Oftentimes we try hard to remove our past from memory, but in, "The Story Keeper", that is exactly where the greatest blessings are uncovered. Our past is a part of who we are and that is one of the greatest trials the main character faces on her journey to move forward. She has tried to wipe away all traces of her accent that could give way to where she really came from.
I love how Lisa combines two stories together, weaving the past and the present. The story flows quite easily. Yes, we go from modern times and travel back in time to Appalachia. A place that seems to be it's own story keeper.
Sometimes novels will hit me right from the first pages, others the journey begins slowly. This is what happened in my experience in reading this newest gem from Lisa. That doesn't mean the journey wasn't worth it. Time travel to another place and time is a wonderful gift to the reader. We meet characters in the present as they uncover those of the past. Those characters we are gifted to follow from the past give us a portrait of love, protection, and overcoming every kind of obstacle that wants nothing more than to stop us in our tracts.
These words caught my heart and stayed with me throughout the story: "The trick, Jennia Beth Gibbs, is to turn your face to the glory hours as they come. The saddest thing in life is to see them only as they flit away."
I truly enjoyed this novel. But, I've always admired Lisa's work and how she allows the reader to meet the characters and travel their journey with them.
I love how the main character, Jen, finds the manuscript of, "The Story Keeper". A mystery begins to unfold. Piece by piece we learn more about Jen as she uncovers more about Sarra, a character she is captivated with.
The men in this novel are strong and brave. They hold a special kind of character that most admire, but never quite encapsulate in themselves. This is definitely a novel you will absorb with every ounce of free time you can gather.
This novel was a gift from Tyndale for sharing my review with you.
Lisa Wingate is a magazine columnist, speaker, and the author of nineteen mainstream novels, including the national bestseller, Tending Roses, now in its eighteenth printing. She is a seven-time ACFW Carol award nominee, a Christy Award nominee, and a two-time Carol Award winner. Her novel, Blue Moon Bay, was a Booklist Top Ten of 2012 pick. Recently, the group Americans for More Civility, a kindness watchdog organization, selected Lisa along with Bill Ford, Camille Cosby, and six others, as recipients of the National Civies Award, which celebrates public figures who work to promote greater kindness and civility in American life. When not dreaming up stories, Lisa spends time on the road as a motivational speaker. Via internet, she shares with readers as far away as India, where her book, Tending Roses, has been used to promote women's literacy, and as close to home as Tulsa, Oklahoma, where the county library system has used Tending Roses to help volunteers teach adults to read.
Lisa lives on a ranch in Texas, where she spoils the livestock, raises boys, and teaches Sunday school to high school seniors. She was inspired to become a writer by a first grade teacher who said she expected to see Lisa's name in a magazine one day.
Lisa also entertained childhood dreams of being an Olympic gymnast and winning the National Finals Rodeo, but was stalled by the inability to do a back flip on the balance beam and parents who wouldn't finance a rodeo career. She was lucky enough to marry into a big family of cowboys and southern storytellers who would inspire any lover of tall tales and interesting, yet profound characters. She is a full time writer, and pens inspirational fiction for both the general Christian markets. Of all the things she loves about her job, she loves connecting with people, both real and imaginary, the most. More information about Lisa's novels can be found at www.Lisawingate.com.
