Student Saturday: Middle School: The Worst Years of My Life - James Patterson

Publisher:  Little, Brown and Company
Pages:  288
Genre:  Middle Grade, Realistic Fiction

Looking for a good book?  Well, when you finish reading this, pat yourself on the back because you just found an AMAZING and entertaining book to start and probably end that day.  Yes, 281 pages (yeah, that much entertainment) that you will finish in hopefully one or two class periods if there is time.  I'm not forgetting the teachers and adults, who are lucky enough to say they made it, and enjoy the middle school life of Rafe Khatchadorian.  Say it right you get a prize.  Not really (okay, I admit I even go myself excited) enough about how you'll love it, on to the details!

Middle Schoolers, you know what this is like...Adults are probably trying to forget those (at times) dreadful three years of the past.  Rafe Khatchadorian (cat-chu-door-ee-un) is one of you, yet creative, and imaginative, not like academic creative or imaginative.  He is in his own little way at times.  For instance, "dragon lady", his English teacher, Ms. dontanello.  yes to our friend Rafe she is dragon lady.  he also has the classic rfictional bully problem, he's Miller the killer.  don't even go thinking bad things about him in your head, just in case this dude has GPS and your address.  You read it righ, this dude looks like Popeye after a bucket full of beets.  Rafe's life does NOT usually go his way (more bad times than good), for example, think of your BEST idea ever going completely haywire.  That's his life explained in probably 10 words or less.  You'll also learn that he is a bad soda salesman, along with his talkative pal Leo, and like millions of kids in middle school, has a crush on a girl.  She is Jeanne, theprettiest human Rafe has ever seen.

Wow, I may have made you laugh a minute ago...Give me aminute I need to getmy laughs out from before...Wow you are missing SO much as I type!  get out of that chair or outta that desk and run to that library down the street! Or, ifyou don't want to get expelled, politely raise your hand and ask to go to that library at your school, where yous hould be about now if you listened.  If you really listened, you're halfway down main Street with the police on your tail.  Well?  Waht are you waiting for?  go ahead because Miller could eb tracking you down...Enjoy!

The House of the Wind - Titania Hardie

Publisher:  Washington Square Press

Pages:  480

Source:  I received a copy for review

Genre:  Adult general fiction

I have to say the writing was beautiful.  This author definitely has a way with words.  Although I enjoyed the story, which is actually told in two different time periods, I felt the story moved very slowly.  That did not stop me from continuing on my reading journey.

The story starts out in the 1300’s with a young girl held prisoner in her own home for refusing to enter the convent.  Instead she wants to marry a man she loves.  The times dictate she must do as her parents say.  On her last night of freedom she is walking in her garden when a violent wind wipes out her home and all within.  She is left alive and must flee with the man she loves.  Later on we meet Mia, a young girl who lives with her aunt and runs place where traveler stop to rest.

We then meet Maddie, a lawyer who is preparing for her fiance’s arrival in America.  He is a doctor in England.  As her mother and sister arrive she receives a phone call from her future mother-in-law.  Her beloved has been killed in an accident.  She goes back to work at her law firm.  She goes through the motions.  Her grandmother sends her to Italy to dig into her past in hopes that she will find herself.

The connection between Maddie and Mia becomes evident when Maddie travels to Italy.  The changes she makes in her life and in those she tried to help back home becomes evident as the story progresses.  I would recommend this book with the understanding that this is not a story with a quick pace.  However, it was one I had trouble putting down.

Student Saturday: City of Bones - Cassandra Clare

Publisher:  Margaret k. McElderry Books
Pages:  512
Genre:  Young Adult, Fantasy

Anyone who likes creepy, crazy books would like to read this book, because it kept me at the edge of my seat the whole time.

Clary is in Brooklyn most of the time in this book.  I loved this book because if I had a chance I would read it again.  My connection with this book is that it is kind of like Star Wars because one part of the book is exactly like Star Wars when princess Leia kisses Luke and the Father turns evil.

The "City of Bones" is a book about a girl named Clary and how she falls in love with a shadow hunter named Jace and it turns out that he is her brother.  She is a shadow hunter, her dad is evil and her mother is in a magical coma because her dad put her there.

Clary is a girl who is very confused about her emotions and has a strong will to protect her mother, and the people she loves the most.  This is a book you must read.  I recommend it to all of my friends.

