South of Somewhere: A Novel
By T.I. Lowe
Reviewed by Ann Byle
Juniper (Junie) Wilder retreats to her beloved grandmother’s beach-front home on Sullivan’s Island, S.C., after time in jail and rehab. Grief at losing her husband and then her grandmother spiraled into a drunk driving charge and the hardest grief of all: losing custody of her toddler daughter Fern.
Readers will root for Junie as she faces her past, lives courageously in the present, and looks forward to a future with her daughter and a new, healthy love. They also will gain empathy for those struggling with addiction and the pain that brought them there.
South of Somewhere is much more than a good story. It’s an excavation of what makes us human—the good and the bad—and the redemption that can save us. (Tyndale)
The Lumber Baron’s Wife
By Lynn Austin
Reviewed by Ann Byle
Hannah and John Wagner move from New York City to West Michigan, a fresh start after a devastating loss. Lumber baron Henry Abernathy offers to build them a house if John will become a doctor in town. Abernathy’s new mansion and new wife Kate make major waves in the city, while Hannah grieves her loss and John struggles to help his wife and the townspeople who need his doctoring.
In the present day, David and Ashley Gilbert also move to the lakeshore town, purchasing the doctor’s house. Ashley, a museum expert, takes an interest in helping restore the Abernathy mansion and becomes enmeshed in the mystery of what happened to Kate Abernathy, who disappeared and was never found.
Based on the true story of a missing lumber baron’s wife, this is an enthralling dual-time story by bestselling novelist Austin. (Tyndale Fiction)
Keeper of Lost Children
By Sadeqa Johnson
Reviewed by Lorilee Craker
Ethel Gathers (based on a real person) is an American officer's wife living in occupied Germany in the 1950s when she stumbles upon an orphanage filled with mixed-race children.
Ozzie Phillips is a Black GI volunteering for the recently desegregated army in 1948. His relationship with a German woman has long-lasting ramifications.
Sophia Clark is whip-smart and miserable at home, so she jumps at the chance to attend a fancy all-white boarding school in 1965 Maryland.
As Johnson interweaves her characters’ stories together and brings a little-known epoch of history to life, she masterfully explores themes of racism, identity, adoption, and belonging. A redemptive and engrossing tour de force, this book will make my 2026 Top 10. Includes brief instances of profanity and sensuality. (Simon &Schuster)
Start with a Word: On the Craft and Adventure of Writing
By Marilyn McEntyre
Reviewed by Ann Byle
If you’re looking for a masterclass on the craft of writing, look no further than Marilyn McEntyre’s new book.
She addresses topics dear, and frustrating, to writers such as how to begin and end, choosing the best word, choosing a narrator, and including pertinent facts. Her advice applies to those writing nonfiction, fiction, and poetry. Each chapter is accompanied by “Try this” exercises to help you take the next step in your practice, so bring a notebook and pen to your reading time.
This is a clear, concise, and meaty book for all writers eager to deepen their knowledge and practice of writing. Examples ranging from the Apostle Paul, to Kate DiCamillo, to Kathleen Norris, to Dante serve to deepen the experience. (Eerdmans)
We Served Side by Side: The Cooperation of the Christian Reformed Japan Mission and the Reformed Church in Japan, 1951-2017
By Richard E. Sytsma
Reviewed by Lawrence K. Spalink
Because Richard Sytsma arrived in Japan as a missionary kid in the early 1950s, he knew the earliest generation of Christian Reformed missionaries. The CRCNA’s thinking about and commitment to missions was still maturing and would go through many changes, and Sytsma’s book tells part of that story.
Besides giving a thorough account of the work in Japan, of changing organizational structures (in North America), and how mission work might be more effectively carried out in the unique context of Japan, the author provides material for reflection that can help steer those who love Jesus’ mission even now, decades later, and in many other locations around the world. (Van Raalte Press)
The Correspondent
By Virginia Evans
Reviewed by Sara Korber-DeWeerd
Virginia Evans’ runaway bestseller The Correspondent unfolds the world of Sybil Van Antwerp, a 73-year-old retired lawyer, mother, grandmother, and divorcee. A woman who values order, Sybil cherishes her morning letter-writing routine, finding comfort in correspondence with friends, family, favorite authors, and even strangers. When letters begin arriving from someone linked to Sybil’s past, she must face painful memories and deep regrets, gradually piecing together a personal history that has haunted her for decades.
