Written by Lois Jean Thomas
Bertha Snider, a farm girl living in southern Indiana in the early 20th century, becomes enamored with her neighbor Frank, the only son in the mysterious Kelly family.
Their hasty marriage produces a single child, the bright and beautiful Katherine, who becomes the light of Bertha’s life. Katherine braves the world outside the family’s rural existence and guides her mother into new experiences.
Over the course of the story, the mother/daughter relationship evolves in unexpected ways.
A Poignant, Moving Read! 
This isn’t my first novel by Lois Jean Thomas; I’ve loved her previous work and consider that she has excelled herself with this one!
Bertha Snider lives in Brown County in southern Indiana on her father’s farm. Her story begins during the very early years of the 20th century and continues through the Great War, the depression era and beyond, encompassing family life and so very much more.
I love the style of writing in this one; from the very first it was an easy, chatty read following a chapter format, each one clearly marked with the passing years in chronological order. This tale flows smoothly and I was captivated from first to last, reading the chapter which including the end of the first world war during Remembrance day, so found it all especially poignant. It’s an extremely moving read, and rather obvious that considerable research has gone into keeping the details correct. A very touching read which brought me to tears more than once and, in my opinion, this author’s best to date. Highly recommended and fully worth a full house of stars.
My grateful thanks to the author for my copy of her novel; this is my honest, original and unbiased review.
Tags: family saga
- Format: ebook, paperback
- Size: 323 pages
- Publication Date: 31 August 2019
- Purchase Links: amazon
Author Bio
I grew up in rural Brown County, Indiana, the seventh of nine children. My father was a Mennonite minister. Several of my books reflect my experience of being raised in the Mennonite tradition.
I lived most of my adult life in Goshen, Indiana. I’ve always loved to write, and in my young adult years, I had several stories published in magazines. However, other activities took precedence over my writing: raising my three children, going to college and graduate school, completing training in therapeutic massage and energy healing and maintaining dual careers in clinical social work and massage therapy.
I’ve been a life-long spiritual seeker, and have explored a number of spiritual traditions. While studying Vedantic scripture in the early 2000s, I was inspired to write three children’s books, which were published by the Sambodh Society, Inc. They are listed under “Other Works” on this website.
In 2006, my husband and I moved from Goshen to Saint Joseph, Michigan, where I continued my employment as a clinical social worker. Then, in 2010, my life changed abruptly. I was struck by a car as a pedestrian, and sustained a traumatic brain injury. The accident left me unable to continue my career.
Since then, I’ve had all the time in the world to write the novels I’ve always dreamed of writing. But injury-related challenges have made that task extremely difficult. Damage to my brain has left me with a condition called post-traumatic vision syndrome, which limits my stamina for reading and writing. Additionally, my injured brain is easily overtaxed, and will tolerate only so much hard work before my cognitive processes shut down.
Thus, my daily writing time is short, and I must use special accommodations. I have a window of opportunity to write each morning, when my eyes and brain are refreshed after sleep. That time is precious to me.
However, whatever story I’m working on is always in my head, keeping me company throughout the day. I keep a stack of scrap paper handy so that I can jot down the creative inspirations that pop into my mind. I incorporate these notes into future writing sessions.
My son C. Zane Shetler has illustrated two of my children’s books, and has provided cover art for three of my novels. My husband A. R. Thomas completes the formatting and publishing tasks that my vision challenges prevent me from doing.
In addition to writing, I enjoy raising flowers, collecting angels, and creating a peaceful ambiance in my home and gardens.
Visit my website and read my blog to learn the story behind each of my publications.
Social Media
Website: @www.loisjeanthomas.com
Twitter: @7LoisJean
Grace J Reviewerlady 