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Book Review–Corner Booth

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About the Book:

Book: Corner Booth

Author: Chautona Havig

Genre: Contemporary Christian Romance

Release date: March 17, 2015

A daring move forges the love of a lifetime

A rushed lunch and a bold move introduce Carlie to a stranger—one who hardly acknowledges her existence as he sits across from her, sharing his booth to save her a wait in a long line.
What began as a random encounter becomes a weekly date in which Carlie chatters about her life to a silent lunchmate. Much about him interests her–his slightly Euro fashion sense, his commitment to the work he does as he eats his lunch week after week, and his evident attention to the running monologue she shares between bites of meals that he inevitably pays for.
Dean gets to know the woman across from him–looks forward to their lunches each week, learns valuable lessons about himself—but when the cafe is threatened, and then when she doesn’t show up one day, he suspects their unusual friendship means more to him than he imagined.

Settle into the booth with Carlie and Dean and learn just how eloquent silence really is.

My Thoughts:

When I first read Corner Booth, six or seven years ago, it didn’t do a lot for me. I remember being disappointed by it, and just didn’t get much out of it. I just finished reading it again, though, and it really spoke to me this time. It really shows the worth of each person. There is a lot to learn about conversation, about communication, and about how to listen to other people, in this story—but there is also so much about the value of each person. One of my favorite lines from this book, and which I think sums up the theme perfectly, is “You are a child of God, bought with a price beyond anything you can even imagine.” What a beautiful story! See my earlier review here.

I received a review copy of this book from the author, and these are my honest thoughts about it. Links may be affiliate links, which will benefit Esther’s website if purchases are made through them.

About the Author:

USA Today Bestselling author of Aggie and Past Forward series, Chautona Havig lives in an oxymoron, escapes into imaginary worlds that look startlingly similar to ours and writes the stories that emerge. An irrepressible optimist, Chautona sees everything through a kaleidoscope of It’s a Wonderful Life sprinkled with fairy tales. Find her at chautona.com and say howdy—if you can remember how to spell her name.

More from Chautona:

You know, originally, I had Dean as a guy who was too wrapped up in his own little world to care about anyone else—the stereotypical academic. I pictured him buried deep in original Biblical manuscripts, annoyed that anyone would dare to invade his study time.

But you know what? That’s the easy character.

When I went back to edit the book, I had this thought. What if Dean weren’t reclusive at all? What if he were kind of a know-it-all who couldn’t keep his thoughts to himself. Maybe a child prodigy who was used to people thinking him rather brilliant and looking for his insights.

Yeah… I could get into that.

There was just one small problem. I’d written the entire book without him talking much at all on those Wednesdays. Now what?

After much deliberation, even more prayer, and a bit of fudging, I came up with the solution. What if he just challenged himself for “one lunch?” Just one hour or so of not talking to prove to himself (and his peers) that he could do it.

How could he possibly know he’d set things up for months of wordless lunches—on his part? And what would a person learn in a situation like that?

I’ve never admitted this before, but I tested it a bit. At situations where I could, I forced myself to listen to people’s stories, their questions, their opinions. The hard part was not spending my listening time formulating my response (how rude anyway!). I really had to focus on exactly what they said, how their voice altered based on their emotions, and what others around us had to say to encourage (or not—too often not, I’ll admit).

I learned a lot with the experiment, and I’ll be honest. I still catch myself listening with an ear to how I’ll respond instead of really listening. No, I don’t expect to find some café romance for myself. My guy is amazing, and he’s probably the only person on the planet who could put up with me, so… I think I’ll keep him. But I do expect to keep learning how to really hear people. You know… kind of like Jesus did. Imagine that.

To purchase your copy, click here.

To visit more of the blog stops on this tour, click here.

To enter a fun giveaway, click here.

Book Review–Farmyard Faith

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Disclosure: I received this complimentary product through the Homeschool Review Crew.

I’m always delighted when an author is willing to ship a physical copy of a book to us! Because we live in New Zealand, and it is very expensive to mail books from the United States to us, almost all of the books I review are digital copies. Kinsey M. Rockett, who sells her books under the name Whatsoever Stories, sent us a copy of her most recent release, Farmyard Faith. We just received it about a week and a half ago, again because of shipping internationally, so it has been one of our read alouds for only about a week. I did skim through most of the book myself, though.

Farmyard Faith, great for read alouds

Each of the 26 chapters in this book tell a story from the author’s life. When she was nine years old, her family moved to a small farm in Eastern Washington and began learning about rural life. They quickly learned that animals can make life very interesting—either hectic or funny! With goats and geese being among their first acquisitions, there were some very fun stories to tell. Because we have always had a variety of animals and know them pretty well ourselves, these stories are especially fun for us. We can really relate to little things like the geese racing frantically after their human “parents” with their stubby little wings flapping, or the goat who could find holes through which to escape where a human can’t imagine anything getting out. The chicken escape artist was another story that rang a bell with me, although the one I remember from my childhood didn’t have such a happy ending.

Kinsey has found spiritual lessons to be gleaned from many of the stories she tells. The stories about the chicken and the goats who wanted to escape all the time illustrate why we need to be content within the boundaries set by God and our human authorities. The goose story I mentioned wraps up with a few paragraphs discussing the need to imprint on God our Saviour. There are a few short chapters I noticed that just tell a funny incident from the farm, so there is a nice variety. Each chapter is illustrated with a photograph of the animal(s) that the story is about.

