I’ve got to love any book set in Indiana, my current home state! We’ve got several subplots going on, with James dealing with the closing of his small church, Noble pondering his future in the music industry, and Shelby struggling with the death of her mother.

Some many things to like about this story and the characters. I especially liked the character of Eustace. He is doesn’t speak and as a result, he is often overlooked and mocked, but he ends up doing some wonderful, surprising things in this story. I also liked the focus on the issues of small country churches. I can somewhat relate because my husband used to pastor some of these churches. The author makes a point that people tend to want to gravitate towards the bigger, the beautiful, the fast-paced and unfortunately, this often pertains to churches. What is wrong with slowing down, focusing on the simple things in life, and on relationships? I also like the point that Sorrells makes about how a church is not defined by brick and mortar but by the people and by community.

Rating: 4 out of 5

This book was provided by Tyndale Publishing and NetGalley in exchange for a review.

I was curious to read a story taking on the plight of small congregations struggling under the pull of megachurches that draw members--and therefore fellowship and finances--away from the little churches. Not everything about the story sat well with me, but in the end, I was glad to have read it. If only to have another person’s view on issues I’ve lived through and that are close to my heart.


The characters and their struggles were relatable and kept a down-to-earth feel, so appropriate to the tone of the novel. The agrarian setting, the raising of cattle, brought back memories of my being raised on a farm. Issues of a small church and struggles of the pastor and daughter eased off the page to sit alongside me as I read nodding my head and smiling in several places.


Since this was a literary type novel, the first couple chapters were paced slow with lots of backstory and character reminiscing. The theme and spiritual message of this book were a tad cloudy in my opinion, but I don’t expect to agree with the message of every book I read. The author has a skill for painting vivid and unique descriptions on a gentle, emotional canvas, and I would enjoy reading more of her work.