All That We Carried by Erin Bartels, 2021

From the Back Cover:

"Bartels proves herself a master wordsmith and storyteller."--Library Journal, starred review
"This subdued tale of learning to forgive is Bartels's best yet."--Publishers Weekly
"A deeply personal, thoughtful exploration of dealing with pain and grief."--Life Is Story
"Taut and engaging."--Foreword
***

The most treacherous terrain is found within

Ten years ago, sisters Olivia and Melanie Greene were on a hiking trip when their parents were in a fatal car accident. They haven't seen each other since the funeral. Olivia coped with the loss by plunging herself into law school, work, and a materialist view of the world--what you see is what you get, and that's all you get. Melanie dropped out of college and developed an online life coaching business around her DIY spirituality--a little of this, a little of that, whatever makes you happy.

Now, at Melanie's insistence (and against Olivia's better judgment), they are embarking on a hike in the Porcupine Mountains of Michigan's Upper Peninsula. In this remote wilderness they'll face their deepest fears, question their most dearly held beliefs, and begin to see that perhaps the best way to move forward is the one way they had never considered.


"Erin Bartels has a gift for creating unforgettable characters who are their own worst enemy, and yet there's always a glimmer of hope that makes you believe in them. The estranged sisters in All That We Carried are two of her best yet."--Valerie Fraser Luesse, Christy Award-winning novelist

"All That We Carried is so much more than just a beautiful novel--it's a literary adventure of both body and spirit, a meaningful parable, a journey of faith. Simply stunning."--Heidi Chiavaroli, award-winning author of Freedom's Ring and The Tea Chest


Erin Bartels is the award-winning author of We Hope for Better Things and The Words between Us. She lives in Michigan's capital city with her husband and their son. She hikes Michigan's backcountry trails with her sister. Find her online at www.erinbartels.com.

Night Bird Calling by Cathy Gohlke, 2020

From award-winning author Cathy Gohlke, whose novels have been called “haunting” (Library Journal on Saving Amelie) and “page-turning” (Francine Rivers on Secrets She Kept), comes a historical fiction story of courage and transformation set in rural Appalachia on the eve of WWII.

When Lilliana Swope’s beloved mother dies, Lilliana gathers her last ounce of courage and flees her abusive husband for the home of her only living relative in the foothills of No Creek, North Carolina. Though Hyacinth Belvidere hasn’t seen Lilliana since she was five, she offers her cherished great-niece a safe harbor. Their joyful reunion inspires plans to revive Aunt Hyacinth’s estate and open a public library where everyone is welcome, no matter the color of their skin.

Slowly Lilliana finds revival and friendship in No Creek—with precocious eleven-year-old Celia Percy, with kindhearted Reverend Jesse Willard, and with Ruby Lynne Wishon, a young woman whose secrets could destroy both them and the town. When the plans for the library also incite the wrath of the Klan, the dangers of Lilliana’s past and present threaten to topple her before she’s learned to stand.

With war brewing for the nation and for her newfound community, Lilliana must overcome a hard truth voiced by her young friend Celia: Wishing comes easy. Change don’t.

Under the Tulip Tree by Michelle Shocklee, 2020

Sixteen-year-old Lorena Leland’s dreams of a rich and fulfilling life as a writer are dashed when the stock market crashes in 1929. Seven years into the Great Depression, Rena’s banker father has retreated into the bottle, her sister is married to a lazy charlatan and gambler, and Rena is an unemployed newspaper reporter. Eager for any writing job, Rena accepts a position interviewing former slaves for the Federal Writers’ Project. There, she meets Frankie Washington, a 101-year-old woman whose honest yet tragic past captivates Rena.

As Frankie recounts her life as a slave, Rena is horrified to learn of all the older woman has endured—especially because Rena’s ancestors owned slaves. While Frankie’s story challenges Rena’s preconceptions about slavery, it also connects the two women whose lives are otherwise separated by age, race, and circumstances. But will this bond of respect, admiration, and friendship be broken by a revelation neither woman sees coming?

