I thought this was a really good book. It’s heartwarming but kinda sad at times. I read it in one day, it was hard to put down. Definitely recommend!
Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the early copy

Letters from My Sister by Valerie Fraser Luesse
Publication Date: August 15, 2023, by Revell
Genres: Historical Fiction, Historical, Christian Historical Fiction, Women’s Christian Fiction
5 Stars!


Valerie Fraser Luesse, bestselling author, totally impressed this reader with her writing skills. Flipping through the pages of this novel feels like gazing through a constantly shifting kaleidoscope of wonder. This captivating narrative radiates a blend of southern charm, cryptic allure, palpable suspense, and heartfelt romance!

If you are a devotee of Christian historical romance fiction, seize the opportunity to immerse yourself in this remarkable, five-star book -- its pages hold a journey you will not want to miss.

Swiftly, I found myself deeply engaged with the multifaceted, endearing characters and the intricacies of the narrative.

The echoes of Letters from My Sister will continue to resonate within my heart. I honestly believe God placed this novel in my hands at exactly the right time and truly helped me with something deep I was going through.

There is one caution I need to share. In the Bible, a seer is another name for a prophet. Is the gift of prophecy still in existence? Seers are mentioned in this book. I found myself being extremely cautious and praying my way through these. The author carefully and genuinely shares the details regarding this term and the gifts. We must be incredibly careful, as the author does, to always give God glory for all wisdom and gifts He gives us. Additionally, we are to pray about anything and everything anyone shares with us as we remain faithful and obedient to God.

Letters from My Sister is an irresistible journey of riveting, perpetual page turning.

I received an eArc of Letters from My Sister from its publisher Revell via NetGalley. I am not required to write a positive review nor am I paid to do so. The words above are my honest review of this compellingly beautiful book.

I didn’t realize this book was more historical fiction so I had a hard time getting into it. The characters I couldn’t connect with and the sisters were just ok. I’ll give it 3 stars for effort. Thanks to NetGalley for this early release in exchange for my early review. To be published August 2023.

I wanted to really love this one if for no other reason other than I live in Alabama :)
This just lacked something that I cant put my finger on. It was just OK.
I usually like any story involving Sisters but this was not something I was ever excited to pick up.
All opinions are my own.
I want to thank NetGalley and the Publisher for the ARC.
Thank you
V

Luesse delivers an insightful glimpse of farm and family life in turn of the century Alabama, my home state, so I was intrigued by her storyline, characters and historical perspective depicting the racial tensions and socioeconomic mix of that day without making it the primary theme.

With its strong family bonds and even closer sisters, this story details the hard work, expectations and trials of its members while facing situations and characters who would try to pull this family apart. Secrets, mystery and separation eventually shroud the sisters with questions yet each trusts the other and keeps silent out of a need to protect the other.

The conflict and plot twists Luesse affords her readers are well written and push the pace to find out more. I loved sitting in the middle of history, reading as a fly on the wall and you will, too. These characters are so endearing I would love to visit them again.

This book is suitable for teens and older with no inappropriate intimate scenes and no bad language. I received this book from the author/publisher free of charge, with no expectation of a positive review.

What a compelling story! My first experience with books by Valerie Fraser Luesse, and I cannot wait to read more by her.

Letters from My Sister is a beautiful story steeped in Southern charm with a bit of mystery thrown in. Inspired by the author's own family, this work of fiction tells the tale of the "bonds between two Southern families-one White and one Black". I enjoyed all the endearing family members and whose bond enabled them to work together to overcome hatred and injustice in their neck of the woods.

A gripping tale of two sisters coming of age who are separated for a time and write to each other. There are real life, every day experiences of this close knit family. Including some sad times as well as sweet/ funny dialogue.

I highly recommend Letters From My Sister. Thank you to the publisher and Net Galley for allowing me to read this wonderful story. All opinions are my own.

I agree with some of the other reviewers that said that they had enjoyed other books by this author but to them this one fell a bit flat.

