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Friday, June 12, 2009

Review: Prayers for Sale by Sandra Dallas

Prayers For Sale
by Sandra Dallas
Published 2009 St. Martin's Press
Genre: Adult Lit
Pages: 305

From Goodreads:Hennie Comfort is eighty-six and has lived in the mountains of Middle Swan, Colorado since before it was Colorado. Nit Spindle is just seventeen and newly married. She and her husband have just moved to the high country in search of work. It's 1936 and the depression has ravaged the country and Nit and her husband have suffered greatly. Sandra Dallas has created an unforgettable tale of a friendship between two women, one with surprising twists and turns, and one that is ultimately a revelation of the finest parts of the human spirit.





My Thoughts:

The sun was warm on Hennie's bones, and she was not anxious to leave. "Can you stand another story?" "I can. I wouldn't like it half so well in Middle Swan if it wasn't for you and your stories." p. 190-191


The stories, that is what draws you into this wonderful book. The stories that are weaved into present day and links you to the past. Hennie is eighty-seven years old and she's experienced pretty much everything life can throw at a person: husband dying in the Civil War, brutality at the hands of a cruel man, losing her only child, living in harsh conditions, becoming a widow for the second time. She posts a sign on her fence out front that says, "Prayers for Sale." There's a story behind this sign...and one that I'm not going to tell you, but this sign is what brings Nit, a young, newlywed girl to her front door. From that chance meeting you get to watch as their friendship grows and how living life in the high country of the Rocky Mountains can forge relationships that last forever. This is definitely a character driven book. I loved Hennie by the time I came to the end, she's one tough cookie and she will stay with me for some time. Once I started this book I couldn't put it down. It made me think back to my childhood when my Grandpa Bill would get out his harmonica and start blowing on that thing, singing, and bringing all us grandkids to his feet. From there he would start telling his own stories; driving a Model A car when he was eleven, running moonshine in Kentucky, being wild with his buddies, how he met my Grandma and took her to the outdoor picture show. I loved it when he shared these treasures with us, they fascinated me and the memory of them will stay forever. Storytelling needs to be a tradition that is handed down to the next generation. So, if you're looking for good old fashioned story telling....then look no further, because this book fits the bill. I'm new to the author, Sandra Dallas, and Kaye of Pudgy Penguin Perusals assures me that Dallas is a great author. She was so enthusiastic about her that I've requested Tallgrass already from the library!!!! I feel pretty confident about Kaye's recommendation...because I loved this book!!

She'd had a good life, Hennie reflected, but there were things left for her to do before she went below. The girl Nit needed help if she was to become a mountain woman. Hennie had a lifetime of stories she wanted to tell one more time. p. 107




If you've reviewed this book let me know and I'll add your link!

13 comments:

  1. That book sounds soooooooooooooooo good! :):):):):):):)

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  2. What a great review, Staci! Isn't it wonderful when a book takes you to places and times in your own life? What a great title too. I love the Aha! moment when you figure out what the title of a book means. I didn't realize she also wrote Tallgrass!! I hope you enjoy it as much as you did this one.

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  3. I love Sandra Dallas and can't wait to read this book. I'm glad your first experience was a positive one! :)

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  4. I'm glad to hear that you liked this book Staci. I've read Persian Pickle Club by Sandra Dallas and enjoyed it. I have Tallgrass on my TBR shelf and have Prayers on my wishlist!!

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  5. I really want to know the story behind the sign now. Great review!

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  6. I LOVED this one too; Tallgrass was great as well by this author.

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  7. You make this sound so good! And I love the cover. I haven't yet read Tallgrass, but I've heard such good things about that one too. I will definitely have to add this one to my wish list. Thanks for the great review!

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  8. I read your review on Goodreads, and had to of course add this to my TBR right away. Sounds like another great book! :)

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  9. That really sounds like a great book. I have to put it on my ever growing list. LOL!

    Thanks for coming back to my blog Staci. I'm sorry I've been gone so long! Hopefully I will get back into the swing of things my friend!!!!

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  10. Really wonderful review Staci. This book sounds so good. I've never heard of it before although I'm sure I've heard of Tallgrass before. I'll have to take a closer look at this one.

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  11. Great review. The book does sound wonderful, I will look it up

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  12. Well, this book sounds really good! I will have to keep it in mind, since I doubt my library has a copy yet.

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  13. Yours is the first review I've read on this book. My mother bought and read it and really liked it so she lent it to me. It's right where I can see it every day, but other books have always taken precedence over it. Watch for my review before the end of July. (Maybe if I set a deadline and tell somebody about it, I'll get it read.)

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