40 Unstoppable Women Who Changed the World by Harold J. Sala, 2021.

Dive into 40 captivating stories of history's greatest women whom God used to change the course of time and the lives of those around them.

In 40 Unstoppable Women, author Harold Sala paints portraits of forty Christian women who were used by God to change the lives of the people around them. This book will inspire Christians and help them discover the path for their own lives. Stories told in this book include: 

• Joni Eareckson Tada
• Corrie ten Boom
• Susanna Wesley
• Mother Theresa
• Elisabeth Elliot
• Amy Carmichael
• Rosa Parks
• and many more

These women's lives span thousands of years and several professions, challenging readers with the truth that God can work in and through anyone willing to serve him even in the face of poverty, hardship, or disability. Sala features women who had an appointment with destiny and served others at great personal cost; he hopes their examples inspire others to make a difference, one person at a time.

3 Key Features of 40 Unstoppable Women

1. Concise and In Depth: Each chapter gives an overview of one woman's life and ministry, highlighting how her faith enabled her to persevere through difficult circumstances and serve God with her particular calling.
2. Personal Reflections: At the end of every chapter is a Take-away Thought asking readers to reflect on what they have learned from the story and how these lessons are applicable to their own lives.
3. Practical Applications: Includes tips to help the reader discover the path for their own life.

A Light So Lovely: The Spiritual Legacy of Madeleine L’Engle, Author of A Wrinkle In Time, by Sarah Arthur, 2018.

Madeleine L'Engle's A Wrinkle in Time has captured the imagination of millions - from literary sensation to timeless classic and now a major motion picture starring Oprah Winfrey, Reese Witherspoon, Storm Reid, and Mindy Kaling. A Light So Lovely tells the story of the woman at the center of it all - her imagination, her faith, her pattern of defying categories, and what readers today can learn from her legacy.

Bestselling and beloved author Madeleine L'Engle, Newbery winner for A Wrinkle in Time, was known the world round for her imaginative spirit and stories. She was also known to spark controversy - too Christian for some, too unorthodox for others. Somewhere in the middle was a complex woman whose embrace of paradox has much to say to a new generation of readers today. 

A Light So Lovely paints a vivid portrait of this enigmatic icon's spiritual legacy, starting with her inner world and expanding into fresh reflections of her writing for readers today. Listen in on intimate interviews with L'Engle's literary contemporaries such as Philip Yancey and Luci Shaw, L'Engle's granddaughter Charlotte Jones Voiklis, and influential fans such as Makoto Fujimura, Nikki Grimes, and Sarah Bessey, as they reveal new layers to the woman behind the stories we know and love. A vibrant, imaginative read, this book pulls back the curtain to illuminate L'Engle's creative journey, her persevering faith, and the inspiring, often unexpected ways these two forces converged. 

For anyone earnestly searching the space between sacred and secular, miracle and science, faith and art, come and find a kindred spirit and trusted guide in Madeleine - the Mrs Whatsit to our Meg Murry - as she sparks our imagination anew. 

The Missionary Fellowship of William Carey by Michael A.G. Haykin, 2018.

The eighteenth century was a time of remarkable missionary activity. As the British Empire expanded around the world, Christian missionaries followed in the wake of merchants and explorers to bring the gospel to places where Christ had never been named.

At the heart of this global missionary movement was William Carey. From humble beginnings in England, Carey journeyed halfway around the world to preach the gospel on the Indian subcontinent. Known as the founder of modern missions, Carey is often portrayed as a solitary trailblazer and pioneer. But that isn’t the full story.

In The Missionary Fellowship of William Carey, Dr. Michael A.G. Haykin explores Carey’s life and introduces us to the band of brothers who labored with him to spread the gospel on a global scale. As we follow their stories, we will discover how God uses Christian friendship to advance His kingdom and be encouraged to nurture deep, long-lasting, Christ-honoring friendships in our own lives.

