The Prayer Box by Lisa Wingate
Tandi is a down on her luck single-mom whose life has been a whole lot of heartache. She's on the run from an abusive husband and flat-broke. Her kids are used to fending for themselves for the most part and their relationship with Tandi is shallow at best. You can feel the despair and desperation in her situation right from the beginning.
Iola Poole was a lovely woman who didn't understand many wrongs that had been done to her throughout her life. She was sent away from her home and family at a young age to live at a Catholic home for orphans and overheard some ladies call her an "anathema" which means curse or something to be shunned. It took many years before she'd realize why they would say that about her, and even afterwards the sting of rejection from her own family would be something she carried. Hiding her true identity of who she was from her neighbors, and even her husband for a time, was something she bore alone. However, she found solace in her letters, written to Father, that she placed in prayer boxes. Those prayer boxes are the treasure that Tandi will find, years later, and slowly begin to piece together Iola's secret.
What Tandi discovers is an amazing woman, with a great capacity to give, anonymously, to meet the needs of those in her community and beyond. Even when many treated her poorly because they did not understand her true heritage, she never stopped praying and giving generously, even up to her death.
What happens and how it all pulls together makes for a great story. Tandi learns a lot of hard lessons along the way, but with the help of some people who treat her compassionately and genuinely care about her well-being, she grows stronger and is able to stand on her own two feet.
Janice, Erin, Nancy and Linda met at Lazy Dog on August 31st. All liked the book.
No comments:
Post a Comment