Where the Willow Grows in Transylvania – Rosa Alexander and shELAH

Publisher:  Tate Publishing

Pages:  356

Source:  Review copy from publisher in exchange for an honest review

Genre:  Adult, Autobiographical Historical Fiction

From Publisher

"I do not want to hear another word about your "crazy" American Dream!"  Cruel, sarcastic words like these from Rosa Alexander's father during his frequent drunken rants often drove young Rosa to seek solace beneath her weeping willow tree.  One day however, Rosa's aunt Kalra visited from America, giving her hope and birthing Rosa's dream fro a brighter future.

In Where the Willow Grows in Transylvania, a historical novel coauthored with Shelah, Rosa shares how she clung to her "crazy" dream for years.  In 1985, she and her husband, Alan finally escaped the cruel eye of the Romanian communist regime but were forced to leave their children: Julia, 8; and Peter, 4 behind with Rosa's parents.  As Rosa struggled through enormous sorrow throughout an almost four-year battle to reunite her family, the love she and Alan shared and their quest for freedom sustained them.  Rosa's childhood dream eventually became a grown-up search for peace and a desperate yearning for her family to be reunited.  Ultimately, Rosa's search led her to not onlylisten for and hear God's voice but to also find her own.  Rosa's story reminds readers that dreams are not "crazy" and that with faith, dreams can come true.

My Thoughts: 

For those of us born into the American Dream it is often difficult to imagine what it was and is like for those who have not been so lucky.  Books like this one tug at our heart and our conscience and make us remember how lucky we are. 

I know very little about Transylvania and its history.  I know that it was the setting for Bram Stoker’s Dracula.   Since I had such little knowledge, this book became very engrossing.  Although it could have probably given more historical details, for me it had the effect of making me research some of the history.
I honestly have to say I love when a book causes me to do more research.

When eight-year-old Rosa meets her Aunt Klara, visiting from America, her dream of one day going to America is born.  For every thought she has of one day reaching her dream, someone comes along to squish it.  The first she must contend with is her father who is the town drunk and constantly abuses her both physically and mentally.  Rosa keeps her dream alive as she visits an island near her grandfather’s farm.  On this small island is a willow tree.  I thought this was cool since I've always loved the willow tree.  I found it a place of serenity where my cares would be whisked away.  I understood the importance of the tree to her.

Rosa grows up, marries, and realizes her dream to move to America.  Once again, her dream comes with challenges.  She must leave her children behind with their grandmother.  I can only imagine what her children went through.  I work with kids and know how cruel they can be.  I can only imagine the talk of the other children.  The teasing from the other children made them doubt their own parent’s love for them.

  

This is a very inspirational book.  It inspired me to take a look at my dreams and ask myself how important they are and what I am willing to do to reach them.  I don’t know if I could have made the decisions Rosa made concerning her children.  I do understand that without her making those decisions she would never had realized her dream.  This is a book that should be a must read for everyone.  If nothing else, it lets us remember how lucky we are to live in the land we live in.  

About the Author:

Rosa Alexander was born in a small village in the post war Transylvania region of Romania. Her humble beginning was typical of many in that region at the time, a struggle for food, living in a home with dirt floors and an unclear future. Rosa’s alcoholic and abusive father added to a turbulent childhood. From this harsh start to her life, Rosa has searched for happiness and developed a strong, determined character that has seen her through persecution by the Romanian Secret Police, political asylum in the USA, separation from her children and a return back to Eastern Europe to witness the fall of harsh oppressive regimes. Today, Rosa Alexander is an author and divides her time between the USA and Europe, writing inspirational and heart-warming stories about her life, experiences and how strength and hope can overcome even the toughest of life challenges.  She currently lives in Nashville with her husband.  Along with coauthoring Where the Willow Grows in Transylvania, ShELAH writes a weekly newspaper column, "Checkpoints."  Currently completing several other books, she hopes readers will sense God;s love reflected throughout the pages relating Rosa's struggles and triumphs

Mo Wren, Lost and Found - Tricia Springstubb

Publisher:  Balzer + Bray / Harper Colins

Pages:  256

Source:  Received a review copy from publisher

Genre:  Middle School, Realistic Fiction

From Publisher

The story continues in this eagerly awaited second installment

about eleven year old Mo Wren, her dad, and her little sister, Dottie (aka, the Wild Child). After

leaving cozy Fox Street, where she's lived her whole life, Mo finds her new home exactly what

she feared: different! East 213th Street is busy and unfriendly. Mo has trouble fitting in at her

new school. One thing after another goes wrong at the ramshackle restaurant her father bought,

and Shawn, the closest thing she has to a new friend, whispers that the place has a curse on it.

