Christian Fiction Devourers discussion

In March we'll be reading and discussing Not a Sparrow Falls by Linda Nichols. Please join in if you'd like! :)

Goodreads summary:

In this powerful story of redemption and love, a prodigal young woman from the hills of Virginia flees the men who have lured her away from a godly upbringing into a life of desperation. Taking on a new identity, Mary Bridget Washburn escapes to the bustling city of Alexandria. There her path crosses that of Alasdair MacPherson, a widowed pastor with three young children and daunting problems of his own. Mary Bridget longs to bring happiness to the deeply troubled family, but she seems an unlikely candidate to help. Has she fallen too far from grace to be able to pass it on? A heart-tugging tale about the extraordinary struggles that turn ordinary people into heroes.

I am loving this book, but of course I also loved: . For once I am ahead on a book of the month read.

I'll be starting this one when I finish my current read :) I picked it up while it was a freebie, woo hoo!

I started a little early , but I want to finish my other current read of by Camy Tang first. I am so into it and caring what will happen next!

I started today, could not wait until today so that I could ;). I am already at 14% and really liking it. It is jumping around a little bit so every few it seems we have to meet and get to know another whole group of characters which is a little annoying. It seems like it will be a good one though.

WAHOO! This book is free on Kindle! (Is that the point?) I'm grabbing it and will join in after my first fiction obligation for the month. So excited!

I will be reading this book

Glad you ladies are joining in!

This will be my first novel by Linda Nichols.

Has anyone other than Karen read anything by Nichols?

I have not, but I am about 40% way through this one and am guessing that I will be reading another. Once you get past the crazy start it is really good.

I started reading Not a Sparrow Falls and am enjoying it a lot

I started the first few pages just to see what the author's writing style was like and so far it's very readable. I have 20 pages in the book I'm currently reading before I start in earnest to read this month's book.

Good read! I am at 60%. It is so enjoyable, I can't put it down.

I'm still at the first 50 pages, but it was definitely an engaging start. I'm very curious to see how the story goes.

I grabbed the book for my kindle app and now it's not working, so I'm on the search for it in an epub version so that I can continue reading it.... hope to get back to it soon... was really enjoying.

Samantha, did you try deleting if from your device and then downloading it again? Did you try contacting Amazon?

Finished yesterday! Very good read :)

Finished!

I'm at about 40%. It's good, but I'm ready for the story to pick up some more!

I started reading it this morning. So far, so good.

I started reading it this morning while hubby was at his physical therapy. Maybe it's because I just finished an awesome historical fiction, but I am having a hard time getting into this one.

Loraine wrote: "I started reading it this morning while hubby was at his physical therapy. Maybe it's because I just finished an awesome historical fiction, but I am having a hard time getting into this one."

It was a little hard to get into. Especially since the author skipped around a bit at first. I does get better. I finished it yesterday and thought it was a really good read :)

Amy wrote: "Loraine wrote: "I started reading it this morning while hubby was at his physical therapy. Maybe it's because I just finished an awesome historical fiction, but I am having a hard time getting int..."

Thanks Amy I will read a little more and see if it finally catches my interest.

I feel like I was just waiting on the characters to meet, they have now & I think that will really make things pick up :)

Beth wrote: "I feel like I was just waiting on the characters to meet, they have now & I think that will really make things pick up :)"

It will :). It was hard for me to get through those first few chapters, but after that it was a good read :)

Glad to hear that, Amy! :)

I'm at 17% and still trying to keep the characters straight. Haven't found out how they all relate/meet yet.

I too am not far enough for the characters to come together, and uncertain where the prologuefits in.

Anna wrote: "I too am not far enough for the characters to come together, and uncertain where the prologuefits in."

You will get hints to that throughout the book, but will not really know until close to the end. Keep going though it is good once you get past all of the introductions lol. That is the only thing that I did not like about the book, was how long it took to set it all up.

Anna wrote: "I too am not far enough for the characters to come together, and uncertain where the prologuefits in."

I feel the same way Anna and so far am not really caring for the book. Seems very disjointed.

Anna wrote: "I too am not far enough for the characters to come together, and uncertain where the prologuefits in."

I feel the same way Anna and so far am not really caring for the book. Seems very disjointed.

