Review: "On Shifting Sand" by Allison Pittman

Rating: 5 Stars

Review:  I could almost feel the sting of dust particles as I read Allison Pittman's newest release "On Shifting Sand."  Novel after novel, Pittman proves herself more than adept at creating plots that will impact readers into the depths of their hearts.  Every aspect, from the history to the setting to the characters, is created in fully-developed detail.  I never know what path one of Pittman's novels will take, but I know that I will always find history, pain, depth, hope, and faith along the way.  

Set during the Dust Bowl, "On Shifting Sand" brings the period of history to life.  Although the Dust Bowl is a topic I remember learning about in history classes, I never realized how significantly the people who lived through it were affected. Pittman doesn't spare readers from the loss and suffering that defined the Dust Bowl.  The dust is as much a part of the story as any character, always present with a sense of foreboding.

Nola Merrill's self-destruction is as constant as the dust storms that plaque her community.  Her sins accumulate like the dust, and it is hard to witness her decisions. The burden of her choices weighs heavily on Nola, and heavy on readers as well.  Pittman digs deep into the the topics of betrayal and adultery.  As readers, we watch Nola choose to break her marriage vows.  Through her, we witness the strong temptation to sin and the equally strong guilt that accompanies that sin.  Anyone looking for an idealized, happy read won't find it in the pages of "On Shifting Sand."  What Pittman delivers is heart-breaking, but so much more memorable and powerful for its directness.  Nola's story is not sugar-coated, nor does it end with a tidy epilogue of perfect lives.  When I finished reading the last page, I hoped to read more about Nola and her family. It seems like their story could continue for at least a few hundred more pages. Though readers may be left contemplating the future of Nola and her family, "On Shifting Sand" closes with a promise of hope and forgiveness of all who seek it, and those are promises that will endure longer than any story.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Tyndale House Publishers through their book review program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions expressed above are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.

Summary from Tyndale House Publishers: Long before anyone would christen it “The Dust Bowl,” Nola Merrill senses the destruction. She’s been drying up bit by bit since the day her mother died, leaving her to be raised by a father who withholds his affection the way God keeps a grip on the Oklahoma rain. A hasty marriage to Russ, a young preacher, didn’t bring the escape she desired. Now, twelve years later with two children to raise, new seeds of dissatisfaction take root.

When Jim, a mysterious drifter and long-lost friend from her husband’s past, takes refuge in their home, Nola slowly springs to life under his attentions until a single, reckless encounter brings her to commit the ultimate betrayal of her marriage. For months Nola withers in the wake of the sin she so desperately tries to bury. Guilt and shame consume her physically and spiritually, until an opportunity arises that will bring the family far from the drought and dust of Oklahoma. Or so she thinks. As the storms follow, she is consumed with the burden of her sin and confesses all, hoping to find Russ’s love strong enough to stand the test.

Tyndale's Author Q&A: 

1. What inspired you to write On Shifting Sand?

This is always the hardest question to answer. I loved writing about the dynamics of marriage with my Sister Wife series. But then, a story of a marriage needs conflict, and I’ve yet to see a CBA novel really tackle the idea of adultery in a way that showed it to be a conscientious, willful sin, disassociated from the circumstances of the marriage, or the relationship between the husband and wife. Too often, it was a backstory to justify a divorced character. Or it was a series of close calls, but never fully realized. I wanted to portray it as sin. Pure and simple, but unique in the fact that it reaches beyond the sinner, and carries with it a risk in confession. And then, I wanted to write a story that follows through a journey of restoration—not simply coming back to Christ, but coming back to life. It took a bit for all the pieces to come together, and so many of them weren’t discovered until I was buried in the story. More than any of my books, inspiration for this story came bit by bit.

2. The story is written from the perspective of Nola Merrill, who finds herself in an adulterous relationship. Why did you decide to write the story from the perspective of an unreliable narrator?

