Early this year I blogged about the first two books in the “Sisters of the Quilt” series by Cindy Woodsmall. We gave away some copies and I waited, keeping an eye on when the final book in the trilogy would be released. When it debuted I read it and came away with mixed feelings.
On the positive side, the book deserves its place on the New York Times Bestsellers list, as it is well-written–far above much of the fiction that is available. The book’s characters are refreshingly genuine. And this is not a cookie-cutter Amish book in any form; much of it does not even involve those who live the Old Order lifestyle.
On the downside, without giving anything away, the ending felt somewhat forced. I was disappointed, even though I could see it coming. Part of this may stem from my own cynical outlook on one of the story’s themes. Perhaps most readers would not have tolerated any other ending. So, if you are going to read fiction, read stuff with the depth and honesty of Cindy Woodsmall. I also appreciated that she is a veteran homeschool mom with the courage to tackle some explosive topics in her books instead of leaving it a mindless easy ride.
The YLCF is giving away two copies of Cindy Woodsmall’s new book When the Soul Mends! To be entered in the drawing, comment with a way you have/are going to encourage and bless someone in a special way for Christmas. This is only open to readers aged 16 or older who live in the United States.
Note: Please include email or website address–some Blogger profiles are set to private and just commenting while logged in does not give us any way to reach you. Every drawing we’ve had, I’ve had to toss out names who had given no contact info.
The contest closes at midnight on December 15.
There have been some difficult circumstances in my family throughout the past months. My Mom has been especially impacted, and I felt as though the Lord was nudging me to do something special for her. When I was wandering through a craft store one day, I noticed a bin of wooden “words.” Each little carved word was about two inches high and less than six inches long, spelling out “Love,” “Joy,” “Hope” or “Peace.” I bought four of each, with an idea
in mind.
Over the next few weeks, I painted a set of four words for each season… shades of blue with snowflakes for winter, fall colors with leaves for autumn, pale green with flowers for spring, and light blue with sun, waves, a sandcastle and a palm tree for summer! One evening, another nudge came – perhaps I should give her one of the words right away. Hmmm… there were 16 days until Christmas…. And 16 little wooden words in all…
I think Mom and I have both been blessed. We’re grateful to see that we have a faithful God who cares for us through each season of life, one day at a time.
My family and I are going to bake goodies (or other special gifts) and put them in our neighbor’s mailbox, each day until Christmas.
Thank you for the book give away, Natalie… I’m always happy to get a good read.
)
The women’s group in our church is putting together Goodie Baskets for needy families in our community. We did these at Thanks Giving, as well, and it turned out wonderfully.
~Kristy @ Homemakers Cottage