My Foolish Heart - eBook

Susan May Warren"s My Foolish Heart, the fourth book in the Deep Haven series, captures the story of four lives unexpectedly intermingled as they struggle with past pain, loss, and weakness. With characters Isadora Presley, Caleb Knight, Lucy Maguire, and Seb Brewster, readers journey through the process of overcoming fears and regrets and discovering the mighty power of the perfect love of God. Second Timothy 1:7 becomes a foundational verse, along with several others, throughout the book.

We follow the stories of three Deep Haven locals—Isadora, Lucy, and Seb—and a new face in town, Caleb. Isadora, the anonymous host of the radio show My Foolish Heart and daughter of the famous Coach Presley, is still struggling with the haunting memory of the accident two years ago that took her mother’s life and stripped her father of his health, strength, and coaching career, a memory that keeps Issy confined mostly to her house. Lucy, Issy"s closest friend and only connection to the outside world, is trying to find the Lucy who used to be, the Lucy she sees in the eyes of her townspeople, the Lucy before Seb. The "Sebanator" is returning to Deep Haven in hopes of escaping his failures and finding the old glory he had by applying to be the new football coach, hoping his past success as the star quarterback will be enough to carry him. But Caleb, new in town and Issy’s new next door neighbor, is also applying for the coaching position in hopes of achieving his dream of a small-town life.

After a few quarrels with Issy regarding a dog that doesn't even belong to him, Caleb hears the last few minutes of the My Foolish Heart broadcast and decides to call, searching for advice about how he can get on better terms with his neighbor. He recognizes in her a fear and a pain that he, himself, has experienced. Meanwhile, Isadora is slowly falling for her new neighbor, but as Miss Foolish Heart, she is also strangely attracted to BoyNextDoor, a recent caller who sought her advice about a girl with a disability. Even with her rules, Issy is confused about what to do, about what is safest.

Susan May Warren does an excellent job of bringing her characters to life with real relationships developing, concerns building, and fears being overcome. There is humor, conflict, and deep personal reflection. Warren's dialogue captures the individual voices and personalities of her characters, and the pace provides a calm, though often dramatic, small-town atmosphere. I strongly recommend this book, especially to anyone who has ever needed the assurance of God's perfect love, which casts out fear (1 John 4:18). – Nicole E. Dynes, www.ChristianBookPreviews.com

Warren, a former missionary to Russia and the author of 30 novels, offers a lighthearted, punchy story about two wounded souls who find love and a new lease on life over radio airwaves. Isadora Presley is Miss Foolish Heart, a radio talk show host, by night, and no one but her closest friend and producer knows it. Scarred emotionally by seeing her mother die in a car accident, Issy has panic attacks whenever she contemplates stepping outside the bounds of her yard. When Caleb Knight moves next door, Issy is cautiously curious and soon begins to fall for her handsome neighbor. Caleb has his own inner demons to fight after a harrowing stint in Iraq. Coming between these two characters is Miss Foolish Heart herself. Warren's novel nicely balances the funny and realistic. (May) Copyright 2010 Reed Business Information.