When Twilight Breaks by Sarah Sundin

In another part of the city, American graduate student Peter Lang is working on his PhD in German. Disillusioned with the chaos in the world due to the Great Depression, he is impressed with the prosperity and order of German society. But when the brutality of the regime hits close, he discovers a far better way to use his contacts within the Nazi party--to feed information to the shrewd reporter he can't get off his mind.

This electric standalone novel from fan-favorite Sarah Sundin puts you right at the intersection of pulse-pounding suspense and heart-stopping romance.

Trial and Error by Robert Whitlow

A small-town lawyer has been searching for his daughter for eighteen years. Now another young woman is missing, and he’s determined to find them both—no matter the cost.

Buddy Smith built his law practice around tracking down missing children. After all, he knows the agony of being separated from a child. Not long after his daughter’s birth, her mother ran away and Buddy never saw either one again.

Gracie Blaylock has known Buddy her entire life, and now that she is clerk of court for the county, their paths cross frequently. When Gracie hears that a teenager in town has gone missing, she knows Buddy is the one for the case.

The girl’s parents are desperate for answers. Together with Gracie and Mayleah—the new detective in town—Buddy chases all leads, hoping to reach the missing teen before it’s too late. And as he pursues one girl, he uncovers clues that could bring him closer to the girl he thought he lost forever: his own daughter.

Master legal writer Robert Whitlow will keep you guessing in this gripping legal drama while reminding you of the power of God’s restoration.

Stand-alone legal drama

Full-length novel at approximately 120,000 words

Includes discussion questions for book clubs

Promised Land by Robert Whitlow

Bestselling author Robert Whitlow explores the meaning of family and home—and how faith forms the identity of both—in this breathtaking sequel to Chosen People.

Despite their Israeli citizenship, Hana and Daud cannot safely return to their homeland because a dangerous terrorist ring is threatening Daud. Hana is perfectly fine remaining in the United States, working for a law firm in Atlanta, especially when she learns she’s pregnant. But Daud can’t shake the draw to return home to Israel, even if it makes him a walking target.

Hana is helping her boss plan a huge summit in Atlanta when Jakob Brodsky, her old friend and former co-litigator, asks for her help with a case. His client is attempting to recover ancient artifacts stolen from his Jewish great-grandfather at the end of World War II. Because the case crosses several national borders, he needs Hana’s knowledge and skill to get to the bottom of what happened to these precious artifacts.

Meanwhile, Daud is called in to help a US intelligence agency extract a Ukrainian doctor from a dangerous situation in Egypt. While overseas, he can’t resist the call of Jerusalem and thus sets off a series of events that puts thousands of people in danger, including his wife and unborn child.

With historical mysteries, religious intrigue, and political danger, Promised Land asks one momentous question: What if your calling puts you—and your family—in the crosshairs?

Praise for Promised Land:

“Promised Land is a book about coming home. Of becoming settled in your spirit and your relationships. With layers of intensity, thanks to international intrigue, moments of legal wrangling, and pages of sweet relationships, this book is rich and complex. A wonderful read.” —Cara Putman, author of Flight Risk

