Skip to main content

Review: Faces - Corridor of Memories #1

Faces book cover on blue background

What a delight to be able to read a Christian book set in Canada! As soon as I read the synopsis, I knew I would be in for a good prairie story. I should disclose that I actually know of the author, which was even further incentive to read Faces, this wonderful debut novel.

Book Synopsis

Struggling to survive life in the city during the Great Depression, Abbie McGreggor’s life is turned upside down when tragedy strikes and she is forced to leave behind all she knows to navigate her way through a world full of unfamiliar faces.

As Abbie struggles to come to terms with her new reality and rebuild her life, she must confront her own fears and face the truth about all she's lost. The faces are friendly in the country, but will Abbie ever be able to trust them, or herself, again?

Faces is a masterful exploration of love, loss, and the power of forgiveness. Expertly crafted characters and evocative setting make this novel a must-read for fans of historical fiction and emotional storytelling.

Source: Amazon

Book Thoughts

The premise of this book is not one that I can recall previously encountering, which made for an even more fascinating story set in the Canadian prairies in the 1930s. Abbie is one strong woman, and I found myself admiring her character more and more as time went on. She's not only likeable as a person, she's also relatable as she conveys her emotions in transitioning from an urban life to a rural life without descending into complaints or a woe-is-me attitude. This was refreshing to encounter as it demonstrated her resilience without minimizing her troubles; Chelsea Rae is obviously a skilled writer who can translate the depths of pain into a story that doesn't weigh readers down.

This was such an enjoyable book to read in that the plot moved at just the right pace, the multiple POVs were well-placed, and the lessons of faith sprinkled throughout were timely and appropriate. Readers can really get a sense of what it must have been like to live through a difficult era while getting to understand each character's history and nuances. Seeing neighbours come together, families take in strangers, and people looking out for one another is certainly a glimpse of the western hospitality that existed on the prairies. The author has done a marvelous job in bringing different people to life, and I look forward to the next book in her series!

Book Summary

  • Format of book: 📱
  • Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
  • Recommendation: 👍

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Things I'm Not Supposed to Do

It's interesting to discover what people should be and shouldn't be doing when they share about books online. More and more, I feel like there can be a backlash against anything now, to the point where anyone with a passion for books can feel paralyzed in offering their own bookish content. For the large part, I try to tune out these things because it's ever-changing, and if it's not one thing, it'll be another. I'm sad when people feel stifled due to these capricious "rules" that half (if not more of) the time seem to keep people from excitedly engaging in what they love most. I'm thankful that I've received immense support from the reading community when I first started out, so I want to encourage anyone who is thinking of jumping in with their personal approach to books by sharing how I practically break the following ten rules covering things from content generation to materials access: I'm not supposed to use Canva for my book posts.  ...

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas! May you have a blessed day, celebrating the birth of our Saviour. Today in the town of David a Saviour has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. - Luke 2:11 For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. - Isaiah 9:6

Review: A Theology of the Ordinary

Since Christmas is nearing and it's a busy season, I thought a small book (only 68 pages) would be nice to share about.  A Theology of the Ordinary by Julie Canlis was a book that ended up being surprising in different ways, with a lot packed into a short volume. Book Synopsis Julie Canlis is an award-winning author who has turned her attention to the ordinary. With the surge of books and blogs celebrating the ordinary, she lays a theological foundation for this celebration based upon the Father's blessing of ordinary life, the Son's incarnation in ordinary life, and the Spirit's re-creation of ordinary life. First, turning her attention to American revivalist roots, she explores how this has seeped into evangelicalism's DNA, pushing ordinary life in Christ to the margins. Then, she begins by turning to the Father's blessing of ordinary life in creation, and the way in which temple-language mimics creation-language, revealing all of the world to be God's te...