I asked the children what they thought of Farmyard Faith this morning after we read a chapter. They all said they were enjoying it, and Mr. Sweetie, who is 12, enthusiastically mentioned that he likes the spiritual lessons that are brought out. Because of those lessons, I decided to add it to our morning read alouds, when I like to have Bible stories and other devotional-type readings. As I mentioned earlier, this book is especially interesting to my children because they can relate so well to Kinsey’s experiences with her family’s animals, but I think any child who likes animals would enjoy it, too. The stories are very well-written, with a nice amount of descriptive words but not excessive. I am happy to have this book by a homeschool graduate on our shelf, and look forward to reading the rest of it. Click on the image below to read reviews from 34 other families who received this book and two others that Kinsey has written (which I would also love to read!).

Christian Fiction Stories

Book Review–Spines & Leaves

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About the Book:

Book: Spines & Leaves

Author: Chautona Havig

Genre: FICTION / CHRISTIAN / WOMENS FICTION / ROMANCE

Release date: July 8, 2021

♥ Books are the strings that tie hearts together. ♥

With a month to get from Orange County, California to Delaware for his next corporate challenge, Milton Coleridge decides to spend a week at Joshua Tree National Park.

He never expected to find a floundering bookstore in need of his particular business skills. Will his methods of saving companies from bankruptcy or takeover work on such a small scale? And can he convince two people to risk their hearts?

Step into the Spines & Leaves, Tamarisk, California’s oldest (and only ever) bookstore. Come in out of the harsh, desert sun and wind and peruse all the store has to offer. It might just be more than you think.

One man, one store, thousands of books.  What’ll it take to keep this bookstore from becoming a book ghost town… and what’ll it take for Milton to tie two heartstrings together?

Spine & Leaves is the introductory novella to the Bookstrings series.

My Thoughts:

I first read Spines & Leaves about a year ago (see the review I wrote then here), soon after it was written, but when I read it again last week, I enjoyed it every bit as much. I loved reading a story set in one of my mom’s favorite places. I have never been there, but I have seen her pictures of Joshua Tree National Monument from when she lived in California in the 1960s. I also loved the story of how Milton helped revitalize a struggling bookstore, and his parrotlet was pure fun! The one thing I didn’t enjoy so much was the kiss that the love story in the book cantered around. I did like watching the interactions between Milton, Marcus and Ced, and how they learned to know and appreciate each other.

I received a review copy of this book from the author, and these are my honest thoughts about it. Links may be affiliate links, which will benefit Esther’s website if purchases are made through them.

About the Author:

USA Today Bestselling author of Aggie and Past Forward series, Chautona Havig lives in an oxymoron, escapes into imaginary worlds that look startlingly similar to ours and writes the stories that emerge. An irrepressible optimist, Chautona sees everything through a kaleidoscope of It’s a Wonderful Life sprinkled with fairy tales. Find her at chautona.com and say howdy—if you can remember how to spell her name.

More from Chautona:

The more I think about it, the more I realize that the Bookstrings series is a process rather than an idea. Each time I saw an indie bookstore close, each time I went in one with no one else in there for the hour or two I browsed, and each time I heard book lovers lament the lack of a store in their town… Yeah. Those experiences slowly grew into a wish—one where I knew how to rescue those stores from extinction. So maybe that’s a bit melodramatic, but that’s how it felt.

Somewhere in the midst of all that, Milton appeared—a business genius who, along with his faithful parrotlet, Atticus (not Finch), travels the country saving corporations from takeover or bankruptcy.

Milton went through several iterations. Older, balding, mustache, and always wearing a golfer’s cap. Then I had him as a young hipster dude who got sick of the rat race on Wall Street and took off on his own, using what he’d learned. That just felt too cliché.

Instead, I have a forty-ish guy who wears chinos and oxford shirts with topsiders, shorter than most men, and with a nonchalant air about him. And charm. The quiet guy with serious business skills just oozes quiet charm.

After deciding on Milton, I had to choose where to put the stores. I’ve been watching out for towns for years—using trips different places as research times. Would I create places that felt like real towns or use actual small towns? Though drawn to real towns, I had an idea for where to end the series, and, doing that meant a fictional town. Would it be weird to have four or five books set in small towns across America followed by a final fictional one?

The solution came to me as I learned that the Mosaic authors were doing a summer collection in 2021. If I started with a novella and ended the series with both in a fictional town, at least that fictional bit wouldn’t be out of the blue!

So, the Bookstrings series has two novellas and five full-length novels. (I couldn’t resist a Christmas “noella” in the charming town of Noel, Missouri—the “Christmas City.”) We’ll be off to other small towns around the country—one in Red Wing, Minnesota, another in Berne, Indiana, and one somewhere between Kingsport, Tennessee and Traveler’s Rest, South Carolina. If I can find a place in New England, that’d be great, too. Or maybe down in Mississippi… I’d love to visit my sister down there.

The Bookstrings series books all have one very important thing in common (aside from Milton and Atticus, of course). They all illustrate that books truly are the strings that tie hearts together.

To purchase your copy, click here.

To visit more of the blog stops on this tour, click here.

To enter a fun giveaway, click here.

Book Review–Corrie Ten Boom

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Disclosure: I received this complimentary product through the Homeschool Review Crew.

