Where The Blue Sky Begins By Katie Powner

Where the Blue Sky Begins

by Katie Power

Publisher: Bethany House

ISBN: 9780764240393

I read Katie's first book The Sowing Season a couple of years ago and thoroughly enjoyed it. Somehow I missed reading A Flicker of Light (which will have to be rectified). I was excited to learn I had won this book, but I also signed up to review it. I'm so thrilled I did!

Summary:

Sometimes the hardest road of all is the road home.

When confident and handsome Eric Larson is sent to a rural Montana town to work in the local branch of his uncle's financial company, he's determined to exceed everyone's expectations, earn a promotion, and be back in Seattle by the end of summer. Yet nothing could prepare him for the lessons this small town has in store.

At forty-six years old, eccentric and outspoken Eunice Parker has come to accept her terminal illness and has given herself one final goal: seek forgiveness from everyone on her bucket list before her time runs out. But it will take more courage than she can muster on her own.

After an accident pushes Eric and Eunice together, the unlikely pair is forced to spend more time with each other than either would like, which challenges their deepest prejudices and beliefs. As summer draws to a close, neither Eric nor Eunice is where they thought they would be, but they both wrestle with the same important question: What matters most when the end is near?

My Review:

If you're looking for a contemporary women's fiction author, look no further! Where the Blue Sky Begins was incredibly well written and I became very connected to the characters. If you ever wonder what a character would be like if they're taken out of the city where they've lived all of their lives and dumped in a podunk town where everyone knows each others' business, then you'll see it in all of it's glory in this story.

Eric was a fun to get to know throughout this story. You could feel his "pain" as he adjusts to this new town. So many cringe-worthy moments including his run-in with Eunice. The two of them are quite the pair to say the least. Eunice forces Eric to help her complete her "forgiveness" list.

Speaking of Eunice, while I wish we could've known what she was like before her illness, we do get a glimpse of it as she seeks forgiveness from the handful of people on her list. As a caregiver I could understand her struggles of wanting to do things she no longer can because I see the same thing in my clients. 

I think the author really captured the essence of a small town as well. Even the simplest of changes can have a big impact on the townspeople's lives. You also see how close knit they are, especially when it comes to taking care of each other.

You truly can't help but become emotionally connected to both Eunice and Eric. Their intertwined stories forces you to reflect on resentment, grudges, and forgiveness. In the midst of the pain in watching Eunice decline, there are many hilarious moments. I think most, if not all, of the tabs I added to my book are the scenes that cracked me up. I also never expected to think a Polish hen would be a great side character!

About the Author:

Katie Powner (www.katiepowner.com) is an award-winning author who lives in rural Montana where cows still outnumber people. She is a two-time OCW Cascade Award and ACFW First Impressions Award winner. Katie is a biological and adoptive mother of three and foster mother to many more. She and her husband have been in youth ministry for over a decade.