A Song of Home by Susie Finkbeiner (Book Review!)

A Song of Home: A Novel of the Swing Era

by Susie Finkbeiner

(received in exchange for an honest review)

Genre- Fiction / Christian / Historical

Published by- Kregel Publications

Copyrighted- 2017

Number of pages- 312

Age Group- Adult

Description of book- paperback, listed price- $14.99, ISBN 978-0-8254-4482-1

It’s late 1935 and early 1936, Pearl Spence and her family have settle into life in Bliss, Michigan without her mother.  She has the support of the rest of the family to keep her going.  She has continued her interest in reading and has a new interest, music.  She especially likes swing dance music and learns to enjoy swing dancing.  Her mother returns to the family and nobody is happy.  She treat’s Pearl’s dad terribly.  Pearl wants her to leave.  Will she leave?  Whose baby is she carrying?  Will Pearl be able to continue to enjoy swing dancing?

About the Author-

Susie Finkbeiner is currently from Michigan.  She is a blogger, stay-at-home mom, author, and speaker.  Her other books include My Mother’s Chronicle, A Cup of Dust, and A Song of Home.  Her website is www.susiefinkbeiner.com.

My thoughts-

I liked how this cover had a rainbow like A Cup of Dust and A Trail of Crumbs.  It helps ties them together.  It shows the reader that the books belong together and are part of a series.

After all the tragedies in the first two books, I hoped Pearl and her family would finally have some peace and stability.  Pearl was enjoying more time with Aunt Carrie, Ray, and Opal.  In that way she was able to have the stability that she needed after her sister died, they moved, and her mama left.  It was all turned around when her mama came back.  Pearl was very upset when she came back.  I don’t blame Pearl, because her mama wasn’t very kind to her family or others in town.  It even got worse before it got better.  The surprise is at the end, but I’m not going to spoil it for you. 

The main thing I noticed in this book was the lack of God and the church compared to the other two books.  While the mention of God wasn’t there, He was still noticeable in the way that everyone was treated.  Aunt Carrie and Pearl’s father were two people that I noticed treated all people in God’s way.

I appreciated the discussion questions at the end of the book.  Discussion questions always help tie the book together and help the reader remember the book for a longer period of time.  The “Afterword” about the Swing Era was also helpful to give me more information about the time period.

I recommend A Song of Home to all adult readers.  It would be a good idea to read the other two books first, so you’ll learn more about Pearl and her family.  If you’re unable to, you’ll still enjoy this one. 

Disclosure of Material Connection- I received A Song of Home, by Susie Finkbeiner, for free from Kregel Publications’ Blog Tour.  All links were current when posted.  I was not required to write a positive review.  The opinions I have expressed are my own or those of my family.  I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.

A Trail of Crumbs by Susie Finkbeiner (Book Review)

A Trail of Crumbs: A Novel of the Great Depression

by Susie Finkbeiner

(received in exchange for an honest review)

Genre- Fiction / Christian / Historical

Published by- Kregel Publications

Copyrighted- 2017

Number of pages- 312

Age Group- Adult

Description of book- paperback, listed price- $14.99, ISBN 978-0-8254-4446-3

It’s now 1935.  Pearl and her family have continued living in Oklahoma through the Dust Bowl.  There is a family tragedy that sends the family to Michigan where the depression has set in.  Aunt Carrie and Uncle Gus are there to welcome them to Bliss.  Pearl is glad to be where there is no dust and life is better for them.  Her father will have a steady job and there will be a wonderful house for them to live in.

What sent the family to Michigan?  Why is Ray living with them?  Will their family ever be able to recover or will there be too many tragedies?

About the Author-

Susie Finkbeiner is currently from Michigan.  She is a blogger, stay-at-home mom, author, and speaker.  Her other books include My Mother’s Chronicle and A Cup of Dust.  Her website is www.susiefinkbeiner.com.

My thoughts-

I liked how this cover had a rainbow like A Cup of Dust.  It helps ties them together.  It shows the reader that the books belong together and are part of a series.  I also liked the discussion questions at the end of the book.  Discussion questions always help tie the book together and help the reader remember the book for a longer period of time.

When I started reading A Trail of Crumbs, I really thought life was going to be better for them after the tragedies of the first book and Beanie’s (Pearl’s sister) death.  I thought that the move to Michigan would bring the family peace.  It didn’t.  Pearl’s mother was unable to have peace.  She wasn’t able to make peace with the move, Beanie’s death, and the fact that Ray was still living with them.  She left.  I’m wondering now if there is a trail of crumbs that will be able to bring her back. 

I don’t think that Pearl and Ray would have been able to adjust so well to the move if Aunt Carrie and Uncle Gus hadn’t been there for them.  They helped make the move to Bliss fun for them.  I liked that God wasn’t forgotten about by Pearl and everyone else.  He was always important to Pearl and Meemaw (her grandmother).  We can know that He is always there for us.

I recommend A Trail of Crumbs to all adult readers.  It would be a good idea to read A Cup of Dust first, so you’ll learn more about Pearl and her family.  If you’re unable to, you’ll still enjoy this one. 

Disclosure of Material Connection- I received A Trail of Crumbs, by Susie Finkbeiner, for free from Kregel Publications’ Blog Tour.  All links were current when posted.  I was not required to write a positive review.  The opinions I have expressed are my own or those of my family.  I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.

A Cup of Dust by Susie Finkbeiner (Book Review)

A Cup of Dust: A Novel of the Dust Bowl

by Susie Finkbeiner

(received in exchange for an honest review)

Genre- Fiction / Christian / Historical

Published by- Kregel Publications

Copyrighted- 2015

Number of pages- 318

Age Group- Adult

Description of book- paperback, listed price- $14.99, ISBN 978-0-8254-4388-6

In 1934, in Red River, Oklahoma, ten-year-old Pearl is experiencing what it is like to live during the Dust Bowl.    Pearl doesn’t understand what is happening during this time, but she does know that her family helps many people during this crisis, and her family loves her.

There are a lot of transient people around Red River at this time.  Eddie is one of those people.  He scares Pearl and begins to disrupt her family.  What is she to do?  What is her family going to do?

About the Author-

Susie Finkbeiner is currently from Michigan.  She is a blogger, stay-at-home mom, author, and speaker.

My thoughts-

I liked the cover.  There is a very light rainbow that speaks towards God’s promise in the storm of the dust bowl and life, which Pearl and her town desperately need.

Susie Finkbeiner did an excellent job with the description of the town and era.  She talked about the amount of dust, hobos, tent revivals, people moving west, and more.  She also showed all of the tension, poverty, and psychological problems that happened in the town.

I know Pastor Ezra Anderson and his wife, Mad Mabel, were secondary characters, but I would have liked to know a bit more about her.  She had such an interesting name, that I was intrigued.

Even though the main character is a ten-year-old girl, this is a book for adults only.  There are far too many adult themes, like prostitution and murder.

I liked the discussion questions.  I appreciated the afterword.  I now want to read The Grapes of Wrath and learn more about the Dust Bowl. 

I homeschool my children, so this book has given me ideas for resources for my children.  I might use this book when they are seniors in high school.

I recommend this book.

Disclosure of Material Connection- I received A Cup of Dust, by Susie Finkbeiner, for free from Kregel Publications’ Blog Tour.  All links were current when posted.  I was not required to write a positive review.  The opinions I have expressed are my own or those of my family.  I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.