I think we are all unreliable narrators in our own lives, especially when it comes to facing our sin. We justify our sin, proclaim ourselves victims, assign blame and downplay responsibility. We can bury ourselves so deeply in guilt, we’re blind to the idea of redemption, so we ignore what God tells us about confession and grace and mercy. We lie to ourselves the same way Nola lies to herself—and, thereby, to the readers. I have no doubt this character will make readers uncomfortable. She made me uncomfortable. They are going to be frustrated with her choices, disappointed by her actions, but I’m OK with that. I think Nola is the realest character I’ve ever created.

3. Why did you decide to set the story during The Dust Bowl? 

When I knew I was going to write a story about adultery, I was determined not to have the adultery resulting from any shortfalls in the characters’ marriage. No neglect, no alienated affection—none of the usual internal problems that might lead a wife to make the choices Nola makes. I needed an external enemy. The Dust Bowl gave me that. The circumstances made it impossible for a woman to fulfill her traditional role of keeping a clean home. The poverty of the Depression made it difficult for her to feed and care for her family. All of that chips away at Nola’s sense of self-worth, and makes her vulnerable to anything—or anyone—for validation. However, it wasn’t until I was in the middle of writing the story that I realized the real power of these storms. The dust and the wind becomes the voice of Nola’s unconfessed sin. It tortures her and follows her. The more photographs and film footage I saw, the more desolation and hopelessness I saw. It was a time and place in desperate need of rain, just as any sinner is in desperate need of Jesus Christ, the Living Water. The setting of the Dust Bowl took on a dimension greater than I imagined at the outset, and grows over the course of the story—just as the storms themselves did.

Review of "All for a Sister"

Rating: 5 Stars

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Review:  Allison Pittman's gift for creating plots with depth and intricacies is evident in "All for a Sister," her latest novel set in 1920s Hollywood.  There are numerous layers and several viewpoints to command readers' attention for the course of the story.  When I pick up a book by Pittman, I know that I am about to immerse myself in words that will take me on a unique journey that I will remember.  Pittman's plots are not different versions of the same story we've read before, they are unique and stirring.  Her latest three works are perfect examples.  "All for a Song," "All for a Story," and "All for a Sister" are all set in the intriguing 1920s with some of the same secondary characters, but they are each stand-alone with fresh main characters facing very different conflicts. "All for a Sister" proved my favorite novel of the three with all of its complexities and relationship dynamics.

This was a novel that required my complete attention and engagement.  The perspectives switch between Celeste DuFrane as child, Celeste as an adult, Dana Lundgren living in the present and retelling her past, and the written confession of Marguerite DuFrane reflecting on her life-altering decisions.  Each change in viewpoint is clearly delineated for the reader, making the shifts much easier to follow. The central mystery of the plot revolves around the death of the Dufrane's youngest daughter, an event that sent Dana to prison for 20 years.  It is clear from the beginning that there is much more to the alleged murder, and as we learn more about the past events, a tangle of sinfulness, hatred, and deceit emerge.  Pittman deftly weaves the silken web to show the disastrous trap that sin creates.  All hope is not lost, however, as faith and love gradually loosen the tangles.

I can always count on Allison Pittman to deliver a story with depth and pain with lives that are far from idyllic.  It is refreshing to depart from the happy love stories and delve into something with heartbreak. Dana's story in particular is full of woe - a childhood spent in a dark and often cruel prison, not unlike a setting Charles Dickens would create. While Dana reflects on her painful past, which is an integral part of the plot, it is balanced with the healing and promise of her future.  Despite her meekness, Dana outshined the beautiful and vivacious Celeste, and quickly found a home in my heart.  Celeste and Dana could not be more disparate women - one lived a life of comfort, the other a life of want.  Celeste adds a needed vibrancy to the plot and a different perspective of life in the Dufrane household.  I began guessing how the two women's lives would entwine before starting the novel.  Although the resolution was not a complete surprise, the journey was full of unexpected revelations and the beauty of hope.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Tyndale House Publishers, Inc. through their book review program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions expressed above are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.

Summary from Tyndale: In Hollywood during the Roaring Twenties, Celeste DuFrane has it all. Her father’s work with color movie film opens doors that lead to the stardom she’s always aspired to. But after losing her mother, she discovers that half the estate has been left to a woman accused of killing Celeste’s baby sister before Celeste was even born.

