Where Dandelions Bloom

GIVEAWAY

JOHNSON, TARA
WHERE DANDELIONS BLOOM

Cassie Kendrick is on the run. Her abusive father arranged her marriage to a despicable man, but she's discovered an escape. Disguised as a man, Cassie enlists in the Union Army, taking the name Thomas Turner. On the battlefields of the Civil War, keeping her identity a secret is only the beginning of her problems, especially after she meets Gabriel Avery, a handsome young photographer.

Anxious to make his mark on the world and to erase the darkness and guilt lurking from his past, Gabriel works with renowned photographer Mathew Brady to capture images from the front lines of the war. As Gabriel forges friendships with many of the men he encounters, he wonders what the courageous, unpredictable Thomas Turner is hiding.

Battling betrayal, their own personal demons, and a country torn apart by war, can Cassie and Gabriel learn to forgive themselves and trust their futures to the God who births hope and healing in the darkest places?

My Review:

Definition of a good writer: an author who entices a reader into opening a book she doesn't want to read and then beguiles her to stay in the story until the very end. That's Tara Johnson because I'm so not a fan of Civil War novels and I actually checked out Where Dandelions Bloom from my library twice before I cracked it open.

The first time, I didn't read it and the second time, I picked it up again just before the library closed because of COVID-19. Fast forward two months later and the library is still closed and my TBR pile is dwindling and WDB was suddenly top of the 'pile' (more like a modest mound now) so I took a deep, bracing breath and dived in.

And then I was all "Wwwwhhhaaat?! Why didn't I read this book sooner? This is so gooooooood!!!!!" I'm such a doofus. Sometimes it takes something like a pandemic to nudge a reader like me out of her comfort zone. :-) So now that you know I'm not fond of Civil War stories, rest assured that I am definitely fond of Tara Johnson's magical storytelling abilities!

So many lush layers to dive into! In characterization and plot -- and the historical details are alarmingly realistic (sometimes I had to read with my eyes closed.) It's heart-wrenching and nerve-racking but also faith-infusing. Kudos to the author for incorporating such a significant faith thread into this story. Johnson never preaches but she does testify and I'm the better for having read her words.

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

If you would like a chance to win a copy of  Where Dandelions Bloom, 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 Saturday May 23  2020 . Offer open to International Readers. Good luck