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Beauty on the Backroads

Stories of grace for life's unexpected turns

deborah raney

Another moving family story: Review of Another Way Home by Deborah Raney

November 18, 2015

No matter what your family gatherings are like, take a break from all the upcoming holiday planning and preparations with the third book in Deborah Raney’s Chicory Inn series, Another Way Home. (Disclaimer: I received a free copy of the book through Litfuse Publicity Group in exchange for my review.)

another way homeThe Chicory Inn series centers on the Whitman family, parents Grant and Audrey who have turned their empty nest into a bed-and-breakfast, and the ongoing trials and triumphs of their children. Each book focuses on one of their grown children’s family and how as a family they rely on each other and their faith to endure the struggles of life. (Read more about the first two books here and here.)

Another Way Home highlights Danae and Dallas, who have been trying for years to get pregnant and are at the point of considering other options. It is straining their marriage, so Danae begins volunteering at a women’s shelter, infusing new passion into her life. Then Thanksgiving weekend brings Danae and Dallas an opportunity that brings them great joy and also potential heartache. As the family rallies around them, will they find God’s ways to be better than they expected?

Even though I have a family that is nothing like the Whitmans, I find the situations Raney writes about to be realistic and moving.  If you’re concerned that a series featuring a family will be “too perfect” then think again. The Whitman family has issues, and they care about each other. I love the interactions between siblings and couples and  the descriptions of the chaotic family gatherings when grandchildren are running around and playing.

It takes me home to my own family’s gatherings.

And each book’s end makes me look forward to the next in the series.

Each book is capable of being read on its own, but to get the complete family story, start at the beginning.

Learn more about Raney and her books here.

Filed Under: Fiction, The Weekly Read Tagged With: abingdon press fiction, another way home, chicory inn series, deborah raney, family dramas

What it looks like to follow a dream: Review of Two Roads Home by Deborah Raney

June 17, 2015

One strength of family sagas like this one by Deborah Raney is the chance to zoom in on one family within the family while still catching up with characters we met before. Two Roads Home shows us Corinne and Jesse Pennington, who are living the dream. Sort of. (Disclaimer: I received a free copy of the book through Litfuse Publicity Group in exchange for my review.)

two roads homeWith three girls and a beautiful house, Corinne is satisfied with her life as a stay-at-home mom, even as chaotic as it can be. Jesse has a good job that provides for his family, but he’s been harboring a dream and he’s afraid to tell his wife because it will mean drastic change. Then he’s hit with harassment charges by a co-worker with a grudge, and the Penningtons are forced to act to save their family and protect their daughters.

Meanwhile, parents Grant and Audrey Whitman face trials with the inn they’ve dreamed of operating. With an empty nest, they, too, are living a dream, but wrestle with maintaining a balance between work and family.

Two Roads Home is the second book in the Chicory Inn series. To read about the first story, Home to Chicory Lane, click here.

I know you’ll love the Whitman family with all their problems. Raney weaves real-life annoyances and major setbacks into these families’ lives making them all the more real. (I’m not personally a fan of the TV show Parenthood, but I think if you liked that show, you’d like these books and this family.)

This story in particular resonated in my life as the whole topic of dreams and major changes is one I’ve been thinking about. This quote stuck out:

There’s never a perfect time for change. Sometimes you just have to do it.

I look forward to the next installment of this family’s drama and I’m so glad to have finally discovered Raney’s writing.

Two Roads Home Deborah Raney 

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: chicory inn series, deborah raney, family dramas, family sagas, litfuse publicity group, parenthood

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Hi. I’m Lisa, and I’m glad you’re here. If we were meeting in real life, I’d offer you something to eat or drink while we sat on the porch letting the conversation wander as it does. That’s a little bit what this space is like. We talk about books and family and travel and food and running, whatever I might encounter in world. I’m looking for the beauty in the midst of it all, even the tough stuff. (You’ll find a lot of that here, too.) Thanks for stopping by. Stay as long as you like.

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Occasionally, I review books in exchange for a free copy. Opinions are my own and are not guaranteed positive simply due to the receipt of a free copy.

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