YA Books to Film

I saw this on a Facebook post today and thought it was fun to read so I'm sharing it here. It's "25 titles YA book-to-film fans need to read now." I've only read three of them and heard of 5 others (no, I'm not feeling hip at all right now). The article does mention the on-going movie adaptations that they're following closely and I'm glad to say I've heard of them all and read most of those. The ones from their list that I've read are:

Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver
Fallen by Lauren Kate
Incarceron by Catherine Fisher

Here's a list of all of them if you don't have time to read the article:

Black City by Elizabeth Richards
The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey
Legend by Marie Lu
Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo
The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater
The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater
Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs
Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver
Blood Red Road by Moira Young
Daughter of Smoke & Bone by Laini Taylor
Fallen by Lauren Kate
The Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan
Firelight by Sophie Jordan
Heist Society by Ally Carter
The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman
The Immortal Rules by Julie Kagawa
Incarceron by Catherine Fisher
Marked by P.C. Cast
Origin by Jessica Khoury
Pure by Julianna Baggott
Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi
Tiger's Curse by Colleen Houck
Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi
Wicked Lovely by Melissa Marr
Wake by Lisa McMann

How many have you read and which ones would you highly recommend reading?

Book Review: The Unlikely Gift of Treasure Blume by Lisa Rumsey Harris

The Unlikely Gift of Treasure Blume, by Lisa Rumsey Harris, 2012, 304 p
Rating = 4, Content: Clean
Source: Provided a copy from the author for an honest review 

With her love of sweaters, goofy hair, and awkward manners—not to mention her family curse—Treasure Blume knows love is not in her future. That is, until she matches wits with Dennis Cameron, a divorced chef with a six-year-old daughter. Full of mischief, mayhem, and laugh-out-loud humor, this is an unlikely love story you’ll want to read over and over again! (Goodreads)

Treasure Blume is a bit awkward and doesn't leave a good first impression on people (part of her gift/curse). The book starts with a horrible blind date. The blind date didn't end up happening and after he left, she promptly took off her embroidered Noah's Ark sweater and got comfy in her sweats while she called her best friend, Roxy, to rehash her evening and get a fresh perspective on life. 

Treasure is a first-grade teacher who cares about her students and wants the best for them. She comes up with some great ideas to help each of them feel included and shows compassion in several different ways. I liked the way she handled some tough situations that came up. She's not perfect but has the best interests of others at heart and that comes through.

Then there's Grammy Blume, who is every bit as quirky as Treasure. When Treasure was young, Grammy was a scary old lady and when she was 12, her father left her alone with Grammy for the first time. Treasure opened up to her about a humiliating experience that happened in school. Grammy took action and she and Treasure have been close ever since. She told Treasure about her gift/curse which helps Treasure cope with the way she's treated by others. 

Grammy is also part of Ruby's Red Hot Chili Steppers, a semi-elite dance team composed of mature women over 65 years old. Treasure is their gopher, whose duties include handing out water bottles, cueing music and filling in wherever she's needed. This group is awesome! I loved reading their interactions with each other; they made me laugh several times. Grammy Blume is a colorful, fun character who tells Treasure things she needs to hear. It's always good to have someone like that in your life because sometimes it's hard to see your own good qualities and it's always nice to have someone point them out to you.

There are lots of other fun characters and I laughed quite a bit. The romance was gradual and realistic. When she first met Dennis, it was definitely not love at first sight. Their first interactions with each other didn't go well. When their feelings shifted, it was still a rocky road and I rooted for them to find a way to make their relationship work. This book started out slow for me and then it started to pick up and was hard to put down as I wanted to see what would happen with Treasure. There's a great message in this book and it's definitely worth reading!

  

Lisa Rumsey Harris grew up writing stories and riding horses in Southeastern Idaho. She received a bachelor's and master's degree in English from Brigham Young University. She lives in Orem, Utah, with her ancient Siamese cat, her multi-talented husband, and her three adorable daughters. 

Website        Facebook

Book Review: Feudlings by Wendy Knight

Feudlings (Fate on Fire) by Wendy Knight, 2013, 283p, Rating=5
Content: Clean, Young Adult Fiction
Source: Received review copy from Astraea Press for an honest review

Nothing makes a new school suck worse than discovering the guy you’re in love with is your prophesied nemesis.

