A Tapestry of Secrets
Appalachian Blessings, Book 3
Bethany House
8/2/2016
ISBN-13: 9780764212277
This Decade-Spanning Novel of Family and Faith Will Delight
Now in her eighties, Perla Phillips has carried a secret since she was eighteen years old. When she sees her granddaughter, Ella, struggling for perfection, she decides to share her secret to show that God can use even the biggest mistakes for good. But before she can reveal what happened during that summer sixty years ago, she has a debilitating stroke.
Carrying a secret of her own, Ella arrives back in Wise, West Virgina, to help her aunt Sadie care for Perla. Both know the woman wanted to tell them something, but she's now locked in silence. Together they begin looking into the past, but they may learn more than they expected.
Will they have the courage to share their hearts? Or will the truth remain buried forever?
Appalachian Blessings, Book 3
Bethany House
8/2/2016
ISBN-13: 9780764212277
This Decade-Spanning Novel of Family and Faith Will Delight
Now in her eighties, Perla Phillips has carried a secret since she was eighteen years old. When she sees her granddaughter, Ella, struggling for perfection, she decides to share her secret to show that God can use even the biggest mistakes for good. But before she can reveal what happened during that summer sixty years ago, she has a debilitating stroke.
Carrying a secret of her own, Ella arrives back in Wise, West Virgina, to help her aunt Sadie care for Perla. Both know the woman wanted to tell them something, but she's now locked in silence. Together they begin looking into the past, but they may learn more than they expected.
Will they have the courage to share their hearts? Or will the truth remain buried forever?
My Review: I have loved every book in the Appalachian Blessings series, so far. They are poignant stories that reach down deep and touch your heart. While A Tapestry of Secrets took me longer to really get into than the other stories, I ended up loving it just as much!
I enjoyed catching up with Perla, Sadie, and the rest of the family. Perla plays a big part in Ella’s story, though she is silent through most of it. Ella is a wonderful character. I felt such a connection to her struggle to accept herself as worthy, beautiful, and forgiven. At the point in the story where she had three beaus, I had already chosen who I wanted her go for. Seth provided a strong, silent support for Ella, following God’s prompting in his relationship with her.
Sadie’s quest for her biological father provided a nice side story, and added to the importance of the message. Sometimes, in order to embrace what God has for your life, you have to let go of the past. Ella, Sadie, and Perla all struggle with this throughout the book. The verse that kind of brings home the point to me is found in Acts chapter 2: “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off – for all whom the Lord our God will call.”
Overall, while it took me several chapters to get hooked to this story, I was caught well and good once it happened. I recommend this sweet, soul stirring story.
*I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for my honest review.*
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, released August 2014 through Bethany House. Book #2, Until the Harvest, released May 2015. 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.
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.
