Review: Room For Hope by Kim Vogel Sawyer

Room For Hope by Kim Vogel Sawyer is a historical fiction that takes place in Buffalo Creek, Kansas in 1936.  Times are tough as the Depression continues on but Neva Shilling works very hard to run the Shilling Mercantile with the help of her 14 year old twins while her husband Warren travels to neighboring communities to sell items from his wagon.

On a night Warren is expected home after one of his trips, Neva and the children run out to greet him, but instead of Warren they find a deputy with a load of furniture and 3 small children.  Neva learns that Warren and his wife have died and the children were sent to live with their "Aunt Neva."  Neva is totally devastated to find out that Warren had a secret family and does not want the reminder of his infidelity under her roof, but she also doesn't feel that she can abandon them to an orphanage.  Will she ever be able to see them as more than evidence of her husband's betrayal and love them the way God does?

I have to tell you that I am a big fan of Kim Vogel Sawyer.  I have read several of her books and have not yet found one that I did not love.  I could not wait for Room For Hope to arrive and could not put it down when it did.  It was a beautiful story of love, redemption, and of course hope.

One of the signs of s great book for me is if the author has the ability to immediately draw the reader into the story and make them feel as though they are part of the story.  After reading the first few paragraphs, I was transported back in time to Buffalo Creek, Kansas 1936.  The story is told through the different view points of Neva, Bud, Jesse, and Arthur allowing the reader to "see" each person's thoughts and feelings.

Another sign of a great book for me is if it draws emotion from the reader.  Room For Hope draws a wide range of emotions from the reader.  It made me smile and made me cry.  It made me feel angry and happy.   I worried over the characters and felt their sadness and joy.

I would highly recommend Room For Hope and any of Km Vogel Sawyer's other books to anyone who loves faith based books.

Disclaimer: I received a complimentary copy of this book for the purpose of writing a fair and honest review.  I received no other compensation and all opinions are my own.  I am disclosing this in accordance to FTC regulations.