Anna wrote: "I too am not far enough for the characters to come together, and uncertain where the prologuefits in."

I feel the same way Anna and so far am not really caring for the book. Seems very disjointed.

I feel the same way Anna and so far am not really caring for the book. Seems ver..."

I am used to reading Jodi Picoult's books which are actually told from the viewpoint of several different characters, so this book isn't causing me any trouble, and I do like it.

Loraine, once the characters come together, it stops feeling disjointed. I felt that way at the beginning too, especially with the jump a year into the future.

Now they are all interacting & I really like it! :)

Except, I had to laugh a bit at the chapter of the teenager-it was full of "like" and "totally" and "lame." it was a bit much in my opinion.

Anyone that is currently reading or already finished--

Once Bridie had left Jonah & Dwayne, do/did you find yourself worrying about what will happen to Bridie if they catch up with her? NO PLOT SPOILERS JUST YET, PLEASE :)

I know I am! I'll be very wrapped up in the story, then I will remember & get worried all over again, haha.

I was worried the same way that you were. It was so easy for forget for awhile, which I am sure is the same way that she felt.

I am finally past the disjointed beginning and into the story itself and enjoying it.

Yes, I am concerned with what will happen if either Jonah or Dwayne catch up with Bridie. But at this point (I have not finished it)figure that it will have a happy ending.

I am only at chaper 6. So basically the disjointed begining still. I have seen so little of Bridie that Jonah and Dwayne are barely in the back of my mind yet, but it is hanging over the story for me when I think of Bridie. Especially since I don't know how much time has passed by chapter 6.

I finished the book yesterday and I loved it. It was a little hard to keep up with all the characters in the beginning, but it all comes together well. As I said somewhere else here, I loved the Quote near the end of the book when Bridie was talking to Grandma, "You can't out sin the cross."

I just finished it, too, and I really liked it. I was a little "up tight" at times with concern for one or another of the characters, but I was happy with how the author developed each one of them. I give it 4 stars!

Well I finished this book yesterday. I really liked it. I like Linda's style of writing. I read At the Scent of Water two years ago, and her style is very distinct. The theme of the book was wonderful, and I loved how it touched on very sensitive issues that aren't typically seen in Christian fiction, which some of you may already know that I like. However, I wasn't a fan of some parts of the ending. I don't want to put spoilers in here, so I'll wait a week to talk about the ending. But for the most part, I really liked how simple the idea of redemption is in the book and how Bridie subconciously had the Word of God in her heart. As she said, once a child of God, always a child of God.

Nichole, I agree with you about the ending! I found some of it unrealistic, but thought that maybe it was just me. We can discuss it more in a few days.

I finished this book last night. I had a love/hate relationship with it. I hated the beginning and felt it was very disjointed and haphazard. I had to push myself to wade through about the first 1/4 of the book. The last 3/4 was absolutely great. I almost felt like one author had written the first 1/4 and a different one wrote the last 3/4. I think if the author had developed the characters through flashbacks during the storyline it might have been a much easier read at least for me. The storyline was very different and the theme of second chances and grace for so many of the characters was super. I liked that the author focused on topics that are rarely seen in Christian fiction. Like Nicole, I don't want to include spoilers but would love to discuss some of the characters and their actions/reactions.

Well, now ya'll are making me want to sit down this afternoon and finish the book! I'm at 40% right now. I haven't had any problems with it so far and did like the background at the beginning of the book. It dragged for a bit, but now it's picking up some. Although I'm really hoping that the ending ISN'T

oops...hit send by accident and don't know how to edit a post.

I hope the ending ISN'T what I'm thinking it's going to be. I really don't want yet another Christian romance novel!

Just reached where Bridie is invited to Thanksgiving dinner. I like Bridie and am looking forward to finding out her future.

I finished and looking forward to discussing it.

I'm at 75% and see what's coming. But I do like the author's writing style.

Loraine wrote: "I finished this book last night. I had a love/hate relationship with it. I hated the beginning and felt it was very disjointed and haphazard. I had to push myself to wade through about the first..."

I agree with you Loraine, the first 1/4 was hard to get through. Once I got through that it was an "I can not put it down" book.

I finished the book tonight. Very well written. Good story. Good message. I'm going to look for her other books on PBS. Thank you to whoever nominated this book.