Into the Free

This week, the Christian Fiction Blog Alliance is introducing Into the Free David C. Cook (February 1, 2012) by Julie Cantrell



MY THOUGHTS:
Julie Cantrell has a masterful way with words. She has created a fabulous and tragic story that pulls the reader immediately inside a world most of us never see. She provides a unique perspective, linking together three worlds --gypsies, rodeos, and extreme poverty -- in the eyes of a young girl who is trying to find a place for herself in the world.

I am fascinated by the way Julie crafts her words, and often stopped to reread a sentence because I loved the way it rolled around in my head. This was not a distraction from the story -- it added to the melody and flow. Into the Free was a difficult book to put down.

I look forward to reading more of Julie Cantrell's books!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

A speech-language pathologist and literacy advocate, Julie Cantrell was the editor-in-chief of the Southern Literary Review and currently teaches English as a second language to elementary students. She has been a freelance writer for ten years and has published two children’s books. Julie and her family live in Mississippi where they operate Valley House Farm.

Julie served as contributing editor to MOMSense magazine and wrote content for Mothers of Preschoolers, Intl. for nearly a decade. Additionally, she has contributed to more than a dozen books. Into The Free is her first book.

ABOUT THE BOOK

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

In Depression-era Mississippi, Millie Reynolds longs to escape the madness that marks her world. With an abusive father and a “nothing mama,” she struggles to find a place where she really belongs.

For answers, Millie turns to the Gypsies who caravan through town each spring. The travelers lead Millie to a key which unlocks generations of shocking family secrets. When tragedy strikes, the mysterious contents of the box give Millie the tools she needs to break her family’s longstanding cycle of madness and abuse.

Through it all, Millie experiences the thrill of first love while fighting to trust the God she believes has abandoned her. With the power of forgiveness, can Millie finally make her way into the free?

Watch the book video:





If you would like to read the first chapter of Into the Free, go HERE.