About the Book: Take This Journey of Broken Souls Restoredand Tentative Hearts Brought Fully to Life
When family tragedy derails Henry Phillips's college studies, he's left unmoored and feeling abandoned. The only things that can tamp down his grief are the family farm, his fiddle, and an unexpected friendship with sweet but unusual preteen Mayfair Hoffman.
Unfortunately, Mayfair's older sister, Margaret, despite her spray of freckles and cute, turned-up nose, has a completely different effect. His grandmother's helper, she's always around, ready to push his buttons, and it seems at first that she doesn't care about his troubles.
Henry soon realizes, though, that Margaret's facing her own struggles. Mayfair's health and unique gift sit at the heart of those worries. Henry and Margaret soon find themselves relying on each other as potential tragedy collides with growing hope in a warm story of family bonds and the surprising ways healing finds us all.
ISBN-13: 9780764212260
Publisher: Bethany House Publishers
Publication date: 5/5/2015
Pages: 304
My Review: Sarah Loudin Thomas is an excellent writer. She takes an ordinary story and makes it extraordinary. Until The Harvest is a story about Casewell and Perla's son, Henry. This is a story about healing in the midst of great tragedy. It is well thought out and written. I loved reading from both Margaret and Henry's point of view. I was intrigued by the story from beginning to end.
Henry's character resonated deeply with me. When tragedy happens in life, who do you turn to? Henry struggles to come to terms with his grief, making poor choices and hurting those he loves until he realizes that God is still in control and turns to Him for help and counsel. Margaret is dealing with a life time of hurt brought on by her family. Both Henry and Margaret struggle to figure out what true and lasting love is. With the help of Margaret's sister, Mayfair, the story does have a happy ending.
The message of the story, I think, is rooted in love. God's love for us is everlasting and eternal. He wants what's best for us, even when we don't know what that is and try to turn away or not trust Him. Mayfair helps each of the characters in the story realize that what they need is love. Not just love of each other, but eternal love that will last "until the harvest."
Overall, I enjoyed this book. If you haven't read Sarah Loudin Thomas before, I highly recommend her other two books, Appalachian Serenade and Miracle In A Dry Season.
Henry's character resonated deeply with me. When tragedy happens in life, who do you turn to? Henry struggles to come to terms with his grief, making poor choices and hurting those he loves until he realizes that God is still in control and turns to Him for help and counsel. Margaret is dealing with a life time of hurt brought on by her family. Both Henry and Margaret struggle to figure out what true and lasting love is. With the help of Margaret's sister, Mayfair, the story does have a happy ending.
The message of the story, I think, is rooted in love. God's love for us is everlasting and eternal. He wants what's best for us, even when we don't know what that is and try to turn away or not trust Him. Mayfair helps each of the characters in the story realize that what they need is love. Not just love of each other, but eternal love that will last "until the harvest."
Overall, I enjoyed this book. If you haven't read Sarah Loudin Thomas before, I highly recommend her other two books, Appalachian Serenade and Miracle In A Dry Season.
*I received a copy of this book from the publisher through the Bethany House Blogging program in exchange for my honest review.*
About the Author: Sarah Loudin Thomas grew up on a 100-acre farm in French Creek, WV, the seventh generation to live there. Her Christian fiction is set in West Virginia and celebrates the people, the land, and the heritage of Appalachia. Her first novel, Miracle in a Dry Season, releases August 2014 through Bethany House. Sarah is represented by Wendy Lawton of Books & Such Literary Agency.A graduate of Coastal Carolina University in Conway, SC, Sarah once dreamed of being a marine scientist. But her love for words won out and she has spent much of her career in public relations and marketing. She currently oversees fundraising and communications for a Christian children’s home in Black Mountain, NC.
Sarah and her husband Jim live in the mountains of Western North Carolina with Thistle–the canine equivalent to a personal trainer pushing them to hike, run, and throw sticks. Sarah is active in her local church and enjoys cooking and–you guessed it–reading.
What a great review! It makes me so happy when someone gets the message I hope the story communicates.
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