Dana Lundgren arrives on the steps of the DuFrane mansion having spent most of her life imprisoned for a crime that never happened. After accusing her of murder so many years ago, why did Marguerite DuFrane leave her a sizeable inheritance? 

As Celeste and Dana learn each other’s stories, they come up with more questions than answers. Then a surprising discovery begins to fill in the missing pieces: Marguerite DuFrane’s written confession, penned shortly before her death. Uncovering the treachery and deceit that changed the course of countless lives—most of all, their own—the two women find more than they ever dreamed of.

Review of "All for a Story"

Rating: 4 Stars

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Review: Allison Pittman consistently delivers novels rooted firmly in faith and history.  I am always excited to delve into her stories and experience the past.  "All for a Story" reads like a 1920's movie, with flappers, speakeasies, dancing, and dialogue that seems completely authentic to the time period.  Pittman also introduces readers to another product of the 1920s - the Anti-Flirt Society. The incorporation of less well-known pieces of history is one of the reasons that I love Allison Pittman's novels. She is an expert in blending historical facts into the body of a meaningful plot. Pittman delves deeper than the flappers of the Roaring Twenties to give readers a new perspective on the era.

From speakeasies to anti-flirt meetings, Monica Brisbaine will go almost anywhere for a story for her Monkey Business newspaper column. The Monkey Business columns are clever additions to the plot with turns of phrase that seem like they could be straight from the 1920s. They show Monica as a woman who is well-versed in worldly ways, a cynical character with rough edges behind a polished veneer.  Her flirtatious, flapper facade hides her true emotions.  The layers begin to peel away when she meets her new boss, Max Moore, a man who is much more innocent than she. He challenges Monica's newspaper column and her entire way of life.

Max is a sweet hero, striving to live an honest and clean life and quietly showing his love for Monica. Unfortunately, Monica is not accustomed to being treated like a lady, and the road to her heart is a challenging journey.  It is frustrating to watch Monica continue to keep Max at a distance, and she never seems to fully open up to him. As a result, the love story aspect of the plot feels a little unfinished.  When the novel concludes, Monica seems to finally begin to open her heart to both Max and the readers.  I have never had difficulty connecting with Pittman's characters in the past, but Monica is a challenge. Although her character softens throughout the plot, her wall never completely comes down, leaving me feeling detached. Regardless of my lack of connection, Monica's flapper persona is solidly constructed and a stark contrast to Max's more staid personality.

"All for a Story" is a well-written novel with fascinating history. I always recommend Allison Pittman's novels to other readers, and this one is no exception.

I received a complimentary e-copy of this book from Tyndale House Publishers through Netgalley. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions expressed above are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.

Summary from Tyndale House Publishers: Monica Brisbaine loves being a modern girl in the Roaring Twenties. Her job writing a gossip column allows her access to all the local speakeasys in Washington, D.C., where she can dance the night away—and find fodder for her next article. But when the owner of the Capitol Chatter newspaper passes away, Monica wonders what will happen to her job, and the lifestyle she loves.

Max Moore may hold the title of editor-in-chief for evangelist Aimee Semple McPherson’s paper, The Bridal Call, but Aimee calls all the shots. So when Max learns that his great-uncle has passed away, leaving him all his earthly possessions, Max resigns and heads to D.C. Determined to take over the Capitol Chatter, infuse it with his values, and turn it into a respectable paper, Max is soon bumping up against the equally determined Monica Brisbane.

Under Max’s direction, Monica embarks on her most challenging assignment yet: infiltrating and reporting on the Anti-Flirt Society. Though reluctant at first, as Monica meets and mingles with the young women of the club, she begins to question the innocence of her flirtatious lifestyle. And when romance begins to blossom between Max and Monica, she must choose where her loyalties lie: with the young women of the society or the alluring pull of the speakeasy and its inhabitants.

Review of "All for a Song" by Allison Pittman

Rating: 5 Stars

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Review: "All for a Song" is a melodic new release, reminding me of the many reasons Allison Pittman is one of my favorite authors. Like most of the her other novels, "All for a Song" is filled with depth, faith, and discovery. I've learned from Pittman's previous novels that her plots are not completely predictable and rarely do her stories have fairy tale endings. Their realism and pain always linger with a poignancy unique to Pittman's work.

