Gathering Bittersweet

Distant Shores Series, Book 3

By: JoHannah Reardon

Narrated by: Mary Ann Jacobs

When her father dies, Rachel and her sister leave everything they know to join her uncle on his farm. As if this upheaval wasn't enough, Rachel becomes compassionately involved with a poverty-stricken family led by a violent, unreasonable man.

In the process, Rachel finds that her ideas of romance, comfort, and security take a blow as she learns to think in entirely new ways.

When she meets Tory, will he be the kind of person that will help her in this new journey?

©2012 JoHannah Reardon (P)2014 JoHannah Reardon

Wonderful Tale of Family in Late 1800s

When Rachel and Fay's father died, they left Missouri, and went to visit their Uncle Charles in Illinois . . . it was to be a short stay and then they would go to live with their older sister in Montana . . . but something happened to the girls in Illinois at their uncles farm . . . they'd always been church going people, but when Uncle Charles said grace, well, when he prayed it wasn't memorized words, it was just like God was sitting there and Uncle Charles was talking to him . . . a fire was lit in the girls and a love for Christ that spread to others around them. The simple message of hope, love and joy that Gathering Bittersweet brings is one that everyone needs to hear. Uncle Charles and Rachel ministered out of love for their neighbors, blessing them and caring for their needs, showing them the love of Jesus, despite the disgrace and pain heaped onto them by their alcoholic husband/father. This story flows beautifully, much like a devotional, with Rachel praying for strength as she seeks God's guidance for her life . . . and waiting and watching as He unfolds His plan for her life. This is a lovely series. Don't miss it.

CAUTION: Children's book quality.

I've read several Johanna Reardon books and this was most definitely not my favorite. I've enjoyed all the others. This one, however, was so simply written, I'd have to place it in either the children's section or juvenile area of a library.
The story wasn't a bad one, but the writing was not to adult standards. I really wish this had been mentioned in the synopsis before I purchased both the book and the audiobook.
As for the audio book, the narrator was not the best. I'm sorry to say that her reading also sounded like she was reading to a three-year-old. In the future I will make sure not to purchase audiobooks with her as the narrator.
I would recommend this for children or preteens. I would NOT recommend it for adults.