Another Way Home by Deborah Raney
Chicory Inn #3
Visit the Author's website HERE
Publisher: Abingdon Press
Publishing Date: October 1, 2015
Grant and Audrey are adding grandchildren to their family left and right, but middle daughter, Danae, and her husband, Dallas Brooks, have been trying for years with no baby in sight.
Though Danae is ready to consider adoption, Dallas will not even discuss it. Despairing of ever having a family of her own, Danae decides to pour her passion and energies into volunteer work with a newly opened women’s shelter in town. Looking for a good cause to fill her lonely days, she never expects to give her heart to the hurting women she meets there. She’s finally learning to live her life with gratitude, but then heart-wrenching events on Thanksgiving weekend threaten to pull the entire Whitman clan into turmoil—and leave them all forever changed.
My Thoughts:
Note: This is book three in a series. This review may contain possible spoilers for the previous two books. Proceed with caution!
So far, we've had just a glimpse of Danae and her husband Dallas' struggle to conceive a child. Now finally in book three 'Another Way Home' we are getting the full story. Danae does quickly come to realize that she has been laser focused on having a baby and thus decides to volunteer at a local women's shelter home. This is where she meets Misty, a woman who has finally run from her abusive husband after he hit her son. Through a series of events, Danae and Dallas are soon on the rollercoaster that is adoption, something Dallas experienced as a kid and never wanted to do as a married couple. There are some twists and turns that aren't completely unexpected if you are familiar with adoption in anyway. However, it is still stressful and heart wrenching to read.
When the struggle to have a child drags on and on, it can place a huge amount of stress on the couple and their relationship. Not to mention their individual walks with God. Raney did a great job capturing the feelings and growing resentment on each side. Neither husband or wife was 'right' because each had completely justified feelings. For me, that made this book the most emotional so far. Seeing their struggle, and then later feeling for the children, made it so heartbreaking.
Raney has an excellent ability to take high stakes/stressful events and spread it out over a realistic timeline, yet still keep the reader interested and engaged. By doing this, I never truly felt overwhelmed with emotion or felt that the situations were overly intense. Instead, it was like the story maintained a Mitford-esque calm that is never quite lost. This ability is something I admire more than resent. I'm invested in the characters, but still aloof, detached in away that still makes for an enjoyable reading experience.
And don't skip the discussion questions at the end of the story. I read through them and they really got me thinking about Misty and her situation. Is what she did 'right'? How about her difficult choice with the kids? When it comes to adoption, are strangers better than blood, or vice versa? Is there an answer?! These questions would be great in a group setting.
Overall, I liked this one more than book two, 'Two Roads Home', but can't decide if it is my overall favorite or not. A struggling marriage, high stakes, tough decisions, and trying to determine God's will over our own feelings, 'Another Way Home' is easily worth 4 stars. This is a series you should check out if you enjoy family sagas, miracles, and families who come together. I'm so excited for book four which is featuring Bree, but I can't wait to get to know Link better! Waiting on you Raney ;)
Note: This is book three in a series. This review may contain possible spoilers for the previous two books. Proceed with caution!
So far, we've had just a glimpse of Danae and her husband Dallas' struggle to conceive a child. Now finally in book three 'Another Way Home' we are getting the full story. Danae does quickly come to realize that she has been laser focused on having a baby and thus decides to volunteer at a local women's shelter home. This is where she meets Misty, a woman who has finally run from her abusive husband after he hit her son. Through a series of events, Danae and Dallas are soon on the rollercoaster that is adoption, something Dallas experienced as a kid and never wanted to do as a married couple. There are some twists and turns that aren't completely unexpected if you are familiar with adoption in anyway. However, it is still stressful and heart wrenching to read.
When the struggle to have a child drags on and on, it can place a huge amount of stress on the couple and their relationship. Not to mention their individual walks with God. Raney did a great job capturing the feelings and growing resentment on each side. Neither husband or wife was 'right' because each had completely justified feelings. For me, that made this book the most emotional so far. Seeing their struggle, and then later feeling for the children, made it so heartbreaking.
Raney has an excellent ability to take high stakes/stressful events and spread it out over a realistic timeline, yet still keep the reader interested and engaged. By doing this, I never truly felt overwhelmed with emotion or felt that the situations were overly intense. Instead, it was like the story maintained a Mitford-esque calm that is never quite lost. This ability is something I admire more than resent. I'm invested in the characters, but still aloof, detached in away that still makes for an enjoyable reading experience.
And don't skip the discussion questions at the end of the story. I read through them and they really got me thinking about Misty and her situation. Is what she did 'right'? How about her difficult choice with the kids? When it comes to adoption, are strangers better than blood, or vice versa? Is there an answer?! These questions would be great in a group setting.
Overall, I liked this one more than book two, 'Two Roads Home', but can't decide if it is my overall favorite or not. A struggling marriage, high stakes, tough decisions, and trying to determine God's will over our own feelings, 'Another Way Home' is easily worth 4 stars. This is a series you should check out if you enjoy family sagas, miracles, and families who come together. I'm so excited for book four which is featuring Bree, but I can't wait to get to know Link better! Waiting on you Raney ;)
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