Several months ago, some friends of ours borrowed a large box full of books from us. A week later, their house was struck by lightning and burned to the ground. Everything in it was destroyed.  We had some money in the bank in America, so we decided to replace the books that had been burned, and buy some more. A number of the books that were destroyed were from the Christian Heroes: Then and Now series, by Janet &Geoff Benge. For about 15 years, I have been collecting these books, buying them wherever I can find them used. We decided that since we needed to replace several of them anyway, we would splurge and buy the entire set, as well as the Heroes of History series by the same authors. What an exciting day when a box of 80 books arrived here! (Each stack in the photo is five books!) We’re all looking forward to reading the ones we haven’t read before.

Not too long ago, I was offered the opportunity to to review one of these books and a study guide that the publisher has produced to go with it. Because I’ve been curious about the study guides for a long time, but didn’t want to spend the money to buy one because I wasn’t sure if we would use it, I signed up for the review. Of the books offered, there were three that were possibilities, ones that we hadn’t reviewed yet, and that were not loaned out. I let my three school children vote on those, and they chose Corrie Ten Boom: Keeper of the Angels’ Den.  We read through this book for morning history time, and used the discussion questions for each chapter from the study guide to talk about what we have just read each morning. All three children were eager to hear more each day, although it may have been almost too much for my seven-year-old daughter. One morning she told me she had dreamed about being in prison!

Chapter 2 of this book tells the story of Corrie’s life up to the beginning of World War II. There are 15 chapters in the book and, except for the last chapter, the rest of the book tells the story of  the Ten Boom family during World War II. The last chapter tells about how Corrie travelled around the world sharing her message of love and forgiveness for the rest of her life after the war. Basically, the contents of this book are almost the same as The Hiding Place, although there were a few things added in. I appreciate the way these authors tell the story of a persons’ life.

As far as the study guide goes, most of it doesn’t work very well for us. There is a section of key Bible verses which are good to read together and discuss how they apply to Corrie’s life. Suggestions are made to form a display corner with a long list of things you could put in it about the Netherlands and Corrie’s life. We don’t have room in our house for something like that so we didn’t even consider doing it. The chapter questions are what we used the most in the study guide. As I said before, after reading the chapter we used the questions to discuss various aspects of the story. Then there are suggestions for essay questions to help older children think more deeply about the story, creative writing suggestions, hands-on projects, audiovisual projects, and some arts and crafts that children can do to go along with the story.  There is a chapter that gives suggestions for field trips or people that you can talk to to add to the study. Another chapter suggests map activities and vocabulary studies. More miscellaneous activities are suggested in another chapter and then the appendix has suggestions of books and resources to go along with this book interest. Interestingly, we had just started watching the movie The Hiding Place when we were assigned to this review; because we don’t spend a lot of time watching movies it took us a few weeks to get through it. Watching that along with reading this book made both more meaningful to the younger children. The study guide comes as a PDF download. I printed it and made a cover, so that it would be easy to use.

If you are wanting biographies for your children, I highly recommend Janet and Geoff Benge’s books. These are the best children’s biographies I have ever found. They’re accurate and interesting. Our entire family, from Gayle down to Little Miss, who is seven, enjoys listening to these books, either when I read them aloud or when we listen to an audiobook of one. As far as the study guides I’m not sure I will be interested in using any more, simply because that type of study doesn’t work very well for me personally. I’m glad I have had the chance to look at it, and I know it will be a good fit for a lot of families, especially those with high school children  that are academically inclined. There are lesson plans and a schedule for using it as a group that meets periodically, so if you have a homeschool co-op it would be a good way to study the book together.

WARNING (things to consider when thinking about letting children read the book): The Germans mistreated people in chapter 7, 8, 11 and 12. Corrie’s sister died in Chapter 13.

Click the image below to read other families’ reviews of this and other books by the Benges!

christian-biographies-from-ywam-publishing-bring-heroes-to-life

Book Review–Shackled

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About the Book:

Book: Shackled

Author: Mariam Ibraheem

Genre: Religion/Inspirational

Release date: March 8, 2022

Sentenced to Death for Her Beliefs

Mariam Ibraheem was finally rising above her difficult childhood and building a new life for herself. Born to a Muslim father and an Ethiopian Orthodox Christian mother, she grew up in poverty in a refugee camp in Sudan. Her father left the family when she was only six, and her mother raised her in the Christian faith. Left without family after the deaths of her beloved mother and sister, she was beginning to move past her grief—earning a medical degree, marrying the man she loved, and having a baby boy.

But one day in late 2013, her world was shattered when an unknown relative on her father’s side reported her to the police. The authorities insisted she was Muslim because of her father’s background. She had broken the law by marrying a Christian man, and she must renounce her Christian beliefs and abandon her marriage and her son. Under intense pressure, Mariam repeatedly refused to deny her faith. She was charged with apostasy and adultery, and she was imprisoned with her nine-month-old, Martin, on Christmas Eve. There, awaiting sentence, she learned she was pregnant with her second child. A few months later, Mariam was sentenced to 100 lashes and death by hanging by a Sharia court.

Shackled is the stunning true story of a courageous young mother who was willing to face death rather than deny her Christian faith. Mariam Ibraheem took a stand on behalf of all people who suffer from religious persecution and all women who are maltreated because of their gender and beliefs.

Follow Mariam’s story from refugee camp to life under Islamic law, through imprisonment and childbirth while shackled, to her remarkable escape from death following an international outcry and advocacy involving diplomats, journalists, religious freedom activists, human rights groups, and even Pope Francis.

My Thoughts:

I was a bit hesitant about signing up for Shackled. I could tell by reading the synopsis that it would be a challenging read. I do not enjoy reading about people being abused, and people hurting each other. At the same time though, it sounded like it would be an encouraging story about showing how God’s truth and love triumph over evil. I was right on both counts.

