A Promise for Spring
4.6
5
30
30
I loved the story and enjoyed reading about life on the prairie and the hardships this couple endured. But I have to tell you two things that really bugged me while reading this book and after finishing it. The author overuses a certain phrase - "She licked her lips." - probably 10 or 12 times or more in the book. Nobody I have noticed licks their lips that much, and to me it served no useful purpose to the storyline. Call me crazy, but that really jumped out at me and bugged me all through the book. I have noticed that the author uses that phrase a lot in at least one more book she has written. The other thing that annoyed me has to do with the storyline. There was much attention devoted to the dowry money she brought from England with her and her effort to hide it from Geoffrey. That was one thing that I paid a lot of attention to - wondering if she would get the money back and how the guy would explain what he was doing with it in the first place. However, I was greatly disappointed at the end when he just handed the money over to Geoffrey, and it's like, well here's this great amount of money and take it and use it to help her get well. He didn't question where it came from and no other mention was made by Emmaline about the money, after all that time spent in the storyline about it. That really bugged me when I finished the book.
January 14, 2010
When this book was published, I was so excited because I knew from the end of the first chapter that it was a phenomenal book! The story captivated me throughout and I fell in love with each character including my favorite, Tildy. Sawyer weaves a story of two people once in love and full of confidence in each other meeting again years later nearly as strangers and on their wedding day no less. The incredible challenges of faith, love, and life give the reader a potent tale full of laughter, tears, and late nights (because I just couldnt put the book down)! Emmaline and Geoffreys story may be set over a hundred years ago, but young people often face similar trials and decisions in todays world as well. On a side note, Sawyer has a knack for detail and illustrates life on the Kansas prairie in the late 1800s with precision. A Promise for Spring is a wonderful book that lives up to all of the expectations one might have for awesome author like Kim Vogel Sawyer!
August 18, 2009
I knew the minute I started this book that it would a be a great read. And it was, I had such faith in the story that I purchased the book before I even finished reading it, something I very rarely do. But Kim Vogel Sawyer, has the ability to instill that kind of trust in a reader. A trust that promises a wonderful story filled with everyday and sometimes not so ordinary values and experiences. What I love about Kim Vogel Sawyer's book are the characters. They appear to be living, breathing people, not a made up character who never makes mistakes or is some heavenly saint. Geoffrey is anything but, the afore mentioned qualities when the story begins. He seems to have no patience for Emmaline, but then again, she is not very considerate and attentive to all of his desires. But through the course of the story, you see a subtle and yet ever strengthening change. Their faith isn't perfect, but what I love about Kim's books is that the salvation and grounding of the faith is never cloaked or hidden from plain sight. And yet, she isn't overpowering in wanting to cram salvation down your throat. I was very pleased with the ending to this story, it made the rocky journey to get there, very pleasing and satisfying. I would whole heartedly recommend this book. Happy reading!
June 23, 2009
When an English rose is transplanted to the Kansas prairie, can anything be easy? Of course not! Even though they were betrothed five long years earlier, Emmaline Bradford no longer knows the man she meets when she steps off the train in Moreland, Kansas. For his part, Geoffrey Garrett has practically been counting the minutes till the arrival of his bride. But the nervous, sullen woman clad in black is a far cry from his dream girl. Kim Vogel Sawyer has a gift for writing characters who struggle through adversity and come out stronger for it. In Emmaline and Geoffrey, she presents two stubborn people, each working through a pain of their own. It's not until they put their own needs aside and truly see each other that reconciliation comes. A Promise for Spring is a lovely tale of the men and woman who worked so hard to create a new life in the sometimes harsh, sometimes beautiful prairie. I thoroughly enjoyed the time I spent with Emmaline and Geoffrey, and look forward to Ms. Sawyer's next offering.
June 2, 2009