Ari is the most powerful flame-throwing sorceress ever, and her people’s last hope in an ancient war. But she’s also a seventeen-year-old girl, and in her free, not-hunting-nemesis times, she jumps from school to school, trying to figure out regular people her own age and pretending she’ll get the chance to graduate.

Shane lives a double life. He goes to school and masters the art of popularity, hiding the fact that he has a fate with a slim chance of his survival. He’s destined to end a 300 year-old war by killing or being killed. He knows he’s hunted by a powerful enemy who’s not afraid to die. Only problem? He has no idea who that enemy is.

When Ari shows up at Shane’s school, angry and sullen and determined to keep him at arm’s reach, neither of them realize they are supposed to be killing each other, not falling in love. Until Ari does realize it, and she almost dies – by Shane’s hand. (Goodreads)

 
This drew me in from the first page and I had a hard time putting it down. It starts at a boarding school in Park City, Utah. It's the sixteenth one Ari's been to in nine years so she's not looking to make friends since she won't be there for long. Her roommate, Brittany, isn't thrilled to have someone share her room but manages to rope Ari into helping her decorate for the school dance. Brittany is trying to impress Shane, the best-looking guy at the school, so Ari grudgingly goes to help her. She falls off the ladder and hits the floor right as Shane, Hunter (Shane's bodyguard) and Charity (Shane's cousin) are all heading into the gym. As a Carule, Shane could heal her if he could just be alone with her for a few minutes but there are too many concerned girls following him to the nurse's office so he has to take her there. Ari spends the weekend in the nurse's office and misses the dance. She's able to start school on Monday and is surprised at all the attention she receives since she's planning to just blend in like she usually does.

She makes some good friends for the first time and finds herself enjoying her school. She meets swoon-worthy Shane and realizes that he really is all that but she's not about to let him know that. Besides, she'll be moving on soon and doesn't have time to form lasting relationships. 

The plot moves well as we learn about Ari's family and what her responsibilities are to them.  They keep her busy and sometimes it interferes with her new social life. Her exchanges with Shane and Hunter are fun to read as she's like no girl they've ever met before and she intrigues them both. Ari is tough and knows how to handle herself physically yet is still finding her way in relationships. I enjoyed getting to know her. When it ended, it left me looking forward to the next book! I loved reading this and highly recommend it!!

If you want to read more about book 2 (which also sounds amazing and looks like it will be out in August 2013) and other books Wendy Knight is working on, check out her website here. I'm a fan and am definitely looking forward to reading more of her books!

Tour Launch: daynight by Megan Thomason

On Tour with Prism Book Tours...

It's time to leave Earth and cross over to the other side... it's not as far away as you think!!

Megan Thomason lives in paradise aka San Diego, CA with her husband and five children. A former software manager, Megan vastly prefers writing twisted tales to business, product, and marketing plans. When she isn't typing away on her laptop, she's reading books on her phone—over 600 in the last year—or attending to the needs of her family. Megan’s fluent in sarcasm, could potentially benefit from a 12-step program for road rage, struggles with a Hot Tamales addiction, loves world travel & fast cars and hates paperwork & being an insomniac. Daynight is Megan's first published novel, but fourth written one.

Goodreads * Blog * Facebook * Twitter

Welcome to the "Second Chances" daynight blog tour! Over the next few day/nights I am really excited to share with you:

- Over $300 of daynight-related prizes as a giant THANK YOU to the thousands of daynight early adopters and those who have yet to enter the twisted world of The Second Chance Institute and Thera. Want to prepare for Exile? Or an overday date with Ethan? Have breakfast for dinner? Glam it up in Garden City? There are *12* prize packages to be won! We'll introduce a new package every day of the tour so you'll have a second, third & so forth chance to win.

- The launch of clean slate complex (a daynight story)... For those who have read daynight you can learn more about what the SCI is up to on Earth (surely nothing good). For those who haven't read daynight this is a great way to get your feet wet...test the waters so to speak. I warn you though...the SCI's like Jaws Jr and the giant school of barracuda I encountered on my recent vacation--pretty from a distance, but up close they've got a lot of bite ;).

