a book that kept me up late reading, and I looked forward to every chance I had to read it. I highly recommend!

Audrey-Saurus by Sarah Allison

 

I have the opportunity to be a part of Sarah Allison's launch team for her darling book "Audrey-saurus," and I wanted to share it here with you!  Our family has been so excited to participate in this exciting event for a new author!

Audrey knows it's not just boys who like dinosaurs, because she LOVES them! She also enjoys wearing her sunglasses upside down, eating waffles frozen, and splashing in rain puddles! Every day is full of adventure for Audrey, and she's ready to embrace it all by being herself!

This darling book by @author.sarah.allison has already been enjoyed multiple times in our home. My 4 year old snatched it up almost as soon as I'd opened it and started looking at all the colorful, bright illustrations by @lauramocelinart ! My 2 year old  enjoys pointing to all the dinosaurs on each page. The cute story of Audrey has engaged them and made them giggle, and my 8 year old's favorite part is Audrey heading to the freezer (via pterodactyl) for waffles! 

This fun book will be available in March, so be on the lookout, especially if you have any young dino-loving girls in your life (or ANY dino-lovers, for that matter!!).