Skip to content 
- Lucy’s grandparents have raised her since she was little and she yearns to know more about her past
- new friends, beautiful nature scenes, a mystery to solve, the power of forgiveness, finding real faith and sweet reconciliation
- convo: death mentioned, cigarette/smoking mentioned, wine/drinking mentioned, lying (all lies were properly reprimanded and learned from)
- language: x1 gosh, x1 stupid
Type: chapter book
Ages: 8-12
Author: Patricia St. John
This was a delightfully wholesome book! Lucy grows a lot in this story, as she discovers much about life, relationships and faith. It would be especially impactful for readers who love to write (Lucy writes stories and poems) or who don’t have a “normal” family unit or who simply love to be outside!
Don’t let the lying (mentioned in bullet points) deter you–it’s a good example or conversation point of not letting friends tempt you to do wrong and what the consequences are.
I was initially unsure of where the theology was headed. About halfway through, she embarks on a mental resolution to be “perfect” so that God hears her prayers. It was very works-based; however, via various influences, she comes to know Jesus as her friend. The salvific thread woven in was mostly about Jesus being a friend but did briefly talk about how He died for sinners and gave forgiveness to believers. She does, at one point, make a reference to a crucifix that I didn’t care for, but the theology was primarily biblical. I’ve heard that other books by this author might not quite be so solid theologically, but I cannot speak to that yet. I’ll update this post when I read more of her books and link to any issues.
Overall, I came away with such a sweet appreciation for the story that it went into my stack for my daughter’s next birthday! Let me know if you would like more Patricia St. John reviews. Thanks for reading. ♡
