Pieces of the Heart

This week, the Christian Fiction Blog Alliance is introducing Pieces of the Heart Abingdon Press (June 1, 2013) by Bonnie S. Calhoun

MY THOUGHTS:
 This book is much deeper than the write up on the back (and below) would suggest. It is a wonderful story of love and perseverance, but the golden threads holding the book together are the serious issues of prejudice (in many forms), withheld forgiveness, and disbelief in prayer.

Bonnie Calhoun weaves a tale of the horrifying truths of WWII and pre-judgement of people based on their color, gender, beliefs, sins, and countenance. I would never have imagined a book could creatively wind these real-life issues together, but as it happens in real life, Bonnie has made it all seem (unfortunately) natural.  She takes the reader behind the externals of the characters to reveal hurts and motivations beyond simple understanding.

Under it all is the peace that faithfulness in undying love and prayer can bring to the life of another. I love the historical tradition of the pinecone quilt, a prayer covering over the life of the next generation.

This book is definitely a thought-provoking read worth every minute. It is hard to put down -- I received it one afternoon and immediately got hooked. It was finished before bedtime!

You can purchase the book HERE.


ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Bonnie S. Calhoun is Owner/Director of Christian Fiction Blog Alliance, owner/publisher of Christian Fiction Online Magazine, Northeast Zone Director for American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW), the ACFW ‘2011 Mentor of the Year,” President of (CAN) Christian Authors Network, and Appointment Coordinator for both the Colorado Christian Writers Conference (CCWC) and the Greater Philadelphia Christian Writers Conference(GPCWC).

For the last six years she has taught workshops in Facebook, Twitter, Blogging, and creating Social Media promotions at both CCWC, and GPCWC, and in 2011 at the Montrose, Pa Christian Writers Conference. She also taught a Facebook workshop at the 2012 ACFW conference.

Bonnie and her husband live in a log cabin in upstate area of New York with a dog and cat who think she’s wait-staff.

Her sites are: https://www.facebook.com/bonniescalhounsnarkandsuspense
https://www.facebook.com/bscalhoun

ABOUT THE BOOK

Cordelia Grace watched Bernard Howard, the love of her young life, go off to fight for our country in WWII. And she has spent the last three years creating the Pine Cone quilt that will grace their marriage bed when he comes home. Each row of triangles signifies a layer in her life, sets of memories, hopes, dreams, and prayers for her future, enough spoken words to cover them forever. Her image of their “happy-ever-after” grows proportionally as the quilt expands.

But is the man that returns from the war, the same man that she remembered? Are the dark shades of color that she had to use for the outside edges of the beloved quilt prophetic of her life to come? Can love and faith overcome all?

If you would like to read teh first chapter of Pieces of the Heart, go HERE.

Thank you to Abingdon Press for providing a copy of this book for review. This in no way influenced my opinion of the book.