MY REVIEW:
In her latest novel, When Silence Sings, Sarah Loudin Thomas relates the story of Colman Harpe, a young man who feels God’s call on is life despite a long-standing feud between his family and the McClean family. After the death of his cousin at the hands of a McClean, Colman feels an urging from God to take the Gospel to his longtime enemies but like the Biblical story of Jonah, Colman decides to follow his own path and like Jonah, he pays dearly for his choice.
This book is a powerful story filled with exceptional characters both good and evil and there were times some of them surprised me. One in particular was not at all the person I thought he was. It is a story of enemies driven by a feud that no one can remember how it began. It is a story of one man who finally decided to obey God or possibly die and a special woman whose heart was so pure despite the difference that made others fear her.
Although there are hints of romance in When Silence Sings, it is not the primary focus of the story. It is a story that points out the hate and prejudice that drives humans away from God and the power of love and forgiveness to bring reconciliation and restoration to those who need it most.
I have loved each of this author’s previous novels but When Silence Sings is a special story that will linger in my mind for some time to come.
I voluntarily reviewed a copy of this book provided by the author and Bethany House, a division of Baker Publishing Group. A favorable review was not required. All views expressed are my own.
ABOUT THE BOOK:
As a Long-Standing Feud Threatens to Spark Once More,
the Fates of Two Families Rest on the Most Unexpected of Shoulders
For years, Serepta McClean has towered over the coal-filled hills of West Virginia, taking more than her share of legal and illegal trade alike. She’s intent on securing the future of the McClean name, despite two unreliable sons and a long-standing feud with the Harpe clan that’s exploded once again into violence.
While many fear her, and many more despise her, few dare to stand against her. Especially not someone like Colman Harpe–a railroad man with dreams of being a preacher. And yet it’s a reluctant Colman, Serepta’s sworn enemy, who finds himself in this powerful woman’s territory, supposedly sent there by God himself to share stories of love and hope.
With the feud growing ever more dangerous, putting the entire region at risk, these two impossibly different people find themselves on a collision course. And the very lives of everyone close to them will be changed forever.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Photo Credit: © Kristen Delliveniri
Sarah Loudin Thomas (www.sarahloudinthomas.com) is a fund-raiser for a children’s ministry who has time to write because she doesn’t have children of her own. She holds a bachelor’s degree in English from Coastal Carolina University and is the author of the acclaimed novels The Sound of Rain and Miracle in a Dry Season–winner of the 2015 Inspy Award. Sarah has also been a finalist for the ACFW Carol Award and the Christian Book of the Year Award. She and her husband live near Asheville, NC.