I enjoyed the relationship between the two sisters, Emmy and Callie, also the love story of Callie and Solomon. But the title of the book led me to believe that the true storyline would be revealed through the letters between Callie and Emmy, who were separated for a time by different circumstances. There weren’t that many letters, and only Emmy’s final letter revealed some secrets.

And one note to the author, who stated in the epilogue that Callie’s brother Theo was attending Auburn, which in 1927 was known as Alabama Polytechnic Institute, not Auburn. As a graduate of Auburn (like the author), I know she likely knew this but maybe preferred the name by which it’s been known since about 1960.

I received this book from the publisher via net galley in exchange for an honest review. Three stars.

This book drew me in from page one. I absolutely loved this family and how they approached life. The relationship between the main character, Callie, and her sister was heartfelt and carried the entire story beautifully. The romance was tender and while not the main focus of the story, it leant itself fully to the ways Callie was able to endure everything that happened.

This is the type of book you want to curl up and read by the fire, completely immersed, spending hours with the characters. It was filled with faith, mystery, and beautiful writing. This is a new-to-me author and I will definitely be reading her other books.

*I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Thank you to Revell and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC.

Letters from My Sister was such a great book from the start! It had me hooked right away. This was the first book I’ve read by Valerie Fraser Luesse and it definitely will not be my last.

Sisters Callie and Emmy know one another inside and out. Their love and support for one another knows no bounds. Callie witnesses something involving her sister but then has an incident causing her to lose her memory, so while on her journey to get her memory back and her head on straight, she writes to her sister of what she starts to remember.

Without giving any spoilers, I will end on this note: read this book! It is captivating, gives you your romance and mystery fix all in one!

The emotions this book has me feeling were endless. Left and right my heart was being tugged. I highly recommend this read

I really enjoy books about the relationship between sisters and this post civil war coming of age story checks all the boxes to make it a fantastic look at life and family during this time period.

Emmy and Callie live a privileged life as the daughters of a successful cotton farmer in Alabama at the turn of the century. Emmy is engaged to Knox and is looking forward to married life and motherhood. Callie, on the other hand, is a bit of a rebel. She isn't happy that women don't have the freedom of men. She doesn't think that she'll ever fall in love and live the constrained life of a married woman during this time. When she meets Solomon, a new neighbor who is trying to farm what had been an abandoned farm, he treats her very differently than other men had. He offers her the freedom to abandon social constraints and discover her truest self. Emmy and Callie are very close to each other despite the differing ways that they view life. Their well maintained home gets turned upside down when the beautiful granddaughter of their housekeeper arrives and gains some unwanted attention from a neighbor. When Lily disappears, Callie realizes that her sister has kept secrets from her. When the sisters become separated due to illness, they regain their closeness through their letters and the sharing of the secrets of the past. Will they become reconciled with each other again? And will Callie find someone to marry who allows her to be the woman she wants to be?

This Southern family novel is a coming of age story for two sisters as the world is changing around them. It's a story of family and love, romance and hope for the future.

This story was enjoyable. It was very well written and captured my attention. I would recommend it to others.

Quickly into this book I realized it was not for me. I was drawn to the book because I have seen a lot of good reviews and I enjoy historical fiction. However I think I don’t enjoy southern historical fiction as much and could just not get into it. I’m sure it’s a fine book that many will enjoy though.

I loved the progression and pacing of Letters from My Sister by Valerie Fraser Luesse. From the very beginning, I was drawn into Callie and Emmy’s story, told from Callie’s POV.

This is an endearing southern post civil war coming-of-age story of the relationship between the Bullock sisters, Callie and Emmy. The author filled the pages with heartfelt emotion that draws one into the story from the beginning to the end. Her world-building and character development are superb, making her one of my favorite authors to read. I loved the mysterious event that unveiled itself slowly throughout the telling of this captivating story.

Valerie Fraser Luesse, with her unique prose, gives her readers another outstanding story that is a perfect balance of family, faith, romance, and mystery. I highly recommend not only this book but also the author herself!

I requested and received a complimentary copy of this book from Revell via NetGalley through Interviews & Reviews. I am under no obligation to give a positive review. All opinions are my own.

A beautifully written southern fiction Callie and Emmy are as close as sisters can be. They share everything with each other, until one night Callie sees something she shouldn't and now she doesn't know whether what she saw was true or her mind playing tricks on her.
Luesse pens stories that all of us can relate to. They are just stories about real people as they deal with real life. Things happen in our lives that are unexpected and yet we get up the next day and move forward. Luesse's characters are just like that. They love each other, support each other and are a loving family. One that you will find you wish you knew.
If you haven't picked up any of Luesse's books, this is a great place to start, but be forward it will leaving you wanting more.

Letters from My Sister is set in the South during the early 1900s on an Alabama cotton farm. This is a sad and sweet story about sisters Callie and Emmy. I usually love reading Southern fiction about family, especially sisters, but I had difficulty getting into this book initially. This book has family issues and secrets, romance, and plenty of drama. I have read several other books by this author that I really enjoyed, but this one just fell flat in some chapters, and too much drama all at once in others. But in the end, I enjoyed this book so I'm glad I stuck with it. Thanks to author Valerie Fraser Luesse, Revell, and NetGalley. I received a complimentary copy of this ebook. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.

Letters From My Sister is a snapshot of life in the south at the beginning of the 1900s seen from the perspective of Callie, the youngest daughter of the Bullock family.
Callie doesn’t always feel like she fits, preferring the outdoors and forgoing the societal norms of the day, unlike her sister. She prefers to be an observer rather than a participant, but life is bursting through her veins waiting to be let out.
Solomon is new to the area, determined to make his newly purchased farm a success. He doesn’t quite know what to make of the close knit Bullock family. He’s been alone for a long time but immediately finds a kindred spirit in Callie and accepts her for who she is, even those things she sees as flaws in herself.
The story depicts an unusually close relationship between the Bullock family and Hepsy’s family, descended from slaves. Though the families care for one another the author is honest in her descriptions, for instance a decision is made by the matriarch of the Bullock family concerning Hepsy’s granddaughter Lily without asking her opinion or consent. It is for her safety but gives us a glimpse into the mindset of the day.
I loved the progression and pacing of the book. From the very beginning I was pulled into Callie’s life, drawing on her emotions, and journeying with her through her story. There was a perfect balance of family, romance, faith, and a bit of mystery. I highly recommend this book.
I was given a copy through NetGalley, courtesy of Revell. This is my honest opinion.

I really enjoyed this novel about two sisters set in the early 1900s. This is set in the South about fifty years after the Civil War, and the author did an excellent job of handling the evolving race relations without being heavy-handed or preachy. She also captures the sense of that time period with its grand social gatherings, elegant homes, poor field workers, and changing mindsets that will lead to the Roaring Twenties.

Surprisingly, the letters don't begin until over halfway through the book. The relationship between the sisters is delightful, their love for each other almost tangible especially since they are quite different. Their mother is the proud matriarch of the family, and their new neighbor, Solomon, is a man to be admired.

This is Christian fiction, and it contains a lot of prayer and discussion about God. It also has characters who are seers. Although they attribute their abilities to God, it still is a bit unusual to see.

Family friendly, and recommended to all readers. You might need a tissue.

I've read many books by this author, and while this was an enjoyable book, it wasn't my favorite. I did enjoy the relationship between the sisters (Emmy and Callie). There were some parts about the story that weren't as dramatic as I believe the author intended them to be, and I was surprised by the title, as the letters seem to be a minor part of the overall story. The "big reveal" was a bit anticlimactic. There's a nice blend of secrets, love, mystery, and history.

This book was so beautifully written! I loved getting to know the characters. While I felt like the mystery was blown out of proportion, I still thought that it was a wonderful story with a lot going on.