"Into the Free" by Julie Cantrell

Must Read -- Fantastic Book!

Into The Free by Julie Cantrell is an amazing read—WOW!  I loved this historical fiction book set in Mississippi about faith, gypsies, death, grief, domestic violence, rodeos and romance.  It is told from Millie’s perspective, a little girl searching for her identity, freedom and faith. 

The variety of characters in this book seem real and some I loved, some I didn’t.  My favorite characters were Millie, Sloth, Bump, Mr. Tucker and Mabel.  My least favorite person was Millie’s grandfather with her father and Mr. Miller close seconds.  Hard to really say who was worse.  Millie’s mother, Marie Reynolds, had a tough life but a strong Biblical foundation.  She loved her husband although he beat her on a regular basis, at one point leaving her for dead.  Millie’s mama turned to drugs to escape the pain which was very sad.  The whole book was pretty sad but it had enough funny parts and bright spots to not be depressing.  I actually cheered out loud for Millie when made the choice in the end that I hoped she would make.
 

It shows no matter how bad things may be, there is always hope.  It also portrays “Christians” in a realistic way, showing both good ones and bad ones.  Yes, some people are big hypocrites, but not all.  I liked the balance this book has along those lines and that everything is not always hunky-dory for believers.  A main theme in the book is that God brings people into our lives to help and encourage us along the way. 

Into the Free is an interesting read because it holds your interest on so many levels.  It’s both an emotional and thought provoking read.  I LOVED IT and look forward to the sequel to find out what happens with Millie next.  I highly recommend Into the Free as a great read that would be an excellent book club choice too.  It has thought-provoking questions at the end that would make for good discussion.(Karen's review)

Gerard says he's going to read this one too.

Thanks, Beaded Tail, for recommending this one to us!

Have you read this one? What did you think of it? If you reviewed this too, feel free to share your link to your review in the comments. Happy Reading!

We are donating 50 cents for each legitimate comment we receive on all our blogs during April to Paralyzed Veterans of America.

"Heaven is Here" by Stephanie Nielson

Heaven is Here by Stephanie Nielson tells the true story of an amazing recovery by Stephanie. She and her husband were in a Fiery plane crash. Stephanie was burned over 80% of her body! What she had to go through was remarkable, but with the help of her family, her faith in God and the love of her children, she made it all the way back! What an inspirational and amazing read this is!
(Gerard's review)

Have you read this one? What did you think of it? If you reviewed this too, feel free to share your link to your review in the comments. Happy Reading!

We are donating 50 cents for each legitimate comment we receive on all our blogs during April to Paralyzed Veterans of America.

"Wild" by Cheryl Strayed

I enjoyed WILD by Cheryl Strayed a lot; it was something unusual! After the death of her mom and a divorce from her husband, Cheryl decides to take a hike of 1100 miles on the Pacific Crest Trail! Cheryl tells the story very well; I got the feeling I was right there with her. The people she meets along the way add to an already good story. The ending, what she discovers about herself is the best part!

Have you read this one? What did you think of it? If you reviewed this too, feel free to share your link to your review in the comments. Happy Reading!

We are donating 50 cents for each legitimate comment we receive on all our blogs during April to Paralyzed Veterans of America.

"Land of Decoration" by Grace McCleen

The Land of Decoration by Grace McCleen is a wonderful story!  You will meet 10-yr.-old Judith McPherson who lives with her dad.  Judith makes up a "Land of Decoration," a promise land where things go as she wants them to.  As more and more bad things happen to her and her dad, she takes matters into her own hands and performs "miracles."

I enjoyed this book very much!  You will love Judith and I could identify with her being bullied.  I finished it in just two days.  I recommend it.
(Gerard's review)

Have you read this one? What did you think of it? If you reviewed this too, feel free to share your link to your review in the comments. Happy Reading!

We are donating 50 cents for each legitimate comment we receive on all our blogs during April to Paralyzed Veterans of America.

Tuesday Teasers: 4 This Week!

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should  Be Reading. Anyone can play along, so I thought  I  would play for fun! Just do the following

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on  that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away!   You don’t  want  to  ruin the  book for others!)
• Share the title and author, too, so that other TT participants can  add the book to their TBR  Lists  if they  like your teaser.   

Gerard's:

I asked God if it was my fault Mother died, and He said that it was. I knew that already though. I knew it every time Father was angry with me.

From page 250 of The Land of Decoration by Grace Cleen

It would be my luscious escape, if only for a brief time. There, I'd leave my troubles behind, I thought.
Instead, I only found more.

From page 37 of Wild--From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail by Cheryl Strayed.

Karen's:

"Why are all those dogs with you?" she shouted, instead of answering his question.
"Oh, I don't know," Henry said, lamely. He pounded his fist on the steering wheel and looked down at Edgar, scootched below the windows.

From page 427 of The Story of Edgar Sawtelle by David Wroblewski.

I climb higher in the sweet gum and hope the engineer will turn that train around and come back to get me. Take me away, to the place Sloth calls the free.

From page 15 of Into the Free by Julie Cantrell.

Happy Reading! We are donating 50 cents for each legitimate comment we receive on all our blogs during April to Paralyzed Veterans of America.