Second and final book in the Chosen People series

Full-length, Christian fiction novel

Virtuous Minds: Intellectual Character Development by Philip E. Dow

What does it mean to love God with all of our minds?
Our culture today is in a state of crisis where intellectual virtue is concerned. Dishonesty, cheating, arrogance, laziness, cowardice--such vices are rampant in society, even among the world?s most prominent leaders. We find ourselves in an ethical vacuum, as the daily headlines of our newspapers confirm again and again. Central to the problem is the state of education. We live in a technological world that has ever greater access to new information and yet no idea what to do with it all.
In this wise and winsome book, Philip Dow presents a case for the recovery of intellectual character. He explores seven key virtues--courage, carefulness, tenacity, fair-mindedness, curiosity, honesty and humility--and discusses their many benefits. The recovery of virtue, Dow argues, is not about doing the right things, but about becoming the right kind of person. The formation of intellectual character produces a way of life that demonstrates love for both God and neighbor.
Dow has written an eminently practical guide to a life of intellectual virtue designed especially for parents and educators. The book concludes with seven principles for a true education, a discussion guide for university and church groups, and nine appendices that provide examples from Dow?s experience as a teacher and administrator. 
Virtuous Minds is a timely and thoughtful work for parents and pastors, teachers and students--anyone who thinks education is more about the quality of character than about the quantity of facts.

Companions in Suffering: Comfort in Time of Loss and Loneliness by Wendy Alsup

2020 The Gospel Coalition Book Award - Christian Living

Have you experienced an ongoing trial that left you wrung out emotionally? Do you feel alone in your pain?

Though suffering often leaves us feeling isolated, God invites us into the community of the Trinity and offers us many companions in Scripture. We experience loneliness alongside the exiled Israelites. We journey with David as he pleads to God for rescue. With Asaph we confess our unbelief. With Job we learn to lament. With Mary and Martha we learn to wait. 

In God's community, there is sweet fellowship, even in the hardest of circumstances. Journey in these pages with Wendy Alsup through her story of suffering, and more importantly, with the God who walks with us in the wilderness. 

This warm and contemplative book also includes a helpful appendix for those who companion a suffering loved one.

She Found His Grace: A True Story of Hope, Love and Forgiveness After Abortion by Serena Dyksen

When Serena Dyksen heard the news that over 2,200 babies’ remains were found on the property of abortion doctor Ulrich “George” Klopfer, her whole body went numb from shock. She began to sob tears of grief. “Is my baby one of those remains?” she questioned. Dr. Klopfer performed her abortion when she was just thirteen years old. Just months before, Serena had decided to share her abortion story. After watching one of the last scenes in the pro-life movie Unplanned, she felt it was time to share the hope and healing God had done in her life. Serena’s story reads like a traumatic tale: a childhood of dysfunction, rape, abortion at thirteen years old, a pregnant teenager at the age of sixteen, health issues, and a devastating event that led her to alcohol and drug abuse.

But in her book, She Found His Grace: A True Story of Hope, Love and Forgiveness After Abortion, Serena reveals the transforming power of God’s healing in her life that set her completely free. She now finds comfort from Genesis 50:20 (ESV): “As for me, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today.” Serena wants everyone who reads her book to know that she walks in freedom because of the transforming power of the gospel of Jesus Christ. “Everyone needs to walk through the healing process of their past abortion, no matter what the circumstances,” she testifies. “If you don’t, you will be walking through deception, pain, and all the bondage that goes with that. But the same God who sent people to show His love for me is the same God who will redeem your life too!” Headlines of Dr. Ulrich Klopfer’s evil highlights the horrors of the abortion industry, but Serena’s testimony overshadows that darkness with the truth of God's word. There is forgiveness, hope, and healing for your past abortion. “God shines through my life; he can shine through yours too!”

