Where the Blue Sky Begins by Katie Powner Book Review

About the Book

Sometimes the hardest road of all is the road home.

When confident and handsome Eric Larson is sent to a rural Montana town to work in the local branch of his uncle's financial company, he's determined to exceed everyone's expectations, earn a promotion, and be back in Seattle by the end of summer. Yet nothing could prepare him for the lessons this small town has in store.

At forty-six years old, eccentric and outspoken Eunice Parker has come to accept her terminal illness and has given herself one final goal: seek forgiveness from everyone on her bucket list before her time runs out. But it will take more courage than she can muster on her own.

After an accident pushes Eric and Eunice together, the unlikely pair is forced to spend more time with each other than either would like, which challenges their deepest prejudices and beliefs. As summer draws to a close, neither Eric nor Eunice is where they thought they would be, but they both wrestle with the same important question: What matters most when the end is near?

You can read an excerpt here.

My Review

This is an engaging adult coming of age story. Eric is totally out of his element when sent to a small town to manage an office. A city guy, he has to come to grips with life on a very different level. Everyone knows everyone else and their business. People desire time to relate rather than receive advice on a successful investment. It is interesting to see the character transformation as Eric learns what really matters in life.

He is pushed into learning some tough lessons by Eunice, his elderly and dying neighbor. She is a conflicted character, compassionate one moment, brisk the next. She has a number of areas in her life that need rectifying. While we learn about some of the events in her past that made her the way she is, I did not find her character engaging. Although a Christian, she does not seem to have learned to live in the reality of being one.

The plot centers on the interaction between the two as they both grow through their relationship. The story includes a clear message to make peace with those in your life before it is too late. The faith message is subtle with a mention of heaven but no clear indication to readers of how to make sure one arrives there. While forgiveness is a theme woven into the plot, God's forgiveness was not emphasized.

Powner's writing style is a pleasure to read. I enjoyed this entertaining novel. 

Mt rating: 4/5 stars.

About the Author

Katie Powner (www.katiepowner.com) is an award-winning author who lives in rural Montana where cows still outnumber people. She is a two-time OCW Cascade Award and ACFW First Impressions Award winner. Katie is a biological and adoptive mother of three and foster mother to many more. She and her husband have been in youth ministry for over a decade. Photo Credit: © E.A.H. Creative Photography 

Bethany House, 352 pages.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher. My comments are an independent and honest review.

(My star ratings: 5-I love it, 4-I like it, 3-It's OK, 2-I don't like it, 1-I hate it.)