The novel opens on the eve of Dorothy Lynn's 107th birthday.  Throughout the novel, we see Dorothy's life as a young woman of 19 and as an old woman of 107.  The dual perspective is unique and provides a complete story. By the end of the novel, Dorothy Lynn's life and faith have come full circle. Building parts of the plot around the life of a woman over 100 is a fresh concept. The chapters focusing on Dorothy Lynn's present day life are just as enjoyable as those portraying the adventures of her youth. Her recollections often build anticipation about the upcoming events in the life of 19-year-old Dorothy Lynn.  Both stories, past and present, grasped my attention and created an unforgettable tale.

"All for a Song" is lyrical novel with resonating chords of hope, grace, and direction. Pittman sets her scenes on vastly different stages: St. Louis, Los Angeles, and a small town in the 1920s and an retirement home in 2010.  Her depiction of the 1920s takes center stage, shining through Pittman's use of clear descriptions and imagery.  She captures the temptations that defined the roaring 20s, but also introduces readers to the movements of faith that grew during the same era. I loved the historical detail and the scenes of Los Angeles and St. Louis in the glamour of an earlier era.  I often wish that I could transport myself back to an earlier time period, and the pages of a book like "All for a Song" allows me to do just that.

Whenever I pick-up a Allison Pittman novel, I know that I am about to begin a journey that transcends a printed page.  "All for a Song" is no exception, and I will keep it on my bookshelf alongside her other novels.

I received a complimentary copy of this novel from Tyndale House Publishers.  I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions expressed above are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Summary from Tyndale: Dorothy Lynn Dunbar has everything she ever wanted: her family, her church, her community, and plans to marry the young pastor who took over her late father’s pulpit. Time spent in the woods, lifting her heart and voice in worship accompanied by her brother’s old guitar, makes her life complete . . . and yet she longs for something more.

Spending a few days in St. Louis with her sister’s family, Dorothy Lynn discovers a whole new way of life—movies, music, dancing; daring fashions and fancy cars. And a dynamic charismatic evangelist . . . who just happens to be a woman. When Dorothy Lynn is offered a chance to join Aimee Semple McPherson’s crusade team, she finds herself confronted with temptations she never dreamed of. Can Dorothy Lynn embrace all the Roaring Twenties has to offer without losing herself in the process?

About Allison Pittman: Award-winning author Allison Pittman left a seventeen-year teaching career in 2005 to follow the Lord's calling into the world of Christian fiction, and God continues to bless her step of faith. Her novels For Time and Eternity and Forsaking All Others were both finalists for the Christy Award for excellence in Christian fiction, and her novel Stealing Home won the American Christian Fiction Writers' Carol Award. She heads up a successful, thriving writers group in San Antonio, Texas, where she lives with her husband, Mike, their three sons, and the canine star of the family—Stella.

Tyndale Author Q & A:

1. What was your inspiration for this book, All for a Song?

There were so many different pieces that came together with this book; it’s hard to name just one. First, I was introduced to, and then became fascinated with Aimee Semple McPherson, and while I wasn’t ready to take on her story, I knew I wanted to create my own characters to somehow come into her sphere. She was a woman who embraced both ministry and fame, and I wanted to create a character who had that same opportunity. With that, I am so inspired by the decade of the 1920’s—such sweeping social changes, shifts in moral centering, an explosion of choices and opportunities for women. It was a time to test one’s faith—to go against the new norms in pursuit of righteousness. Such a challenge!

2. Tell me about your main character Dorothy Lynn. Was her character based upon anyone in particular?

The young Dorothy Lynn, no, not really—not beyond any other singer/songwriter out there. She’s a young woman with a message and a voice, so maybe she’s a mash-up of every musician I know. The older Dorothy Lynn, Miss Lynnie, is somewhat based on the mother of a friend of mine. His mother went to be with the Lord while I was in the final stages of writing this novel, and at her funeral, I learned that she had a stroke years before her passing, during which she had a glimpse of Heaven, and had spent her intervening years longing to return. I remember going home from that celebration of her life and re-writing just about every Breath of Angels scene, incorporating that into Dorothy Lynn’s story. It was exactly what the story 

needed, and brought about a depth I couldn’t have imagined in the initial draft.