Only Dottie, with her new friends and pet lizard Handsome, is happy-and what does she know?

It's up to Mo to draw on her own courage and wits and help her family find its way home for

good.

My Thoughts

This was the second  o Wren book  The first on was called “What Happened on Fox Street”.  I loved the character of Mo.  With her mother dead, she has taken on a more adult role in the family.  She has always loved living on Fox Street so when her father moves them and decides to open a restaurant she is less than thrilled.  She finds friends in the most unlikely place, the Laundromat.  She realizes how good her friends are as they help with her father’s endeavor.  Dottie almost seemed too good to be true.  She seemed happy all the time.  She sends people from her place over to help Mo’s father.  Dottie has been hiding something by overcompensating with her happiness and outlook.  Mo’s little sister seems to fit in easily and Mo resents it.  What Mo doesn’t realize is how much her sister looks up to her and relies on her.  This is a story that everyone can relate to on some level.  This is a book I loved and a book I was thrilled to put on my school shelves.

About the author:

Tricia Springstubb has been a Headstart teacher and a children's librarian. She also writes fiction

for younger children, and is a book critic for the Cleveland Plain Dealer. The mother of three

grown daughters, Tricia lives with her husband in Cleveland, Ohio. She frequently visits schools,

libraries, and book clubs, and is available for free Skype visits with groups who have read her

books.

Voices of the Dead - Peter Leonard

Publisher:  The Story Plant (1/17/12)
Pages:  300 pages
Source:  Partners in Crime supplied an ebook in exchange for an honest review
Genre:  Suspense

Synopsis:
The year is 1971.  The place is Detroit.  Harry Levin a scrap metal dealer and Holocaust survivor, has just learned that his daughter was killed in a car accident.  Traveling to Washington, DC to claim the body, he learns that the accident was caused by a German diplomat who was driving drunk.  This is only the beginning of the horror for Harry, though, as he discovers that the diplomat will never face charges - he has already been released and granted immunity.  Enraged and aggrieved, Harry discovers the identity of his daughter's killer, follows him to Munich, and hunts him down.  What Harry finds out about the diplomat and his plans with explode his life and the lives of everyone around him.  Brimming with action and dark humor, Voices of the Dead, firmly positions Peter Leonard as a writer every suspense fan needs to read.

My Thoughts:

This was an absolutely wonderful book.  All of the characters are very well defined and  come to life so that you have a well rounded picture of all of the characters.  Traveling from the United States to Germany, and then back to the United states is not confusing for the reader.  The settings are so well laid out that you feel as if you are on a physical journey with the main character.  When Harry  was in Germany and the memories resurfaced,  of what happened to him the night his parents were killed, I felt like I was there with him.  I felt his anguish and survivor's guilt.  I've listed to survivors talk of their escape and what it was like.  I had the same feelings while reading this book as I had listening to those survivors tell their story.  When trouble followed Harry back to the United States I kept wondering why the  police couldn't put two and two together.  I realized in cases such as this that there are people savvy enough to get in and out of the country under an alias and commit crimes.  The research that had to have gone into this book would, in my opinion, made this a story that had to be told.  I commend the author.

I love thrillers and to have it bounce back and forth through memories or flashbacks to a historical period I love learning about, made it all the more interesting.  Although this was my first book by this author it will not be my last.  He definitely has my recommendations for his works.  I will proudly recommend this book to my friends.

Author Bio:
Peter Leonard's debut novel, Quiver, was published to international acclaim in 2008 (A spectacular debut...you will be holding your breath until the final page." - The New York Sun).  It was followed by Trust Me in 2009 (TRUST ME is fast, sly and full of twists." - Carl Hiaasen, New York Times bestselling author).  The Story Plant will publish Leonard's newest novel, ALL HE SAW WAS THE GIRL, in the spring of 2012.





Excerpt:
Hess found out the woman lived on P Street in Georgetown, not far from the consulate.  He told the ambassador he was having dinner with potential clients, and wanted to drive himself.  It was unorthodox, but plausible.  He had been issued one of the embassy's Mercedes sedans.  He stopped at a bookstore and bought a map of the area, and located P Street.  He drove there and saw the Goldman residence, a federal-style brick townhouse.

