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Two women overcoming past traumas embark on a healing journey across continents in a novel about friendship, family, and rediscovery by the USA Today bestselling author of When We Believed in Mermaids.
THE LAST LETTER OF RACHEL ELLSWORTH
The Last Letter of Rachel Ellsworth by Barbara O’Neal
Recently and abruptly divorced Veronica Barrington is anxious for a new direction when she answers a listing for a travel companion. It’s from Mariah Ellsworth, a young woman adjusting to an injury that ended her Olympic career. She’s also grieving her mother, Rachel, a lauded food writer, and Mariah aims to trace the steps of her mother’s final, unfinished project so she can heal and also honor the woman she misses.
Veronica seizes on the opportunity to experience with Mariah the culture, traditions, and intoxicating aromas of Parsi cafés throughout London, Paris, Morocco, and India. Accompanied by a former war photographer who has a wounded history of his own, and with just Rachel’s letters to guide them, the quest is a chance to not only close a chapter in life but also begin a new one.
Following the letters one by one?each a clue to an illuminating mystery?Veronica and Mariah must face the painful and beautiful challenges of freeing themselves from the dark shadows of the past. Together, far from home, they can find the light.
Purchase Links
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Begin a journey of renewal and be strengthened by prayers that connect you to the heart of God—in just one minute.
A MINUTE OF HOPE
A Minute of Hope: 100 Intentional Prayers for Times of Challenge and Change by Cristina Baker
In a world that can crush your spirit, where burdens often weigh heavier than hope, A Minute of Hope, with prayers by Cristina Baker, invites you into a conversation with God that brings peace and strength that are only found in His presence. In this collection of 100 60-second prayers, you’re invited to experience Jesus and his deep love for you.
Imagine starting each day with a heart open to healing, surrender, and acceptance! Each prayer is written to resonate deeply with your experiences, addressing themes of struggle, forgiveness, seeking God’s wisdom, and the quest for His peace. Feel the weight of past pain lift as you encounter God through the power of prayer—offering a pathway to confront shame and rejection while embracing the powerful, unconditional love of God.
Whether you’re grappling with unanswered questions, seeking wisdom for your life, or searching for comfort during difficult moments, A Minute of Hope will nurture your soul and inspire genuine reflection and spiritual growth. Each prayer serves as a bridge, connecting your heart and mind to Jesus the divine, providing the encouragement and hope you need to keep moving forward.
A Minute of Hope will give you:
- Empowerment to release what no longer serves you and to accept the grace that God freely offers
- Renewed hope that reminds you that every moment spent in prayer deepens your relationship with God
- Forgiveness that washes over you, giving you the strength to forgive yourself and others, fostering healing in your relationships
Immerse yourself in A Minute of Hope—a spiritual experience that’s as relatable as it is uplifting. Each page is an invitation to deepen your faith, reflect on God’s purpose for your life, and find the courage to step boldly into the future that He has prepared for you.
Purchase Links
Thomas Nelson | Amazon | Barnes & Noble
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The end of the world . . .
VANISHED
Vanished by Dr. David Jeremiah, with Sam O’Neal
As leader of a special military unit charged with stopping potential pandemics before they spread, John “Haggs” Haggerty has a front-row seat to the sharp increase in natural disasters that precede the Rapture–including plagues, earthquakes, famines, wars, and rumors of war. And each crisis is becoming more intense.
Meanwhile, his own world feels like it’s falling apart. He’s still caught in the grief of messing up his relationship with his ex-wife, and he’s trying to keep it together so that he can show up for his adult daughter before she wants him out of her life entirely. As both personal and professional situations push him to the brink, Haggs finds himself stretched further than ever in his desire to be the kind of good person he knows he should be.
Just when it seems as if things might turn around, Haggs is forced to decide between his need to find solutions and his need for personal redemption.
Purchase Links
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New York Times bestselling author Lysa TerKeurst shows you what to do with your skepticism and distrust so you can heal from past betrayals and move forward with strength and resilience.
I WANT TO TRUST YOU, BUT I DON’T
I Want to Trust You, But I Don’t: Moving Forward When You’re Skeptical of Others, Afraid of What God Will Allow, and Doubtful of Your Own Discernment by Lysa TerKeurst
Trust is the oxygen of all human relationships. But it’s also what trips you up after you’ve been burned. Maybe a friend constantly lets you down. A leader or organization you respect turns out to be different than they portray themselves to be. A spouse cheats on you. A family member betrays you. You’re exhausted by other people’s choices and starting to question your own discernment. And you’re wondering, If God let this happen, can he even be trusted?
How can you live well and step into the future when you keep stumbling over trust issues? Lysa TerKeurst says it’s not simply about finding better people to walk with. It’s about developing the stability you long for within yourself and with God, so you don’t become cynical and carry a broken belief system into every new relationship. In I Want to Trust You, But I Don’t, Lysa shows you how to
- identify which of the eleven relational red flags are stirring up distrust, so you can pinpoint why you’re feeling uneasy;
- stop having more faith in your fears coming true than God coming through for you by asking crucial “what if” questions to better process your doubts;
- recognize when a fractured relationship can be repaired by considering a reasonable list of characteristics necessary for rebuilding trust; and
- understand the physical, emotional, and neurological impact of the betrayals you’ve experienced and start healing from the inside out.
In a world where so many things feel alarming, this book will give you a peace that isn’t dependent on unpredictable people, circumstances, and experiences. Instead, it offers practical and biblical ways to make real progress toward healthier perspectives, relationships, and a future you can authentically look forward to.