In this stunning debut novel written entirely in letters, Evans offers readers a hopeful glimpse into the expanses of a human heart formed by a lifetime of small decisions of large consequence. Themes include finding comfort in literature, confronting past trauma, forgiveness, and finding love later in life. (Penguin Random House)
A Storm Unleashed
By Carol Matas
Reviewed by Sonya VanderVeen Feddema
Berlin, Germany, 1935: Mia’s Jewish father runs a successful veterinarian clinic, but when he becomes secretive about his work, she learns that Father has been enlisted to train police dogs. Though the work seems innocent enough, Mia and Father soon realize Hitler’s nefarious plan to train dogs for the war effort.
As the Nazi’s noose tightens around Mia and Father, Mia ultimately convinces Father and another Jewish family that they must escape for their lives. They set out on their treacherous journey, assisted by kind people and aided by their dog Max’s skills as a protector, forewarner, and entertainer.
Though recommended for children ages 9 to 12, this informative, heartrending novel, which depicts scenes of violence and cruelty, is better suited for ages 11 and older. (Scholastic Canada)
Girl Lost
By Kate Angelo
Reviewed by Sonya VanderVeen Feddema
In this first installment of the King Legacy series, readers are catapulted into the lives of former CIA counterintelligence officer Luna Rosati and Special Agent Corbin King.
In their teens, Luna and Corbin had fallen in love and had a baby. Now, 18 years later, Luna returns to her hometown to find answers about the baby girl she gave up for adoption from the only person who can help her—Stryker, her mentor and friend.
But when Stryker is kidnapped, Corbin, from whom Luna has been estranged, shows up to investigate, and they are compelled to work together to unravel the mystery.
Brilliantly plotted, and emotionally intense, Girl Lost is a romantic thriller with a Christian message—God doesn’t give up on people, no matter what. (Revell)
Time for Courage
By Rob Currie
Reviewed by Sonya VanderVeen Feddema
Set in 1944 against the Nazi occupation of the Netherlands, this adventure-packed, deeply stirring novel for readers ages 9-13 relates the story of the Ingelse family as they resist the Nazis to save Jewish children.
Author Rob Currie’s stellar storytelling, rich insights into spiritual questions asked during war times, scriptural understanding of prayer, and portrayal of a devoted and loving Christian family make this book a must-read. It would be a great fit for family read-out-loud times, with parents and children sharing a few chapters each day and taking time to talk about the story and what they learned about God’s grace and provision in difficult settings. (Tyndale Kids)
Late Today
By Jungyoon Huh. Illustrated by Myungae Lee
Reviewed by Sonya VanderVeen Feddema
It’s a dark, rainy morning in Seoul, Korea, and traffic on a massive bridge is congested. A mom and her son are stuck on the bridge, hoping to get to work and school on time.
Soon, the boy and his mom and other travellers see a tiny kitten making its perilous way across the bridge. Suddenly the mom makes a choice that no one else on the bridge has dared to make.
Illustrator Myungae Lee’s dark-and-light pictures portray the contrast between the rainy weather followed by sunshine, cowardly neglect and sacrificial kindness.
Christian parents and adults can use this book as a springboard to talk with children about Jesus’ desire that his children offer help and kindness in situations of need, even if it costs them something. (Eerdmans Books for Young Readers)
The Prodigal of Leningrad
By Daniel Taylor
Reviewed by Sonya VanderVeen Feddema
Leningrad, 1941: Daniil Aslanov has always loved his volunteer job as a docent at the Hermitage Museum. It has become especially important to him since his wife died, a place to go to forget his grief and nurture his love for art and beauty.
Now, Daniil’s role and that of the other docents is irrevocably changed at the onset of the siege when all the paintings are removed from their frames—while the frames are left hanging.
The Prodigal of Leningrad is a deeply moving story of struggle, deprivation, and inhumanity on the one hand, and the poignant portrayal of how God’s love can never be defeated, how the Holy Spirit inspires acts of courage, and how believers who put their trust in God experience his miraculous provision. (Paraclete Press)
Tove Under the Tree
By Larissa Theule. Illustrated by Julie Benbassat
Reviewed by Sonya VanderVeen Feddema
Author Larissa Theule’s chapter book for children ages 6-9 was inspired by a painting called Under the Tree by Yoshitomo Nara.
When Tove returns from school one day, she is horrified to see that the giant ficus in front of her house has just been chopped down.
Tove brings a little branch inside, studies it, and notices that the branch doesn’t have roots. Questions tumble through her mind: “How could it grow if it didn’t have roots? … Could Tove get the little branch to grow roots?”
Tove’s ensuing plan—hilarious, touching, and creative—sets her and her community on a magical journey with joyful, real-life consequences. Illustrator Julie Benbassat’s exquisite artwork combined with Theule’s masterful storytelling make Tove Under the Tree a delightful visual and reading experience. (Candlewick)