Into the Free by Julie Cantrell

Just a girl. The only one strong enough to break the cycle.

Young Millie Reynolds must confront the past and overcome her family's long history of destructive choices before finding her own path to freedom. Millie Reynolds knows firsthand the shame of family secrets. With an abusive father and a "nothing mama," she craves a place of true belonging.

Over time, the gypsies that travel through town each spring offer acceptance. Then tragedy strikes and Millie leaves her world of poverty to join a prominent family on the other side of town. There, with the help of unlikely sources, Millie uncovers painful truths about her family's past as she struggles to face a God she believes has abandoned her.

When unconditional love is offered, Millie learns the power of forgiveness and finally discovers where she belongs.

My Review:
I loved this coming-of-age story! The writing is lyrical. It's the first from Julie Cantrell; I'm certain we'll hear more from her.

Written in the first-person point of view of Millie, a nine-year-old Mississippi girl who experiences the underbelly of life, and therefore becomes an "old soul" as described by her mother. The reader peeks into Millie's frustrating life with an abusive father and a "nothing mama." Family secrets offers some comfort along with more pain as they are revealed. Millie grows into a young lady of seventeen, relying on comfort from a sweet gum tree she names "Sweetie." From her perch in the upper branches, she hides and observes. She believes that she is alone in a Godless world.

Note: Reader's Guide included, along with an interview with the author.

Thank you to Bonnie at Christian Fiction Blog Alliance and David C. Cook for my copy.

If you would like to read the first chapter, click here.

If you would like to buy a copy, click here.