Purchase Links
Thomas Nelson | Amazon | Barnes & Noble
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In this million-copy international bestseller from Korea, the owner of a corner store takes in an unhoused man who does a good deed, a kind soul whose presence will transform the whole neighborhood—a heartwarming tale of community and redemption reminiscent of the bestselling novels of Matt Haig and Gabrielle Zevin.
THE SECOND CHANCE CONVENIENCE STORE
The Second Chance Convenience Store by Kim Ho-Yeon
Dok-go lives in Seoul Station. He can’t remember his past, and the only thing he knows for certain is that he could really use a drink. When he finds a lost wallet filled with documents, his life is drastically changed.
Mrs. Yeom, a retired history teacher and current owner of her neighborhood’s corner store, is distraught over the loss of her purse, until she receives a mysterious call from the person who found it. To thank this down-on-his-luck stranger, she offers him a free meal from the convenience store. Seeing the joy the food brings him, Mrs. Yeom impulsively invites him to stop by for lunch every day.
In a twist of fate, Dok-go saves the store from a robber—a brave act that propels Mrs. Yeom to offers the bear-like man a job working the night shift, despite the objections of her wary employees. The store’s new employee quickly wins over the quirky denizens of the neighborhood, becoming a welcoming ear and source of advice for his coworkers and neighbors’ problems, and helping his new boss save the store from financial ruin. But just when things are looking up for Dok-go, Mrs. Yeom’s good-for-nothing son, eager to sell the store, hires a detective to dig into the mysterious man’s past and what he seems to be trying so hard to forget.
The Second Chance Convenience Store is a moving and joyful story of a woman fighting for her community and a man who has lost everything except the will to try again.
Purchase Links
HarperCollins | Amazon | Barnes & Noble
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From the bestselling author of Born Survivors, a novel inspired by the powerful true story of a man who risked everything to protect children in Auschwitz.
THE TEACHER OF AUSCHWITZ
The Teacher of Auschwitz by Wendy Holden
Fredy built a wall against suffering in their hearts . . .
Amid the brutality of the Holocaust, one bright spot shone inside the Nazi death camp of Auschwitz. In the shadows of the smokestacks was a wooden hut where children sang, staged plays, wrote poetry, and learned about the world. Within those four walls, brightly adorned with hand-painted cartoons, the youngest prisoners were kept vermin-free, received better food, and were even taught to imagine having full stomachs and a day without fear. Their guiding light was a twenty-seven-year-old gay, Jewish athlete: Fredy Hirsch.
Being a teacher in a brutal concentration camp was no mean feat. Forced to beg senior SS officers for better provisions, Fredy risked his life every day to protect his beloved children from mortal danger.
But time was running out for Fredy and the hundreds in his care. Could this kind, compassionate, and brave man find a way to teach them the one lesson they really needed to know: how to survive?
The Teacher of Auschwitz shines a light on a truly remarkable individual and tells the inspiring story of how he fought to protect innocence and hope amid depravity and despair.
Purchase Links
HarperCollins | Amazon | Barnes & Noble
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From the author of Summer Hours at the Robbers Library, a tenderhearted story of two very different women grappling with the messy emotional legacies passed down by their parents—for fans of Dani Shapiro, Ann Napolitano, and Jody Picoult.
WHAT WE LEAVE BEHIND
What We Leave Behind by Sue Halpern
It’s the perennial question: are we a product of how we were raised, or is our identity hardwired by our genetic inheritance? When her adoptive mother dies in a freak accident, high school senior Melody Marcus doubles down on her refusal to learn anything about her birth parents. In this age of 23&me, though, that may not be possible, and the secrets hidden in her DNA threaten to upend everything she knows about herself and her family.
For Candace Milton, a successful woman in her forties, the collateral damage from her parents’ tortured marriage has led to a life of intentional unattachment. She is happy—enough. But a chance encounter with a friend of Melody’s father will challenge this assumption and force her to reimagine who she is and who she might become.
Big-hearted evocative, and achingly relatable, What We Leave Behind grapples with destiny, belonging, and love, and makes us question our own idea of family: the kind we’re born into and the kind we create.
Purchase Links
HarperCollins | Amazon | Barnes & Noble
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For fans of Kate Quinn and The Nightingale, a gripping story of a young Jewish girl who joins an elite Russian sniper unit and embarks on a mission targeting the highest prize of World War II: Adolph Hitler.
THE NIGHT SPARROW
The Night Sparrow by Shelly Sanders
With the Nazi invasion of the Soviet Union, Elena Bruskina’s world collapses. The ambitious university student and her Jewish family are quickly forced into the Minsk ghetto where thousands are immediately murdered, including her father and brother. Then her younger sister is publicly executed on false charges and her mother is shot. Alone with her grief, Elena escapes the ghetto, determined to avenge her family’s deaths.
Heading to Moscow, she enrolls in the Red Army’s newly created Central Women’s Sniper Training School. After rigorous training, she becomes a member of an all-female sniper platoon, a community of brave young women willing to give their lives to defend their country. Then Elena is chosen for a secret mission—a daring and highly dangerous plan to capture the face of evil itself: Hitler.
Inspired by the real-life female snipers and interpreters in the Red Army during World War II, The Night Sparrow is a portrait of friendship, resilience, courage, and sacrifice under extraordinary circumstances.
Purchase Links
HarperCollins | Amazon | Barnes & Noble
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Please fill out our super short registration form (click the “Enter Now” button above) by July 31st for a chance to win a set of up to ten copies of one of these great books for your book club! We will randomly choose a winner at the end of the month. This giveaway is open to clubs in the US only (our apologies to friends in other countries).