The Right Kind of Fool by Sarah Loudin Thomas

 

Thirteen-year-old Loyal Raines is supposed to stay close to home on a hot summer day in 1934. When he slips away for a quick swim in the river and finds a dead body, he wishes he'd obeyed his mother. The ripples caused by his discovery will impact the town of Beverly, West Virginia, in ways no one could have imagined.

The first person those ripples disturb is Loyal's absentee father. When Creed Raines realized his infant son was deaf, he headed for the hills, returning only to help meet his family's basic needs. But when Loyal, now a young teen, stumbles upon a murder it's his father he runs to tell--shaping the words with his hands. As Creed is pulled into the investigation he discovers that what sets his son apart isn't his inability to hear but rather his courage. Longing to reclaim the life he abandoned, Creed will have to do more than help solve a murder if he wants to win his family's hearts again.

Publisher: Bethany House, 2020

Genre: historical fiction

Series: standalone novel

My Review

Ms. Thomas is a master storyteller. Her folk-inspired characters are every bit as warm and flawed as a decades-old quilt pieced together by the colorful members of the communities she creates. I look forward to her books every year, knowing a part of myself will be whisked away to a home I’ve never visited.

The Right Kind of Fool is both beautiful and heartbreaking. A community is shaken. Misplaced love is found again. Relationships are rebuilt even stronger than before. Set against the backdrop of the Appalachian Mountains, The Right Kind of Fool is a wonderful reminder to embrace differences (even our own), hold our loved ones close, and stand for truth no matter how difficult the circumstances.

When Silence Sings by Sarah Loudin Thomas

After the rival McLean clan guns down his cousin, Colman Harpe chooses peace over seeking revenge with his family. But when he hears God tell him to preach to the McLeans, a failed attempt to run away leaves him sick and suffering in their territory. He soon learns that appearances can be deceiving, and the face of evil doesn't look like he expected.


Publisher: Bethany House, 2019
Genre: historical fiction (with light romance)
Setting: West Virginia, 1930


My Review
I love Sarah’s books because of their authenticity. Her characters are so genuine in their triumphs and their flaws. Her settings feel like home. Her plots are relevant with sound Bible teaching stitched throughout like a handmade quilt you want to wrap up in.

When Silence Sings is beautifully written and stays with you long after you turn the last page. I highly recommend this book.

The Christmas Heirloom

In Kristi Ann Hunter's "Legacy of Love," Sarah Gooding never suspected returning a brooch to an elderly woman would lead to a job . . . and introduce her to the woman's grandson, a man far above her station.

In Karen Witemeyer's "Gift of the Heart," widow Ruth Albright uses the family brooch as collateral for a loan from the local banker. But the more she comes to know the man behind the stern businessman, the more she hopes for a second chance at love.

In Sarah Loudin Thomas's "A Shot at Love," Fleeta Brady's rough-and-tumble childhood means she prefers hunting to more feminine activities. She never expected her family's brooch might be how a fellow hunter turns her attention from competition to romance.

In Becky Wade's "Because of You," Maddie Winslow has spent years in love with a man whose heart was already spoken for. When a church Christmas project brings them together and she stumbles upon an old family brooch, might it finally be her turn for love?

My Review

This is the perfect novella collection to get you in the holiday spirit. The stories range from 1827 to present day, and each story revolves around an amethyst brooch handed down through the generations. 

Each story was wonderful in its own way, starting with Kristi Ann Hunter’s “Legacy of Love,” set in England and full of witty and lovable characters. Karen Witemeyer’s “Gift of the Heart” is warm and charming with a Texas Christmas as homey as the southern settings in her other books. “A Shot at Love” (a Sound of Rain novella) by Sarah Loudin Thomas takes readers to West Virginia for the holidays. The setting and inviting cast of characters made me feel like I had gone home after being away. It was great to visit this family again. Finally, Becky Wade’s “Because if You” (a Bradford Sisters novella) brought all the stories together in a precious romance worthy of a Hallmark Christmas movie. 

My rating is based on the stories together as a whole. I highly recommend this book. 

A Tapestry of Secrets by Sarah Loudin Thomas

Appalachian Blessings book #3

This Decade-Spanning Novel of Family and Faith Will Delight 

Now in her eighties, Perla Phillips has carried a secret since she was eighteen years old. When she sees her granddaughter, Ella, struggling for perfection, she decides to share her secret to show that God can use even the biggest mistakes for good. But before she can reveal what happened during that summer sixty years ago, she has a debilitating stroke. 
Carrying a secret of her own, Ella arrives back in Wise, West Virgina, to help her aunt Sadie care for Perla. Both know the woman wanted to tell them something, but she's now locked in silence. Together they begin looking into the past, but they may learn more than they expected. 

Will they have the courage to share their hearts? Or will the truth remain buried forever?


Publisher: Bethany House, 2016
Genre: Contemporary Fiction


My Review
Ella Phillips needs a change. Unfortunately, she isn't sure what that change is, until her grandmother, Perla Phillips, has a stroke and Ella returns to the family farm in Wise, WV. The solitude of country living, the support of family, and the connection to her grandmother--and Perla's past--are exactly what Ella was missing. Then an entrepreneur threatens a piece of their heritage, exposing secrets, and testing Ella's relationships and her faith.