3. What lessons or truths will your readers find in the pages of this novel?

I hope that they learn that it’s good to take a chance, to take hold of opportunities that come your way, even if it doesn’t always make sense to do so. Yes, there are times that require periods of prayer and reflection and guidance-seeking, but then there are times when you have to hop on the next train and trust that God has the details well in hand. Along with that, I’d want them to know that while there is breath, there is opportunity for grace and forgiveness, but we might need to humble ourselves. There’s a theme of a longing for home, no matter how enticing the alternative seems. 

4. Although this novel is set in the 1920s, how does Dorothy Lynn’s story still resonate today?

The world today wants nothing more than to entice young women to exploit themselves in some way, and the enemy wants nothing more than to make us think that we are beyond redemption. We all make stupid, thoughtless, reckless decisions; we all get ourselves into such unbelievably embarrassing messes; we all disappoint our loved ones. The world tells you to move on; God tells you to go back. 

5. As a writer, what did you particularly enjoy about crafting this story?

Oh, my goodness. As a historical writer, I loved the time period—that sort of new, innocent fumbling with innovations of the time. One of my favorite scenes was when the 107-year-old Dorothy Lynn experiences her first iPad. (By the way, I had to make her that old in order to make all the history “fit.” I spent every day for a month watching the Willard Scott segment on the Today show making sure that her age would be believable. Wouldn’t you know? Every week there’s somebody that tops the 105th birthday!)

6. What is your hope for this story? How would you like it to impact readers?

I would love it if this book would prompt a reader to reach out to somebody they feel they have lost. Reconciliation is hard—whether you’re the perpetrator or the victim of whatever “wrong” that happened. But life is short, even if you’re going to get more than a century of living, at some time that final day will come. Close those gaps in your life. Offer and ask for forgiveness. Leave a legacy of grace.

7. How has this novel helped you to grow as a storyteller?

My tendency (a very purposeful one) is to leave my stories with a bit of an “unfinished” edge. I like my characters to leave the page on the cusp of fulfillment, so that my readers can have the pleasure of imagining those final, satisfying moments. A good friend (and, coincidentally a fan) of mine said, “I love your books. I hate your endings. I’m just going to have to accept that this is what an Allison Pittman story does.” So—how fun was this to write the most definitive ending, ever! To open a story on the last day of a character’s life—so totally new for me. 

8. What is the best advice or encouragement that you have received?

It goes back to a conversation I had with James Scott Bell back when I’d written approximately 7 chapters of what would become my first novel, Ten Thousand Charms. The whole conversation is chronicled in Chapter 16 of his fabulous book The Art of War for Writers. (I’m the “young woman” – which I was, at the time, sort of…) Anyway, I was frustrated and discouraged, and he explained to me that this writing thing was like a pyramid. At its base, you have everybody who ever thinks they maybe might want to try to start writing a book someday. At the top is Max Lucado. The rest of us are somewhere in-between. “Your job…is to keep moving up the pyramid. Each level presents its own challenges, so concentrate on the ones right in front of you.” I love and welcome every new challenge.

Our Top 11 of 2011: Part 2

Our top 5 books of 2011 are novels that we savor and will read multiple times to rediscover their treasures.

Forsaking All Others

Allison Pittman

Lilies in the Moonlight

Allison Pittman

Wonderland Creek

Lynn Austin

The Colonel's Lady

Laura Frantz

A Lasting Impression

Tamera Alexander

Review of Forsaking All Others by Allison Pittman

Rating: 5 Stars

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Synopsis from Tyndale: Camilla Fox is alive. The last thing she remembers is being lost in the snow after leaving her home to escape the Mormon faith she no longer calls her own. She’s been taken in by the 5th Infantry Regiment of the US Army and given over to the personal care of Captain Charles Brandon. As she regains her strength, memories of her two children she had to leave behind come flooding back, threatening to break her heart. Camilla is determined to reunite with her daughters. But when news of her father’s grave illness reaches her, she knows she must return to the family farm to reconcile with her father. As spring arrives, Camilla returns to Salt Lake City a changed woman, but nothing could prepare her for the changes to the city, to the Mormon church, and to the family she left behind.