What a story. There are two things that really stood out to me in this book. One, of course, was the physical abuse. Being circumcised as a young girl, the horrible things her father did to her mother before leaving the family when Mariam was only six, the way she was treated in prison, and the abuse she suffered while giving birth. On the other side,  was the contrast she felt between Islam and Christianity. Though Muslims claimed to have a religion of mercy, she only felt love while with Christians. That love was so real to her that she never considered denying Jesus. I was also touched by her experiences with Jesus while in prison.  This is an absolutely amazing story of a courageous woman, who stood up against all odds to maintain her faith in Jesus and protect her children. If you’ve ever been even a little bit curious about the difference between Christianity and Islam, read Shackled. Mariam lived with that contrast.

There is so much more I could say about this book. It has left quite an impression on me. All I can say, though, is read it for yourself. Don’t miss this one. Your faith will be challenged and strengthened. A quote that stood out to me, to wrap up this review: “The friends of Sudanese suffer as much as their enemies because hate cannot be confined to one person or one people group. Once it is allowed to live, fester and grow, it lashes out at everyone and everything.”

WARNING: Mariam’s father’s abuse of his wife in chapter 6. Vivid description of female circumcision in chapter 8. Physical abuse in chapter 47. There is more; these are the ones that were hardest to read about.

I received a review copy of this book from the author, and these are my honest thoughts about it. Links may be affiliate links, which will benefit Esther’s website if purchases are made through them. If you buy this book, please put a review on Amazon. There are no reviews there, and I am not allowed to post one.

About the Author:

In 2014, Mariam Ibraheem of Sudan was sentenced by a Sharia court to 100 lashes for adultery because she had married a Christian man, and death by hanging for refusing to renounce her Christian faith and follow Islam. Mariam was imprisoned with her young son while she was pregnant with her second child, a daughter, to whom she gave birth while still shackled in the prison. After an international outcry, Mariam was eventually freed through the help of Pope Francis, the United States, Italy, and the embassies of various other governments. Today, Mariam advocates on behalf of others who are victims of religious persecution and also for women who suffer from the personal prison of abuse. She is the cofounder and director of global mobilization for the Tahrir Alnisa (“Setting Women Free”) Foundation, which serves women and children impacted by domestic abuse and religious-motivated violence. She also serves on the board of directors for Anti-Trafficking International.

Eugene Bach is a pseudonym for a member of the Chinese underground church who, for security reasons, does not wish to be identified. He has been working with the underground church in China for twenty years, helping them to establish forward missions bases in closed countries around the world, including Iraq and Syria. Eugene leads the Chinese missions movement Back to Jerusalem, which provides essential support for Chinese missionaries in Africa, Asia, and the Middle East, and he has written books about the underground church in China, North Korea, and Iran. His books with Whitaker House include China and End-Time Prophecy; I Stand with Christ; ISIS: The Heart of Terror; Kidnapped by a Cult; Leaving Buddha; Smuggling Light; and The Underground Church.

More from Mariam:

Shackled is the stunning true story of a courageous young mother whose plight led to international outcry on her behalf. Mariam Ibraheem was willing to face death rather than deny her Christian faith, taking a stand on behalf of all people who suffer from religious persecution and all women who are maltreated because of their gender and beliefs.

To purchase your copy, click here.

To visit more of the blog stops on this tour, click here.

To enter a fun giveaway, click here.

Book Review–Turtle Heart

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About the Book:

Book: Turtle Heart

Author: Lucinda J. Kinsinger

Genre: Memoir

Release date: February 22, 2022

What happens when a sheltered young Mennonite befriends an ornery old Ojibwe woman in order to lead her to Christ—and finds that old woman has more to teach her about God and humanity than she ever dreamed? These two women from widely differing cultures and belief systems soon build a connection that runs deeper than their differences. Kinsinger’s memoir of friendship reads like a novel, at once riveting and introspective, timeless and surprising.

Turtle Heart invites you into the world and perspective of a young Mennonite woman who allows love to lead her beyond her comfort zone into uncharted territory.

My Thoughts:

When I saw the cover of Turtle Heart I was immediately intrigued. A Mennonite woman and someone else who was obviously not Mennonite juxtaposed in one picture. Reading the description only made me more intrigued, and I knew I wanted to read this book for sure. I was not disappointed.

Several days after finishing reading this book, I’m still thinking about it. There is so much depth in the book, that it takes awhile to process it. Having come from a background similar to the author’s, I could identify with her attitudes about salvation. It was amazing to see how God worked to open her mind to the way He works in various people‘s lives, with no two people having the same experience. The author is very real about her struggles with being a friend to Charlene.

It was fascinating to see the two cultures interacting. The author’s and Charlene’s cultures were extremely different, as were their upbringings and life experiences. Even so, their spirits connected and they learned to love each other and were very real and vulnerable with each other. This is an amazing story. I recommend it for mature readers, because of some of the content, but it is one that most Christians should read, to get a different perspective on the way God works in people‘s lives.

I received a review copy of this book from the author, and these are my honest thoughts about it. Links may be affiliate links, which will benefit Esther’s website if purchases are made through them.

