ReviewsByErin

Three years ago when tragedy took the life of their 12-year-old daughter, Libby closed her heart to her husband Greg. Now she's decided that she's going to leave him when he returns from his annual trek into Quetico Provencial Park. The only problem with the plan is that Greg is a few days late returning from his wilderness journey. More than grief or worry, Libby is furious that whether by choice or by accident Greg has found a way to get out of their marriage before she did.

As she goes through the motions of filing a missing person's report and talking with authorities on both sides of the border, Libby weighs various scenarios. She can't picture her faithful-to-a-fault husband deciding to drive away from their home and vanish without a trace, but the distance has grown so far between them that it's not something she can automatically discount.

When Libby, her best friend, and her father-in-law decide they must go to Quetico themselves and retrace the voyageur route Greg had planned, they don't know what they will find, or if they will find anything at all. Libby doesn't know if she even wants to find Greg or what she'll say if she ever sees him again. But she knows this is a trip she has to make before she can move forward one way or another.

The depth of this book left me at a loss for words. Cynthia Ruchti writes with beautiful and lyrical maturity as she delves into loss, uncertainty, and pain in the human soul. I had no idea how this book would end, but the more I read the more I could not put it down. Thoroughly captivated, thoroughly touched. Cynthia is a can't-miss author in my estimation, with both her fiction and non-fiction. Highly recommended.

2015 held so many good reads that I am allowing myself 10 books spread over the categories below. Such a good reading year! Click on any title to read my full review.

Historical Fiction



A Sparrow in Terezin by Kristy Cambron

Set in Prague, London, and the Terezin concentration camp, this stirring World War II tale brings us the story of a young woman rising to the occasion to bring hope to the darkest of days. Captivating and inspiring.




The Curiosity Keeper by Sarah Ladd

Camille Iverness has known much unkindness in her life, but never more than when her London father disowns her. With a determined spirit that would rival Jane Eyre, Camille wants to stand on her own while yet learning the healing and beauty that comes with safe community.




With Every Letter by Sarah Sundin

Although this book was published a few years ago, it was new to me in 2015. It's a North African World War II version of "You've Got Mail" or "The Shop Around the Corner" - in other words, lots of great things combined into one! Instant favorite.


Young Adult Fiction



The Golden Braid by Melanie Dickerson

Rapunzel has always been one of my favorite fairy tale characters, and this much-anticipated retelling by Melanie Dickerson brought us lovely characters and a storyline that held true to the original tale while adding new twists along the way.


Speculative Fiction



The Methuselah Project by Rick Barry

When Roger Greene's plane is shot down over Germany in 1943, his Nazi captors force him to become part of a scientific project. As a result, Roger ceases to age. When he is finally able to escape the underground bunker more than 70 years later, Roger must adapt to the changes in the world and try to prove his identity.


Contemporary Fiction



The Art of Losing Yourself by Katie Ganshert

Two sisters, raised by the same dysfunctional, drug-addicted mother. One becomes a perfectionist and the other a rebel. When they are thrown together and forced to forge a relationship, both will be changed for the better.


Non-Fiction



Tattered and Mended by Cynthia Ruchti

Cynthia Ruchti invites us to look straight into our tattered souls and ask the Master Craftsman, our Heavenly Father, to restore us in similar ways that human craftsmen restore priceless treasures and antiques. This is a book infused with hope and healing for all of our weary spirits.




The Finishing School by Valerie Woerner

There are a lot of things that we learn in life, but sometimes applying lessons and character traits can be a harder thing to grasp. Valerie Woerner shares her journey of living out what she's learned, and makes this a book that would benefit many young women.


Classic Literature



A Girl of the Limberlost by Gene Stratton-Porter

I was introduced to this book by my grandmother when I was about 10 years old, and rereading it this year was such a delight. The heroine, Elnora, is everything that is beautiful and virtuous while still being real and relatable.


Novella



Three Little Words by Melissa Tagg

We first get introduced to Melissa Tagg's fictional town of Maple Valley, Iowa, in this short and sweet story. Tomboy Ava keeps running into closed doors as she pursues her dream, but when she connects with an old writing rival she may finally find a place to fit in and be at home.

Rich. If I could only use one word to describe Cynthia Ruchti's new novel, that is what it would be. Rich like triple chocolate cake. Rich like a long soak in a hot bath. Rich like faith which has gone through the fire and come out stronger on the other side.

