Eden Hill

Welcome to Eden Hill, Kentucky and spend some time in the early 60's when times were simpler and family values were the norm. For me, this was a trip down memory lane. I graduated from high school in 1966, so many of the things written were very familiar to me.  Being a baby boomer was the best of times and relationships were valuable and neighbors were neighborly. Even if you were not born in that era, this book has qualities that are enjoyable to read about. Especially: fried spam, Lux dish soap, Tang for breakfast, Kelvinator refrigerator, and the highlight of a woman's week-the beauty parlor and gossip!.

Virgil has the only service station in town and he has been happy doing just that, until, a new Zipco gas station intends to move across from Virgil's station. How will Virgil face this new obstacle not only in his business, his marriage but his self worth. The story has all that is wonderful about small towns in the 60's. No one is a stranger, everyone helps everyone, and all the quirky characters that make up a small town. There is an interesting Reverend Eugene Caudill who sees changes sweeping the town and how much to meddle in those changes. Every good story needs a old church member that complains about anything and everything!
This is a book full of interesting people and the plot is simple: how do you love your neighbor when everything you hold dear is threatened.

I will be honest about this book, I had a hard time getting into the plot and characters, but loved the time period and found myself reliving the past as I kept reading. With that said, time to go make a "tuna casserole".

Thanks to Tyndale Publishers for this free copy just for my honest opinion.
 http://files.tyndale.com/thpdata/FirstChapters/978-1-4964-1083-2.pdf

God Bless America..A Patriotic Coloring Book

It's not often that I get to review a coloring book, yes, an actual adult coloring book!!
I could not pass this up just to see how different this coloring book would be and I was very pleasantly surprised. It is not just a coloring book but a step back into history and  God's sovereignty over our nation.
One side of the page you can color but the other side shows quotes from our Founding Fathers, historic documents, presidents, Scripture, patriotic songs, and inspirational quotes from American heroes.
Remembering how coloring as a child would just quiet your soul and your creative juices would flow as you filled in the pictures.  This coloring book reminds us just how blessed we are to live in the USA and  how amazing our country is.
My favorite page is where General Norman Schwarzkopf's words were "It take a hero to be one of those who goes into battle". Having a daughter in the Army, this one was my favorite to tackle.
Slow down, quiet the noise, and express creativity as you color you way through history.

This copy was free from Blogging for Books just for my honest opinion

The Promise of Jesse Woods

There are authors that tell stories and there are authors that are storytellers. Chris Fabry is a storyteller that weaves a story into the deep crevices of your heart.  I have read each book he has written and that one is my favorite till the next book comes out and I have a new favorite book.
He has such a knack of involving the reader in the plot and you feel what the characters feel and you become engrossed in what is to come as the book evolves.

A lot Chris Fabry's books take place in a magical town of Dogwood, West Virginia where the times are simpler and life is slower. The setting is 1972, with the Vietnam War overseas and the World Series in the background, young Matt Plumley moves to Dogwood when his father moves there to pastor a small church .  Matt makes friends with Dickie Darrel Lee Hancock, a mixed race boy and Jesse Woods, a tough young Appalachian girl along with her sister Daisy Grace. What transpires when these three embark on finding their  way through many interesting trials, escapades, growing pains, first love, friendships, innocence lost, and just trying to make it through each day when  circumstances are tough.  Fast forward to 1984 and Matt is living in Chicago and suddenly needs to return to Dogwood and to Jesse to find out what the truth behind the promise she broke and why. You must read the book to know what the promise is. The plot goes between 1972 and 1984 which was a fascinating way to tell the story from past to present.

 Since I lived through that time period, it was fun to relive some of the things that the author threw into the story. This was another superbly crafted plot with believable characters set in a location where things were very different in 1972. You could laugh at their antics and cry at the heartbreaking things that happen in life especially when you are young. As Jesse Woods says "Maybe God lets us choose.  Maybe he lets the good and bad happen so we can work it all out ourselves" Please, do yourself a favor, and read this book, you will be amazed at how this story sticks with you long after the last page is turned.

Thanks to Tyndale Publishers for this free copy just for my honest opinion.