- Posters, teasers and guest posts about the themes of daynight and clean slate complex... Plus, I'm fully prepared to sneak in some nuggets about what to expect in the daynight sequel, arbitrate.

Thanks again for joining us on the tour and for your support of daynight. I'm grateful for all of you and humbled by your support.

- Megan Thomason

author of daynight

* The Tour *

Become an SCI Recruit
The Second Chance Institute (daynight's Dystopia)

April   22 - Launch!
                - My Seryniti - Review
                - Little Library Muse
           23 - Tressa's Wishful Endings
                - Buckeye Girl Reads - Teaser
                - Marked by Books - Review
                - Red Headed Bookworm

Welcome to Thera!
 Building Thera

         24 - Coffee Books and Me
                  Stressed Rach
                  Snuggling on the Sofa - Review
           25 - Christy's Cozy Corner - Teaser
                - All Fantasy Words - Review

Kira * Blake * Ethan
Character Backgrounds & Posters

         26 - Susie Q-Pons and Giveaways - Review
                - My Passion for Books - Review; Ethan
                - Paranormal opinion - Blake
                - The Cozy Reading Corner - Kira
                - Book, Books, the Magical Fruit - Teaser
                - Bookaroo-Ju - Teaser
           27 - Bookworm Lisa - The Characters
                - Getting Your Read On - Review

Cleaving
daynight's Controversy of "Cleaving"

           28 - Fantastical World of Wonders - Review
                - Pause Time
                - A Backwards Story
                - Beck Valley Books
           29 - I Am a Reader, Not a Writer - Teaser
                - Books Mystify - Review
                - Mel's Shelves - Review

Vacation on Earth!
Escapism

           30 - The Broke Book Bank - Review

                - Letters to the Cosmos - Review

                - Arriane Cruz 

                - Candace's Book Blog

May      1 - Life of a YA Girl - Review

                - Fuonlyknew - Teaser

                - Jack's Junk Drawer - Review

Risking Exile
Dystopian Survival 101

             2 - A Tiffyfit's Reading Corner - Review
                - Lovin' Los Libros - Review
                - Paulette's Papers
                - Becky's Barmy Book Blog 
             3 - Backing Books - Teaser
                - Book Snob - Review
             4 - Hezzi-D's Books and Cooks - Recipe
                - Living a Goddess Life - Review; Recipe

Clean Slate Complex

             5 - Mortality Bites
                - Sab, The Book Eater
                - Deco My Heart - Review
             6 - Passion and Life - Teaser
                - The Reading Diaries - Review
             7 - Grand Finale Blast!!

daynight
by Megan Thomason
Paperback, 324 pages
Published November 26th 2012 by Creatspace

Meet The Second Chance Institute (SCI): Earth’s benevolent non-profit by day, Thera’s totalitarian regime by night. Their motto: Because Everyone Deserves a Second Chance™. Reality: the SCI subjects Second Chancers to strict controls and politically motivated science experiments like Cleaving—forced lifetime union between two people who have sex. Punishment for disobeying SCI edicts? Immediate Exile or death.

Meet Kira Donovan. Fiercely loyal, overly optimistic, and ensnared by the promise of a full-ride college scholarship, Kira signs the SCI Recruit contract to escape memories of a tragedy that left her boyfriend and friends dead.

Meet Blake Sundry. Bitter about being raised in Exile and his mother’s death, Blake’s been trained to infiltrate and destroy the SCI. Current barrier to success? His Recruit partner—Miss Goody Two Shoes Kira Donovan.

Meet Ethan Darcton. Born with a defective heart and resulting inferiority complex, Ethan’s forced to do his SCI elite family’s bidding. Cleave-worthy Kira Donovan catches his eye, but the presiding powers give defect-free Blake Sundry first dibs.

Introducing...  the new Novella:  FREE for the Tour!

