ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Angela Breidenbach is a speaker/coach in mental and physical health, author of A Healing Heart April 2013 from Abingdon Press in the Quilts of Love series, Gems of Wisdom: For a Treasure-filled Life, Creative Cooking for Simple Elegance, and Creative Cooking for Colitis. Other works by Angela include compilation books and devotionals from Guidepost, Group, and articles in magazines, ezines, and newspapers. She is certified in mentor/peer counseling as a CTA life coach, as a Stephen Minister, and a weight loss/nutrition coach. Angela serves as an assisting minister (worship/prayer leader) for her congregation in Missoula, MT. Not only did she walk the hard line of deciding to donate her mom’s brain for the study of schizophrenia, but she’s also on the brain donation list at the Brain Bank-Harvard McLean Hospital.
ABOUT THE BOOK
Mara Keegan is an uber-successful mother and a widow of three years. She's been chasing success and all the "good things in life" for her family to make up for the cruel whim God played on them by taking her husband. In an effort to be the perfect mom, she decides to make a photo memory quilt, a graduation present for her daughter, Cadence.
She’s not yet finished when she experiences a heart attack. While Mara recuperates, she revisits the choices she's made that led to this physically and spiritually broken heart. The memory quilt must be finished in time for Cadence's big day, but Mara struggles with her burgeoning feelings for the man who must keep Mara's business going during her recovery, Joel Ryan. Can Joel find his way into Mara's heart and onto Cadence's quilt?
If you would like to read the first chapter of A Healing Heart, go HERE
My Review:
The beginning of this book was sad. Mara and her family are getting used to losing David. Mara decides to make a memory quilt for her daughter's graduation present. As she adds pictures she remembers her past, and misses David even more. So much that she does not see Joel, nor his love.
I liked this book a lot. It was sweet and I could relate to a lot of the characters. I liked the idea of the memory quilt, and I liked that the author explained how Mara was making it. Mara was such a great character. She lost her husband and was taking care of her kids. Joel is the new guy at Mara's work and he instantly likes Mara. He knows that her heart is closed, and it is not going to be easy to get her to open up. It is only when Mara goes in the hospital, and Joel takes care of the kids, that she realizes what a good guy Joel is. She is still not ready for love. Her kids start to really like Joel and want him in their lives. There is so much to this story that I do not want to spoil it. The end of the book gave Mara closure and I cried a little bit. It was beautiful. Is Mara ready for Joel? Does she really want to start again, and risk loss again?
I am giving this book a 5/5 and hope that there is a sequel about the kids. I was given a copy to review by CFBA, however all opinions are my own.
Thank you so much just for taking the time to write a review. Reviews are hard to come by and so appreciated.
ReplyDeleteAngie
It was an awesome book. and I learned about quilting!
ReplyDelete