Roots of Wood and Stone

What a wonderful debut! I didn't want to put this one down at all as I found it quite intriguing. The romance wasn't too sappy, no miscommunication (which drives me crazy), not tedious, and it had many spiritual elements throughout. No crude language (yeah, happens in Christian fiction lately). I liked how it was based upon actual characters.....being a visual person in a sense, I would preferred to have a family tree chart at the back so I could keep the connections straight!.....I can't remember who was related to who( being middle aged and so tired these days ;) Otherwise, I am looking forward to her next book as she is an author I certainly don't mind recommending and passes my " like enough to read another by this same author test" so to speak. If I didn't enjoy the first book, I most likely won't bother again with galores of marvelous ones to savoured!

This book I could easily have read overnight, but I'm so glad my crazy busy scheduled forced me to savor it. The characters stole my heart and the story was so beautifully woven. It was all I could do not to holler at Garrett at the apex of the story (I may have lol). The only thing that didn't sit completely right with me as an adoptive mother, was some of the things the adoptive mother said to the main character. I hope most adoptive children don't experience that, as it's never been my point of view or that of other adoptive moms I know, but I do realize the situation Sloane grew up with could be plausible. And in the backstory woven for her, it made the history of the story all the more powerful. Beautiful story, excellent debut. These characters will stay with me for a while.

'I stopped talking with God altogether. Either he didn't exist, or his purpose was to gut me like a fish. Whichever it was, I was through.'<br /><br />Reading is one of the absolute joys of my life and when I read a book that just ticks all the boxes and moves me greatly, that brings even greater joy. This is such a book.<br /><br />Amanda Wen has written a stunning debut novel, a time slip that will have you falling in love with all the characters. From the 1800s Annabelle and Jack to current day Sloane and Garrett, not to mention wonderful secondary characters. Wen has that rare gift of being able to create a character that is very nearly a living, breathing person to her readers. I love it so much when I can connect with characters. Wen drops you right down in that story with them! Her book shows that even present generations can learn from the actions of the past. What I loved, well, one thing I loved, because I loved it all, was how strong the spiritual theme here was. And that theme is: trust God with your plans for your life. First. Don't try to do it yourself. He has the best plans. <br /><br />Extremely well written and resonating with God's grace and love, populated with amazing characters, this one is most definitely for the keeper shelf. It's on my top reads list for 2021! Highly recommended.<br /><br />My thanks to Kregel Publications for an early copy of this book via Net Galley. I received no compensation and the opinion in this review is entirely my own.

Full review to come.<br /><br />Fans of Christian fiction, you'll want to order a copy of Amanda Wen's debut. She did such a beautiful job!

Oh y’all. This book. I smiled. i laughed. I swooned. I cried (even sweet-reason ugly-cried at one point). I actually gasped out loud a time or two. It gently embraced some sore places in my heart and healed them a little too. And I drank in every word from beginning to end in one sitting, unable to put it down until the end – and then immediately regretted that my time with these characters &amp; this story was finished for now.<br /><br />Sloane and Garrett – and their respective journeys – are relatable and easily loved. Readers will adore them as individual characters but even more so together, as their friendship develops and begins to shift into something more romantic. I also found so poignant the juxtaposition of Sloane longing to discover where she came from even as Garrett struggles to preserve what he can of his own family history while also trying to do what’s best for his grandmother (more on that in a moment). As far as the historical thread, Annabelle’s story is so captivating and Jack is quite yummy. He’s the cause of most of my swoons in Roots of Wood and Stone – and some of my tears too. Sloane &amp; Garrett both become so invested in unearthing Annabelle’s story that it’s difficult for me to separate the story threads for review purposes. Instead, the author seamlessly weaves the past &amp; present together in such tender and beautiful ways that you really can’t have one storyline without the other.<br /><br />As much as I loved solving the mystery of Annabelle along with Sloane and Garrett and watching them fall in love, I wanted to touch on the two elements to Roots of Wood and Stone that really set this novel apart for me. Garrett’s grandmother has Alzheimer’s, and typically I steer away from stories with this as a plot because of how deeply my family’s life has been touched by this horrible disease. Both of my own grandmothers (whom I was very close to) suffered from it. Watching Garrett and his sister interact with their grandmother touched a part of my heart that I’ve basically avoided since my grandmothers’ deaths. One scene in particular between Garrett and his grandmother and hymns had me sobbing with sweet memories of similar scenes with my own grandmothers, and I know this sounds odd but it was just such a soothing release, a release I didn’t know I needed. The mix of absolute tenderness and realism with which the author depicted Alzheimer’s Disease is one of the most accurate &amp; honoring portrayals I’ve read in a novel. I’m so glad I decided to read it anyway!<br /><br />The other element that I connected so strongly to is the theme of researching family history, of knowing where you came from and who helped shape you into who you are. My grandfather was a family history buff and nurtured that same bug in me, and I have had such fun over the years digging into my family tree and unearthing the stories that go with the names. This quote from the book is one I’ll include in my research materials, as a reminder of why I’m so passionate about genealogy work:<br /><br />“A few names get all the attention, but the ones who don’t show up in the textbooks are just as important. We owe it to them to learn their stories. Sometimes it helps fill in our own blanks.”<br /><br />Bottom Line: Roots of Wood and Stone is a phenomenal, touching debut that will linger with you long after you’ve turned the last page. Wen delivers a tender message of hope and restoration, while never overwhelming the story with preachiness or cliches. Tough situations and justified emotions are handled with grace, wisdom, and aptly-placed moments of joy and love. The past and present combine organically in this story that’s full of romance, family, and faith, and it has a firmly-secured spot on my top reads list for 2021! Very much looking forward to more time with these characters in future books.<br /><br />(I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book)<br /><br />first seen at <a href="https://readingismysuperpower.org/2021/02/12/book-review-and-a-giveaway-roots-of-wood-and-stone-by-amanda-wen/" rel="nofollow noopener">ReadingIsMySuperPower</a>

