Monthly Archives: July 2021

As an avid reader, I get excited about the great number of books out there to read, either for entertainment, education, inspiration or with some books, all three. The quantity available reminds me of the vast amount of life in the oceans, so I call these book reviews “Diving Into A Sea of Books”. As with diving into an ocean looking for interesting objects, diving into books means you come across mixed results: over here, a book you don’t bother to finish, over there, a “treasure”—one you like so much you can’t wait to reread it, and over there, a book you read and think, “Meh”.

In the novel One Shenandoah Winter, author Davis Bunn brings together:

Two people gripped by rage so deep they don’t know how they can free themselves from it. 

One town, tucked away among the hills and valleys of Virginia, in desperate need of a doctor.

A pastor whose baby is seriously ill.

A couple determined to marry despite their age difference.

An old man living up in the hills who knows the secret of living and dying.

 

Davis Bunn weaves in historical references, topographical descriptions, language expressions and mountain customs to draw the reader into 1961 Virginia. As I read, I felt the characters’ anger or sorrow, or joy. I bounced along in Connie’s old truck as she drove on hilly roads, some little more than ruts. I saw the poverty of some of the people, reflected in their clothes or their homes; I also saw their innate dignity, regardless of how much or how little they had. I experienced joy when people gave sacrificially to give joy to someone. 

One Shenandoah Winter illustrates the possibilities when I choose to let go of trying to control what was never mine to control anyway. “Let go and let God”

Note: Faith in a personal God is displayed in the book: the pastor preaches, a man makes up his mind to follow Christ. But none of this is done in a judgmental way. The pastor is compassionate, never condemning. Everything happens in a natural, not forced, way.

One Shenandoah Winter is a novel I found hard to put down. The words flowed, making it easy to keep reading. This is a “treasure” for me.

Title: One Shenandoah Winter

Author: Davis Bunn 

Publisher: Thomas Nelson

©P. Booher