Stories of grace for life's unexpected turns
If you think Jesus would have come into your home that day and not issued a strong rebuke to the head of household, you are mistaken. These words of condemnation have been haunting me for days now. They aren’t all that different than the soundtrack I play in my head on an almost-daily basis. It’s…
I am nesting. On Saturday I emptied the refrigerator. Last summer’s homemade pickles in their jars. The bread ends that seem to multiply on every shelf. The eggs. The milk. The fruit and veggies. All of it sat on the floor or the counter as I carefully removed the shelves and wiped them down with…
I’ve heard that life is like a highway. And it definitely seems like that sometimes. The pace of life swirls around me at dizzying speeds. We’re all so busy. In such a hurry. Always somewhere to be, something else to do. I’m a get-to-the-point, get-there-quick kind of girl. I don’t like to waste time on…
I’ve never read a book by Anita Higman before, but now I’m sorry I haven’t. (Disclaimer: I received a free digial copy of Winter in Full Bloom from River North Publishers in exchange for my review and blog tour participation with Litfuse Publicity Group.) I loved, loved, loved this book, the story of Lily Winter, a recently widowed empty-nester who learns she has an identical twin sister who might live in Melbourne, Australia. Lily, who is afraid of flying, travels to Melbourne with few clues to how she’ll find her sister and plenty of self-doubt. Lily is firmly entrenched in a winter of the soul and what she finds in Melbourne sets her on a journey toward spring.
Higman works words to their full potential, describing feelings and events with such vivid word pictures that I found myself nodding in agreement. “Yes, it’s just like that,” I said to myself.
Like Lily’s description of her relationship with her mother:
I tried to batten down the hatches of my emotions, but I’d been born too flimsy to stand up to my mother’s hurricane-force blows.
And her mother’s use of language:
Why do you always have to pick the most potent spice in the rack when a little salt will do?
Metaphors in writing can come across as overused and tired, but Higman’s were neither. They’re fresh and imaginative, and I’d love to read more.
The characters are memorable, and I felt as if I’d traveled with Lily to Melbourne and back on this adventure.
Here’s the official summary:
Lily Winter’s wings are folded so tightly around her daughter that when empty nest arrives, she feels she can no longer fly. But Lily’s lonely, widowed life changes in a heartbeat when she goes to visit a woman who is almost a stranger to her—a woman who also happens to be her mother. During their fiery reunion, her mother reveals a dark family secret that she’d been hiding for decades—Lily has an identical twin sister who was put up for adoption when they were just babies.
Without looking back, Lily—with her fear of flying—boards a jumbo jet and embarks on a quest to find her sister which leads half way around the world to Melbourne, Australia. Befriended by imprudent Ausie, he might prove to be the key to finding her sister. But her journey becomes a circle that leads her back home to attempt a family reunion and to find the one dream she no longer imagined possible-the chance to fall in love again.
Purchase the Book: http://ow.ly/nIIcx
Meet Anita: Best-selling and award-winning author, Anita Higman, has over thirty books published (several coauthored) for adults and children. She’s been a Barnes & Noble “Author of the Month” for Houston and has a BA degree, combining speech communication, psychology, and art. Anita loves good movies, exotic teas, and brunch with her friends.
Connect with Anita at: www.anitahigman.com
Anita Higman‘s latest novel, Winter in Full Bloom, has just released. She’s teamed up with her publisher, River North Fiction, for a fun giveaway and a Facebook Author Chat Party on August 29th. — That’s today!!
Join the party here.
Late last year, Waterbrook Multnomah offered some New Year’s guest blog style devotionals based on books by their authors. One of those was from Greater by Steven Furtick. I liked what he had to say, and my husband has been listening to his sermons, off and on, for a few months. So, when given the chance to read the whole book, I took it. (Disclaimer: I received a free copy of Greater from Waterbrook Multnomah’s Blogging for Books program in exchange for my review.)
As I began the book, I was skeptical. Furtick’s idea is that God has a vision for our lives and most of us aren’t fulfilling it, for whatever reason. Busy life. Apathy. Doubt. And the path to discovering this vision, and living it out, sounded almost too easy.
But I’m glad I stuck with it because the entirety of the book is not an easy four-step plan to spiritual fulfillment. It’s an encouraging look at the life of Elisha, the prophet, through ups and downs, and how we all have the potential to do something greater for God (not necessarily “great” as we might define it.) And sometimes greater is staying put. Furtick doesn’t offer a one-size-fits-all solution. He lays out principles and questions to ask ourselves about the life we’re living.
After reading it, I’m eager to re-read the stories of Elisha in the Bible and further contemplate the questions Furtick raises in the book.
The book includes questions for group discussion, and Waterbrook Multnomah offers a DVD and participant’s guide for group study as well.
Worth it. Especially in an age when people wonder if this is all there is to life, to Christianity, to the church. Reading Greater can be the spark that ignites more purposeful living.
Here’s a sneak peek from Furtick.