About the Author:

Lucinda J Kinsinger has always viewed herself as a shy little Mennonite girl but refuses to let that stop her from pursuing what she loves—whether that’s writing with honesty and vulnerability or traveling to a remote village in China. She is the author of two memoirs—Turtle Heart: Unlikely Friends with a Life Changing Bond and Anything But Simple: My Life as a Mennonite, as well as a children’s book, The Arrowhead.  She writes a column for Anabaptist World Review and blogs at lucindajkinsinger.com. Lucinda lives with her farmer husband Ivan and her baby daughter Annalise in the rolling hills of Oakland, Maryland.

More from Lucinda:

I Met an Old Lady

On a foggy morning one early March, I met a tiny woman encased in a puffy tan coat. I loved her from the moment I saw her—the tiny, intense perfection of her, the way her glasses sat sharp and clean on her face, the bright look of her slanted eyes, and the way all her wrinkles massed upward when she smiled. She was Ojibwe. Her name was Charlene.

At that time, I drove for a company called Indianhead Transit and had been assigned to take Charlene to her dialysis appointment. I helped her to my car, my steps excruciatingly slow to match hers, got into the driver’s seat, and backed into the foggy street. “The Ojibwe have a saying about the fog,” Charlene said. “They say, ‘The Creator sent the clouds to earth.’”

We talked a lot about God that dialysis trip. “I am amazed at how He made everything on earth round,” she told me. “The leaves are round, the drops of water are round, the scales on a fish are round, and even the little blades of grass, when they first come up, are curled into a ball. It just makes me love Him so much.” There was wonder in her voice, joy in her eyes.

I asked her if she believed in Jesus. She considered a moment. “Yes, the Ojibwe have taken the Creator’s Son, Jesus.” But when I mentioned the Bible, she snapped, “The Bible is just a white man’s book!”

I wondered how she could believe in Jesus while not believing in the Book that taught about Him.

As I got to know Charlene better, I found her a study in contrasts.

She would coo at her little dog in the sappiest, drippiest form of baby talk possible, and fifteen minutes later when the dog displeased her, would yell so harshly it would streak for its crate, her hand raised threateningly behind it.

She was the sharpest, meanest little lady I ever knew, with a perverse sense of humor and a penchant for original slams. “I dig your shoes!” she crowed to a Croc-shod woman once. “Dig a hole and bury them,” she muttered as the woman passed.

She was the most loyal and loving lady I ever knew, a lover of beauty, lover of God. She went hunting only once and when she had the opportunity to shoot a buck, couldn’t do it—the buck was just too beautiful, she told me.

She held a vehement dislike of Black people and spoke so disrespectfully of them I grew angry. Then she turned around and voted for Obama in national elections.

By that time, I realized that with Charlene, you had two choices: you could let her drive you mad, or you could accept her. I chose to accept her.

She also chose to accept me.

She understood what it was to be Mennonite and different. After all, she had grown up Ojibwe and different. She didn’t ask, like others might, if I got cold in the winter because I didn’t wear pants or why I couldn’t go to the fair. She accepted my oddities as a matter of course.

“People have to label everything. Whether Mennonite or half-breed, they label you and that’s what you are to them,” she said to me one day. “But our friendship doesn’t have to fit a label.”

Fit a label our friendship did not.

We were different in almost every way—one young and one old, one shy and one feisty, one sheltered and one who had experienced the harshness of life. And yet in the middle was a spot we connected, where we shared nerve and muscle and bone like conjoined twins.

She dispelled multiple prejudices of mine—yes, I also carried them—and taught me to see that people are people wherever you find them, taught me I could understand and be understood by someone from a very different background.

Charlene did eventually read the Bible I gave her and grew in faith as a result.

I also grew. She, with her fresh eyes and unboxed faith, strengthened and deepened my own faith as few people have. I learned from her to see God in the small, everyday things of life that even a child can understand—things like fog and blades of grass and water at the kitchen sink.

I wrote a book about our friendship. The book is called Turtle Heart: Unlikely Friends with a Life-Changing Bond and came out recently with Elk Lake Publishing. It is available on Amazon.

To purchase your copy, click here.

To visit more of the blog stops on this tour, click here.

To enter a fun giveaway, click here.

Book Review–Finding a Memory

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About the Book:

Book: Finding a Memory

Author: Chautona Havig

Genre: Christian Contemporary Romance

Release date: January 25, 2022

He loved her then. Will she love him now?

When Mallory Barrows finds an old diary in a box of books, the story she finds within sends her on the hunt for the owner–and maybe more.

Theirs is a story ripped from a country song. A wedding, a former love presumed dead, her new love stepping aside. And over forty years later, their story is one few remember.

With Mallory determined to find the people in the pages of that diary, one couple is offered the second chance of a lifetime.

This “second-chance / seasoned romance” novel introduces the next island in the Independence Islands Series featuring five islands, six authors, and a boatload of happily-ever-afters.

The Independence Islands Series: beach reads aren’t just for summer anymore.

My Thoughts:

As everyone who follows me for very long can tell, I enjoy almost anything that Chautona Havig writes. Some books are a lot better than others, of course. Finding a Memory is one of my favourites. I read it as she was writing it, and now I have just finished reading it for the second time, straight through this time. Wow. What a story. I really liked the way she wove three stories together.

When Mallory found someone’s old diary in a box of books that had been brought to her to sell, she decided to quickly skim through to try to figure out who it was. She quickly found the story sucking her in, and couldn’t put it down. The story of a love triangle from 40 years ago broke her heart. Somehow, she kept finding herself seeking comfort from Benjamin Hornigold, who was always happy to give her encouragement and support.

