First book of 2011

I received this book for Christmas from my in-laws. This book was so wonderful. I hated to see it end and I hope the author Cynthia Keller elaborates on this wonderful story with a sequel. It touched every emotion possible. A family loses everything after the husband loses his job and then makes some bad choices. The family must go live with other family members until they get back on their feet. On the journey to the relatives there is an accident that brings the family to the home of an Amish family. It is there that lessons of hard work, love and simplicity are learned. Trust me on this, it was a stellar book.

I started another book a few days ago called "Faded Genes: Memories of a Motherless Daughter" by Donna Jean Pomeroy. Her first book was called "If Mama Were Here" I received the first book for a Christmas gift a few years ago from my brother Kelly. Do you see a pattern here? Books for Christmas...LOVE IT!!! Anyways, the first book dealt with the different emotions Donna went through when her mother died during childbirth of her youngest brother. The book touched home very close. Not only because Donna Jean Pomeroy is from Rapid River, MI (about 15 miles from me) but also because I lost my Mom and my Dad when I was 10 years old. She touched emotions I forgot I even had about the losses of both my parents. I purchased her second book, "Faded Genes" some time ago. It sat on one of my many bookcases just begging for the day it would be the book I'd choose to read next. So far it's been a great book. I find myself not wanting to put it down at night. More on the book when I am done reading it. You can find both of Donna Jean Pomeroy's books on Amazon.com or in our local bookstores and I am sure her books will be in the library.

My goal is to read 12 books this year. By golly, I'm on a roll!