What can I say to describe this relatively small book now that I’m finished. From the author’s note at the beginning telling about all the heartbreaking events that were going on in her life when she wrote this book to the Epilogue it was a wonderful journey. It was one of her first books and it is amazing! When I started the first chapter I thought it was okay and maybe a little slow, but “Hey, this is one of her first books, so I’ll give her a pass because she’s an excellent writer and she had to start somewhere, right?” Well, don’t let the beginning of this book fool you. It is powerful, it is amazing, it is life changing, it is one of her best books!
Wilhelmina Brewster was forced to retire from her teaching position at Faith College. That was her whole life. She’d played the piano from childhood to retirement and she didn’t know how to do anything else. Literally, she had never had a life apart from the piano. While other kids were playing and going places and having fun, Wilhelmina was playing the piano. Now, her life as she has always known it, was over. She’s mad at God for letting this happen. Yes, she’s a Christian, yet she never fully knew how to truly live the abundant life that God promised.
Mike Dolan, a regular man, not educated like Wilhelmina, just down to earth and full of life, gets some bad news. His cancer is back. But even with that death sentence staring him in the face, he is still full of life and caring of others, and always wanting to do something fun. He’s not a Christian. Yet, his life is overflowing in joy and Wilhelmina’s life is stagnant. So, how can Wilhelmina tell him about Jesus?
These two meet and the story picks up and you’ll laugh, you’ll find yourself questioning your life, you’ll rejoice, you’ll cry, you’ll never be the same. One good quote from this book, “We have two choices, you and I; we can lose ourselves in despair or find ourselves in Christ.”
I can’t say anymore other than this book is worth reading. It’s worth sharing. It’s an amazing story of how God can take two people and change their lives so dramatically, and you can sit, read and watch the whole process as it unwinds. Even be able to see how past prayers can still be heard.
Our Summer Book Club will be discussing this book next week and I can’t wait to talk about it with everyone.
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Fly Away sounds like a delightful book. Glad you warned me about the beginning. I’m one of those readers that likes to be captured by the first paragraph. I have it in my list of “reads”. May I suggest a “must read” for you and your followers. RIVER to REDEMPTION by Ann H. Gabhart. She is a Christian author whose books are beautifully written. This one begins in 1833 in Kentucky during the cholera epidemic. During a time when those not stricken were fleeing the town Louis, a slave, stayed behind to nurse the sick and bury the dead. Adria, whose five year old life he saved, never forgot what he did for her. As an adult this story centers around her brave and gallant attempt to win his freedom.
I’m glad I warned you then. I like to be captivated right away too, but I’ve had many books start out slow and I stuck with them and they were great. Some…not so much:) River to Redemption is on my TBR list. We LOVE Ann Gabhart. Our old book club read some of her books and we even had a conference call with her at one of our meetings! It was wonderful! If you want to read a couple of interviews I did with Ann Gabhart, look under the heading “Author Interviews & Book Giveaways” or type her name in the search box. I did those back in 2013 and she had so much fun the first time (we did too), she offered to do it again and I took her up on it. We did a Christmas interview then. I loved getting to know more about her. She’s so, so nice.
She definitely is that!!! So very personable and unbelievably takes the time to comment on every message she receives. And to answer personal emails. She is a amazing time manager!!! Thank you for getting back to me. I will check out your book club’s interview with Ann. 😊