Emmalyn's world was shattered when her husband's bad decision landed him a 5-year prison sentence, and again when he asked her not to contact him while he was serving his time. Now less than a year remains until he is released, and Emmalyn isn't sure he will still want to be married when he gets out. Knowing she can no longer live with all the broken dreams that came first with her infertility and then with Max's incarceration, Emmalyn sets off for Max's hunting cabin on remote Madeline Island, Wisconsin, hoping for a fresh start.

While Emmalyn is dismayed to find the hunting cabin not in livable condition upon her arrival, she finds a temporary home at The Wild Iris Inn and Cafe. The owner is a unique and stunningly insightful individual with the name of Boozie Unfortunate, who is a great help in pointing Emmalyn towards people who can help with the restoration of the cottage. Is it too much to hope that on this small island she could also find restoration for her soul and spirit?

Emmalyn's tentative journey to hope is beautifully chronicled. This is a book that draws you in and sinks into your mental pores like a soft, soaking rain. While not all of us have experienced the exact losses that Emmalyn has gone through, I think we can all relate to times in our lives when we've faced sorrows and great uncertainty. Add in unexpected delays and some of those crazy twists that life has a way of throwing in, and you have the makings of of a story that rings true to life. I won't spoil the treasures that Emmalyn finds throughout the pages of this novel, but I can share her sentiment - and mine! - from this quote on page 154: "Life could be enormously disappointing and still be good."

I received my copy of this book from LitFuse Publicity in exchange for this honest review. All opinions are my own.



Can a marriage survive when separated by hundreds of miles and impenetrable prison walls? Find out in Cynthia Ruchti's new book, As Waters Gone By. Emmalyn and Max Ross may have to endure the fight of their lives to mend the tattered fabric of their marriage. His actions ensured she could never be a mother and put him in prison, giving their relationship a court-mandated five-year time-out.

Cynthia is celebrating the release of As Waters Gone By by giving away a summer of fun to one lucky reader!


One grand prize winner will receive:

• A $100 cash card to put toward your trip to Madeline Island (discover the beauty of the setting of As Waters Gone By) or your summer vacation destination


• A book-club set (10 copies of As Waters Gone By and a downloadable starter kit) so you can start your own summer book club

Enter today by clicking the icon below. But hurry, the giveaway ends on June 10th. The winner will be announced June 11th on Cynthia's blog.


Plus, now through mid-July, sign up for Cynthia's mailing list for a five-day virtual tour around Madeline Island for the chance to win a Hemmed in Hope prize pack. Each day begins with an email from Cynthia that introduces where you'll be “visiting” that day (all key places from As Waters Gone By) with various interactive elements, including “I wish you were here” postcards, trivia quizzes, and an ongoing Island scavenger hunt. The person who interacts the most will win a Hemmed in Hope prize pack (valued at more than $200). That includes:

• The letterpress block Hope sign from DaySpring


• A set of 6 Hemmed in Hope notecards showing a hope-themed Bible verse


• A leather “I can’t unravel, I’m hemmed in hope” journal


• Signed copies of each of Cynthia’s books, fiction and non-fiction

Set in San Francisco in the early 1900's, this book captures both the personal journeys of its characters as well as the big earthquake that nearly destroyed the city in 1906. I'd never read anything set around that particular historical event, and that uniqueness was what drew me to the story. I didn't expect to also find interesting medical information from that time period, which was an added bonus to this history lover.

Abby Fischer is a headstrong 19-year-old who was raised in the California countryside, helping her father with their family orchard. When Abby's older sister Cecelia begins losing her battle with leukemia, the family will do whatever it takes to get her treatment, including reaching out to a second cousin who is involved in experimental X-ray treatments for the disease. Abby won't accept Cousin Gerald's diagnosis that it's too late to help Cecelia, and the whole family is uprooted to San Francisco in order to give Cecelia as much of a fighting chance as they can give her.

I had trouble liking Abby right from the start. There's a difference between not wanting to hear a "no" answer, and insisting that "no" is not an answer at all, even when it's for the best. Abby also liked to lash out verbally when she was upset, and even becomes physically violent at one point. I spend a lot of time around teenagers, as I have teenage siblings and I work as a teacher of junior high and high school students, and none of them display the immaturity that Abby was prone to. Considering this was set nearly 110 years ago, you'd expect people to be more mature instead of less so. Everyone has their weaknesses, but this stubborn lack of self-control was frustrating to me.

Another main character was Dr. Robert King, assistant of Cousin Gerald, who oversees Cecelia's treatments. He is enamored by Abby immediately, and begins to feel guilty for using Cecelia as part of very experimental research.

