In Depression-era Mississippi, Millie Reynolds longs to escape the madness that marks her world. With an abusive father and a “nothing mama,” she struggles to find a place where she really belongs.
For answers, Millie turns to the Gypsies who caravan through town each spring. The travelers lead Millie to a key which unlocks generations of shocking family secrets. When tragedy strikes, the mysterious contents of the box give Millie the tools she needs to break her family’s longstanding cycle of madness and abuse.
Through it all, Millie experiences the thrill of first love while fighting to trust the God she believes has abandoned her. With the power of forgiveness, can Millie finally make her way into the free?
Review
Let me start by saying….this is not my genre. I am not a Christian fiction fan. I find them overly dramatic and preachy. However, I met this author in the food truck line at Southern Festival of books in Nashville this year. I was very impressed. She informed me she would be at Square Books in Oxford, MS in January. I decided to give her a try before her appearance.
Millie is a young girl from an abusive home during the depression era in Mississippi. She struggles to find the right path. When her parents die within several days of each other, this sends her life spiraling out of control. She has to come to terms and be strong to overcome.
This is a tale about the true struggles in life and the strength needed to get through them. I absolutely loved Millie. She fights with strength she doesn’t ever realize she has. All her trials and experiences help her grow and become the woman she wants to be.
I enjoyed this story for the many aspects it portrayed about strength and endurance needed to succeed in life. I loved the setting and especially the part about the gypsies.
This author is not afraid to show the hypocrisy in some Christians or the evil in people. This is one of the reasons I enjoyed this novel. Her characters were real and experienced real-life emotions with many different ups and downs.
Very impressive. I am looking forward to her new novel.
It’s not my genre either, but I have reviewed a few and for the most part, enjoyed them, though I have also read a couple that just got to heavy for my taste.
Exactly!