Lead Me Home

I just finished reading Lead Me Home by Amy Sorrells. The book was sent to me free of charge by Tyndale in exchange for reading and reviewing it.

I must admit that I was pretty critical as I read the first few pages. I noticed that many of the author’s sentences went on and on, packed with an overabundance of description. I found myself having to backtrack to figure out her meaning. This was distracting at first, but I became accustomed to it and began to get into the story. 

The story moves back and forth between viewpoints, which I didn’t mind. It made it more interesting. The main characters are Rev. James Horton, his daughter Shelby and their neighbors Laurie, Noble and Eustace Burden.  Rev. Horton is a widower and, in the midst of his grief, his church is about to close its doors due to a lack of members. The story follows him and Shelby as they each try to cope with their grief and loss, and as each questions whether God is really there.  Meanwhile, their neighbors, the Burdens, are facing many hardships themselves after Laurie’s husband deserts them with a dairy farm to run. 

The author does a pretty good job of describing small town life in a farming community and the hardships that so many people face in private. She explores the meaning of “the church”, and shares some good insights. After a slow beginning, I found myself sitting up late to finish the book. I really cared about what happened to the characters. I found the ending a little strange…but you’ll have to read it to find out why!