I loved this story. Mallory’s story has been continued since Christmas on Breakers Point, so this is the fifth book about her. I’m very impressed by how Chautona has been able to weave Mallory’s story through all of these other books. The ending of this book hints at mysteries that will be revealed in the next book. I was really left hanging there! I really enjoyed the way the two parts of Patti’s story was woven together, too. Telling her present at the same time that Mallory was discovering her past through the diary was very effectively done. The story offers hope and healing for family members of people who struggle with PTSD. It was nice to find a story about older people, too. Don’t miss this one!

I received a review copy of this book from the author, and these are my honest thoughts about it. Links may be affiliate links, which will benefit Esther’s website if purchases are made through them.

About the Author:

Chautona Havig lives in an oxymoron, escapes into imaginary worlds that look startlingly similar to ours and writes the stories that emerge. An irrepressible optimist, Chautona sees everything through a kaleidoscope of It’s a Wonderful Life sprinkled with fairy tales. Find her at chautona.com and say howdy—if you can remember how to spell her name.

More from Chautona:

I was a weird child. While my friends were listening to… whatever 80s kids listened to, the enormous console in my bedroom played The Brothers Four, The Kingston Trio, Roger Miller, Billy Vaughn, Patsy Cline, and Patti Paige.  One minute I was a “Rovin’ Gambler” and the next I was “Chug-a-lugging.”  Hmmm… In hindsight, one could say I listened to some dubious music. Drinking, gambling… Oh, that reminds me of another one. The Sons of the Pioneers.  “Cigarettes, Whiskey, and Wild, Wild Women. (Hint: they’ll drive you crazy. They’ll drive you insane.  The song says so).

But there were other songs—beautiful ones.  “Greenfields.” “Little Green Apples.” “You Belong to Me.”  And of course… “Go on with the Wedding.”

If you’ve never heard it, you should listen. HERE.

That one used to tear me apart.  I never could decide which man she should have chosen.  I’m a sucker for the underdog—for a hero.  So, I always said Fred.  And I meant it. Right up to the moment I thought about Jim being away, fighting, finally making it home to his girl only to see her marry someone else.  How horrible is that?

Well, one of the tropes I chose for my books in the Independence Islands was going to be a “second chance romance.” I also wanted a “seasoned romance,” so this song came to mind. And then I had my story.  It’s not the one my twelve-year-old self would have wanted.  Truthfully, it’s not the story I wanted to write today, but it’s the right one. It’s probably my favorite of all of the ones I’ve done in this series.  I hope you’ll love Frank and Patti as much as I do.

All that’s left now is for me to write one more story—the one that has been forming through each book. It’s time for Mallory and Benjamin to both learn and write their story’s end (which of course, is only a beginning).

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Book Review–Everard

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About the Book:

Book: Everard

Author: Chautona Havig

Genre: Christian / Fantasy / Fairy Tale

Release date: October 2, 2012

A Prince, a friend, and a lizard walk into a trap…

Everard of Havilund—fierce warrior, brave soldier, loyal friend, heir to the throne, and painfully shy.
The war is over! Or is it? After four long years fighting in a war that has spanned a millennium, Everard is finally going home. He has faced everything he fears most—he thinks. Alas, trouble is brewing in the little hamlet of Hidden Hollow and he has only himself to blame.
Follow Everard as he tries to slay the Dragon of Ironia, face the Giant of the Tripp Mountains, bring the Enchantress of Enervatia to justice… just for starters.
Will he succeed? Will he overcome his personal demons that threaten all he is working for?
Find out in this second installment of the Not-So-Fairy Tales.

My Thoughts:

I first read Everard about six and a half years ago. It was the first fairy tale/fantasy story I had ever really enjoyed, and I loved it! I just reread the review I wrote of it back then, and I commented that it would be a good story to read aloud as a family. I’m finally doing just that, right now. Multiple ages are enjoying this story, and my upper-teenage son, who read the book a couple of years ago, is having great fun letting us know that he remembers what comes next (while I can’t remember, so I’m quite curious myself!). This is a fun story, and we just love Sassy!

I received a review copy of this book from the author, and these are my honest thoughts about it. Links may be affiliate links, which will benefit Esther’s website if purchases are made through them.

About the Author:

Author of the bestselling Aggie and Past Forward series, Chautona Havig lives in an oxymoron, escapes into imaginary worlds that look startlingly similar to ours and writes the stories that emerge. An irrepressible optimist, Chautona sees everything through a kaleidoscope of It’s a Wonderful Life sprinkled with fairy tales. Find her at chautona.com and say howdy—if you can remember how to spell her name.

More from Chautona:

“Can you write a short story for Kaira’s birthday? Something about a paisley princess? We’re doing a medieval theme, and Cathe is making the most scrumptious dress…”

A short story. Sure, I could. Why not? I’d throw in some things that fit Kaira and her family and some to make it not a bad attempt to write about a girl I only knew through her mother’s eyes. I’d make her hopelessly ordinary (which Kaira certainly was not). I’d give her lovely skills with a harp (which Kaira definitely has), and I’d give her the name Paisley Paisley so that, as her father, the king of Jackalopany, said “She’d be eager to marry and change it someday.”

Seventy-thousand or so words later the “short story” was done.

The silliest thing I’d ever written, but man… that was fun. Complete with a human chess game, frog pox, and heartbreaking bravery, it wasn’t great literature—Andersson would never approve—but it was mine.

