I don’t feel like I am very good at giving book reviews. Maybe this is my attempt to work on a better response than “I liked it!” I’ll also preface by saying, I am not picky with books. I love to read and I’ll read a variety. This is a short snippet of what I have been reading lately and maybe it will inspire your next read!
The Correspondent
by Virginia Evans
This book took me by surprise. It was a slow start and at first I wondered if I would even get about to finishing it. Once I got used to the style, it became hard to put down and had me in tears by the end. It is made up entirely of letters and emails to and from the main character Sybil Van Antwerp. It features her correspondence over the course of several years while she is in her late 70’s reflecting back over her life while her eyesight is deteriorating. There are estranged relationships and unexpected joys and processing through deep grief. I found myself wanting to pick up pen and paper and start writing letters again- a craft that has been long forgotten! I love how Virginia artfully unpacks Sybil’s life through each note and her impact that she leaves upon the world. In a world where communication has gotten so fast-paced and careless at times, I love imagining her sitting down at her writing desk and carefully crafting each word. This book gets 5 starts from me and all I ask is that you keep going even if you’re tempting to stop. And if I write you a letter, please write me back.
Tramp for the Lord
by Corrie Ten Boom
I would like to make a habit of reading this book once a year. This is a true gem and I always find so much encouragement from these pages. I guess you would call this the sequel to her first book, The Hiding Place. Corrie Ten Boom was a survivor of the holocaust during which she and her whole family was taken prisoner for showing sympathy to the Jews. She was the only one of her family to survive the prison camps and her testimony of how the Lord provided for her through the most horrendous of circumstances is incredible. Once she was released, she traveled to America, back to Germany and eventually all over the world, speaking and spreading a message of forgiveness. She shares story after story of how the Lord directed her path, provided for her along the way and taught her to forgive. It will convict your heart and build your faith. 800 stars from me since this is my review and I’ll do what I like.
The Names
by Florence Knapp
I found the context of this book very interesting. The thread weaving through is that we grow into the name we are given. The prologue opens with the mother, Cora, contemplating the name of her son. She muses that a person’s name influences who they become. The book then separates into three separate timelines each of which follow a different name for her newborn son. Domestic abuse is a prominent theme that both separates and links the characters. I think for me, I wonder if it is less about the name chosen for the boy and more about the tumultuous family life that determines his path? But I’ll guess you’ll have to read it to find out. I’m going to give this one 3 stars. It was very entertaining, but I think it fell a bit short. I would have given it 4 stars, but any book that writes about covid typically loses a star for me. I want to get lost in a world and not have it remind me of that time, thank you.
There you have it. My first attempt at a book review. Have you read these books? If so, what did you think about them? Send any and all book recommendations my way.
What should I read next?
Leave me a book recommendation. It goes straight to my inbox, and you don't need to include your name or email.