New Christian Fiction from a New York Times Best Selling Author
If you’ve hung around my blog for the last year, you will know that I was obsessed with a debut novel from fall 2012. It was like a breath of fresh air when I read Into the Free by Julie Cantrell. Her voice and story were welcome reprieves from, let’s face it, the same formulaic writing that is in Christian fiction. My only complaint? That she totally left me hanging on what would happen to young Millie!
My year-long wait came to end a few weeks ago when Julie released When Mountains Move. All other books in my stack to be read were forgotten the moment I pulled it out of the box. I quickly flipped to the back cover to see what this novel held in store for me:
It is the spring of 1943 and Millie’s world is about to change forever.
Soon after the break of day, Bump will become Millie’s husband. And then, if all goes as planned, they will leave the rain-soaked fields of Mississippi and head for the wilds of the Colorado Rockies. As Millie tries to forget a dark secret, she hasn’t yet realized how drastically those past experiences will impact the coming days.
For most of Millie’s life, being free felt about as unlikely as the mountains moving. But she’s about to discover that sometimes in life, we are given second chances, and that the only thing bigger than her past… is her future.
Now, if you haven’t read Into the Free yet, please… treat yourself to this book! When Mountains Move is a beautiful continuation of Millie’s story. We’re with her as she tries to figure out marriage, how to run a house, navigate a new part of the country, and how to accept the unconditional love her young husband wants to show her. All the while, Millie wrestles with the painful secret that she has brought with her to Colorado. Unwilling to risk ruining her relationship with her husband, Millie buries it deeper and deeper.
Once again, Julie Cantrell has given us a story that is raw and real while portraying a young woman’s struggles for redemption. I especially enjoyed the new people she brought us in Oka, Fortner, and several of the townspeople. What colorful and diverse characters!
If you only take one book recommendation from me, please, oh, please, check out Julie Cantrell. Not only will you enjoy an excellent story but you’ll also gain a new favorite author.