The Hideaway

GIVEAWAY

DENTON, LAUREN K.
THE HIDEAWAY

When her grandmother's  will wrenches Sara back home, she knows more about Margaret Van Buren in the wake of her death than she ever knew in life.

After her last remaining family member dies, Sara Jenkins goes home to The Hideaway, her grandmother Mags's ramshackle B&B in Sweet Bay, Alabama. She intends to quickly tie up loose ends then return to her busy life and thriving antique shop in New Orleans. Instead, she learns Mags has willed The Hideaway to her and charged her with renovating it -- no small task considering her grandmother's best friends, a motley crew of senior citizens, still lives there.

Rather than hurrying back to New Orleans, Sara stays in Sweet Bay and begins the biggest house-rehabbing project of her career. Amid drywall dust, old memories, and a charming contractor; she discovers that slipping back into life at The Hideaway is easier than she expected.

Then she discovers a box Mags left in the attic with clues to a life Sara never imagined for her grandmother. With help from Mags's friends, Sara begins to piece together they mysterious life of bravery, passion, and choices that changed her grandmother's destiny in both marvelous and devastating ways.

When an opportunistic land developer threatens to seize The Hideaway, Sara is forced to make a choice -- stay in Sweet Bay and fight for the house and the people she's grown to love or leave again and return to her successful but solitary life in New Orleans.

My Review:

This debut novel has created quite a buzz and is currently #19 on Amazon's most sold list not to mention having nearly 500 reviews. The vast majority are 4 and 5 star but this book isn't without controversy so there are a number of low ratings (1 and 2 star) as well. So, what's all the fuss about?

Well, in a nutshell, this is Christian fiction pushing the limits so this book might not be for everyone. In fact, I wasn't sure about it myself and started reading with some trepidation. It wasn't long before Denton's charming Southern style captivated me. I didn't know there was such a thing as Southern Fiction, but apparently there is and The Hideaway is a prime example of all that is good in that genre.

This story is about family -- the one we are born into and the one we choose to belong to. It's real and raw -- unapologetically celebrating the lives and loves of a diverse cast of flawed characters. And, just as in real life, the author doesn't shy away from controversial subject matter. I appreciate her honesty and compassion and the fact that she moved me to dig beneath the surface about some hard-hitting issues. Sometimes it was uncomfortable -- especially Mags's story line -- but I feel like I have stretched and grown from it.

Some reviewers will say there isn't an inspirational thread. That The Hideaway is a mainstream book that just happens to have a Christian publisher. And I'll admit to agreeing with them at first. Then, somewhere around the half way mark I realized the inspiration was there, woven in an understated way throughout. It's especially evident in Mags's story. In some ways she hasn't lived an exemplary life but in her own eccentric way she has indeed been the hands and feet of Christ to so many.

There are two short church scenes -- subtle but significant. They reveal Mags's relationship with God and it really humbled me. This will sound crazy -- but I was suddenly overcome with such love and compassion for this complicated woman despite some of her past actions. I guess I stopped judging so I could actually see her as the daughter of God she is. Yes, I know she's just a character in a novel, but if I can't extend grace to fictional folk how can I ever hope to extend it to the real people in my life?

The dual timeline plot was a real draw for me. Sara, in present day, returns to The Hideaway to deal with the aftermath of her grandmother's death. In the process she learns a lot about herself and about the quirky grandmother who used to be an embarrassment when she was a teen. The reader is treated to flashbacks of Mags's life from her early twenties until her death. Past and present are exquisitely woven together into a rich tapestry of life and love, loss and hope.

I love that the B&B is called The Hideaway -- because that's what it became for Mags. It was her hiding place for a time and then it became her standing ground.  The same can be said for Sara as well. It's details like this that make The Hideaway such an exquisite read and give avid readers so much to talk about. Definitely an excellent choice for a book club read.

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

If you would like a chance to win a copy of The Hideaway, leave a comment below or email me at kavluvstoreadATyahooDOTca. If you add your email to a comment, remember to use AT and DOT instead of @ and . in order to protect yourself from spammers. If you enter the draw via email, please add the title to the subject line so it's easier for me to spot your entry. Draw will be held and winner announced on September 24 2017. Offer open to International Readers. Good luck!