Wednesday, February 6, 2008

Sister's Ink by Rebeca Seitz

This week, the

Christian Fiction Blog Alliance

is introducing

Sister's Ink

Broadman & Holman Books (February 1, 2008)

by


ABOUT THE BOOK

Sisters, Ink marks the first in a series of novels written by, for, and about scrapbookers. At the center of the creativity and humor are four unlikely young adult sisters, each separately adopted during early childhood into the loving home of Marilyn and Jack Sinclair.

Ten years after their mother Marilyn has died, the multi-racial Sinclair sisters (Meg, Kendra, Tandy, and Joy) still return to her converted attic scrapping studio in the small town of Stars Hill, Tennessee, to encourage each other through life’s highs and lows.

Book one spotlights headstrong Tandy, a successful yet haunted attorney now living back in Orlando where she spent the first eight years of her life on the streets as a junkie’s kid. When a suddenly enforced leave of absence at work leads her to an extended visit with her sisters in Stars Hill, a business oppor­tunity, rekindled romance, and fresh understanding of God’s will soon follow.

My Review:

Have you ever seen someone leave a room with their “back as straight as the line form Daddy to heaven and steps as firm as his faith?” Has your heart ever felt, “…new and stretched, like a muscle learning to move again?” Or have you ever been in a room that was, “as stuffy as an undersized casket on a four-hundred-pound-man?”

I could go on and on with examples of the fresh, vivid imagery found in Rebeca Seitz’ new novel, Sisters Inc. I have little yellow sticky notes shooting out of the book like so many quills on a porcupine – marking thoughts and phrases that I thought were really great! This is Rebeca’s second novel, but the first in a series of four novels that tells the story of a very unique family. Set in Tennessee, there is a wonderful Southern tone to the book, and the quirkiness of small-town living is captured in living color!

I really liked this book! It’s not so heavy that you are emotionally drained at the end, but it’s not so light a read that you will easily forget the characters. This story is a terrific blend of the real pain of life-circumstance and the consequence of our choices and the warm, light-hearted banter of sisters who share close relationship and posses the confidence to be real with each other. This story draws you in from the beginning, and you will laugh and cry along the way. The romance took me back to my own memories of “first love”, and the emotional struggle will pull you along until your own heart will finally cry “uncle” at the end!

I think the one passage that really spoke to me personally was on page 229. The main character is talking with her dad, and he gives some great insight, “You can believe and not be like every other believer. What you believe doesn’t change, but how you live out that belief is very different from how I do or your momma did.” I don’t know if it’s my southern heritage or just my own faith journey, but I could totally relate to the way this character struggled to separate her own faith from the perceived expectation of her parents. To hear her dad say these words caused me to give a hearty “A-men!”

Well, I’ve rambled enough about this book. It is terrific!! You don’t want to miss this first installment of what promises to be an adventure of a series!! There is something for everyone whether you are a romance or a chick-lit fan. Buy a copy today!!