My favourite books are the ones that have a little bit of everything on the emotional spectrum.  A story that captures laughter, tears, love, pain and everything in between are the ones that I remember the most.  “On Moonberry Lake” is definitely one of those.

It was, quite simply, a beautiful book.  There are some books that just make you feel good and “lifted up” when you read them.  For me, I found that this book evoked a sense of calm that was just what I needed at the time.  Which, oddly enough, is much like the theme of the story itself.  People come to Moonberry Lake, and find just what they need to heal their hearts.

One element of this book is the aftermath of loss and the experience of grief.  Having experienced recent loss myself, I appreciated much of this theme.  However, with a topic pertaining to death and spirits, I feel it could have been balanced out a bit, perhaps with a mention of the Gospel of Jesus.  As it is, some of the religious elements I agreed with, and some I did not.  But in any case, there was some comforting ideas for those experiencing grief.

I did however, absolutely love the character growth in different parts of faith, such as practicing quietness to listen for God’s voice, and finding the courage to persevere with His strength.

Out of all the books I’ve read this year, “On Moonberry Lake” is among my favourites.  And, although much of the story is comfortably predictable, I must say that there is a surprise ending that I didn’t see coming.  I am excited to see more from this author, especially after the sneak-peak chapter we are treated to at the end of this story!

“Book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc.”