Just a girl. The only one strong enough to break the cycle.In Depression-era Mississippi, Millie Reynolds longs to escape the madness that marks her world. With an abusive father and a “nothing mama,” she struggles to find a place where she really belongs. For answers, Millie turns to the Gypsies who caravan through town each spring. The travelers lead Millie to a key which unlocks generations of shocking family secrets. When tragedy strikes, the mysterious contents of the box give Millie the tools she needs to break her family’s longstanding cycle of madness and abuse.
Through it all, Millie experiences the thrill of first love while fighting to trust the God she believes has abandoned her. With the power of forgiveness, can Millie finally make her way into the free?
Paperback, 329 pages
Published February 1st 2012 by David C. Cook
arc via netgalley
****1/2
This is the kind of Christian fiction that I really enjoy. I was not preached to but instead I was given a realistic coming of age story. Taking place during the depression era Millie Reynolds lives in a very difficult setting with a drug addicted mother and a father who is hardly there and when he is it is very unpleasant. Forced to grow up before her time Millie tells her story with feeling and grit. At times it was heartbreaking to read and I commend the author for writing with such emotion making me genuinely care for Millie and fear for her future.
Into the Free is an emotional story, it is about hope, healing and forgiveness. Difficult to set aside and tugs at ones heartstrings. One that stayed with me long after I turned the last page. This is the authors debut and I think she is off to a great start. I found her writing style engaging, believable and authentic staying true to the time period.
I would have given this book 5 stars but there was one scene that took place with Millie's father in the truck and his emotional state, I would have loved for the author to have expounded on that a little, to maybe humanize him and get inside his head.
Thank you to David C Cook (via Netgalley) for a complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review.
This is the kind of Christian fiction that I really enjoy. I was not preached to but instead I was given a realistic coming of age story. Taking place during the depression era Millie Reynolds lives in a very difficult setting with a drug addicted mother and a father who is hardly there and when he is it is very unpleasant. Forced to grow up before her time Millie tells her story with feeling and grit. At times it was heartbreaking to read and I commend the author for writing with such emotion making me genuinely care for Millie and fear for her future.
Into the Free is an emotional story, it is about hope, healing and forgiveness. Difficult to set aside and tugs at ones heartstrings. One that stayed with me long after I turned the last page. This is the authors debut and I think she is off to a great start. I found her writing style engaging, believable and authentic staying true to the time period.
I would have given this book 5 stars but there was one scene that took place with Millie's father in the truck and his emotional state, I would have loved for the author to have expounded on that a little, to maybe humanize him and get inside his head.
Thank you to David C Cook (via Netgalley) for a complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review.
I read this a year or so ago with my church book club and really enjoyed it. Like you, this was the kind of Christian Fiction that I prefer!
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