watch on tyndale.com

Review: I have been anticipating the release of Forsaking All Others since reading For Time and Eternity last year.  Allison Pittman never fails to produce a five star novel; each of her books have a permanent home on my bookshelf.  Forsaking All Others continues Camilla Fox's story seamlessly, beginning at the point where For Time and Eternity ended. Told in first person, the novel reads like a diary.  We are privy to Camilla's most personal emotions, doubts, fears, and her ever growing faith. Camilla's story is bittersweet  with a sadness that lingers throughout the plot. Her circumstances are difficult and much of the novel focuses on Camilla's quest to save her daughters and reconcile with her parents.  Despite the degree of heaviness to the plot, Pittman engages the reader with poignant writing.  Pittman has created a timeless and memorable heroine in Camilla, who exhibits an inspiring strength by grasping the truth of her Christian faith even when it requires her to travel a difficult path.

Allison Pittman is a standout in her genre. Her novels offer fresh plots with emotional depth, realistic characters, a strong Christian element, and a message that remains even after other books are long forgotten.

Patience and a Few Months of Anticipation

We have been eagerly awaiting the arrival of three books since mid-July: The Colonel's Lady by Laura Frantz, Wonderland Creek by Lynn Austin, and Forsaking All Others by Allison Pittman.  These are novels by three of our favorite authors, which makes waiting even more difficult.  The Colonel's Lady has been released already, but Wonderland Creek and Forsaking All Others will be released in October.  We pre-ordered each of them in July, but they are all going to be shipped together, thus the delay in receiving Laura Frantz's newest novel.

The Colonel's Lady
This novel has already received numerous rave reviews!  We have no doubt that it will be just as wonderful as Frantz's other novels.
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Synopsis from Revell: Roxanna Rowan may be a genteel Virginia woman, but she is determined to brave the wilds of the untamed frontier to reach a remote Kentucky fort. Eager to reunite with her father, who serves under Colonel Cassius McLinn, Roxanna is devastated to find that her father has been killed on a campaign.
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Penniless and out of options, Roxanna is forced to remain at the fort. As she spends more and more time with the fiery Colonel McLinn, the fort is abuzz with intrigue and innuendo. Can Roxanna truly know who the colonel is--and what he's done?
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Immerse yourself in this powerful story of love, faith, and forgiveness set in the tumultuous world of the frontier in 1779.

Forsaking All Others: 
Since reading For Time and Eternity last year, we have been hungry for the sequel, Forsaking All Others.   For Time and Eternity was extremely poignant; we can't wait to read more of Camilla's story in The Sister Wife Series.
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Synopsis from Tyndale: Camilla Fox is alive. The last thing she remembers is being lost in the snow after leaving her home to escape the Mormon faith she no longer calls her own. She’s been taken in by the 5th Infantry Regiment of the US Army and given over to the personal care of Captain Charles Brandon. As she regains her strength, memories of her two children she had to leave behind come flooding back, threatening to break her heart. Camilla is determined to reunite with her daughters. But when news of her father’s grave illness reaches her, she knows she must return to the family farm to reconcile with her father. As spring arrives, Camilla returns to Salt Lake City a changed woman, but nothing could prepare her for the changes to the city, to the Mormon church, and to the family she left behind.

Wonderland Creek
A novel by Lynn Austin with a bookworm heroine that promises romance, mystery, and adventure is definitely on the top of our must-read list.  We are looking forward to reading a plot set in the Great Depression and exploring the vivid scenes created through Austin's artistry.
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Synopsis from Bethany House Publishers: Alice Grace Ripley lives in a dream world, her nose stuck in a book. But the happily-ever-after life she's planned on suddenly falls apart when her boyfriend breaks up with her, accusing her of living in a world of fiction instead of the real one. To top it off, Alice loses her beloved library job because of cutbacks due to the Great Depression.

