The Air We Breathe

Hanna watched her father die in a bank robbery and we kidnapped by the robbers, escaping two weeks afterward.  Molly Fisk has not been outside of the wax museum she and her mother run for three years.  Her mother has sacrificed everything to protect Molly but Molly only feels safe sharing who she is with the inanimate wax figures--until Claire.  Claire has lost everything--her children,  who died in a car accident that she takes responsibility for and her husband.   Each of these females have grief from their past that is keeping them from living a full life.  Molly hides away in the wax museum while Claire escapes through crossword puzzles. 

Honestly, I found each of these  "stories" that eventually intertwined very interesting and well written.  The thing I found frustrating is trying to keep everything straight. For the most part, the "stories" are written in two different years, 2002 and 2009 so perhaps I would find the jump in time from chapter to chapter confusing no matter the author.  Each chapter is written about one of the characters but I had to reread the beginning every time I put it down just to remember who each character was and that didn't stop even half way into the book.  The book does hold surprises and, while I have never read any other titles by award winning Christa Parrish, I would like to in order to see if this writing is typical for her. The Air We Breathe provides the reader with a fictional reminder that God places people in our lives at just the proper time, some for us to help and other that will help us through difficult times.

I did receive this book free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.  I was in no way obligated to leave a positive review.

Three Amish short stories in one volume

When Abram Fisher's parents are away for amonth and he is in charge of all the Fisher kinner (children), he has one opportunity after another to need the help of Fern Zook.  Married to the land, Abram has no need of a wife.  However, the attraction that begins to form between him and Fern leads him on a path he doesn't expect.

Hannah King runs a bed and breakfast, Paradise Inn.  When Stephen Esh chooses to leave his Ohio home and travel to Paradise, PA, he settles in at Paradise Inn uncertain how long he will stay or where life will lead him next.  There is definitely an immediate attraction between the two but memories of Stephen's past haunt him and he must deal with those before he can love again.

Eve Bender, at 38, is forced to move her family (including three teenage boys going through rumschpringe) back in with her parents when her home is damaged in a storm.  It has been 20 years since Eve has been under her mother's roof and there are some hard feelings between the two.  Although uncomfortable at first, this time together might be just the answer to healing.

Each of these short stories is set in Paradise, Pennsylvania but each is written by a different author.  Each was entertaining if predictable.  Because they were short, character development was brief.  However, each could be read in an hour or two which is sometimes refreshing.  Since most of the Christian Amish fiction seems to be written in series, it was sort of nice to be able to delve into these lives and not have to wait for another in the series to see what happens.

The book also includes a reading group guide with questions for book discussion groups as well as 45 Old Order Amish recipes you'll be sure to want to try.  I did receive this book free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.  I was in no way obligated to leave a positive review.  My thoughts--3 out of  5 stars.  Good read but not great.

God Gave Us Christmas

When Little Cub begins to question Mama Bear about the invention of Christmas, Mama Bear patiently and lovingly explains that it didn't come from Santa but from God.  Together, they look for God in the northern lights indicating that Jesus is the Light of the World, in an iceberg showing God's might, and in the sky showing that Jesus is the Morning Star.  Mama Bear also guides Little Cub's understanding that, while Santa reminds us of many good characteristics, it is Jesus that is the reason we have Christmas.

If you're looking for a book that is a children's version of Luke 2, this isn't it but I think the author, Lisa Bergren, does an excellent job reminding us to look for God in all of creation and what the true reason for Christmas is.  The illustrations are simple but colorful.  I would recommend this precious story for children ages 3 - 7.    For additional information on the author or to see other books she has written, visit http://waterbrookmultnomah.com/author-spotlight.php?authorid=75646.

I did receive this book free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.  I was in no way obligated to leave a positive review.

Another great story by Robin Lee Hatcher

Julie Grace moved to Wyoming years ago as a young bride.  Recently widowed, she finally feels free to run her cattle ranch the way she sees fit and to enjoy life as never before--free from an abusive husband or any man for that matter.

Hugh Brennan finds himself in Wyoming searching for his sisters he was separated from 18 years ago when they were declared orphans.  He longs to fulfill his dying mother's wishes to locate and take care of his sisters regardless of the time that has passed.  When Hugh shows up at Julie's ranch hungry and with a lame horse, Julie agrees to allow him to stay and work for her until he is able to move on.  When the welfare of Julie's ranch is threatened, Hugh agrees to stay on for a few weeks to help out.

Both Julie and Hugh have been betrayed by those who should have loved them so are wary of trusting others.  But both of them need the other.  While they can't change the past, will they each be able to forgive, move beyond this past hurt and pain into the joyful life God wants for them?

Betrayal: Where the Heart Lives is the second in the series, following Belonging.  While I typically will never begin a series without reading the first book, I did in this instance for the purpose of reviewing Betrayal. Having read it, I am anxious to go back and read Belonging (which focuses on Hugh's sister, Felicia) and look forward to Beloved,  the next book in the series.  I had no difficulty following the storyline of Betrayal as I was expecting.  Ms. Hatcher fills the reader in with details that are necessary to understanding the history behind the characters, making this an easy stand-alone story but I am certain others will feel as I do and want to read the entire series, if only to find the answers to questions left unanswered in this volume.  Ms. Hatcher also has a writing style that is easy to read and flows perfectly.

Simply put, as a lover of historical fiction, I loved this book.  The characters were interesting and multi-dimensional, adding to the story's appeal.   Their ability to move beyond their past and "betrayals" makes them so real and easy to identify with.  You won't want to put this one down.  It is a wonderful story of forgiveness and God taking something ugly and making something beautiful from it.

I did receive this book free from Zondervan Publishing in exchange for an honest review.  I was in no way obligated to leave a positive review.  To order directly from the publisher:  http://zondervan.com/9780310258094.