Coldwater Revival
by Nancy Jo Jenkins
Published by RiverOak
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Reviewed by Jamie Driggers
Emma Grace must confront her past before she can step into her future. When events from her childhood shadow any chance that she can have a life of fulfillment, she must choose to allow herself another visit to the devastating moments--those that changed her life--that she has worked hard to bury. But to do this, she has to again feel the pain of the guilt, grief, and sorrow of all that she has lost. A few hours in a cave during a hurricane will give Emma Grace the answers and peace she seeks. But those same few hours might change everything she planned for her future.
Coldwater Revival gripped me from the prologue. The lines have a musical quality that rang with authenticity, and not once in 300 pages was there a moment that pulled me out of the South, early 1900s era. Emma Grace's grief was mine and oh, so was her mother's.
Coldwater Revival is part literary fiction, part Christian fiction, part Southern lit, part historical fiction, part love story, and part mystery, but it is in all ways a great read. The characters absolutely come alive on the page and if I didn't know better, I'd think I was reading a memoir. The heroine, Emma Grace, is utterly believable as is her despicable fiance.
Armchair Interviews says: There is something for everyone in this story.