I really enjoyed Eden Hill. This book was about two men competing for business with their respective gas stations; one of whom is a long-time resident of the town and one who is a newcomer. This book showed how we don't have to necessarily "out" the other person or to prove who is best. The book also showed how two people of the different gas stations can work together as opposed to being rivals.

I really liked the theme of coming together in the book. I loved the various characters and especially loved how the author included the antics of Vee and his friend Frank, and Vee getting assigned various books to read when getting into trouble. I liked how people gathered to help Neil and Joann in their time in need and to make them feel a part of the community. The way the town of Eden Hill was described made me want to live there.

Rating: 5 out of 5

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

I find this novel being a lovely, funny trip down the memory lane straight into the early 60s, where a new fish in the pond is trying to stir trouble.
Virgil T. Osgood runs the only one service station in the fine, sleepy city of Eden Hill (even though the residents would not think that!) - but this is going to change, as young man blinded by the visions of success is going to run the franchise Zipco's service station near to Osgood's! Virgil is rudely awakened from his routine. Cornelius Alexander might get awakened, too - from his starry-eyed dreams. We will see, who wins the battle!
Or not.

I laughed (this truly is a funny novel!), I have enjoyed the nostalgy, I even got angry and finally I got into thinking. Because this novel has a strong moral stand about behaving like a good neighbour and what it means. And this is thought-provoking and embarrassing a nd uncomfortable and full of righteousness-related questions. Human point and God's point clash here. And even if I find the central moral conflict being quite far-fetched and somehow I feel the that some truths have not been taken into the consideration (like the Neil's ruthless selfishness) - yet, the wisdom of the God's fools start to seep into my heart.
Thanks be to God for the people willing to be graceful and willing to make the first step!

I didn’t realise this was Christian fiction when I requested it from NetGalley and therefore normally wouldn’t have considered reading it, but I gave it a go anyway and in fact it’s a pleasant, harmless tale of ordinary gentle folk leading ordinary gentle lives in small-town 1950s Kentucky. Reminded me very much of Jan Karon’s Mitford series, with a slow-moving and fairly predictable plot and characters that talk and behave much like you expect them to. The author's evocation of the time and place is expertly done, with lots of period detail, and it’s almost worth reading for that alone. I’m not the intended reader for this book, admittedly, but even so I can see that it’s well-constructed and well-paced and if ultimately I found it somewhat wearisome, I can see why so many have loved it.