Fabulous debut. <br />I so love novels steeped in the history of the author. This lovely dual-time book is a prime example. Ms. Wen draws on extensive research into her family tree to give us a exceptional story of life, love and lessons learned. <br />It is a fabulous story of Sloane Kelley who is adopted and feels the loss of her own history. She is a curator at a historical museum in Wichita, Kansas when Garrett Anderson brings in an artifact discovered when he was clearing out his grandmother’s attic. Little did Sloane know how God would use an old satchel to answer her longing heart. <br />Garrett is a planner but he has forgotten to enter seeking God into his plans for the future. Together, Sloane and Garrett pour through old diaries and find their life answers. There are a lot of surprises along with laughter and tears. This author knows how to write romance and sizzling kisses! <br />Past and present meld in a fascinating way. And at the root of it all is a lesson both generations of characters learn: we all have worth in God and He can give us more than we deserve or expect. <br />*A complimentary copy of this book was provided by Kregel through Interviews and Reviews. I was not required to give a favorable review. All opinions are my own.*

A duel-timeline novel that strikes the perfect balance of time spent with the historical story and the contemporary. Amanda Wen is a writer to watch. I loved this book!

1861-1894 &amp; present day Kansas<br /><br />Good debut!<br /><br />Sloane Kelley was abandoned as a baby and yearns to find her biological family.<br /><br />Garrett Anderson is a financial planner and likes everything planned. As he and his sister Lauren clean out his grandmother's house, they find some treasures from years ago.<br /><br />Nice blend of the two time periods.

Charming &amp; uplifting! Two sweet romances--one past &amp; one present--each couple anchored by family relationships &amp; guidance from God's word.

This book was awesome! What a story! <br />Ms. Wen has done a wonderful job with a time slip novel that doesn't miss a beat and really I loved Annabelle's story the best. <br />How wonderful to have a family history like that! This book got me to thinking. Do I want to try again to find my real family or do I just go with God's plan? I've tried once before and failed so that was why I felt like I was Sloane. <br />I really loved these characters and I didn't want this story to end. <br />I clapped when good things happened in the story and my heart was sad when the bad things in life got my favorite characters. Things that happened in the 1800's really aren't so different than today. <br />But I love how the author reminds us that we can't do things ourselves and that God has a bigger and better plan for us. God's way really is best but sometimes we forget that myself included. <br />This book was so awesome and the cover is just beautiful! Made me want to jump in the picture with Annabelle and Jack. <br />Yes, land, house and loved ones are precious but there is no love that is greater than God's. He is the one who leaves your heart feeling full and satisfied. Without Him we'd be nothing.<br />This is why I loved this story so much and this one will also be added to my 2021 list of favorites at the end of the year. This one spoke to my heart. This one is a gentle reminder of those things that we take for granted. Even in today's world we need God. <br />I highly recommend this book.<br />My thanks for a copy of this book. <br />I was NOT required to write a positive review and all opinions are my own. <br />5 stars!