Waiting on Wednesday: Though Waters Roar by Lynn Austin

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

This week's pre-publication "can't-wait-to-read" selection is:

Though Waters Roar by Lynn Austin -- set to release on 9/1/09

Harriet Sherwood has always adored her grandmother. But when Harriet decides to follow in her footsteps to fight for social justice, she certainly never expected her efforts to land her in jail. Nor did she expect her childhood enemy and notorious school bully, Tommy O'Reilly, to be the arresting officer.

Languishing in a jail cell, Harriet has plenty of time to sift through the memories of the three generations of women who have preceded her. As each story emerges, the strength of her family--and their deep faith in the God of justice and righteousness--brings Harriet to the discovery of her own goals and motives for pursuing them.

Book Review: The Hope of Refuge by Cindy Woodsmall/5 Stars

About the book:

Raised in foster care and now the widowed mother of a little girl, Cara Moore struggles against poverty, fear, and a relentless stalker. When a trail of memories leads Cara and Lori out of New York City toward an Amish community, she follows every lead, eager for answers and a fresh start. She discovers that long-held secrets about her family history ripple beneath the surface of Dry Lake , Pennsylvania , and it’s no place for an outsider. But one Amish man, Ephraim Mast, dares to fulfill the command he believes that he received from God–“Be me to her”– despite how it threatens his way of life.

Completely opposite of the hard, untrusting Cara, Ephraim’s sister Deborah also finds her dreams crumbling when the man she has pledged to build a life with begins withdrawing from Deborah and his community, including his mother, Ada Stoltzfus. Can the run-down house that Ada envisions transforming unite them toward a common purpose–or push Mahlon away forever? While Ephraim is trying to do what he believes is right, will he be shunned and lose everything–including the guarded single mother who simply longs for a better life?

My thoughts:

Cindy Woodsmall has done it again! She's got a knack for writing a good Amish story that is different from anything else available on Christian bookstore shelves. Just like all of her other books, she has written a great story in The Hope of Refuge that will stay with me for days.

This book has probably one of the most believable storylines for Amish fiction that I've read in a long time. Cindy has created convincing characters with real flaws and real reactions to the circumstances that surround them. She also has great skill in being able to draw you into the lives of these characters, and it's like you are right there with them through the good and the bad.

What Ephraim did for Cara by taking her into his home took a lot of guts considering his commitment to the Amish lifestyle. He had to face some harsh treatment from his family and friends for obeying God's command for him to "be Me to her." I felt that the author hit the nail on the head by adding that small statement to this book, and it made me wonder how much we apply that to our daily lives.

Trust me, you will not be sorry if you get the opportunity to read this great book. As I said before, it's a book that will stay with you and have you thinking for days. I am already looking forward to the next one that Cindy has coming out...thankfully, I only have a couple of months to wait!

5 Stars

Southern?  No
Sass?  No
___________________________________

Some other info for ya...

New York Times bestselling author Cindy Woodsmall is on tour, and she may be coming to a city near you! Don’t miss your opportunity to meet Cindy and have her sign her newest title The Hope of Refuge at one of the following events.

Tuesday, August 11 7 – 8:30pm

Barnes & Noble

5141 Peachtree Parkway, The Forum
Norcross , Georgia 30092
(770) 209-4244

Wednesday, August 12 7 – 8pm

Barnes & Noble Opry Mills

515 Opry Mills Drive
Nashville, Tennessee 37214
(615) 514-5000

Thursday, August 13 6 – 8pm

Barnes & Noble

2540 Futura Pkwy. #135
Plainfield , Indiana 46168
(317) 838-7941

Friday, August 14 6 – 8pm

Barnes & Noble

1550 West 75th
Downers Grove , Illinois 60516
(630) 663-0181

Saturday, August 15 1 – 3pm

Baker Books

2768 East Paris Ave SE
Grand Rapids , Michigan 49546-6139
(616) 957-3110

Sunday, August 16 2 – 4pm

Barnes & Noble Booksellers

3700 Rivertown Parkway Ste. 2058
Grandville, Michigan 49418
(616) 531-1825

Monday, August 17 7 – 8:00pm

Barnes & Noble Booksellers

1739 Olentangy River Road
Columbus, Ohio 43212
(614) 298-9516

Tuesday, August 18 7– 8:30pm

Joseph Beth Booksellers

2705 E. Carson Street
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15203
(412) 381-3600

Wednesday, August 19 6 – 8pm

Hackman’s Bible Book Store

1341 Mickley Road
Whitehall, Pennsylvania 18052-4610
(610) 264-8600

Thursday, August 20 1 – 3pm

Rachel’s Country Store (Amish dry goods store)

