Saturday, March 29, 2014

My Review of Pilgrimage of Promise

Here's a description of the book from the author's website:

"Broken promises, enduring love…

A dusty stack of unopened love letters forces Bo and Mona Beth Miller to revisit a part of their past they’d rather leave buried–especially in the face of death. Only as they retrace history will they learn the truth about the shattered promise that threatens to come between them. But can their relationship endure the deception and sabotage they unearth, or will the experience compel them to trust more fully in the promises that never fail?

 Book Four in the Miller’s Creek Novels"

My Rating

Spring/Summer

My Review

Reading Pilgrimage of Promise constituted my favorite visit to Miller's Creek thus far, as its heartfelt message touched me deeply. Despite all the hardships and misunderstandings and trauma that befall Bo and Mona Beth - in the past and in the present - an overall sense of healing and hope pervades the pages. That ending... Lots of tears!

Back to the beginning, though. Bryant does a great job of weaving past scenes with the present. The scene depicting how Bo and Mona Beth first met is too cute! Once again, Bryant includes a lot of sensory details to engage readers and settle them in homey Miller's Creek, Texas.

But all the memories explored are not happy ones. Sometimes it felt like too much - knowing that miscommunications were coming and the "happy ending" wasn't all that the characters would have wanted it to be. In some ways, it felt unfair to have to experience those painful scenes, knowing the outcome as the reader does. And yet, those scenes made the reference to Isaiah 54:5 leave that much greater of an impact on me. The ending was all the more poignant and beautiful because of the repetitive reminder that God is faithful, even while humans break their promises and cause one another grief.

From the young love of high school to family drama and the tragedy of the Vietnam War, Pilgrimage of Promise takes the reader back in time through two beloved characters' lives. It's not always an easy journey, but it's still full of smiles and unexpected blessings, and it includes a very worthwhile, moving, and inspiring ending. This would be a great choice for book clubs (there are some thought-provoking discussion questions in the back of the book) or for anyone who's searching for a reminder of hope in life's disappointments.

*With thanks to the author for providing me with an e-copy of the book in exchange for my honest opinion.*

Reviews for Other Miller's Creek Novels
Coming Soon!

http://www.catbryant.com/millers-creek-novels/a-bridge-unbroken/

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Is there a release date yet for A Bridge Unbroken?

Amber Holcomb said...

Anonymous,

It currently says "April 2014" on her website's home page, so hopefully soon! :) Thanks for stopping by!

~Amber