Hess went to a restaurant and had dinner and a couple drinks.  At ten o'clock he drove back, parked around the corner on 32nd Street between two other vehicles so the license plate was not visible to anyone driving by.  He walked to the Goldmans', stood next to a tree in front of the three-storey townhouse.  There were lights on the first floor.  He walked to the front door and rang the buzzer.  He could hear footsteps and voices inside.  A light over the door went on.  Hess stood in the open so whoever it was would see he was well dressed.  The door opened, a man standing there, assumed he was Dr. Mitchell Goldman, dark hair, big nose, mid-forties, top of the shirt unbuttoned, exposing a gold chain and a five-pointed star.  Hess smiled.  "My car is on the fritz.  May I use your phone to call a tow truck?"

Dr. Goldman stared at him with concern.

"I am staying just down the street at the consulate," Hess said, smiling.  Now the door opened and he stepped into the elegant foyer, chandelier overhead, marble floor.

"Mitch, who is it?" a woman said from a big open room to his right.

Dr. Goldman looked in her direction.  "Guy's having car trouble, wants to use the phone."

"It's ten o'clock at night."

"He'll just be a minute," the dentist said.

Hess could see the woman sitting on a couch, watching television.

"The phone's in here." The dentist started to move.

Hess drew the Luger from the pocket of his suit jacket, and aimed it at Goldman.

The dentist put his hands up.  "Whoa. Easy."

"Who is in the house?"

"Just the two of us."

"Are you expecting anyone?"

He shook his head.

"Tell her to come in here,"  Hess said.

"What do you want?  You want money?"  He took his wallet out and handed it to him.  "There's eight hundred dollars in there."

"Call her,"  Hess said.

"Hon, come here, will you?"

"I'm watching 'All in the Family.' Can you wait till the commercial?"

Hess could hear people laughing on the television.

"Just for a minute," the dentist said.

Hess saw her stand up and step around a low table in front of the couch, moving across the room, still looking back at the television.  She turned her head as she entered the foyer and saw him holding the gun.  Her hair looked darker in the dim light but he had only seen her briefly that day.

"Oh-my-god," she said, hands going up to her face.

"We're reasonable people," the dentist said.  "Tell us what you want."

"The pleasure of your company," Hess said.  "Where is the cellar?"


Author Sites:
Website:  http://peterleonardbooks.com/
The Story Plant:
Website:  www.thestoryplant.com

Student Saturday: Notes From the Midnight Driver - Jordan Sonnenblick

Publisher: Scholastic
Pages:  265
Genre:  Young Adult, Realistic Fiction

Reviewer:  Madelynn

Alex, a 16 year old boy (with no license) wakes up in the middle of the night and had a great idea, not really!  His idea was to go and DRIVE to his dad's house and yell at him for cheating on his mom with his third grade teacher.  Well Alex didn't make it very far after drinking half a bottle of the vodka his dad left at his mom's house.  The furthest he made it was his neighbor's yard into their lawn gnome.  Alex goes to court after that.  He has to go to a nursing home EVERY week and see a grumpy, cruel, old man, Sol Lewis aka Mr. Lewis or Sol.  Sol teaches Alex to play guitar, GOOD! Then Laurie Alex's "Gothic" friend, (which Sol thinks Alex and her are "married") goes to visit Sol and he turns nicer and nicer by the minutes.  Will Laurie and Alex end up having stronger emotions for each other?  Will Alex's parents end up getting back together?  Will sol's life end after getting really sick?  Who knows what other mysteries will happen in the wonderful book!

I would recommend this book to anybody who likes good action, and great mysteries.  I thought this book is one of the best books I have ever read, (trust me I have read LOTS of books).  I have read many books and seen many movies on drunk drivers.  They usually don't end up far from their house in the end, BUT they usually end up killing a person or themselves.  Alex was very lucky.

Wonderful Birthday Gifts

Tomorrow, January 25th will be my granddaughter Haylee's 6th birthday.  She is a book addict like me.  She has a collection of over 300 books between her house, my house and her other grandmother's house.  In addition to the other gifts we purchased for her I am giving her 4 books.  I received these books for review so I thought it only proper to write the review today so that you will see what wonderful books are out there and will be able to pick them up for your child or grandchild.

