MY REVIEW:
The Sinners’ Garden is one of those books that will not be quickly forgotten. I fully expect that various events from the novel will pop into my mind or dreams from out of the blue. It is a beautifully crafted story with a supernatural ambiance that captured my imagination yet left me with some thoughts to ponder.
It was easy for me to connect with the characters of The Sinners’ Garden. They are fairly normal people, although each is emotionally broken in some way. Pain or grief has been a constant companion to some of them. Each is desperately in need of healing. Another thing they have in common is their need for God but like many of us, they are so busy trying to earn His love or feeling unworthy of His attention, that they completely miss His free gift of grace. But God has chosen as unique way to get their attention that is a predominate factor in the plot.
With a strong cast of characters, a well-paced plot, a good dose of mystery and suspense, and a reasonably strong emphasis on faith and forgiveness, The Sinners’ Garden is nearly perfection. There were several scenes where sharing the message of salvation would have fit quite well and would have been so appropriate. Nevertheless, I thoroughly enjoyed The Sinners’ Garden and look forward to future books by this author.
This book was provided for review by LitFuse Publicity.
ABOUT THE BOOK:
In the small Lake Erie township of Benning, someone is at work cultivating a supernatural garden …
Andy Kemp’s young life has been as ravaged as his scarred face. Disfigured by an abusive father, the teenager hides behind his books and an impenetrable wall of cynicism and anger.
As Andy’s mother struggles to reconnect with him, his Uncle Rip returns transformed from a stint in prison and wants to be a mentor to the reclusive boy, doing everything he can to help end Andy’s pain. When Andy begins hearing strange music through his iPod and making near-prophetic announcements, Rip is convinced that what Andy is hearing is the voice of God.
Elsewhere, police officer Heather Gerisch responds to a late-night breaking and entering in one of the poorest homes in town. She soon realizes that the masked prowler has left thousands of dollars in gift cards from a local grocery store.
As the bizarre break-ins continue and Heather pursues the elusive “Summer Santa,” Andy and Rip discover an enormous and well-kept garden of wildflowers that seems to have grown overnight at an abandoned steel mill.
Soon, they realize who the gardener is, and a spree of miracles transfigures this small town from a place of hopelessness into a place of healing and beauty.
Purchase a copy HERE.
Read an excerpt from The Sinners’ Garden HERE.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Over the course of his life, William Sirls has experienced both great highs and tremendous lows–some born of chance, some born of choice. Life lessons involving faith, grace, and forgiveness are evident in his writing. “The Sinners’ Garden” is his second novel. His first novel, “The Reason,” was published in 2012. William makes his home in southern Michigan.
