Review: Room for Hope

Room for Hope shares the journey of Neva Shilling.

Neva cares for her children, oversees the family mercantile, and offers food to homeless travelers all while struggling in the Great Depression. Her husband is gone. In his place, a deputy delivers three unknown children who call her Aunt Neva. Mr. Schilling had two families and now he and his second wife are gone. The burden is great. Is there room for hope in Neva's life?

Author Kim Vogel Sawyers crafts wonderful stories. I always forget how much I like her novels until I pick the next one up. She writes with true emotion - heartache, love, greed, admiration, and faith. Neva is the main character, but she is not alone. Other characters are in her life and take the main narration at times too. The voices in this book include:

Jesse Caudel from Beliot, now Sheriff in Buffalo Creek
Bud Schilling, Neva's son
Arthur Randall, Neva's neighbor

Each character is around Neva and her generous spirit. They also have their own personal battles. I was surprised by the ending of the book and how the loose ends tied together. I thought it would go one way when it went another. It was a beautiful surprise and a fulfilling story. It is a standalone novel, so you can pick it up without knowing previous characters or worrying about the next installment.

The end of the book shares a readers guide, acknowledgements, and a page on Sawyer's next book. (Which I can't wait to read!) If you visit WaterBrook Multnomah, you can read a preview of Room for Hope.

Time Period: The Great Depression, 1936
Location: Buffalo Creek, Kansas, USA

I received this book for free from Blogging for Books for this review.

Title: Room for Hope
Author: Kim Vogel Sawyer
ISBN: 9780307731371