All Things Hidden

All Things Hidden by Tracie Peterson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Gwyn and her strong, steadfast father, a doctor, are the only medical personnel in their small, remote Alaskan valley and beyond. They were summoned to help with the colonization of 200 families in the Matanuska Valley which would bring relief to the American people and settlement to Alaska. The decision had been made by President Roosevelt on January 15 and the families would arrive by May. Gwyn feared change, due to her mother walking out on the family while she was still small, and had trouble trusting that God would meet her every need because of this. Her misgivings had a ring of truth to it - how could 200 families be sent to Alaska and enough food and shelter be in place within several months - before the long, grueling Alaskan winters hit?

Although many of the characters and happenings in the novel are fiction there are facts and historical details included. A wonderful book about trust, faith, loss, and the strength of pioneering families.

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Harbor of the Heart

Harbor of the Heart by Katherine Spencer
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

5th in the Angel Island series, Harbor of the Heart continues the storyline between inn owner Liza Martin and carpenter/EMT Daniel Merritt. With summer approaching Daniel is considering taking his board exams over to return to the medical field but it means a season away from Liza and the inn. Plus, it means facing and overcoming his old fears. Meanwhile as he and Liza consider the cost to their relationship, a small white sailboat flounders off the shore near the inn and the sailor is thrown into the churning water, nearly drowning - if not for Daniel's quick reactions, with Liza and Claire's help. Who is this sailor that reportedly has no family except for a huge friend named Edison?

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The Choice

The Choice by Robert Whitlow
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

1974 - Sandy Lincoln, honors student, had thought she was right on track for college next fall. She and her boyfriend, Brad, were going to attend the same college - he on a football scholarship and Sandy would try out for the cheerleading squad. But then, the nausea started and a visit to their family doctor confirmed that Sandy was pregnant. Sandy has several choices, and she narrows it down to living with her Aunt Linda in Atlanta and attending a high school there until she gives birth and chooses the prospective parents to raise her child. Fast forward 30+ years, Sandy is now a high school English teacher in the same hometown school she attended. When one of the students that she tutored in English becomes pregnant and seems to be railroaded into thinking there is only one option, Sandy steps in.

An inspirational book of hard choices and decisions...

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House of Secrets

The three Cooper sisters have hidden a secret for 15 years, since childhood. If such a secret was exposed, it could change their lives and their fathers - but the time has come for truths to be revealed.

Bailee, 27, has always been a mother hen to her two younger sisters Gina and Piper. She learned early as her mother suffered from depression and mental illness and her father worked constantly. She never learned to make friends since the family moved around the country often and her few playmates were frightened by her mother's outbursts. There were periods in her life that are fuzzy and Bailee is afraid to examine them more closely. When the Cooper sisters' father calls them to return to their childhood home, layers and layers of memories become clear, with frightening results. Can Bailee learn to free herself from guilt and learn to move forward without constant fear?

According to the author of the book, Tracie Peterson, the surgeon general and statistics say mental illness affects approximately one in five people. This book brings to light some of the issues that friends and families dealt with due to a loved one's illness.

Learning

Learning by Karen Kingsbury

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


The second book in the Bailey Flanigan series, Learning is an another inspirational read. Again, the series continues with the two main characters, Bailey and Cody, moving on and falling in love with others - but still thinking of what might have been. During the course of dancing on Broadway a tragic event happens and Bailey blames herself for not sharing her faith with a cast member. Cody continues the job of teaching his football team to be more of a family and they make great strides on the field. For Cody and Bailey, it is a season of learning.



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Promise Me

Promise Me by Richard Paul Evans

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


I always look forward to a new novel by Richard Paul Evans. Small and compact, they are like wrapped packages of candy - ready to be unwrapped & devoured! Past, present, and future all collide in the form of a mysterious man recently widowed Beth Cardall meets on Christmas Day at the local 7-Eleven. The secret he carries and the promise he makes will change Beth and her daughter's life forever.



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In Every Heartbeat

In Every Heartbeat by Kim Vogel Sawyer

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


The continuing story of Libby, Pete, and Bennett - three orphans and best friends now attending college at the University of Southern Missouri. Pete desires to be a minister, Libby - journalist, and Bennett want to join a fraternity and have fun. Will the events that take place while at college test their faith or strengthen it? Place holds on this book at my link text



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