Finding Our Way Home by Charlene Ann Baumbich
From Goodreads.com:
Finding Our Way Home: A Novel
When the road home becomes daunting—sometimes a very capable girl on a bicycle can help find the way.
“Charming, surprising, familiar, and just downright wonderful.”
—Allie Pleiter, author of Yukon Wedding and Bluegrass Blessings
When principal ballerina Sasha Davis suffers a career-ending injury at age thirty-eight, she leaves her Boston-based dance company and retreats to the home of her youth in Minnesota. But Sasha’s injuries limit her as much as her mother’s recent death haunts her. Concluding she can’t recover alone, Sasha reluctantly hires a temporary live-in aide.
Enter the übercapable Evelyn Burt. As large-boned as Sasha is delicate, Evelyn is her employer’s opposite in every way. Small town to Sasha’s urban chic, outgoing to Sasha’s iciness, and undaunted where Sasha is hopeless, nineteen-year-old Evelyn is newly engaged and sees the world as one big, shiny opportunity.
Evelyn soon discovers Sasha needs to heal more than bones. Slowly, as the wounds begin to mend and the tables tilt, the two women form an unlikely alliance and discover the astounding power of even the smallest act done in the name of love. Finding Our Way Home is a story of second chances and lavish grace.
“Charming, surprising, familiar, and just downright wonderful.”
—Allie Pleiter, author of Yukon Wedding and Bluegrass Blessings
When principal ballerina Sasha Davis suffers a career-ending injury at age thirty-eight, she leaves her Boston-based dance company and retreats to the home of her youth in Minnesota. But Sasha’s injuries limit her as much as her mother’s recent death haunts her. Concluding she can’t recover alone, Sasha reluctantly hires a temporary live-in aide.
Enter the übercapable Evelyn Burt. As large-boned as Sasha is delicate, Evelyn is her employer’s opposite in every way. Small town to Sasha’s urban chic, outgoing to Sasha’s iciness, and undaunted where Sasha is hopeless, nineteen-year-old Evelyn is newly engaged and sees the world as one big, shiny opportunity.
Evelyn soon discovers Sasha needs to heal more than bones. Slowly, as the wounds begin to mend and the tables tilt, the two women form an unlikely alliance and discover the astounding power of even the smallest act done in the name of love. Finding Our Way Home is a story of second chances and lavish grace.
My Take: I was interested in this book from the moment I first read the description. Both of my girls are dancers. I am aware first hand of how susceptible dancers are to injuries and how any one of them can be a dancers last one.
I liked the way the author contrasts the two women through out the story but brings us to the conclusion that people are people and we all need the same basic things no matter what our position in life or our age.
I especially enjoyed the character of Evelyn. I liked the way she took life head on. She acted impulsively many times but that isn't always a bad thing. As a parent I could understand where her parents were coming from but it was nice to remember back to that age and what it was like to have your whole future in front of you.
This is Christian fiction book but it isn't one that is overbearing with that aspect of the story line. This book was a good clean read that I would not hesitate to give to either of my daughters or to my mother to read.
In terms of Sasha, it has always amazed me that we tend to push people away in our times of need. Sasha does have quite a bit of emotional baggage with the dealing with her mothers death and with her career ending injury. She at first doesn't know how to take Evelyn but grows to appreciate her for herself.
This book would be a great book for anyone who likes books that brings two opposite characters together and have them grow together.
I received this book from Blogging for Books program in exchange for a honest review .
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What a lovely review! I appreciate all your evaluations and the way you presented them. Thank you SO MUCH!
ReplyDeleteI like your blog too. Fabulous picture! Bet you enjoyed the kitty parts of the book too. ;-)
Peace and grins,
Charlene, author FINDING OUR WAY HOME, STRAY AFFECTIONS, DIVINE APPOINTMENTS and the Dearest Dorothy series.