Book Review: Resurrection in May
May Seymour graduated from college with the world at her feet and no idea what to do with it. A mission trip to Rwanda brought her a sense of purpose in loving others. So when the genocide began she chose to remain in the village, which was subsequently slaughtered. Only May survived.
So, May journeyed to heal on the farm of Claudius Borne, a sweet, innocent old man who understood plants and animals far better than people.
Years later, having not stepped a foot off Claudius’ farm, May learns an old college flame, now a death-row inmate, is refusing to appeal his sentence. Can she convince him to grab hold of life once again? Their surprising friendship turns the tables, for the prisoner, Eli Campbell, has a deeper faith from which to draw than she. Eli slowly begins to pull May from her cloistered existence. With the help of Eli, their tiny town, and ultimately a renewal of faith, May comes to life once again.
My Review:
I jumped at the chance to read this book after attending a conference where Lisa Samson was the keynote speaker. She was simply amazing and I’ve wanted to read her books ever since. Resurrection in May was as captivating, stirring and heartwarming as Lisa’s keynote addresses.
At first, I wasn’t sure how to react to the author’s unique writing style and creative use of point of view. The main character, May, is first introduced through the eyes of an old bachelor farmer, Claudius. We see the world and the spunky May through his eyes for a good half of the book and only catch a little of May’s thoughts until a certain point.
For me, this made it hard to connect with May at all. I actually had several parts where I had to push myself to keep reading even though I liked all the secondary characters. I wanted to connect with May but couldn’t. That is, until Lisa’s brilliance in writing is revealed with the point of view switch and you are as connected to Claudius as May is. Then, we dive deep into May’s life as she struggles to overcome the wounds of her experience in Rwanda.
The exchanges between May and Eli are heart-wrenching and so real. While this certainly wasn’t a light-hearted novel, I still walked away with such hope and admiration of Lisa’s amazing writing. This story unfolds with memorable characters, surprising twists and turns and satisfying moments that testify to God’s grace.
A great read of redemption and hope. Highly recommended.
Disclosure: Thomas Nelson provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review, which is exactly what you’ll see here!
Read MoreOCW Conference, here I come!
The Oregon Christian Writers Conference in Canby, Ore., is just around the corner and it’s been a year-long wait for me. Immediately after last summer’s conference I began counting down for the next one. It is a time unlike any other and I love all the chances I have to learn from those so well versed in their craft.
This time last year, I had an unpolished, weak 70,000 word manuscript, no website or blog, and high expectations. Well, I still have high hopes, but a fresh new novel of 94,000 words and a weekly blog and website. Now I’m a bit more prepared!
Aside from top-notch speakers and workshops, OCW offers an in-depth coaching class with the most amazing teachers. I am excited to find inspiration, friendships and writing tips at this conference and will be blogging my lessons learned throughout.
For more information about OCW, visit their website. Next time I chat, it will be from the conference!
Read MoreReview: Sons of Thunder
Description
Sophie Frangos is torn between the love of two men and the promise that binds them all together. Markos Stavros loves Sophie from afar while battling his thirst for vengeance and his hunger for honor. Dino, his quiet and intelligent brother, simply wants to forget the horror that drove them from their Greek island home to start a new life in America. One of these “sons of thunder” offers a future she longs for, the other—the past she lost. From the sultry Chicago jazz clubs of the roaring twenties to the World War II battlefields of Europe to a final showdown in a Greek island village, they’ll discover betrayal, sacrifice and finally redemption. Most of all, when Sophie is forced to make her choice, she’ll learn that God honors the promises made by the Sons of Thunder.
My Review:
This was a book I’d had on my to-read list ever since it was released. I’d read book review after review raving about it, so needless to say, my expectations were high.
My findings? It lived up to every word.
Susan May Warren is a beautiful writer and her use of limited third person expertly allows you to get deep into her character’s head and see the world through his or her eyes.
From page one, action, chaos and trouble erupt and the rich descriptions allow the readers to tag along on this wild journey. From Greece to America and back, these character’s stories make you want to shout and cry at the same time. The characters make genuine mistakes and their weakness only makes them more real.
This isn’t the typical, light-hearted Christian historical romance. This really isn’t for the faint of heart. But despite the “edgy” content there is a subtle, strong message of hope and redemption that rings so clear by the last page.
This was one I couldn’t put down and finished in no time. I didn’t want the story to end and hope to see more of this sort of story from Susan May Warren – she’s struck gold!
Read MoreStory behind the Story: Diana Symons
A few years ago, I had been laid off from work and wasn’t sure what to do with myself. I started a novel, which sadly, I didn’t finish. Then one day, like a bolt from the sky, I realized that I had forgotten my best friend’s birthday – not by days or weeks, but by months! She never said anything! I was horrified and racked my brain trying to think of what I could do to make it up to her. I was broke so I had to be creative about it. I decided to write her fairytale. Then I hand bound it with jewels on the cover. It worked! But once that story was written, I realized that there were others lined up waiting to come out. Ten in all. Now I am finally getting them to print. Where the Jewels Are is the first one.
Thank you for stopping by, Diana! Check out her website here! Where the Jewels Are is available through Amazon!
Read MoreStory Behind the Story: Caitlin Muir
Caitlin Muir
Goodbye Mr. 7:45 was sparked by a game of “what if.” As a young and bored barista, I met many men at the coffee shop that I worked at. Some were good, some were horrible, and all of them had stories. Mr. 7:45 is based on a specific guy I had the hugest crush on but everything that happens in the story is purely fictional!
Like Bailey, I was quite smitten with my own Mr. 7:45. Yes, there really are people that predictable in the world. He came in every day at exactly 7:45 in the morning. He would order his drink and then chat with me while I made it. The regulars would smile and my coworkers would tease me. Not a terrible way to spend your morning.
Many of the regulars who appear in the novel are based on real people.
I worked in a community store, the regulars came in every day, ordering the same thing and many of them lingering to talk. Jane, one of my favorite customers, makes an appearance in the novel as well. She was the patron saint of our store, giving us candy on the holidays or whenever we needed cheer. Every morning she’d get a small coffee and mix up her cocoa with it. She’d sit in the corner with Jerri and Steve (I don’t think that’s his real name) and they’d talk about the way the neighborhood was going. Jerri always came in with her motorcycle or vw bug. Steve had a truck. One of them would sneak alcohol in, adding liquor to their early morning coffee on especially cold days. When Jane died unexpectedly, the whole store morned and customers brought flowers, candles, and cards.
I draw a lot from my personal experiences. Almost three years of my life was spent working as a barista so the ins and outs of espresso come naturally now. I love seeing people connect and linger over a cup of coffee. That’s one of the reasons I liked writing Mr. 7:45 so much. I could recreate the community on the page. The people Bailey encounters are people that I’ve met – only their caricatures. No one was quite so villianous or charming as in the book. Life isn’t as cut and dried as a novel. You don’t meet your true love in the first few pages or days of starting your new life. Relationships take a lot more time and effort. And yet, we all love love stories, even if we pretend to despise them.
Thanks for stopping by, Caitlin! Check out her wonderful blog on her website.
Asking “what if” is a great way to start a novel. Dream in technicolor. Ask the questions – “What if the charming stranger turned out to be who you thought was your true love? What if he wasn’t? What if your sister had a habit of stealing boyfriends? Would you ever be able to trust her?” Sometimes the answers are fun but like life, they are often messy. Sloppy. Full of emotions charged like live wires. But those are the stories that resonate. The almost true stories in life.
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