A Trail of Crumbs

by Susie Finkbeiner
Review & GIVEAWAY!

Description

"I believed it would have been a sin to stay inside when God had sent us such fine weather. According to Pastor Ezra Anderson, sin was the reason we'd got in the dusty mess we were in. The way I saw it, that day was God's way of letting us know He wasn't mad at us anymore. Just maybe He'd seen fit to forgive us."

Pearl Spence has been through more in her young life than most folks could handle. But through it all, her family has been by her side. They may not be perfect, but they love her and they all love each other, come what may. That's one thing Pearl no longer questions.

But the end of her beautiful day signals the beginning of the end of her secure life.

Now her family is fleeing their Oklahoma wasteland. Pearl isn't sure she'll ever see home or happiness again. Are there any crumbs powerful enough to guide her back to the dependable life she once knew?

The strong narrative voice of Finkbeiner's young protagonist from A Cup of Dust returns in this gritty yet hopeful sequel, sure to please her many fans.

Biography

Susie Finkbeiner is a story junkie. Always has been and always will be. It seems it's a congenital condition, one she's quite fond of.

After decades of reading everything she could get her hands on (except for See the Eel, a book assigned to her while in first grade, a book she declared was unfit for her book-snob eyes), Susie realized that she wanted to write stories of her own. She began with epics about horses and kittens (but never, ever eels). 

It takes years to grow a writer and after decades of work, Susie realized (with much gnashing of teeth and tears) that she was a novelist. In order to learn how to write novels, she read eclectically and adventurously (she may never swim with sharks, but the lady will jump into nearly any story). After reading the work of Lisa Samson, Patti Hill, and Bonnie Grove she realized that there was room for a writer like her in Christian fiction.

Her first novels Paint Chips (2013) and My Mother's Chamomile (2014) have contemporary settings. While she loved those stories and especially the characters, Susie felt the pull toward historical fiction.

When she read Into the Free by Julie Cantrell she knew she wanted to write historical stories with a side of spunk, grit, and vulnerability. Susie is also greatly inspired by the work of Jocelyn Green, Rachel McMillan, and Tracy Groot.

A Cup of Dust: A Novel of the Dust Bowl (2015), Finkbeiner's bestselling historical set in 1930s Oklahoma, has been compared to the work of John Steinbeck and Harper Lee (which flatters Susie's socks off). Pearl's story continues with A Trail of Crumbs: A Novel of the Great Depression (2017) and A Song of Home: A Novel of the Swing Era (2018). 

What does she have planned after that? More stories, of course. She's a junkie. She couldn't quit if she wanted to.

My Thoughts ~

I've traveled back to the days of the depression and the Oklahoma dust storms with my favorite character, Pearl. She's young, innocent, and a free spirit. I loved her in the author's prequel, A Cup of Dust, but grew to love her even more in A Trail of Crumbs. Her life has been difficult, but it's all she knows, and the love of her family has kept her secure and cared for. Pearl and her best friend, Ray, are carefree youngsters, happy, with few worries in their young lives. Unfortunately, troublesome and grievous times force the family to move on, far from the only home they've known. 

As in A Cup of Dust, Susie weaves a palpable tale that is authentic, earthy, gritty and heartrending. A Trail of Crumbs represents an underlying hope even as much has been lost. The family moves forward to a new life in a faraway place. Descriptive, insightful and poignant, the narrative moves forward with candor and credibility. 

Susie Finkbeiner has written some of my favorite books, some that I've already read twice, which I intend with A Trail of Crumbs. Her books evoke numerous emotions that bring me back for more. With each book she pens I am more and more impressed with her creativity and credibility. This young author creates an intense, consistent narrative with her heart and soul woven into the lives of her characters.

I highly recommend A Trail of Crumbs, and if possible, please pick up a copy of A Cup of Dust and read it first. Your emotions will be heightened as you absorb each book! 

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book as a gift. All expressed opinions are my own, and there were no expectations for a positive review.

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