Jonah's Whale by Eileen Spinelli and Illustrated by Giuliano Ferri
Publisher:  Eerdmans Books for Young Readers
Pages:  32

Eileen Spinelli and her husband Jerry Spinelli have written some of my favorite books to share with children.  Okay, so they are some of MY favorites.  This one is another favorite.  Jonah's Whale is the retelling of the Biblical story with a twist.  It is told from the Whale's perspective.  The whale is happy living and playing in the ocean.  One day a storm come up and he sees a boat.  A man in the boat is telling the other men to throw him into the water to stop the storm.  God speaks to the whale and tells him to save the man.  This is such a great lesson to talk about with  your young one.  If God expects obedience from the animals then we need to obey God as well.  The illustrations are so gorgeous that they could each be framed and hung.  This is one that I will enjoy sharing with my granddaughter.  Because I like it so much I'm purchasing a copy to keep here on my shelves for all of my grandchildren to share.

Lucky by Craig Inglis and Illustrated by Richard Kinsey
Publisher:  CreateSpace
Pages:  36

The story starts off with a man waking up.  From the picture we see him smiling from his bed and waving to the sun, who waves back.  He is a happy man but feels something is missing from his life.  He decides to get a dog.  He checks several places and finally finds the dog he wants.  They have a great time together.  One day the dog gets away from him and runs in front of a car.  He is hurt.  The doctor saves his life but he loses a leg.  He has to learn to do the tricks the man taught him all over again.  The man lets him know that no matter what he is still the same to him and he still loves him just as much.  This is such a simple story to teach kids about disabilities and how just because someone with a disability can't do things the same way you can, doesn't mean they are not a great person to get to know.  Wonderful book.   Fun and whimsical illustrations.

The Carrot King by Sally O. Lee
Publisher:  CreateSpace
Pages:  38

A young boy finds himself king when his parents die.  He is so young and all he wants to do is play.  One day he decides to go outside to look for rocks.  He sees a poor boy, whose clothes are all ripped.  He's never seen a boy like him.  He pulls out a carrot, his favorite food, and the young boy asks him for a bite.  He share the carrot with the boy and then is invited to the poor boy's home.  The young king is welcomed and invited to eat dinner with them.  Later he invites them to come to his house for dinner.  They do and become very close friends.  This is a wonderful way to teach kids that no matter where you are in life that people are still the same and need friends.  I enjoy reading and review Sally's books.  They are simple  and convey such wonderful messages.  They open up conversations with children in ways you may not have thought.  Her illustrations, created by her, are wonderfully simple like her messages.  This is another one of her books that I whole-heartedly recommend.

Ann's Amazing Adventure by Jeanetta Brancaccio  and Illustrated by Sara Petrous
Publisher:  Self-Published
Pages:  52

I really enjoyed this book.  In the back the author states that this book came about because of an event in their life.  Their daughter had a doll that was lost and twenty some years later they found the doll at an antique sale and purchased it for the granddaughter.  The story is about the adventures the doll had while she was lost.  Ann was the property of a little girl named Nancy.  Nancy loved Ann very much.  While on a trip they family stopped at a rest area and Ann fell out of the car.  The family didn't know this and kept driving.  Ann waited until dark and wished on a star.  A car stopped and she suddenly found herself in the mouth of a dog.  The dog's owner was a little girl named Julia.  Ann was taken home with Julia, cleaned and placed on a shelf.  She was taken care of but never felt the same love she'd felt from Ann.  By chance when Julia grew up, Ann found herself in a flea market where she an Julia were reunited.  I loved this book.  First because even at age 53 I still have a soft spot in my heart for dolls.  I make clothes for my granddaughter's dolls now.  I play dolls with her.  One of my favorite parts of the book was when the dolls were being packed away to go to the flea market.  Ann helped all of the other dolls with their fears. Such great lessons in such a simple, yet wonderful book.  I can't wait to read it to my granddaughter after she unwraps it.  It came with a bookmark and I will be able to give that to my granddaughter.  It will be her first bookmark.

I am looking forward to tomorrow.  Any day I can share a book with my grandkids is a wonderful day.

The Magi - Kevin M. Turner

Publisher: CreateSpace
Pages:  432
Source:  Copy received from author in exchange for my honest review
Genre:  Middle Grade/Young Adult Fantasy

From Goodreads:
Thirteen-year-old Elijah Hawk has never heard of the Magi. He doesn't know about the secret power they have. He has never been to Savenridge, the Magi city hidden deep inside the northern forests. Most of all, Elijah is unaware of the dangers hunting him, in search for something he has. After one terrifying night, however, all of that changes! 