On Smashwords!

clean slate complex

by Megan Thomason

Meet The Second Chance Institute (SCI): Worldwide non-profit and do-gooder organization. Their motto: Because Everyone Deserves a Second Chance at Life(TM). Reality: hidden behind every kind act is a dark agenda designed to gain control and force societal and moral extremes. Currently, the SCI’s pushing Project Liberate, a program to woo the poor and downtrodden into their Clean Slate Complexes—where “everything is provided” from jobs to food, shelter, clothing, and education. Unfortunately, as with all things that sound too good to be true, there’s a catch…

Meet Alexa Knight. Feisty, tough and currently homeless in Los Angeles, Alexa agrees to help the SCI in return for medical care for her sick mother. When she starts to suspect there’s more to the SCI than meets the eye will she believe Adam—the boy who saved her life and the SCI’s biggest champion, or Joshua—the attractive enigma who sings about conspiracy theories and pretends to be someone he’s not?

Full of action, humor, romance, twists and turns, clean slate complex is a companion story to the highly-praised dystopian novel, daynight. It can be enjoyed before or after readingdaynight.

LINK: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00CFQY0JY

daynight Second Chances Giveaway:

Choose what you enter to win wisely. Your stay on Thera may be extended indefinitely.

Highlighting a different giveaway every daynight of the Tour... International Winners will receive a $25 Amazon Gift Certificate and US Winners may choose $25 GC in lieu of Prize Package.

US only. International winners will receive $25 Amazon gift certificate. US winners can opt to receive $25 Amazon gift certificate in lieu of any prize package.Open only to those who can legally enter. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by Rafflecopter and announced on Rafflecopter and Grand Finale posts as well as emailed and the winner will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Burgandy Ice @ Colorimetry and Prism Book Tours and sponsored by Megan Thomason. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.

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Terra Grand Finale!!

On Tour with Prism Book Tours...

Intro by Gretchen Powell:

In Terra's world, resources are scarce and many people make their living as "scavs," hunting for scraps to turn in on Collection Day in exchange for credits. For this tour, YOU are a scav, and there are scraps all over the blogosphere for you to find! On each participating blog, there will be one of 9 possible questions. Answer the question to receive a keyword that will get you an extra entry in the awesome giveaway!

We Launched our Tour on April 1st!!  No foolin'!

A Tiffyfit's Reading Corner - Review:

The characters were well-developed and the lead protagonist, Terra, was not whiny, angsty, or annoying.

Pause Time - Review:

I loved Adam from the first moment

Total Book Geek - Excerpt

Mel's Shelves - Review

the book is full of twists and turns I didn't see coming--a big plus for me!

I Am a Reader, Not a Writer - Excerpt

Lovin' Los Libros - Review

If you are a fan of Hunger Games, Divergent, or even The Maze Runner series, I think you will really enjoy Terra.

fuonlyknew - Excerpt

The Quiet Concert - Review

Terra had to be my favorite character. She is a strong, stubborn, protective girl who will do what it takes to protect her family and find answers.

Jessie's Book Place - Excerpt

The Reading Diaries - Excerpt 

 & 5 Star Review:

WOW!!!!! LOVE LOVE LOVE TERRA!!!!!Such a fantastic story I finished in one afternoon unable to put it down. Terra is a brilliant mix between Dystopia and Sci fi in my opinion the story just flows beautifully.

Christy's Cozy Corner - Review:

 Nothing in the book felt unnecessary. No unnecessary conversations or characters.

LDS & Lovin' It - Review

And while the world she creates is a made up one, I saw distinct parallels to our own world and the heartbreaking poverty that exists here as well as the developing environmental problems that clearly led to the devastation of Terra's world.

Tressa's Wishful Endings - Review

I also really liked Adam! He's got bright blue eyes, a lopsided-smile, is intelligent and caring. Though he has his imperfections too. You know that he is keeping something from Terra, but I didn't realize what it was until Terra finds out herself.

Colorimetry - Excerpt

Living a Goddess Life - Lemon Berry Preserves Recipe:

& Review:

It's very rare, in my experience, to find an indie book that is as good as anything that's gone through a corporate editing process. In fact, it may very well be the Holy Grail of small press books. And yet, on her first lap out of the gate, Gretchen Powell has birthed a fantastic book, self-published. So....consider me a fan!

Passion and Life - Excerpt

Bookworm Lisa -  Review

The ending left me looking frantically for when the second book is to be released.

Blood, Sweat & Books - Review

Terra was a solid science fiction/Dystopian with detailed world building, plenty of action and enjoyable secondary characters.

Marked by Books - Excerpt

My Seryniti - Review

 The writing is so good that you are transported to this other world and when something happens I constantly found myself gasping aloud, knowing that the crap was going to hit the fan, but not know why!

