When Mercy Rains by Kim Vogel Sawyer

• File Size: 2317 KB
• Print Length: 354 pages
• Page Numbers Source ISBN: 0307731316
• Publisher: WaterBrook Press (October 7, 2014)
• Sold by: Random House LLC
• Language: English
• ASIN: B00JNQIYNW

Publication Date: October 7, 2014

She left, heavily weighted with secrets.
But God reveals all things, in His timing.
And He redeems them.

Suzanne Zimmerman was only seventeen and pregnant when her shamed mother quietly sent her away from their Old Order Mennonite community in Kansas. With her old home, family, and first love firmly behind her, Suzanne moved to Indiana, became a nurse, and raised a daughter, Alexa, on her own.

Now, nearly twenty years later, an unexpected letter arrives from Kansas. Her brother asks her to bring her nursing abilities home and care for their ailing mother. His request requires that Suzanne face a family that may not have forgiven her and a strict faith community. It also means seeing Paul Aldrich, her first love.   

Paul, widowed with an eight-year-old son, is relieved to see Suzanne again, giving him the chance to beg her forgiveness for his past indiscretion. But when he meets Alexa, his guilt flickers in the glare of Suzanne’s prolonged secret—one that changes everything.

Suzanne had let go of any expectation for forgiveness long ago. Does she dare hope in mercy–and how will her uncovered past affect the people she loves the most?

My take on this book:

Suzanne Zimmerman (Suzy) left her Mennonite community under a cloud of shame, sent to live in Indiana until the baby was born and then she could return home. Instead she stayed in Indiana and became a nurse never going back until she gets a letter from her brother asking her to come home and tend to their sick mother.Her daughter Alexa is anxious for the trip because she has always wondered about her family, but there are things that Suzy hasn't shared with her daughter. 

Will her secrets stay buried for the two month visit, or will they come to light?

What an interesting story. Suzanne was such a strong character, one who had raised a strong daughter. I found myself hurting with Alexa when she overheard her aunt and uncle talking about her being born out of wedlock. The author does a fantastic job of allowing the reader to see the points of view from four different characters. The blended smoothly, but each had a unique voice which was easy to follow. When Mercy Rains is truly a story about families, faith and finding peace and forgiveness. 

A complimentary copy of this book was provided for review.