This book has a depth in the plot that really makes the reader think. Ginnie Dee has found out that she has inherited the family Christmas tree farm. Her nephews were thinking that they had inherited it, but her mother had willed it only to her. Her brother had kept her from seeing their mother out of pure spitefulness. He raised his sons to think that the farm was theirs when he passes away. Luke is the son who stayed around to work the farm and Mark went out, served in Viet Nam, got married, had three children, delved into alcoholism, and came back to the farm because he was homeless. The truth of the of the matter is the farm is in serious danger of going to the bank to be sold to the highest bidder. The family needs a stellar profit year in order to save the farm. It will take all of them working together to make it work.
Of course, there are obstacles, bad guys, vindictive people, and mayhem included in the book; but not in a slapstick way. This Promised Land is a serious look at life in the eighties that brings home the difficulties of a family who have been through some tough times. They do come out on top and even thrive in spite of their difficulties. The church comes together to help them out and keep them around. It is a picture of God's love in action and one of the things that make the plot and main characters endearing. Cathy Gohlke has done a masterful job of bringing the characters to life on the page and to connect the characters to the reader. She has painted a picture with her words of life in a small southern town--the town gossip, the judgmental biddies, the older men who want to feel useful again, and the people who help from the depths of their hearts.
This is a five star book, with two thumbs up, and a decorated Christmas tree for a shut-in.
Tyndale House provided the copy I read for this review. All opinions expressed are solely my own.
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