This novel was a fantastic conclusion to the Appalachian Blessings series, however, this is a standalone novel that doesn't require the reader to have read the first two books in order to understand this one. Though, I do recommend doing so, as it's so much fun to watch the entire family evolve throughout the generations.

I can't wait to read Ms. Loudin's next series. I give this book 4 stars!

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For more about Sarah and her books, visit her website at www.sarahloudinthomas.com and follow her on social media. 

Miracle in a Dry Season by Sarah Loudin Thomas

It's 1954 and Perla Long's arrival in the small town of Wise, West Virginia, was supposed to go unnoticed. She just wants a quiet, safe place for her and her daughter, Sadie, where the mistakes of her past can stay hidden. But then drought comes to Wise, and Perla is pulled into the turmoil of a town desperately in need of a miracle. 
Casewell Phillips has resigned himself to life as a bachelor...until he meets Perla. She's everything he's sought in a woman, but he can't get past the sense that she's hiding something. As the drought worsens, Perla's unique way with food brings both gratitude and condemnation, placing the pair in the middle of a maelstrom of anger and forgiveness, fear and faith.

Excerpt:

                Perla smiled and began to walk again. “But if you can see your way clear to accept me as I am, maybe others will, too.” She glanced at him, a faint twinkle in her eyes. “When I first arrived here, I heard you described as a pillar in the community.”

                Casewell felt his face burn hotter. But this time what he felt was more shame than anything. When she’d first arrived, he would have agreed with her, but now…

                “No more than you’re really an angel, I guess. Folks are mighty quick to slap labels on people around here.”

                “I think it makes them feel safer.” Perla glanced up at the stars beginning to show. “People like to know where they fit, and it’s easier to find your own place if everyone else is safely in theirs.”

                They walked the rest of the way to the Thornton’s in silence. Casewell stopped at the bottom of the steps and watched Perla make her way up onto the porch. She turned at the top to wish Casewell a good-night. The light from inside the house cast a halo around Perla’s hair, and Casewell had to smile. She might not be an angel, but she couldn’t help looking like one.

                She seemed to hesitate, then spoke. “Thank you, Casewell. I felt like maybe you judged me harshly after I told you about Sadie. Somehow, after this evening, I feel, well, I guess I feel like you’ve forgiven me. Like you’re not going to hold my sins against me anymore. I appreciate that.”

                Before Casewell could reply, she turned and disappeared inside the house.

Publisher: Bethany House, 2014

My Review

        This story took my breath away. From the very beginning, the author pulled me into the story, the setting of the Appalachian Mountains, and the raw, real characters became as dear to me as family. I loved how the book was told mostly from the hero’s point of view. This was his story. And his journey of discovering how to forgive and love others through Christ gripped my heart—shown in ways unique to other Christian fiction books I’ve read with similar themes.

        The book’s cover fit the tone of the story perfectly.

        Sarah’s debut novel is brilliant. Her writing is simple yet beautifully poetic with phrases like, “All too often sorrow and joy come skipping into your life holding hands.” I look forward to what she brings next.

Don’t miss Sarah’s free e-novella Appalachian Serenade featuring Delilah and Robert Thornton, and introducing Perla and Casewell. Get it here!

Sarah Loudin Thomas grew up on a 100-acre farm in French Creek, WV, the seventh generation to live there. Her Christian fiction is set in West Virginia and celebrates the people, the land, and the heritage of Appalachia. Her first novel, Miracle in a Dry Season, releases August 2014 through Bethany House. Sarah is represented by Wendy Lawton of Books & Such Literary Agency.

A graduate of Coastal Carolina University in Conway, SC, Sarah once dreamed of being a marine scientist. But her love for words won out and she has spent much of her career in public relations and marketing. She currently oversees fundraising and communications for a Christian children’s home in Black Mountain, NC.

Sarah and her husband Jim live in the mountains of Western North Carolina with Thistle–the canine equivalent to a personal trainer pushing them to hike, run, and throw sticks. Sarah is active in her local church and enjoys cooking and–you guessed it–reading.

For more on Sarah and her books visit www.SarahLoudinThomas.com 

Appalachian Serenade by Sarah Loudin Thomas

Delilah Morrissey has always wanted to be a mother, but when she becomes a young widow, that dream now seems farther away than ever. Unable to continue to live alone in Chicago, her only option is to accept her sister's offer to move in with her family back in West Virginia. Will Delilah have the faith to pursue a new dream--even if it means giving up the old?

In this charming novella, debut novelist Sarah Loudin Thomas introduces readers to Wise, West Virginia--a small town nestled in an Appalachian valley where the everyday miracles of life and faith play out in stories of healing, hope, and love.


Publisher: Bethany House, 2014


My Review
Summer 1945
Widow Delilah Morrissey isn't too upset about her husband's passing. She returns home to West Virginia to live with her sister and brother-in-law, but when money gets tight, Delilah takes a job at Thortons' Store where working beside Robert Thorton makes her long for a second chance at a family. 

The characters were endearing, and this amazing book cover matches the story's tone perfectly. The romance was organic and satisfying for such a short read. I highly enjoyed this novella as an introduction to the characters in Sarah's debut novel Miracle in a Dry Season, which releases in August. I will definitely be reading more from this author.


Get your free copy of Appalachian Serenade today from Amazon!