GIVEAWAY |
WE HOPE FOR BETTER THINGS
The past is never as past as we'd like to think
When journalist Elizabeth Balsam is asked to deliver a box of old photos to a relative she didn't know she had, the strange request seems like it isn't worth her time. But as she explores her great-aunt's farmhouse with its locked doors and hidden graves, she soon discovers just how dramatically some of the most newsworthy events of the previous two centuries shaped her own family. As she searches for answers to the riddles around her, the remarkable stories of two women who lived in this very house emerge as testaments to love, resilence, and courage in the face of war, racism, and misunderstanding.
My Review:
What a stunning debut novel! Fascinating topic with a unique approach. Not just two, but three timelines featuring three Caucasian heroines who navigate various forms of racism in very personal ways. Their view as 'outsiders' looking in provide an intriguing vantage point to the tumultuous times they live in.
It's not always pretty and everything doesn't get wrapped up in a neat little bow by the end. Bartels exposes the secrets and prejudices that shape a family over a century. Heart-breaking and rage-inducing and, ultimately, thought-provoking. I devoured We Hope for Better Things in one sitting -- I just couldn't put it down!
Book provided by Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications Inc.
GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:
If you would like a chance to win a copy of We Hope for Better Things, leave a comment below or email me at kavluvstoreadATyahooDOTca. If you add an email to your 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 easy to spot your entry. Draw will be held and winner announced on Satruday March 23 2019. Offer open to International Readers. Good luck!
Sounds like a must read!
ReplyDeletemauback55 at gmail dot com
It really is! Good luck, Melanie!
DeleteThis one grabbed me and sucked me in. Amazingly deep and refreshing angles of perspective! Living in MI I have heard the stories of the riots and underground railroad before that, so I wanted to read this. This was SO good and like you, I couldn't put it down!! It is hard to describe it in words, but I sure hope everyone can read this one! A must read.
ReplyDeleteHard to describe in a review but would make an incredible book club discussion. So much I wanted to say but couldn't because I didn't want to post spoilers and ruin the reading discovery for someone else.
DeleteWow. Interesting. Thank you. teshawATsbcglobalDOTnet
ReplyDeleteYou're welcome, Tammie. Good luck!
DeleteThanks for the giveaway!
ReplyDeleteladysnowangelphotos(at)gmail(dot)com
You're welcome, LSA, good luck!
DeleteAnother one on my to-read list, Kav. Thanks for the giveaway!
ReplyDeleteckbarker at gmail dot com
Hope you get to take it off your list and onto your TBR pile soon, Cheryl. Good luck!
DeleteI love when stories have multiple timelines.
ReplyDeleteturtle6422 at gmail dot com
And balancing three is such a challenge but she did a fantastic job. Good luck, Jana!
DeleteI haven't seen this book until now (where was I?) and it sounds intriguing!
ReplyDeleteteamob4 (at) gmail (dot) com
It's from Revell Publishers. I haven't seen tons about it on Instagram or Facebook but I'm pretty sure someone mentioned it during one the Reader's Choice days. I'm grateful to have had an opportunity to review it. And the author has another book coming out in the Fall. Good luck, Trixi!
DeleteI love that cover. Great review. This sounds like a great read. Thanks for the chance.
ReplyDeleteTighefan42atgmail dotcom
It's an understated cover but makes an impact just the same. Good luck, Tammy!
DeleteI've heard good things about this book. It sounds like one I'd enjoy reading. Thanks for the giveaway.
ReplyDeletepmkellogg56[at]gmail[dot]com
They are all true, Pam. Good luck!
DeleteI read a sample of this on Bookish First. It was interesting, and I'm so glad to see a Revell book start to be shared on mainstream channels.
ReplyDeleteIt's an amazing book! Good luck, SIS!
DeleteI've been really interested in this story. I really love the cover and I've heard great things!
ReplyDeletedmandres5 at gmail dot com
DeleteThey are all true. Good luck, Melissa!
DeleteCan't say that I've heard of a book with three timelines, but it sure sounds fascinating. I love dual timelines so this would be neat to read I am sure.
ReplyDeleteSubjects of this caliber are meant to be ties up but to make one think. If a book can accomplish that while be a great book to read, it's bound to be a hit.
Thank you for the chance to win a copy of "WE HOPE FOR BETTER THINGS"! No better way to explore an author but from the ground floor up. <3
2clowns at arkansas dot net
Yes this definitely fits in the 'get a reader thinking' category. Good luck, Kay!
DeleteSounds like one I would love. Thank you for sharing.
ReplyDeleteleliamae54(at)aol(dot)com
You're welcome, Lucy. Good luck!
DeleteI've heard so many great things about this debut. Reading Christian fiction that tackles tough issues like racism is a draw for me. I've read some classic secular fiction dealing with racism that has enraged me more than it had given me hope. Having been touched by this issue in my own family, I'm even more intrigued by a book of this nature with a Christian worldview. You gave nothing away in that review. I'll still be going in perfectly blind. Lol. tlhcoupon(at)hotmail(dot)com
ReplyDeleteIt was hard to write a review without giving anything away! Best to experience it all as the story unfolds. Good luck, Terrill.
DeleteI saw this book yesterday in the bookstore. I didn't pick it up but now I wish I had.
ReplyDeleteThanks for giving me the opportunity to win it.
Janet E.
von1janet(at)gmail(dot)com
Good luck, Janet!
DeleteOhhh, this sounds like an interesting read, thank you for the chance to win a copy.
ReplyDeletewfnren at aol dot com
You're welcome, Wendy. Good luck!
Delete