The Story Keeper by Lisa Wingate

Jen Gibbs, an editor at a publishing house in New York City, goes on the hunt for the elusive author of a story that mysteriously appears on her desk. The hunt takes her to within a few miles of her hometown in the Blue Ridge Mountains. There she finds the author, Evan and meets up with the past she has been avoiding ever since she left home. The manuscript is the story of Rand and Sarra who traveled in these same mountains in the 1800s. Both stories, similar in theme, keep the reader enthralled enough to not want to put this book down until the last delicious paragraph is finished and then there is still the desire for more.

This is by far the best book I've read of Lisa Wingate's. She keeps getting better and better. This story seems like her masterpiece so if the next one is even better -- WOW! I loved both story lines in this book and the characters are rich in the culture of the Blue Ridge Mountains. I feel like I know a little more about this part of our country now and some of the issues the people there are dealing with (poverty, isolation, etc.) This is arguably the best book I've read all summer if not all year and I read a LOT of books. I truly cannot wait to see what comes next from this author.

I was provided a copy of this book by Tyndale for the purpose of reviewing it and I am thrilled to have the opportunity!

Miracle in a Dry Season by Sarah Loudin Thomas

This story is set in the early 1950s in West Virginia farm country. It is the story of Casewell Phillips, a local man who is a woodworker and musician and devout Christian and Perla Long and her little daughter Sadie, who come to stay with relatives and forge a new life for themselves. It is a story of long-held bitterness and forgiveness. It is a story of drought and renewing rain. It is a story of religious zeal and Christian charity. It is a story of redemption. Many of the other characters in the story have a story of their own and this adds to the richness of the story telling here.

The book is well written and keeps the reader captivated throughout. I read it in less than a day because I wanted to know what happened next. This author needs to be heard from again! I was a bit dubious about a couple of points of doctrine but overall the book told a tale that was consistent with the period and setting.

For a refreshing new voice in Christian fiction and a cozy read I recommend this book to all. I received a copy of this book from Bethany House in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions and comments are my own.