Dignity and Grace

By

Alison Ragsdale

Dignity and Grace.....what a perfect title for this amazing book!  There are so many feelings going through my heart as I gather my thoughts about this poignant story of a young 11 year old girl who loses her mother to a devastating disease.  A mother she's connected to through love,  the power of music and the cello.   I loved the character of Iona from the very beginning of the book.  She grabbed my heart and didn't let go.  The turmoil and struggles she experiences after the loss of her mom, tore my heart open.  The excruciating pain of losing her mother and also losing her desire of playing the cello.  ""It makes me sad, but when I start to play, the music brings so much with it." She said."The weight of the cello, the smell of the rosin, the feel of the strings."  She tapped her fingertips together. "It's just Mum.  All of it.""  Passages like this brought tears to my eyes.  So many tears. 

The way Ms. Ragsdale wove the story together was so unique.  When Iona turns 21 she receives a letter from her father whom she's avoided since her mother's death.  A letter her mother, Grace, wrote specifically for her.  This puts Iona on a path to search for answers surrounding her mother's last days with her and why she made the choices she did.  It's a painful and difficult journey.  One in which I felt I was traveling with Iona as she walked through each new twist and shocking surprise.  ".....her overriding hope was that with each stop she might learn something about that priceless week she'd missed out on with her mother."  

The supporting characters in the book are no less endearing.  They complimented the journey Iona was taking in a perfect way.  They supported her and were there for her with love, advice and compassion.    Each one guiding and encouraging her to the next step in her journey.  They, too, are written in depth and I felt I knew them well.  

Alison Ragsdale's stories are so deeply emotional and written with such intricate attention to details. The story is never rushed but every word is built upon the ones before to create a passionately moving story between the covers of the book.   I have read other books by Ms. Ragsdale and each one has touched me in ways I never knew a book would.  Dignity and Grace is no exception.  I have just finished this one and my emotions are raw and exposed in a most Alison Ragsdale way.   She has the ability to trancend words on a page and craft a story that I become completely immersed in.  From the beginning prologue my heart was captured.   

I not only emotionally read this book as Iona searched for answers, I also experienced a visit to the vistas of Scotland through the vivid descriptions Ms. Ragsdale interspersed throughout the pages. Again, the attention to details is exceptional.  In my mind I could vividly see the settings of each scene with a clarity as if I were actually there.  I "lived" this book with Iona.  A story of "Dignity and Grace" and the journey to discover the meaning of it.  

I want to sincerely thank  Ms. Ragsdale for the honor and privilege of reading this emotional journey I took in  this fantastic book.  It truly touched my heart.  All opinions and thoughts in this review are my heartfelt own.

A Teacher's Prayer

By

Tammy Mentzer Brown

John 15:16 "You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit-fruit that will last-and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you."

This is more than a book about a young girl who's life is changed when her father is tragically killed. It's an outpouring of gratitude to a loving God and the people He placed in her life as she grew up. This is the story of the author.

When Tammy's father is killed, her life takes a turn from the loving, secure and caring home he had provided to a tumultuous and often abusive childhood that her alcoholic mother seemed unable to change. This is the story of a young girl who is exposed to so much a child shouldn't have to endure. Early in her life she's invited to VBS, an escape from the house for a few hours, and where God reveals Himself to her. Life is still difficult but through it all, God places the people in her life to bring her through. Ms. Brown graciously and heart wrenchingly shares her story through words of grace and love. Her gratitude for those people God used in her life makes my heart warm. People might not realize the difference they make in another person's life, but God uses them to guide and provide. She shares so many situations that these people carried her through. This story is from an author's grateful heart. "......sometimes friends come and go in our lives, but we should always give thanks to God for them. How each person we encounter has a special purpose for entering our lives at that time, whether it is a lesson for them to learn or one for us. Someone, maybe even both, will benefit from the relationship."

There are passages that broke my heart. There are passages that made my heart soar with hers. The story is such an inspiration and what a testimony to the loving God she serves. There is power in prayer and a God who is there no matter what the situation and circumstances. I especially liked the scripture verses Ms. Brown quoted at the end of each chapter. They are the foundation of what the chapter was about. The promises that God kept as she shares her testimony.

I am so honored to have the privilege to read this inspirational story of hope, grace and love. The grace of God is awesome and this story is truly one that touched my heart. Thank you, Tammy Mentzer Brown!

Departed: David and Sara

By

Tess Thompson
What I really love about reading a series is that I get so invested in the characters. I have LOVED reading the Cliffside Bay series so very much. Each book has focused on a couple with challenges and obstacles that seemed to be too large to overcome but true love conquers all. This series has characters who are like family to each other and have become a fictional family to me. They all pull together to bring each couple through the fires and make them stronger together. "Departed" is the last book in the series and it's about David and Sara. Two people, who have endured unthinkable tragedies, finding themselves drawn to each other in spite of their initial dislike of the other. "We have all the worst stuff in common, but maybe we can help each other because of it."

I have been drawn to the main characters, David and Sara from the prior novels. Their story is one that had me hoping against hope for them to find a way through their pasts and self protection to open their hearts for a future with each other. Ms. Thompson has a way she puts sizzle and sparks between the characters and I couldn't stop reading. From the way Sara and David's lives are brought together to the development of their relationship....I was in it with them. I fell in love with these people and felt like I was part of the "family" as they worked through the circumstances they were in. The co-characters were woven into the story beautifully. Ms. Thompson brings each of the former couples into this book and blends them all into one final novel that is so wonderfully fulfilling. I loved each and every one.

There were so many lines in the book that reveal the talent of Tess Thompson in her writing. Some of my favorite ones are these:

"We're made to love, not hate. Take it from me, holding on to the past means you can't live in the present."
"A masterpiece in motion. The perfect design in a living woman. No matter how hard he tried, God's creations would always beat the ones of his own imagination."
"But the one thing I've always known is that family matters more than anything else. We're family here, some by blood and others by heart."

Ms. Thompson writes with heartfelt passion. Every single character is filled with emotions and stories that pull at my heart. The emotions are there from the amazing way Tess Thompson creates word stories in her books. Stories that draw you in and make you feel a part of them. The setting of Cliffside Bay is a seaside community I long to visit and spend time in. I had this exact honor by reading this incredible series. I want to thank Ms. Thompson and I have sincerely enjoyed being in Cliffside Bay with these wonderful characters. What a great escape! All thoughts and opinions in this review are my heartfelt own.