Mortality Bites - Excerpt

Getting Your Read On - Review

The Broke Book Bank - Intervew!!

I guess you can kind of think of them kind of like the reorganized continents of today. When the world fell apart and the Tribunal took over, things changed.

Giveaway:

One lucky scav will win a Terra prize pack! Get a signed copy of Terra, along with three exclusive (and gorgeous!) bookmarks, as well as a delicate silver watch--just like Terra's!--all packed up inside a scav bag of your very own! US only.

An additional five (FIVE!) winners will get a digital copy of Terra in the format of their choice. International.

Open only to those who can legally enter. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by Rafflecopter and announced on Rafflecopter and Grand Finale posts as well as emailed and the winner will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Burgandy Ice @ Colorimetry and Prism Book Tours and sponsored by Gretchen Powell. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.

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Blog Tour: Life is Too Short Collection

Tour Schedule

Life is Too Short Collection

Are you looking for a fabulous life boost today? The Life is Too Short series is just what you need. Written by Connie Sokol—mother of seven, author, speaker, and amazing matching sock finder—these humorous self-development columns give you just the right amount of fun and functional. Originally written for a major newspaper and magazines, you can now enjoy the entire collection in one book. Put your feet up and laugh as you relate to time-tested tips on being a woman, wife, and mother. You’ll learn the cozy stuff of how to adjust expectations, have faith in your dreams, and lighten up in motherhood. And, you’ll learn a few life skills such as easy spring cleaning, simplifying the holidays, and creating successful goals. It’s the perfect gift for any woman! Short, funny, insightful, these quick power columns are ideal anytime, anywhere, to rejuvenate your mind and soul.

Amazon

I enjoy reading these kind of books. The columns are short so I was able to read here and there for a few minutes at a time. She breaks her essays down into three sections: Woman, Wife and Mother. As women, we tend to be too hard on ourselves sometimes so she starts by suggesting that we loosen up and relax. She shares stories about how her own family can look so perfect from the outside when people don't know what happened behind the scenes to get to that point. There's no need to be Superwoman and do not give up on your dreams. I've heard quite a few stories lately about women who have accomplished major things in their lives and didn't even start until they were in their 40's or 50's. That is inspiring to me as sometimes I feel that I'm too old to start something new and need to be reminded that it's never too late to find your passion in life and go for it. Set real goals that you can actually accomplish, so you will feel good about yourself and move on toward other goals. Simplify your life and perform ARK's (Act of Random Kindness).

The first column in the Wife section, "My Degree in Gender Education," had me laughing so hard. She tells what she learned on a frosty morning walking up a tall hill with her dress tucked in the back of her pantyhose. Oh, my, make sure you don't miss that one to find out the rest of the story! Find joy in the differences between men and women, meet each other's needs, encourage each other, forgive, let go of control and so much more!

In the Mother section: Find joy in motherhood, lighten up, be patient with yourself, learn how to handle situations when you've blown it, how to deal with motherhood guilt, stop being a bossy pants (which will allow your children to grow), don't hover over your children, let your children work their problems out, show love to each child in their own love language and strengthen family connections. There are many other topics in this book and they are all wonderful!

This is a book I will treasure and read when I need to feel uplifted. I like that she talks about not being too hard on ourselves while also giving great ideas on ways to improve ourselves and our relationships. There are some suggestions she makes that I would like to implement in my life. This is a great book for all women to read!

My Rating: 5 stars

Author Connie Sokol

Connie Sokol is a mother of seven, a national and local presenter, and a regular speaker at Education Week. She is a monthly contributor on KSL TV “Studio 5,” and regular blogger for KSL “Motherhood Matters.” She is a former TV and radio host for Bonneville Communications, and columnist for Deseret News and Utah Valley Magazine. Mrs. Sokol is the author of several books including the award-nominated romance Caribbean Crossroads, the 8-week Challenge program of Faithful, Fit & Fabulous, Life is Too Short for One Hair Color Series, as well as talk CDs and podcasts. Mrs. Sokol marinates in time spent with her family and eating decadent treats.