It also gave me a thirst for something more… something… real. Okay, so that sounds a little weird writing about a fairy tale as “real” but in truth, it’s how I felt. I wanted to write a deliberate one, not just a wild romp through story ideas. Some elements of the first book would have to stay. For example, I’d given the first book a cheeky narrator who did a lot of “explaining” about “fairy tale terms” and definitions. She had to return.

But this time, I wanted quests daring dos, and well… yeah. I wanted something a bit more structured. I also wanted it to reflect another family I loved and cherished. In this one, a prince returns from a war lasting almost a thousand years (he didn’t fight the whole time, never fear) to report victory and does something so out of character that it sends his life in a totally different direction.

In my opinion, it has the most truly romantic scene I’ve ever written in it, but even most boys of very tender years (who still think girls are “yucky”) haven’t complained. THAT is my kind of romance!

But more than anything, Everard has honor, bravery, self-sacrifice, and every kind of love you see in the Bible. It’s the second book in the Not-So-Fairy Tales, but it won’t be the last. Leicelin has something she wants to share with the world, too.

“Can you write a short story for Kaira’s birthday? Something about a paisley princess? We’re doing a medieval theme, and Cathe is making the most scrumptious dress…”

A short story. Sure, I could. Why not? I’d throw in some things that fit Kaira and her family and some to make it not a bad attempt to write about a girl I only knew through her mother’s eyes. I’d make her hopelessly ordinary (which Kaira certainly was not). I’d give her lovely skills with a harp (which Kaira definitely has), and I’d give her the name Paisley Paisley so that, as her father, the king of Jackalopany, said “She’d be eager to marry and change it someday.”

Seventy-thousand or so words later the “short story” was done.

The silliest thing I’d ever written, but man… that was fun. Complete with a human chess game, frog pox, and heartbreaking bravery, it wasn’t great literature—Andersson would never approve—but it was mine.

It also gave me a thirst for something more… something… real. Okay, so that sounds a little weird writing about a fairy tale as “real” but in truth, it’s how I felt. I wanted to write a deliberate one, not just a wild romp through story ideas. Some elements of the first book would have to stay. For example, I’d given the first book a cheeky narrator who did a lot of “explaining” about “fairy tale terms” and definitions. She had to return.

But this time, I wanted quests daring dos, and well… yeah. I wanted something a bit more structured. I also wanted it to reflect another family I loved and cherished. In this one, a prince returns from a war lasting almost a thousand years (he didn’t fight the whole time, never fear) to report victory and does something so out of character that it sends his life in a totally different direction.

In my opinion, it has the most truly romantic scene I’ve ever written in it, but even most boys of very tender years (who still think girls are “yucky”) haven’t complained. THAT is my kind of romance!

But more than anything, Everard has honor, bravery, self-sacrifice, and every kind of love you see in the Bible. It’s the second book in the Not-So-Fairy Tales, but it won’t be the last. Leicelin has something she wants to share with the world, too.

To purchase your copy, click here.

To visit more of the blog stops on this tour, click here.

To enter a fun giveaway, click here.

Book Review–Live the Impossible

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About the Book:

Book: Live the Impossible

Author: Jenny Smith

Genre: Memoir

Release date: July, 2021

Jenny Smith was a typical teenager—a gymnast and athlete who loved hair and makeup, played in a band, and was active in her church youth group.

Then one bright summer morning, a spinal cord injury left her paralyzed from the chest down and dependent on others for her most basic needs. Privacy and independence seemed like things of the past.

But Jenny refused to give up or give in to her disability, and over time she discovered that a wheelchair could take her places she’d never dared to imagine. She’s traveled multiple times to Afghanistan and Mexico for wheelchair distributions and sports camps, and even rolled the New York City runway as a model during Fashion Week.

Today, Jenny Smith is a spokesperson for independent and vibrant living with a disability. Her speeches, articles, and social media presence have touched thousands of lives.

In Live the Impossible, Smith shares what it looks like to live with paralysis, from the everyday details most people never think about, to the countless people who have impacted her life along the way. With honesty and humor, faith and fortitude, Jenny shows us how we can all live the impossible, even when life doesn’t go as planned.

My Thoughts:

Approximately 35 years ago, we heard the startling news that a friend from another state, the father of eight young children, had been in a car accident, had broken his back, and would never walk again. We often crossed paths with him and his family, and it was always inspiring to see his smile and hear his cheerful laugh. I remember one day, probably 5-10 years after the accident, when a very old lady in our church was commiserating with this man about how terrible it was that he was now confined to a wheelchair. I’ll never forget his response. He exclaimed, “It was the best thing that ever happened to me!” That was the feeling I got from Jenny Smith throughout her story in Live the Impossible. She didn’t feel that way at first, and I’m not sure she would actually say that now, but she certainly sees what she has gained through her disability.

Live the Impossible is a very inspiring story. I really appreciated Jenny’s attitude about counting her blessings, and praising God for everything possible. Her acceptance of what God was doing in her life, though she allowed herself to grieve her losses, is something we can all learn from and put into practice in our own lives. I also learned a lot from this book about life as a quadriplegic. Jenny is very frank about the challenges she faces, and how she copes.

I received a review copy of this book from the author, and these are my honest thoughts about it. Links may be affiliate links, which will benefit Esther’s website if purchases are made through them.

About the Author:

Jenny Smith is an advocate, peer mentor, and encourager for those living with spinal cord injuries, and anyone who has faced unexpected or seemingly impossible challenges. Her popular blog and YouTube channel, Jenny Smith Rolls On, explore the practical aspects of life as a quadriplegic. She also speaks to associations and businesses, schools and universities, and faith-based groups. Jenny works full-time supporting and encouraging cross-cultural workers. She lives in Louisville, Kentucky, where she rows on the Ohio River with the Louisville Adaptive Rowing program.