When the earthquake brings the city to its knees, Abby and her family must find a way to survive the loss of their home and the fires that are raging throughout San Francisco. Her heart already very hardened towards God, will Abby learn to see His care and protection even in great tragedy?

This is the first novel I have read by this author, and I kept being distracted by her writing style. She was skimpy on possessive adjectives, leaving me feeling like sentences were missing needed words. Here's an example from page 239: "Abby wrapped arms around the woman's shoulders, squeezing. 'You did it!' Her heart thudded. Abby wiped her forehead with sleeve cuff and looked into Robert's face." Whose arms and whose sleeve cuff is she referring to? This sounds more like a rough draft than a polished, edited novel .

Although the characters and their situations did not move me, I will say that this novel delivered on the historical aspect, and that part held my interest all the way through. I wouldn't be opposed to reading future works by this author to see if they were more my style.

I received my copy of the book from LitFuse Publicity in exchange for this honest review. All opinions are my own.


Don't miss the debut book, Out of the Ruins, in Karen Barnett's new series, The Golden Gate Chronicles. Set against the backdrop of early 20th century San Francisco, Out of the Ruins will remind readers that no matter who we are or what we’ve done, God is still as close to us as our next breath.

Karen is celebrating with a fun giveaway and Facebook author chat party.


One winner will receive:

• A Kindle Fire HDX


• Out of the Ruins by Karen Barnett

Enter today by clicking one of the icons below. But hurry, the giveaway ends on June 19th. Winner will be announced at the Out of the Ruins Facebook author chat party on June 19th. Connect with Karen for an evening of fun book chat, games, and prizes. Karen will also be answering audience questions and giving an exclusive look at the next book in The Golden Gate Chronicles series!

Don't miss a moment of the fun; RSVP today. Tell your friends via FACEBOOK or TWITTER and increase your chances of winning. Hope to see you on the 19th!

The idea of this book grabbed me right away. People make choices every day that impact the lives of other, whether positively or negatively. A lot of things happen so that innocent people are left dealing with pain and consequences that should never have been theirs. No one is immune to this. I hinted at some of my own struggles in this recent book review. Cynthia Ruchti blesses the readers of this book with the Hope that can be found even in these dark circumstances. It might indeed be ragged, or even just a thread. But Hope is there.

This book wasn't what I expected, but at the same time it was so much more. Each chapter is barely longer than a daily devotional, and conveys a personal story of someone facing the fallout of another's actions. Whether it is the grandparents raising grandkids because the parents removed themselves from the picture, the women whose lives are shattered by the addictions of their spouse, the adult who is still feeling inferior because their parents neglected them as children, the loved ones of those who have chosen to end their own lives, or many other scenarios presented, each story is heart-rending. The author does an excellent job relaying genuine pain and grief in a few words, as well as sharing how those in each situation chose hope, forgiveness, and healing no matter how hard it was. The chapters close with a Reflections segment, giving the reader a chance to recognize in their own minds how the thoughts presented might fit into a situation they are facing today, and some important lines about how you can reach out to those who are in the specific circumstance detailed in that chapter.

This book is an incredible personal resource for wise counsel, and one that church libraries would be smart to get onto their shelves. The more I read these pages, the more the gentle rain of hope soaked into my own heart. Dealing with fallout from other people's choices is terrifically difficult. But with God's help, may we like Biblical Joseph be able to say that others may have intended their actions for evil, but God "meant it unto good."

I know God meant for me to read this book at this particular time. This is a subject I've been dealing with a lot recently. My sincerest thanks to LitFuse for providing me a copy for review. All opinions here are my own. Enter below to a chance to read this book for yourself, chat with the author at a Facebook party (I plan on attending!), and win a Visa gift card. May God bless all of us on our healing journeys.


Cynthia Ruchti is celebrating the release of Ragged Hope: Surviving the Fallout of Other People’s Choices (Abingdon Press) with a $200 Visa Cash Card "Hope" Giveaway and Facebook Party!





One winner will receive:

• A $200 Visa Cash Card


• Ragged Hope by Cynthia Ruchti

Enter today by clicking one of the icons below. But hurry, the giveaway ends on July 31st. Winner will be announced at the "Ragged Hope Author Chat Part on August 1st. Connect with Cynthia for an evening of encouragement, laughter, and more! Cynthia will also share an exclusive look at her next project and give away books and other fun prizes throughout the evening.

Don't miss a moment of the fun; RSVP today. Hope to see you on the 1st!