The Paris Dressmaker by Kristy Cambron

Based on true accounts of how Parisiennes resisted the Nazi occupation in World War II—from fashion houses to the city streets—comes a story of two courageous women who risked everything to fight an evil they couldn’t abide. Paris, 1939. Maison Chanel has closed, thrusting haute couture dressmaker Lila de Laurent out of the world of high fashion as Nazi soldiers invade the streets and the City of Lights slips into darkness. Lila’s life is now a series of rations, brutal restrictions, and carefully controlled propaganda while Paris is cut off from the rest of the world. Yet in hidden corners of the city, the faithful pledge to resist. Lila is drawn to La Resistance and is soon using her skills as a dressmaker to infiltrate the Nazi elite. She takes their measurements and designs masterpieces, all while collecting secrets in the glamorous Hôtel Ritz—the heart of the Nazis’ Parisian headquarters. But when dashing René Touliard suddenly reenters her world, Lila finds her heart tangled between determination to help save his Jewish family and bolstering the fight for liberation. Paris, 1943. Sandrine Paquet’s job is to catalog the priceless works of art bound for the Führer’s Berlin, masterpieces stolen from prominent Jewish families. But behind closed doors, she secretly forages for information from the underground resistance. Beneath her compliant façade lies a woman bent on uncovering the fate of her missing husband . . . but at what cost? As Hitler’s regime crumbles, Sandrine is drawn in deeper when she uncrates an exquisite blush Chanel gown concealing a cryptic message that may reveal the fate of a dressmaker who vanished from within the fashion elite. Told across the span of the Nazi occupation, The Paris Dressmaker highlights the brave women who used everything in their power to resist darkness and restore light to their world. 

To Steal a Heart by Jen Turano

After being taken under the wing of a professor who introduced him into society and named him as heir, Nicholas is living far removed from his childhood life of crime. As a favor to a friend, Nicholas agreed to help clear the name of an innocent woman, never imagining he'd be reunited with the girl he thought lost to him forever.

As Gabriella and Nicholas are thrown together into one intrigue after another, their childhood affection grows into more, but their newfound feelings are tested when truths about their past are revealed and danger follows their every step.

The Orchard House: Time Slip Women’s Fiction Inspired by the Life of Louisa May Alcott by Heidi Chiavaroli

Two women, one living in present day Massachusetts and another in Louisa May Alcott’s Orchard House soon after the Civil War, overcome their own personal demons and search for a place to belong.

2001

Abandoned by her own family, Taylor is determined not to mess up her chance at joining the home of her best friend, Victoria Bennett. But despite attending summer camp at Louisa May Alcott’s historic Orchard House with Victoria and sharing dreams of becoming famous authors, Taylor struggles to fit in. As she enters college and begins dating, it feels like Taylor is finally finding her place and some stability . . . until Victoria’s betrayal changes everything.

1865

While Louisa May Alcott is off traveling the world, Johanna Suhre accepts a job tending Louisa’s aging parents and their home in Concord. Soon after arriving at Orchard House, Johanna meets Nathan Bancroft and, ignoring Louisa’s words of caution, falls in love and accepts Nathan’s proposal. But before long, Johanna experiences her husband’s dark side, and she can’t hide the bruises that appear.

2019

After receiving news of Lorraine Bennett’s cancer diagnosis, Taylor knows she must return home to see her adoptive mother again. Now a successful author, Taylor is determined to spend little time in Concord. Yet she becomes drawn into the story of a woman who lived there centuries before. And through her story, Taylor may just find forgiveness and a place to belong.

Iran's Great Awakening by Dr. Hormoz Shariat

ONE MILLION MUSLIMS TO CHRIST. In the mid 1980’s, Dr. Shariat together with his wife, prayed, “Lord, use us to save Iran!” His passion for Muslims stems, in part, because of the murder of his brother, Hamraz, who was arrested in Iran at the age of sixteen on a minor political charge. After two years in jail, he was executed by firing squad. God showed Hormoz the best way to respond to this tragedy was to dedicate his life to bring one million Muslims to salvation in Christ. Join Dr. Shariat on a journey out of bondage to Islam to freedom in Christ. Learn what the Bible says about Iran and why Iran is just the beginning of something big, eternal, and of historical proportion that is already happening! God said, “I am going to do a great work in Iran and change that nation forever, and I am giving you the honor to be a part of it.”

Loving My Actual Neighbour by Alexandra Kuykendall

How to begin. How do we love our neighbor? Where do we start? What does this look like in our increasingly isolated world?