On a quest to solve the murder of his parents, Elijah stumbles upon the land of the Magi. Learning their secrets and training with their power is the least of his problems. In order to find out why his parents were killed, Elijah learns that he must confront the dangers that are hunting him. What's more terrifying is learning that stumbling upon this new world of the Magi may not have been an accident after all.


My Thoughts:
Kevin Turner is an extremely accomplished writer.  When I started out reading The Magi I was drawn to the fact that Elijah Hawk reminded me of Harry Potter.  Harry's parents were killed by his enemy and Harry didn't understand at first that he was special and there was a "plan" for his life.  Such is the life of Elijah Hawk. He awakes with a feeling that something in his house is wrong and he needs to get out, escape.  He does so and runs into his father in the yard.  His dad tells him to run and to know that there is a plan.  That is the last time he sees any of his family alive.  Elijah is sent to live with his uncle until his uncle is "supposedly" arrested, and the creepy detective who originally questioned him about his parent's and sister's death comes for him.  He is delivered to Saint Phillip's Academy in Canada.  He is befriended by Roddick, one of his teachers.  Essentially he is rescued from there, along with his roommate Samuel.  They are taken to Savenridge where a group of Magi live.  Elijah fits right in.  He learns that the Maliphists are after him.  Now all he needs to do is stay alive and find out why they want him dead.


I'm not sure I could really tell you how much I enjoyed this book.  I enjoyed it enough to write the name and author on the board at school and told all of my students that if they had an e-reader they needed to purchase this book.  If they didn't own an e-reader they needed to order the book as soon as possible.  This is going to be one of those books that is hard to wait for the sequels.  


Kevin Turner is someone I admire for several reasons.  Like me, he is a middle school English teacher.  I am a published author.  I know we should never compare our writing to another and I won't.  We write different genres.  However, I am striving to create the type of story and voice that flows as well as Kevin's.  His writing is pure magic.  I was there in Savenridge  with Elijah.  I was in the Maliphist's prison with Elijah.  I could visualize the characters and the landscape.  I could feel the power.  The most intriguing part was the science.  When Elijah began to study the elements I realized I'd never really thought about the properties of water and how it reacted.  It was a refreshing story to read and one I will tell everyone about.

About the Author:
The Magi is Kevin’s first novel, but he has been writing since he could hold a pen. He is in the middle of the next installment of The Magi Series. Kevin is a middle school English teacher and a professor of philosophy and education. He currently lives in California with his wife and daughter and two dogs.



Where you can find him:

Twitter: http://twitter.com/themagiseries
Facebook: http://facebook.com/themagiseries
Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/kevinmturner
His blog: http://themagiseriers.blogspot.com

The Wounded Heart - Adina Senft

Publisher:  FaithWords

Pages:  320

Source:  Unsure if I purchased, won it, or received it for review.  Either way the review is my own honest opinion.

Genre:  Amish, Romance

This must truly be my most unorganized year to date.  I was re-organizing items in folders on my desktop and found this review.  The reason this is so sad is because  when I went back to see if I had posted it on my blog, I realized I had not posted the review before I did my giveaway in November.  I keep finding reviews I’ve hand written or have gotten shoved into other folders on my school laptop.  So I present you with a review of a wonderful book that I read way back in October or November. 

One thing I really enjoy about Amish books is that they usually have something to do with cooking or quilting.  Quilting has been bringing people together for years.  That thread alone will be enough to tie you to this novel.  We find characters we can relate to in many ways.  Amelia Beiler is a widow who is trying to hold her life and family together.  When she starts having some tingling and numbness in her hand and arm she is forced to check with a doctor.  After checking with a third doctor where they all agree she has multiple sclerosis she has several things to consider.  She considers selling her husband’s business, yet that is what is keeping them fed.  She has no money to pay for the expensive treatment.  To add to her frustration Eli would like to start courting her.  She has to ask if it would be fair to him because of her disease.  She is joined in this story by her friends  Emma and Carrie who have problems of their own.  Quilting brings the three together where they can talk and help each other heal.  This is an excellent book.  It is actually the first I have read by this author.  It will definitely not be the last.  My mother has already asked me to find other books by the author.  She enjoyed the fact that like all Christians, their human side was allowed to show when there were occasions that faith was questioned.  I hate reading a book where everything seems perfect in the Christian’s life.  That is unrealistic.  This book rang true and is one I would definitely recommend to anyone who loves Amish Fiction.  This is the first book in a trilogy and that is another reason to read this book, there are two others to follow.