In Jane Kirkpatrick's newest novel we meet, Annie Shaw, who is a writer. She has had success and then failure. She is now writing again. Annie struggles with being humble. She wants fame in the worldly way. She thinks if she has fame she will have met her goal in life. She finds that simply isn't true. She is even wanting attention from none other than Oprah herself. So, on this journey of trying to create a best seller, Annie and her friends, dive into doing everything under the sun to find fame. We have the question before us, "What would you do to gain the fame you want so badly?"
I struggled with this book. I wanted to enjoy it. But I just couldn't get connected with the characters before me. It wasn't one of those reads that I just couldn't put down. As a writer waiting for my first book to be published I can walk away with the valuable lesson of I need to remain humble. I need to stay focused on the Lord and His will through my writing.
This novel takes us through the journey of, Annie Shaw, and those around her, as they search for that happiness factor. The thing is, they believe it can only be found in fame.
I must share, the ending has a sweet little twist and that made me smile as I closed the book. Sadly, the most valuable lesson is missing. Faith. I expected to see faith. I expected more, so I must say I am a bit let down from this selection.
This book was a gift from Zondervan for it's review.
Jane Kirkpatrick is the author of twenty books and is a two-time winner of the WILLA Literary Award. Her first novel, A Sweetness to the Soul, won the Western Heritage Wrangler Award, an honor given to writers such as Barbara Kingsolver and Larry McMurtry. For twenty-six years she "homesteaded" with her husband Jerry on a remote ranch in Eastern Oregon. She now lives with Jerry, and her two dogs and one cat on small acreage in Central Oregon while she savors the value of friendship over fame.
http://www.jkbooks.com/