Following practices outlined in the first chapter of 2 Peter, Alexandra Kuykendall lays out the framework for where to begin. From practicing humility to listening with understanding to being generous in our relationships, Loving My Actual Neighbor offers practical, start-now steps readers can take to love their neighbors. With her approachable, friendly tone and down-to-earth advice, Kuykendall has carved out for herself a place in the hearts of readers, who will be thrilled to extend her commonsense approach into this sphere of their lives.

Scoot Over and Make Some Room by Heather Avis

Hilarious and heartwarming stories that will empower you to make space for the other and discover the extraordinary, welcoming heart of God.

Author and Instagram star Heather Avis has made it her mission to introduce the world to the unique gifts and real-life challenges of those who have been pushed to the edges of society. Mama to three adopted kids--two with Down Syndrome--Heather encourages us all to take a breath, whisper a prayer, laugh a little, and make room for the wildflowers.

In a world of divisions and margins, those who act, look, and grow a little differently are all too often shoved aside. Scoot Over and Make Some Room is part inspiring narrative and part encouraging challenge for us all to listen and learn from those we're prone to ignore.

Heather tells hilarious stories of her growing kids, spontaneous dance parties, forgotten pants, and navigating the challenges and joys of parenthood. She shares heartbreaking moments when her kids were denied a place at the table and when she had to fight for their voices to be heard. With beautiful wisdom and profound convictions, this manifesto will empower you to notice who's missing in the spaces you live in, to make room for your own kids and for those others who need you and your open heart.

This is your invitation to a table where space is unlimited and every voice can be heard. Because when you open your life to the wild beauty of every unique individual, you'll discover your own colorful soul and the extraordinary, abundant heart of God.

The Story People by Heather Kaufman, author of Loving Isaac. This is a light and winsome read that celebrates stories and the bond they form when shared and loved. It’s about having the courage to live your own story well as you give your life over to God, the author and perfecter of our faith.

The Castle on the Rise and The Painted Castle by Kristy Cambron, author of The Lost Castle. This trilogy of novels set in France, Ireland and England combine history, romance and intrigue for a leisurely, time travel read.

Fearfully and Wonderfully: The Marvel of Bearing God’s Image by Dr. Paul Brand and Philip Yancey. Gold Medallion winners Fearfully and Wonderfully Made and In His Image, have been completely revised and updated to offer a new audience timeless reflections on the body. A beautiful rendering of the science of the human body and the mystery of belonging to the body of Christ, the Church.

Devotedly: The Personal Letters and Love Story of Jim and Elisabeth Elliot by Valerie Elliot Shepard.

Many know the heroic story of Jim Elliot’s violent death in 1956, killed along with four other missionaries by a primitive Ecuadorian tribe they were seeking to reach. Their only child, Valerie Elliot Shepard, unseals never before published letters and private journals that capture in first-person intimacy the attraction, struggle, drama, and devotion that became a most unlikely love story.

Two Steps Forward: A story of persevering in hope, by Sharon Garlough Brown. This continues the spiritual formation journey of four women introduced in the first book in the series Sensible Shoes. This series is unique in that it is singularly focused on the benefits of being actively intentional in the pursuit of spiritual maturity.

Home and Lila follows the Pulitzer Prize winning book Gilead by Marilynne Robinson. Words fail to adequately describe the sheer beauty and grace of these novels that resonate with our deepest longings to know and be known in relationship with God and others.

Sensible Shoes: A Story About the Spiritual Journey by Sharon Garlough Brown. This author is passionate about personal spiritual formation and uses her writing to take her reader into a new understanding of key spiritual practices and offers support for those who want to travel deeper into life with God themselves.

Whose Waves These Are by Amanda Dykes, a former English teacher, drinker of tea, dweller of redemption, and spinner of hope-filled tales. This is her debut novel after acclaim for two earlier novellas. You will enjoy this one!

Overcomer by Chris Fabry is a novelization of the motion picture by the same title. The question this story seeks to answer is “What do you allow to define you?”