Things Worth Remembering by Jackina Stark

Maisey asked for a bride doll the Christmas she was five, mesmerized by her aunt's wedding the fall before. Since then I've been dreaming of the day, or days, we would shop for her wedding dress. A mother helping her daughter find just the right creation for that momentous walk down the aisle strikes me as one of life's happiest endeavors. The night she called to tell us she'd bought her "dream of a gown," I sat beside Luke on the couch, a striking contrast to Maisey's exuberance.

My dejection seemed a tad inappropriate. "Being hurt because I wasn't included is silly, isn't it?" I asked.

"Not so silly," he said.

Will I ever quit longing for the Maisey who was once mine? Kendy Laswell and her daughter, Maisey, used to do everything together--until one fateful summer when everything changed. Now, Maisey is back home to get married, and Kendy is determined to reconnect with her daughter. But can a bond so long broken ever be restored?

My Review:
This is the second novel I've read by this author, and she is fast becoming one of my favorites. I got my review copy from Bethany House. If I had to describe the writing style of Jackina Stark in one word, it would be "tenderhearted." She manages to tell a deeply profound story with a delicate pen.

Relationships between mothers and grown daughters are complex, but the one depicted in this Christian fiction has the reader searching for clues as what could have caused their once-close relationship to crumble. The reader quickly discovers that there is a gulf between this mother and child.

Written in first person narrative in the voices of these two main characters: Kendy, the mother, who strives to regain the closeness she once enjoyed with her now grown daughter, and Maizey, the daughter who rebuffs all efforts to spend any alone time with her mother. As Maizey's wedding day approaches, memories surface that help shed light on the breach of that fateful summer.

The plot moves at a steady pace, urging the reader to read on--this is a hard book to put down. Characters are well rounded--flawed--believable. I found myself relating to both mother and daughter. Even secondary characters are fleshed out such that the reader can understand their motivations. I thoroughly enjoyed the novel and its theme of love and forgiveness. I trust that you will too.

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

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Tender Grace by Jackina Stark

Audrey Eaton awakes at three in the morning and gets up to retrieve her husband, Tom, from the recliner where he has fallen asleep watching a ball game. But when she enters the living room and looks at his gentle face in the soft lamp light, she knows their time together is over.

Grief attacks her until all she can think about is how much she wants her old life back. Determined to find healing, she embarks on a journey to the one place Tom and she always intended to visit but never did. Along the way, she discovers, through shared experiences with friends old and new, the meaning of the "tender graces" God provides each and every day.

My Review:
Written in first person in the style of a diary, this is a tender story of a widow who is trying to reason out her life without her mate. In addition to losing her spouse, she realizes that has she has lost herself. Although the topic is sad, the book is not. Rather, it's a love story of a butterfly emerging from the cocoon of grief.

One day, the protagonist ponders the question, Do you want to get well? Audrey Eaton, an intelligent woman, who freely admits her fears and flaws, answers in the affirmative and sets out on a journey of discovery. As she experiences new places, she reflects back on pieces of her life with family and friends in an interesting format. She carries her husband's Bible and begins to read the book of John, making applications to her present circumstances.

I read this book in one day and found it surprisingly unpredictable. It's definitely a winner! I think that every person would benefit from reading this one.

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

If you'd like to buy a copy, click here.