Hope Between the Pages

A bookshop, library, and the perfect heroes. Add in a castle of such, Biltmore, where fairytales meet reality… Whew…this has to be one of my favorite Pepper Basham books…I tend to say that every time I read another one but, truly, the heroes in this story were just exceptional. Basham constructs the perfect heroes to fit the dual timelines and circumstances of these stories, intertwining the two timelines to the sweet ending.

“I understood God’s presence then as I never had before.” I loved this fabulous Christian historical / time slip novel; it is my favorite so far this year! It is the second novel I’ve read by this master storyteller and will not be the last. Second in Barbour Fiction’s newest multi-author series, Doors to the Past, each book is a standalone. My words are insufficient to describe this adequately. The prose sings a unique ballad that can bring to life to even the most weary, hidden imagination. The characters are endearing, revealed through realistic conversations and actions, and descriptions of the various settings is the making of dreams. This is the story of Sadie, who was a library maid at the Biltmore Estate in Asheville, NC, in 1915. Her mother had worked there for years. When she passed away, Sadie was given her final position. Sadie’s story is told from her perspective, as the legacy begins with her. This is also the story of her great-granddaughter, Clara. She works in the present day at the family bookstore, Blackwell’s, originally opened and managed by Sadie. In the hope of saving the bookstore, Clara goes to any length, from the Biltmore and all the way to England. Her story is told in third person. Clara’s father inherited the bookstore and property from his Granny Sadie. He passed away a year ago, she and her mother needed to transfer the deed in Clara’s name. Their attorney discovered that the deed had never been transferred from Sadie to her grandson when she passed away, so they must find the deed to get through the paperwork. Clara called several people to find out about the deed, including the descendent of the man who originally owned the property. Julian, an attorney and Clara’s father’s half-brother, has made no secret that he is angry he did not inherit the bookstore. He is representing the descendent of the original property owner to either make a bare bones settlement for the bookstore and property if Clara and her mom leave quietly, or they will take her to court in two weeks, charge 100 years of rent, and take the property. She has only a short window of time to find it, with the help of her ailing mom, her cousin Robbie, and the owner of an estate in England. What she finds is the story of Granny Sadie that is so beautiful, so incredible, that Clara might even believe again that she can have a story of her own. There may be someone in each generation who is hate-filled and destructive, but the love and power of God far outweighs their efforts. For the one who loves libraries, bookstores, early 1900’s history, classical literature, mysteries, and England, be prepared to step into a world you might be completely captivated by. It is a world of the love and direction of the Lord, of fairy tales and classic love stories, and a love strong enough to survive even the hardest times. I highly recommend this to women of all ages who enjoy Christian time-slip novels, libraries and bookstores, and the magic of finding one’s true love. From a thankful heart: I received an ARC of this novel from Celebrate Lit, Barbour Fiction, and NetGalley, and this is my honest review.

Stories held power and everyone told one, whether the characters within the story knew it or not. It is 1915 and Sadie Blackwell is a book maid in the most gorgeous library at the Biltmore Estate in Asheville, NC., a pleasure she inherited from her mother. Finding books suitable for the many different guests is the favorite part of her duties. Her ultimate dream is to own a bookstore of her own - but that wasn’t ever likely to happen, was it? After all, could she be seen as a person and not just a position? Now in 2021, the small bookstore known as Blackwell’s, is struggling to survive against onslaughts from larger bookstores and nefarious people. Clara Blackwell begins the search into the history of this wonderful place of dreams. Will she find hope between the pages of all those precious stories? An ARC of this time-slip book in the Doors to the Past series was received through Barbour Publishing and NetGalley. The impressions and comments are my own and were in no way solicited.