6352 McClays Mill Road
Newburg, Pennsylvania 17240
(717) 530-9452

Can’t make the tour? You can still follow Cindy’s adventures on Youtube, Facebook, and Twitter. See you there!

One more thing....

Cindy was recently covered on ABC Nightline. If you'd like to see the video from that interview, go here.

Booking Through Thursday: Recent Serious Read

Here's this week's question:

What’s the most serious book you’ve read recently?

Answer:

I actually have 2--one non-fiction and one fiction.

The serious non-fiction read was called Stolen Innocence by Elissa Wall, and let me tell you just what an eye-opener that was. Up to this point, I'd only ever heard about the FLDS from what was told on the news and a handful of TV specials. Most of that is a little bit sugar-coated, and you don't really get the full picture of what life is like for women in particular. I was appalled at what Elissa had to endure on a constant basis, and amazed at what she has done since being able to flee her community.

The serious fiction read was The Veil by Diane Noble, and I have a review posted of it here. I read this one a few weeks after I had read Stolen Innocence simply because I wanted to read more about the history surrounding the Mormon church. This book was not overloaded with historical facts, but it definitely had a few pieces of information that were new to me. I would classify it as a serious read because it is based on the Mountain Meadows Massacre in the mid-1800's.

Book Review: Not Far From the Tree by Ruth Smith Meyer

This month, the CFRB is featuring Not Far From the Tree by Ruth Smith Meyer.

About the book:

Those who lived in the twentieth century saw more rapid changes than any previous century. Born at the beginning of this era, to a family that had already faced dramatic change and challenge, Rina seemed to come into the world with a zest for the revolution the 1900's would bring. Based on the story of a real person, the narrative alternates between the daily activities of a still spunky 99-year-old Rina and her vivid memories as she relives vignettes of her life. The impetuous and sometimes capricious nature of young Rina almost exasperates her parents Jake and Ellie.

When she is barely a grown woman, marriage to an imaginative and sometimes impractical dreamer husband, the arrival of babies, the great depression and life in general take over, moulding her into a strong woman not unlike her parents, proving the apple indeed does not fall far from the tree. The unbelievable twists in the lives of Rina and her beloved David will keep readers fascinated with the indomitable strength of the human spirit when there is a solid foundation of love and faith. Although this is a sequel to Not Easily Broken, it can readily stand on its own.

My thoughts:

Not Far From the Tree is a great book if you're looking for something a little different. It's based on a true story of a family with ten children (yep, you read that one right). Being a mother of so many is a calling that not many women have, but after the first few come along, Rina starts to get the hang of things and is a good example to learn from. What amazes me most about her is her patience. Obviously, raising 10 children could try anyone's patience, but on top of that, she has a husband who, while wonderful, really asks a lot of her. David is definitely a dreamer, and always has to try something new, particularly jobs. This forces the family to move as much as a military family would. Rina's patience is really put to the test when she sees some of the places they'll be living (I think I read it right when I saw "semi-trailer" somewhere along the way).

It is also encouraging to see how much Rina relies on the Lord to see her through trials and difficult circumstances. One of my favorite portions in the book tells the story of Rina being worried sick that there won't be enough money to feed the family until the next paycheck comes in. Rina takes her concerns to God, and depends on Him to see her family through. Not 2 minutes after she utters that prayer she gets an answer....actually 3 answers! My eyes welled up with tears after that because, even though I've never been that poor, I have had my faith shaken to the core that my only hope was that God would hear and answer my prayer. No doubt about it....He still does!

I truly hope that I'll be able to read the book that came before this one (Not Easily Broken) some day. If it's half as good as this one, I know that I won't be disappointed!

4 Stars

Southern?  No
Sass?  No

Check out these other member blogs this week for more info: