The Songbird of Hope Hill
by Kim Vogel Sawyer
Publisher: WaterBrook & Multnomah
Series: None
Rated: 4-5
Obtain: Borrow or buy
Back of the Book: “Driven by survival to a life at a house of ill repute, Birdie Clarkson now longs only for escape. So when Reverend Isaiah Overly and his son, Ephraim, appear and offer a better life, she jumps at the chance. Ignoring the furious raging of the madam, Birdie climbs into the back of the preacher’s wagon.
The men take her to Hope Hill, the haven the reverend and his wife, Ophelia, founded so women like Birdie can be taught skills to help them rise above their pasts. Soon a resistant Birdie finds herself singing in the choir Ephraim leads at revival meetings, even though she’s certain she’s the last person who should be representing God.
Reverend Overly teaches that no one is irredeemable, but even as Ephraim is falling in love with her, Birdie remains convinced that she’s past saving. After all she’s been through, can she ever believe that God’s redemption wipes every soul clean? And can Ephraim convince her that God loves her more than she can grasp—and that he does, too?”

Impressions: I enjoyed the authentic journey of the characters in this story from prejudice to forgiveness through faith. The characters were each interesting in their own ways and kept the plot intriguing. I particularly liked that Ephraim’s faith being challenged and how he processed through it. This was a well written story with the gospel shared. What a great reminder of who we are in Christ and how to love others.

Quotes: “Mother always said those who victimized others were likely victims at one time, too, and deserved compassion.”

“Open your heart to His leading. You’ve encountered a rough spot in your life’s journey, but you needn’t stay there. Better things await. Those better things can take time to discover, but they are worth the wait when we trust the One who loves us most.” “O what peace we often forfeit, O what needless pain we bear, all because we do not carry everything to God in prayer!” In correlation with these lyrics, I was encouraged by this quote to look to God and pray about what is on my heart.

“...Mother had told him that a grumbly prayer was better than no prayer at all. ‘God knows what you’re thinking, so you might as well say it,’ she said with a smile.” - I believe this to be true and good. Part of going to God in prayer is submitting. Even when we are grumbly in prayer, we are acknowledging who is in control and opening our hearts to Him.

“’ Maybe your plans fell apart. But I see God’s plans falling into place.’”

I received an ARC of this book via the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for my honest review shared here.

The Songbird of Hope Hill by Kim Vogel Sawyer is a touching, hopeful tale. The characters’ backgrounds are complex and some of them took the whole book to unfold. I enjoyed watching the relationships develop between the characters. Faith is woven into the story, but I did feel it was a little heavy handed (very preachy). The story is told from different characters’ perspectives including Birdie. While it did allow me to understand the characters better along with their struggles, it was also confusing, and it kept me from becoming immersed in the story. Besides trying to keep track of the characters, I was trying to remember the various subplots. The pacing is leisurely. I liked that romance was not the focus of the book. The romance was sweet, and I like that it began (and is based on) as a friendship. The ending was hurried and tied up a little too neatly (of course, a happy ending is expected). While there were things that I did not like, The Songbird of Hope Hill is a beautiful story. I love that we get to see Reverend Overly and his wife, Ophelia as well as their son, Ephraim go out of their way to offer women of the evening a way out of that life. The Overly’s treated everyone with kindness and respect. I liked the message that none of us are without sin and that we should not judge others (especially when they are bettering themselves and putting their past behind them). The Songbird of Hope Hill is a poignant tale with a resolute reverend, a prayed for liberation, angelic vocals, perturbing dissenters, newfound friends, and a joyful future.

From the very beginning and all throughout, The Songbird of Hope Hill held my heart.

It is a beautiful and intricately woven story that reveals there is no place to which the love of God and the Word of God cannot reach, pierce, and redeem. It is a story of stepping out in faith and faithfully serving the Lord wherever He calls you.

It is a story that both tenderly and powerfully reminds us that we all have “sinned and fall short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23) and though our “sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall become like wool” (Isaiah 1:18).

It is a story of grace, hope, forgiveness, and love, and a story that professes the heartwarming truth that we will never be forgotten nor forsaken by the One who loves us most.

Thank you NetGalley and WaterBrook & Multnomah, for the ARC in exchange for an honest review! All thoughts and opinions are my own

Kim Vogel Sawyer's The Songbird of Hope Hill is an enchanting story about the power of forgiveness and how love can make a difference in any life. Birdie is a young seventeen year old girl who is desperate for help when she arrives on the door to Lida's Palace. Lida was a friend of Birdie's mom and she thought she would find support, but what she found was a ticket to a life of prostitution. When Reverend Overly comes to the Palace and offers a chance at hope and a new life, she jumps at the chance to leave. She soon finds that there is hope in even the darkest times. And that Jesus can bring life in even the darkest places.
I loved the redemption story and enjoyed getting to know the characters. I would gladly continue to read about them. Thanks #NetGalley and the publisher.

A total page turner from beginning to end. Yes, I loved this read, and there is so much forgiveness here, to others and to ones self!

The author gives us a Preacher along with his wife that have devoted their lives to helping Soiled Doves, and putting them back on the right path, not all succeed but we do meet some that do and travel with them!

There are secrets here, but there is so much love of God and the sharing of his Love. This is story takes place in the late 1890's in Tulsey, Texas, and I would love to see the house they lived in, because it sure seemed big with many bedrooms, an office, and music room. Yes, there are those here that are really gifted, and one of the rescues Birdie, as her name kind of states, sings like a bird. Then there is the pastor's son Ephraim, and they bring joy in hard times.

These poor people have been run out of other towns, and we wait for the same thing to happen here. Keep turning the pages for answers, and yes, they do come!

Wish I could continue on in these peoples lives!

I received this book through Net Galley and the Publisher Waterbrook, and was not required to give a positive review.

Many reasons to love this book. Music, parental live, Christian love, enough intrigue, evocative of an era. Great, lively characters. Sweet.

The Songbird of Hope Hill
by Kim Vogel Sawyer
Pub Date: April 9, 2024
Thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGAlley for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.
A young woman sings of God’s love—even if she doesn’t believe He can forgive her—in this heartwarming novel inspired by historical events, from the bestselling author of A Tapestry of Grace.
I highly recommend this book for readers who enjoy Christian Fiction.
A touching story that will leave readers inspired to view others through a lens of mercy.
The author takes a sensitive subject and handles it with care, showing how there is hope and forgiveness for everyone, no matter how far we fall. It is a well-written story packed with faith, hope and love. I liked seeing all of the different character perspectives, especially Birdie's, and could relate to some of their struggles. The romance is a tender one, based on friendship, but not the focus.
Readers who enjoy Christian historical fiction, with plenty of faith and a clean romance, should enjoy this one.

A young woman in 1880s Texas seizes the opportunity to escape from a brothel when a preacher and his son offer her a refuge. At their home, she finds friends and a family with the preacher, his wife, their son and the other girls they are helping. I especially liked the way music was incorporated into the story.

This is a great book with example of God’s love of all. It takes on. Points of sin that people think are worse than others and shows how God loves everyone despite their sins. That He can bring healing and renew all things. Hope there will be a second.

Kim Vogel Sawyer has once again written a beautiful story of hope and faith in her newest release, The Songbird of Hope Hill. I loved it and am giving it a very well deserved five plus stars.

Beautiful story of redemption and struggle to exit from a live of struggle and despair through faith
I enjoined the plot and the execution.
the christian romance not disturbed me no too much IMHO
nice really nice.
very very long
Thanks netgalley for this ARC

The Songbird of Hope Hill by Kim Vogel Sawyer
Soiled Dove or Songbird?
I had read and enjoyed several of Kim Vogel Sawyer’s novels, but I don’t think she had ever attempted to tell the story of prostitutes. Are prostitutes so vile that God cannot save them? This was a story of redemption, forgiveness, second chances and new starts. “ Whoever believes on Him, shall not be ashamed.” Romans 10:11 King James Version
Kim Vogel Sawyer does a good job of developing several characters in this story. My favorite characters are Ophelia, Rev. Isaiah Overly, Birdie, and Ephraim. Even supporting characters were fleshed out. Isaiah and Mrs. Overly were examples of true Christian love, so why is Lida Holland so bitter against them? Along with the struggles of the soiled doves, was an underlying family secret of the Overlies.
I highly recommend The Songbird of Hope Hill and rate it 5 stars.
I was given a copy of this book from Waterbrook through NetGalley. The opinions are my own.

Kim Vogel Sawyer is a new author for me, and I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Birdie faces desperate times and begins working as a prostitute at Lida's Palace, only to be rescued by Reverend Overly. He and his wife welcome her to Hope Hill where she begans to heal and find her way. She eventually becomes attracted to the Overly's son Ephraim. But will she and he believe that Jesus can truly redeem her?

I have read many of this author’s books and loved them. I was eagerly anticipating this book as well. Unfortunately, while I liked the story overall, it didn’t end up being a favorite of mine by her.

I really liked the overall message of the story. The fact that no one is without sin and no one person should judge another, especially for past indiscretions.

This story deals with a husband and wife (and their son) who work to rescue young women working as prostitutes from various brothels in the area. The main character Birdie is one such young woman rescued from a brothel and brought to Hope Hill. I should mention that while there is a lot of talk about prostitution and brothels, this is overall a clean read. It’s about Birdie finding grace and realizing that her past doesn’t have to define her future.

I think my biggest problem with this was the characters. There were a lot of characters in general but also a lot of POV characters which is not unusual for this author, but for whatever reason, it was harder for me to keep them all straight in my mind this time around. I was constantly getting Ephraim and his father confused, which meant that I was constantly forgetting who Ophelia (Ephraim’s mother) was married to.

There were also quite a few subplots, which didn’t help my confusion, and while I found Birdie to be a likable character, she was also a little flat and didn’t have as much dimension as characters in this author’s other books. The pacing was very slow as well. This is very much a character driven story. The message was the best part of the book. It was very powerful and very sweet. I just wanted a little bit more from the book overall.

Historical Fiction that boldly proclaims the gospel is an hallmark of Kim Vogel Sawyer’s newest novel, THE SONGBIRD OF HOPE HILL.

The story takes place in Tulsey, Tx during the late 1890’s. It’s centered around a family, (Pastor/husband, wife, & son), that’s devoted its collective life to help in women escape from the dangers of prostitution. Biblical references and hymns are quoted freely. It’s the goal of this family to see these women safe from harm and introduced back to society with regular jobs or to find husbands.

Sawyer gives us well drawn characters with complex relationships and backgrounds that take almost the full book to unfold. Some aspects are predictable but others surprised me and made for unexpected twists in this saga like tale.

Much was happening during this time in history but it’s not discussed by Sawyer. Instead, she focuses on specific relationships of both young and old, women and men and how they heal and grow as a consequence of faith. Music plays an integral role in the daily lives of these folks I enjoyed the blending of classical music and old, some very old hymns, with scripture.

As seems to be a new trend that I’m not fond of, the ending was rushed and tied up with a bow that’s far too neat. After hundreds of pages of toiling with these hardscrabble pioneers, they deserve more than a page and a half epilogue; so does the reader📚

Read & Reviewed from a NetGalley eARC with thanks

I enjoyed reading this ARC copy and highly recommend it. The storyline is about a couple that goes to brothels to encourage girls to leave. They take them to their home and care for them, teach them, and minister to them so that they can work in another field. But can they put the past behind them?

How to begin. How to live. Affirming and guiding at the same time.

Seeking God first, praying, giving grace, asking for forgiveness, worshiping, listening, and reading. These are the core actions that pervade the pages. Nestled within are elements of story: intrigue, mystery, danger, hardship, emotion, family, love, joy, and hope. Top these off with an historical setting and a smidgen of friendly romance, and you have "The Songbird of Hope Hill."

This book is "Redeeming Love" for a different generation. "The Songbird of Hope Hill" explores multiple experiences of redemption, not just those of the main character. Well-developed, believable characters provide examples of living faith daily. Good and bad, trust and doubt, mistakes and lessons learned. The reactions to these scenarios occur in various stages of growth and maturity depending on which character is on hand. Each reader can find someone to relate to within these paragraphs.

There are small elements without conclusion. What a clever way to infuse reality and engage the reader over time. I am still pondering two points. Fodder for thought indeed.

In the future, when someone asks for a fiction book that points people to faith, I am going to remember to share "The Songbird of Hope Hill."

Thank you to NetGalley and WaterBrook & Multnomah for an ARC in exchange for an honest opinion. Thank you to the author for an exceptional story.

#TheSongbirdofHopeHill #KimVogelSawyer #WaterbrookMultnomah #NetGalley

The Songbird of Hope Hill by Kim Vogal Sawyer was a good book. The author takes you on a journey of the life of Birdie and how she is trying to get to her family. This book has many different things that happen and will keep you turning the pages to find out what happens. I have read books by this author and enjoy her writing. I was given a copy of this book by Net Galley/publisher. All thoughts are my own.

This book was long. This book had a lot going on and a very filling story. And this story was very good. The story itself, how everything and everyone fit together was well written and interesting and I enjoyed getting to know everyone. Faith played a very central role in this story, slowing up on almost every page. Sweet, touching, and redemptive. A worthwhile read.

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

Great historical romance read! I really like this author and want to read more from her. Thank you to Netgalley, the author and the publisher for a chance to read and review this book in exchange for an honest review.