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brendalovesbooks's review
4.0
I really liked this one. This is the second book by this author I've read, the first being Tending Roses. I've loved them both, so I'll definitely be reading more by her. They're just nice, feel-good books.
penguini1976's review
inspiring
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
crlk's review against another edition
5.0
Ok, this is another one of those great reads. I could not put this book down. In one scene, Ms. Wingate writes so vividly, my heart was racing as if I was running with the little girl in the story. Two very different worlds that meet - sounds so cliche, but it really isn't. Two worlds meet when someone from one side steps through the artificial barrier that separates them - just as the main character does. This was one of those books that your bookshelf wouldn't be complete without.
kshea1's review
5.0
Super super sweet story! My eyes couldn't read fast enough for my heart which wanted to jump into the pages and become part of this story :)
jsh626's review
3.0
I'd like to give this 3 1/2 stars - pleasantly surprising. My copy says on the front that the author is as "good as Nicholas Sparks" - if I was Lisa Wingate, I'd be ticked. Nicholas Sparks is sappy; the literary equivalent of a big-budget popcorn movie that's all bang, but no buck. (Completely off topic: if Miley Cyrus is the best you can do for a movie, it ain't good.) I was fully prepared to dislike this book, but found myself putting off chores to keep reading. I was particularly appreciative of the care the author took to avoid language and sexual content when it would have been very easy to - just because the setting is gritty, doesn't mean it needs to be salty. It also brings front and center the issue of caring for those in need, particularly children. Overall, an enjoyable book.
pmg227's review
4.0
SandraKaye seems to have the perfect life: doctor husband, two sons, member of a large church, & a comfortable home in the suburbs of Dallas. But the tragic loss of the uncle who helped raise her puts her family in turmoil and causes them to find out well they really know each other.
On the other side of town, orphans Rusty & Cass are just trying to survive on their own. But it's not easy for a teen-age boy to take care of himself & his younger sister, especially when he brings home two more 'strays'.
The paths of SandraKaye & Cass cross in an unusual way and they soon learn that helping others is a good way to help yourself.
Wingate is a good story-teller, using characters you can emphasize with, cheer on, and just want to spend time with.
On the other side of town, orphans Rusty & Cass are just trying to survive on their own. But it's not easy for a teen-age boy to take care of himself & his younger sister, especially when he brings home two more 'strays'.
The paths of SandraKaye & Cass cross in an unusual way and they soon learn that helping others is a good way to help yourself.
Wingate is a good story-teller, using characters you can emphasize with, cheer on, and just want to spend time with.
donnareadathon2021's review
4.0
This is the second book in Lisa Wingate’s Blue Sky Hill series, set in a struggling community in Dallas, Texas.
Sandra Kaye is drawn to her Uncle Poppy’s home in a seedy area after his violent death. She has childhood memories of her uncle and aunt caring for her when her mother wasn’t able to.
Her adopted Guatemalan son Jake has taken off without their knowledge and her biological son Christopher is struggling at school.
One day Sandra sees young children trying to get food from a dumpster by their apartment block and she realises they are hungry. She starts bringing sandwiches for the children in the apartment block and meets Cass and toddler Opal.
Cass is 13/14 but pretending to be 17. Her older brother Rusty is 17 pretending to be 21. After their mother’s death they were afraid of their stepfather and having been living off Rusty’s income as a construction worker avoiding the authorities.
Sandra and Cass become friends and Sandra and Poppy’s home becomes a safe haven for Cass and Opal.
This is an easy read but filled with emotion, doing the right thing for your family and community, not for the sake of pretences. Lisa Wingate’s writing is beautiful and thought provoking.
Sandra Kaye is drawn to her Uncle Poppy’s home in a seedy area after his violent death. She has childhood memories of her uncle and aunt caring for her when her mother wasn’t able to.
Her adopted Guatemalan son Jake has taken off without their knowledge and her biological son Christopher is struggling at school.
One day Sandra sees young children trying to get food from a dumpster by their apartment block and she realises they are hungry. She starts bringing sandwiches for the children in the apartment block and meets Cass and toddler Opal.
Cass is 13/14 but pretending to be 17. Her older brother Rusty is 17 pretending to be 21. After their mother’s death they were afraid of their stepfather and having been living off Rusty’s income as a construction worker avoiding the authorities.
Sandra and Cass become friends and Sandra and Poppy’s home becomes a safe haven for Cass and Opal.
This is an easy read but filled with emotion, doing the right thing for your family and community, not for the sake of pretences. Lisa Wingate’s writing is beautiful and thought provoking.