A Time for Second Chances

Katie Ganshert's new novel, Wishing on Willows, is another inspirational read about people who need a new start in life. This one centers around three main characters in Peaks, Iowa, a little town that is slowly dying: Robin, a young widow who runs a café there, Amanda, Robin's sister-in-law, and Ian, the developer for a real-estate deal for the town.

We see into the heart of Robin, a pianist who loves her son and her café, though she lost her husband before Caleb was born. Amanda suffers from the loss of a fiancée, and Ian regrets his divorce and the fact that he has not had a child, something he wants very much. The author clearly draws from her own experiences as she brings Caleb, Robin's three year old son into the story, because of the funny examples she tells. Anyone who has ever been a mother will chuckle at the humor as she reads.

The plot centers around the mayor's desire to build condos to boost the town's economy, Ian McKay, representative for the building company, and the owners of several small businesses who do not want to sell. The author introduces the characters and their loved ones as she weaves a beautiful story and intricately draws out their hopes and dreams, as well as their sorrows.

Everyone needs a second chance occasionally, and Katie Ganshert has woven a beautiful story of people trying to make something of their lives after circumstances have messed them up. I liked the way Ganshert inserted stories from Scripture and kept this a true Christian novel. As I read near the end, I turned the pages slower and reread some of them, because I did not want it to end.

This book was provided to me free from Waterbrook Multnomah for my honest review.