Evergreen by Susan May Warren

Evergreen by Susan May Warren

It’s always such a treat to read one of Susie’s books!

Let’s begin with the summary:

An empty nest has Ingrid Christiansen dreading the upcoming holidays, but her husband, John, couldn’t be more excited about this new season of life. He even has a surprise trip planned abroad. He’s sure she’ll love it. What’s more romantic than Christmas in Paris?

Before he can stop her, however, Ingrid agrees to spearhead a major church project. Then their faithful dog, Butterscotch, needs emergency surgery, draining their savings. And then—because disasters strike in threes—an unexpected guest arrives, dredging up old hurts.

As a beautiful blanket of snow transforms the north woods into a winter wonderland, a deep chill settles over John and Ingrid’s marriage. With the holidays fast approaching, their only hope of keeping their love evergreen depends on turning the page on the past and embracing a new chapter of their future.

And now, my review:

I love novellas! They’re quick reads and when well-written, they pack a lot of emotion into a short story.

In Evergreen, we follow the empty-nest journey of the parents of the Christiansen family, John and Ingrid. The book opens with Ingrid’s repeated attempt to write her family Christmas letter, but failing because of her grief.

I appreciated how Susan kept the story from getting too heavy, yet dealt with real, even raw, issues. The layers just drew me deeper into the story.

My favorite tidbit? This is a married couple romance. You don’t see those very often. Kudos to Tyndale! (And Susie!)

Just when Ingrid thinks her useful days are over, God offers a new opportunity to her. I liked watching her competence. I sympathized with her and her empty-nest grieving. We didn’t camp on that topic long, but Ingrid’s depression resonated with me.

Being empty-nesters has brought this couple’s issues to the surface. No more hiding from the truth, or denying it. One of the themes is self-protection, and how that keeps others at a distance. Another theme was honesty and forgiveness. I liked the symbolism of the evergreen and how it relates to longevity in marriage. I think every reader will benefit from the nuggets sprinkled through this entertaining novella. 

Also, you might guess from the cover that this is a Christmastime-only read. It’s not. It’s a fall/winter read, with some Christmasy moments. I read my copy in the warm October sunshine. So, you can enjoy it anytime. One of the perks: you’ll get to revisit the picturesque northern Minnesota setting, which Susan makes sound appealing no matter what time of year.

Glad we’ve gotten to visit John and Ingrid again. Looking forward to the next book Christiansen Family series!

If Tomorrow Never Comes by Marlo Schalesky

This book wasn’t in my TBR (to be read) pile. In fact, I don’t even own it. But somehow, as I was pulling books from the library system or adding up a wish list of items at Amazon, I came across it. It all started when I read Beyond the Night, her Christy award-winning novel. (Read my review and interview with Marlo here.) I remembered Beyond the Night was poignant and deep, a powerful read which didn’t simply entertain, I’d been drawn closer to God. So, I recently picked up If Tomorrow Never Comes. This novel exceeded my expectations.

I believe in dreams—God-given dreams. Kinna’s problem in If Tomorrow Never Comes is she has decided what her dreams are; she has decided how to get there. She has believed the prideful and sometimes misguided notion of “you can do anything you put your mind to.” Her struggle? Infertility. And she can’t force the hand of God. Even if you’ve never faced infertility or chased a dream, you’ll find yourself in these pages. The author tackles issues of father-son relationships, healing from a painful childhood, letting go, forgiveness, trusting God—all weighty issues. She also delves into issues within marriage as the married hero and heroine of her story face their weaknesses, their history, their love, and their hopes in the course of the story.

The book is listed as general contemporary fiction, but I’d call this a married couple romance. For those of us how enjoy that type of read, this is a rare find. But If Tomorrow Never Comes is so much more than a simple, or formulaic, read. Without preaching, Marlo drew me to Jesus, glorifying Him. And just when you think the story is about to wind down, it really winds up.

This is definitely one of the best books I’ve read in a while. She hooked me from the very beginning, and through her use of universal themes (see above) kept me turning pages through the end.

Highly recommended!