Website * Facebook

Tour Giveaway

$25 Amazon Gift Card
Ends 5/7/13
Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader, Not A Writer http://www.iamareader.com and sponsored by the author. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.

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Blog Tour: Belonging to Heaven

Tour Schedule

Belonging to Heaven by Gale Sears,
2013, Rating=5+
Source: Received free review copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review;
Historical Religious Fiction

Descended from the Hawaiian royal line, Jonathan Napela became one of the first—and most influential—converts to the Church in Hawaii. A man of intelligence, social status, and wealth, he used his considerable position to further the gospel in his native land. He developed a lifelong bond of brotherhood with Elder George Q. Cannon, helping to translate the Book of Mormon into Hawaiian and establish a gathering place for the Hawaiian saints in Laie, Oahu. But when his beloved wife, Kitty, was stricken with leprosy, Jonathan made the defining decision of his life. He would leave his life of privilege to become her caretaker and spend the rest of his life on Molokai, the island of lepers. To those who suffered similar heartbreak and banishment, Jonathan’s self-sacrifice became their lifeline. Based on a true story, this is an extraordinary novel of a man who chose love in the face of death.

Amazon * Barnes & Noble

WOW!! This book is amazing! The first part tells the story of Elder George Q. Cannon and his mission to the Sandwich Islands, as Hawaii was known at the time. He starts gold mining in California and it was hard work that wasn't producing many results. When the men's assignment changes to go to Hawaii, the mines miraculously open up and produce enough gold to pay their way to Hawaii. They travel to Hawaii to preach to the white people who were living there, but Elder Cannon strongly felt that they needed to learn the language so they could share the gospel with the Hawaiians. It wasn't an easy language to learn, but they were determined to communicate with the people. It took awhile to get results. Meanwhile, Jonathan Napela had an experience which opened his heart to receive Elder Cannon when he met him and they became fast friends.

Jonathan Napela is a district court judge and a son of Hawaiian royalty. He has a dream about George Cannon and when he sees him pass his house, he stops him and asks him to share his message. He grills him and likes the message he receives. Jonathan Napela receives a lot of opposition and his livelihood is threatened if he continues to listen to the missionaries. He shows his faith and continues to study the gospel and decides to be baptized and help spread the gospel.

By the time George Cannon returns to Salt Lake City (he was there for four years), there are 3,000 members of the church, some of the Hawaiian men hold the priesthood and are serving as missionaries and the Book of Mormon has been translated (but still needs to be printed). The people are sad to see Elder Cannon go and we learn of the progression of the work through their letters to each other. He had been really close with Jonathan and Kitty's young daughter, Hattie, and they also continued to write through the years. Hattie is amazing. She makes a mistake when she's a young woman that causes a rift between her and her mother and has to make some hard decisions but she has a lot of strength to endure all that she needs to.

Then, the leprosy. Oh, my! I cried or had tears in my eyes from the time we learn of that through the end of the book. My family was wondering if I was okay. This is the first I've read of what day to day life was like for those with leprosy. They were taken from their families, even young children, to live the rest of their life on an island together. The goodbyes were heart-wrenching, especially when Hattie had to say goodbye to her parents. When Jonathan and Kitty got to Moloka'i, the conditions were rough and there was lots of work to be done to make sure the residents had food, shelter and medical care. A Catholic priest, Father Damien, soon joined them and he and Jonathan worked tirelessly to make sure everyone was taken care of and together they loved and served the people well. The ending had me in tears again. I don't want to spoil it but will say that it was touching and beautifully written.

I loved learning more about the Hawaiian culture and history of the church over there. I remember my brother's advice to me when I left on my mission back in 1990: "Love the people." That advice is timeless. It worked in the 1850's for Elder Cannon and it still works today. This book is full of faith, love, compassion and service. I loved all the people in this story and highly recommend it!!

Author Gale Sears

Gale Sears is an award-winning author, known for her historical accuracy and intensive research. Gale received a BA in playwriting from Brigham Young University and a master’s degree in theater arts from the University of Minnesota. She is the author of the bestselling The Silence of God and several other novels, including The Route, Christmas for a Dollar, Autumn Sky, Until the Dawn, and Upon the Mountains. She and her husband, George, are the parents of two children and reside in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Website

Tour Giveaway

$25 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash

Ends 5/5/13

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