Faith, family , friends, I believe these three things are the essentials of life. I learned more about this philosophy in the books I picked to share with you this month. I decided to read some fiction for a change. What I like most about fiction is that there is usually some deeper truth intertwined among the characters.
I walked into the library and grabbed two books off the shelf.
The first book I read was,
Almost Home, by Valerie Fraser Luesse.
This book takes place at the far end of The Great Depression and the beginning of World War II. Farmers are still losing their homes and disabled vets are starting to come home and people are displaced and have no place to go. Dolly, who is also trying to save her home, has turned it into a boarding house. Dolly is a Baptist. The other folks in the house are of different religions, but they all decide to go to the Baptist church (that will make Ross happy). Here is a funny quote “Presbyterians keep things close to the vest. They’re not like us. If we know it, we’ve told it.” But this was my favorite quote, “I think God gives us soul mates – not many but enough to get us through. And I’m not just talking about husbands and wives. I’m talking about those one or two people we meet on our life’s journey who see straight through our nonsense and love us 110 percent, no matter what.”
The next book is,
The Memory House by Rachel Hauck.
This book had an opposite theme. It is about people going back home. These folks are feeling lost, or hurt or confused and feel they are missing something in their lives. So the cast of characters include an old lost friend, a female cop, a sports agent, mothers, and lost friends. During this journey they also re-find God, the greatest friend of all. Here is a line from this book that I thought was beautiful, “He suspected Mom’s prayers had a hand in some of this, but she never spoke to him about God. Or church. Instead, she did something more effective. She talked to God about her son.” So if we put these books together, it tells us that no matter where we are in our life journey, faith, family and friends (whether old or new) are what gets us through. These are nice easy books to read as you relax at the end of the day. You will find surprises, twists, a little love and how to use faith in your everyday life. Enjoy.
