Redemption's Hope
[d-w13084]

5 of 5 Stars I am a writer, but writing reviews has always been a challenge for me. In this case, I was so moved by the story when I finished it that I had to take some time to process. Then I read a review that was so beautifully crafted and all my thoughts paled in comparison, so I took another step back.

My cardinal rule is to always read a series in order, but in this case it wasn’t possible. On the rare occasion when I break this rule, sometimes I feel lost in the story, like I’ve dropped into the middle of something, and it’s unsettling and often annoying. This was definitely not the case here. The story completely stood on its own.

This story contains beautifully crafted characters and is chock-full of deep spiritual truths. I love history and the criss-crossing of the country by the two main characters fascinated me. Small spoiler alert—I expected them to find one another in the culminating scene at the end of the story. But Kathy Bailey had a much better idea. When it happened before I expected it, it was a stunning delight. But there were many more mountains to climb, and more lessons layered in, and the payoff was that much sweeter.

Jenny’s journey touched me the most. Her story was so tragic, her feelings of inadequacy and worthlessness so deeply entrenched. There were many times when I ached to put my arms around her and say, “Oh sweet girl, Jesus paid it all. ALL. He is worthy in your place.”

And the love story—there were so many layers to it, not the least of which was the cultural divide with so many parallels to modern life. What I loved most is how Jenny and White Bear fought for each other, even if it cost them a chance at happiness. I won’t spoil it for you—you’ll have to read for yourself to see if they survived the storms.

If you've never read this specific genre—like I hadn’t—take the leap. For me, because it was so well written, it transcended my usual preferences and experiences. I can’t wait to go back and read the rest of the series.