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Longing to run from small-town gossip, Alice flees to the mountains of eastern Kentucky to deliver five boxes of donated books to the tiny coal-mining town of Acorn, a place with no running water, no electricity, and where the librarians ride ornery horses up steep mountain passes to deliver books. When Alice is forced to stay in Acorn far longer than she planned, she discovers that real-life adventure, mystery--and especially romance--may be far better than her humble dreams could have imagined.
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A few more weeks of waiting, and then we will face a new challenge: Deciding which book to read first and who will read which first!

Lilies in Moonlight by Allison Pittman

Rating: 5 Stars

Synopsis from the publisher: He’d lost his zest for life. She was just lost. Will they find the healing and love they long for?

After a roaring night on the town, fun-loving flapper Lilly Margolis, dazed and disoriented, twists her ankle and falls into the backyard of a wealthy family where the effects of the Great War—over for more than half a decade—are still endured. Inside the walls of the Burnside mansion, Cullen Burnside, a disillusioned and disfigured veteran, and his widowed mother, Betty Ruth, who daily slips a little further into dementia, lead a lonely existence … until Lilly. Whimsical, lighthearted, and beautiful, she rejuvenates their sad, disconnected lives and blossoms in the light of their attention.

But Lilly, like Cullen, is hiding from a painful past. And when Cullen insists on returning her to her faraway home, their budding attraction seems destined to die on the vine. The resulting road trip becomes a journey of self-discovery—but what will Cullen and Lilly find at journey’s end?

Review:   When I have a book by one of my favorite authors, I tend to put off reading it and just let it sit on my bookshelf for a time, while I anticipate the great story that lies within.  Allison Pittman is one of my favorite authors; and with the release of Lilies in Moonlight, she has hit another home run!  Once again she has crafted a well-written novel that drew me into a whimsical, yet meaningful story that I did not want to end.  As much as I wanted to proceed slowly, it's one of those books that kept me turning the pages for more until there were no more pages remaining!  Not only does Pittman have a way of bringing her characters to life, but she also has very original story-lines that are refreshing to read.  Set during the Roaring Twenties, Lilies in Moonlight  focuses on two individuals that seem to have very little in common.  Though living a life of wealth and privilege, Cullen Burnside is only a shadow of  the young man that he left behind before the war, and seemingly irrepressible Lily is really just searching for a place to belong.  I fell in love with each of the characters in this novel and experienced their emotions throughout the journey.  Betty Ruth, Cullen's mother, is such an endearing character that added dimension to the story.  While Lilies in Moonlight has its light and humorous moments, there is such depth and insight just beneath the surface. 

I know that I will continue to revisit Lilies in Moonlight in the future, and I eagerly anticipate Allison Pittman's next release, Forsaking All Others in October 2011. 

For Time & Eternity, Allison Pittman

Rating: 5 stars

The first installment of Allison Pittman’s The Sister Wife Series is a poignant introduction to Camilla Deardon’s story that will resonate with readers long after the last word is read.  For Time & Eternity introduces readers to Camilla’s journey from her Christian home to life in a Mormon community.  Captivated by the handsome and charming Nathan Fox, Camilla chooses to leave her strict home and embrace the love offered by Nathan and his fellow Mormons.  While her marriage and family flourishes in the beginning, the less ideal aspects of the Mormon faith are soon unveiled.  For Time & Eternity is a story of love, faith, and sacrifice, and Camilla must make challenging and life-changing decisions.  

I have been a fan of Allison Pittman’s work since reading her first novel, Ten Thousand Charms, and I have enjoyed each of her novels.  For Time & Eternity tops my 2010 reading list.  Allison Pittman delves into a theological subject matter without creating novel that is too “preachy” or heavy. Camilla’s story intrigued me from the first page and kept me engrossed until the very end.  I empathized with Camilla’s plight and mourned her losses.  The novel lingers in my mind and I often discuss it with my sister, who also read the novel.  Very rarely am I so moved by a novel, and I am anxiously awaiting the next chapter in Camilla’s life.  For Time & Eternity is not a light read. In fact, it can be somewhat heartbreaking, but it is indescribably moving.  This is a must-read novel that will long remain on my bookshelf and in my heart.