Where Willows Grow
by Kim Vogel Sawyer
Published by Bethany House (April 2007)
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Reviewed by Jamie Driggers
Enduring the depression, drought and dust storms of Kansas in the 1930s was hard enough for Anna as she watched her farm wither away, but when she finds herself pregnant with their third child, mule-less because her husband sold them for food, and husbandless because he has crossed the state to build a castle with the Works in Progress Administration, she feels abandoned. What will become of her, her farm and her marriage?
Though I could hardly stand to read about the trials that Anna and her husband, Harley, faced, this was a compelling story. As a mother I could really relate to Anna's anguish as she worried for her children. As a wife I could relate to the realistic portrayal of the woman left to hold house and home together. And, as a reader, I wanted to pummel the creep of a "friend" who believed he was acting in Anna's best interest--at the expense of Harley.
This story continues Kim Vogel Sawyer's tradition of gentle stories of hope, but it doesn't shy away from the harsh realities of life.
Armchair Interviews says: Well written and compelling.