You can find out more at www.jennysmithrollson.com.

More from Jenny:

“I will never write a book.”

I can’t tell you how many times I said those words. How and why did I publish a book after saying I will never so many times?

For several years, I was writing as a side job for a medical supply company. To learn more about the craft of writing, I signed up for an online class. The instructor invited me to take her next class on writing your life story.

That’s when it happened. I felt a little tap on my shoulder and heard—or felt—the words, “It’s time.”

I groaned.

Since my spinal cord injury at the age of 16, I said never and that’s impossible innumerable times. I had said the words before traveling to Mexico and Afghanistan. As I dreamed of living independently as a quadriplegic. I’d said never to playing wheelchair tennis, rugby, and para-rowing. My words that’s impossible and never were proved wrong time and again.

So I started writing.

It turns out I’ve lived what I believed was impossible.

In July 2021, on the 32nd anniversary of my spinal cord injury, my family, friends, and community celebrated with me at the launch party for my memoir Live the Impossible.

Although the book centers on my story of becoming a quadriplegic at 16 and the trials and adventures that followed, the lessons I learned in the years to come are universal:

  • How I found my identity
  • The importance of taking a risk
  • How I became comfortable in my own body
  • Acknowledging I have little to offer and yet seeing God do things I could never imagine

We all have unexpected circumstances in life. But I believe we can all live the impossible, even when life doesn’t go as planned.

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Book Review–Reclaiming Hope

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About the Book:

Book: Reclaiming Hope

Author: Carolyn Miller

Genre: Christian Contemporary Romance

Release date: December 7, 2021

Callie Steele might be a bit… focused on work, but despite what her employers say, she enjoys her well-ordered, productive life.

When she’s sent to meet the owners of an estate requiring post-hurricane landscaping, Callie meets their son, Kai Brody, a super-chilled pro surfer, who is as opposite from her as they come. Though initially smitten, Callie knows a relationship with Kai is a bad idea—a very bad idea.

Kai, however, can’t help but be intrigued by someone who challenges him to make something of his life again. He’s determined to pursue her, if she’ll give him half a chance.

The more time they spend together, negotiating the challenges of work, illness, and family, the more their opposing outlooks clash and connect. What do these unlikely friends really want from life?  Is it best to focus on work or recreation?

As Kai and Callie answers from the Lord, they also must consider if such complete opposites have enough in common to make a relationship last.

Reclaiming Hope concludes the Hooper Island stories of the Independence Islands Series featuring five islands, six authors, and a boatload of happily-ever-afters.

The Independence Islands Series: beach reads aren’t just for summer anymore.

My Thoughts:

I signed up for a review copy of Reclaiming Hope with a little trepidation. I have enjoyed most of the Independence Islands books that I have read, and I certainly enjoyed Regaining Mercy, but at the same time I don’t enjoy straight-up romance. Would this book be that, or would there be enough of a plot, otherwise, to make the book one I would enjoy?

I enjoyed seeing Callie figure out how to handle Kai’s overbearing, controlling mother. It got funny at times! I’ll have to admit, though, that I struggled with the focus on romance in Reclaiming Hope. There was a lot more that wasn’t romance in the last book I read by this author, so I was a bit disappointed with that, and with the detailed kisses. I did like, though, the process Kai went through as he figured out what his life should look like after he recovered from his broken leg. It was fun to read about these opposites; Kai needed someone to help him focus more on his future, and Callie needed to learn to enjoy life and not just focus on work all the time! As happens in real life, there were snags in the process, but he and Callie tried to work through them with God’s help.

I received a review copy of this book from the author, and these are my honest thoughts about it. Links may be affiliate links, which will benefit Esther’s website if purchases are made through them.

About the Author:

Carolyn Miller is an Australian author of inspirational romance, particularly that of the Regency era, and loves drawing readers into fictional worlds where flawed people can grow in faith, hope and love through stories that show the truth of God’s grace in our lives.

More from Carolyn:

For Reclaiming Hope, my next book in the Independence Islands series, I was thrilled to finally turn the spotlight onto Callie Steele, whose sassy attitude and words of wisdom in earlier books have made a mark on the other employees at Greener Gardens – and has already endeared her to readers who have been begging to read Callie’s story.

Callie needed a special someone who could help this hyper-organized checklist-loving woman see that there is more to life than meeting a deadline. Enter Kai Brody, a super-chilled and laidback surfer whose enviable travels around the world broaden Callie’s horizons, and watch sparks fly. I consider Reclaiming Hope to be one of my most humorous books yet, as these two trade banter as opposites who attract – but can they last?

And yet Reclaiming Hope isn’t merely froth and sea-foam, bigger questions concerning family, identity and whether God’s plans can be considered good when people are forced to live with the consequences of poor choices. I really enjoy writing fiction like this, fiction that is grounded in truth, with realistic, flawed characters who are on God journeys to find faith, freedom, and hope.

I’m so glad people are really enjoying my new contemporary books, where I can bring my love of gardens (& my horticulturalist hubby’s expertise!) to a new audience. Check out my website www.carolynmillerauthor.com to see what’s growing in my garden here in my corner of Australia.

If you enjoy stories of hope, heart and humor, then you’ll be sure to enjoy this novel about a workaholic and the broken surfer as together they find renewed hope for their hearts.

Happy reading!

Carolyn

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