The Widow of Saunders Creek Author:Tracey Bateman Corrie Saunders grew up in a life of privilege. But she gave it all up for Jarrod, her Army husband, a man she knew was a hero when she vowed to spend her life with him. She just didn’t expect her hero to sacrifice his life taking on an Iraqi suicide bomber. — Six months after Jarrod’s death, Corrie retreats to the family ... more »home her husband inherited deep in the Missouri Ozarks. She doesn’t know how to live without Jarrod—she doesn’t want to. By moving to Saunders Creek and living in a house beloved by him, she hopes that somehow her Jarrod will come back to her.
Something about the house suggests maybe he has. Corrie begins to wonder if she can feel Jarrod’s presence.
Jarrod’s cousin Eli is helping Corrie with the house’s restoration and he knows that his dead cousin is not what Corrie senses. Eli, as a believing man and at odds with his mystically-oriented family members, thinks friendly visits from beyond are hogwash. But he takes spirits with dark intentions seriously. Can he convince Corrie that letting go of Jarrod will lead to finding her footing again— and to the One she can truly put her faith into?« less
Corrie is the perfect person to live in a haunted house because she is very open to the spirit moving about the house. Thankfully her Christian friends help her understand that spirits are not God's idea of good house guest.
This was a pleasant, satisfying read sort of a suspenseful, romantic with a tad of religion tossed inside it also! I liked the main characters of the book, how they handled life and helped others in their small town along the way. Was relieved to NOT have dreadful death scenes throughout the book and I enjoyed the ghost and how they handled it!
"The Widow of Saunders Creek" by Tracey Bateman - book review
Corrie Saunders returns to Jarod's home town, Saunder' Creek, following his heroic death in the Middle East Conflict. Jarod sacrificed his life to save civilian bystanders. But Corrie feels that he should have thought of her. After six months of grieving in Texas, she packs up and moves to the home place that Jerod inherited. She had contracted with Eli, Jerod's cousin to begin the repairs needed to make the house livable.
Now that she is here, she just wants to find Jerod again. And she finds Saunders Creek deeply seeded in witch craft and several offer to help her "connect" with Jerod's spirit. While Eli, a small town preacher, tries to discourage her from this, one afternoon she tries. And while she feels she has connected with a spirit, it is an evil spirit. With the guidance of Christian friends Corrie is able to find closure and assurance that Jerod is in heaven.
I was a bit bothered by the dark and evil elements of the book, and the constant inclusion of the evil spirits. But I was pleased that Eli takes a very firm Biblical stand to the dark intentions of the characters, even within his own family. I am pleased that good wins out in the end, but had hoped for a quicker conclusion.
The book is easy to read and has a very current theme. We all can learn something from Corrie's character in how to relate to the new war widows that probably live in our own community.
Disclaimer: this book was provided to me from Waterbrook Press. All opinions expressed are my own.
