Prayers for Sale by Sandra Dallas
Sandra Dallas' novel takes its title from a sign that hangs on her main character’s fence. This character is Hennie Comfort's, an 86-year-old twice-widowed woman living in a small mining town called Middle Swan, Colorado, during the Great Depression.
The "prayers for sale" sign brings Nit Spindle, a 17-year-old newlywed girl, to Hennie's door, requesting a prayer for her stillborn daughter, Effie. Hennie doesn’t actually sell prayers; she offers them free to whomever asks. She feels so fortunate for all life has given her that she put out the sign as a joke many years ago.
The two women become fast friends, and Hennie shares many stories with Nit about life during the Civil War and in the little mining town as the two work on quilting projects or pick berries together.
The book is filled with both laughter and tears,-including stories of the people of Middle Swan, told through Hennie's observations. Dallas' writing is engaging and her characters well-drawn. By the end of the book, you’ll feel like you’ve made a group of interesting new friends.
“Two people are better off than one, for they can help each other succeed. If one person falls, the other can reach out and help. But someone who falls alone is in real trouble.” Ecclesiastes 4:9-10
Book review by Shannon Pederson
Sandra Dallas' novel takes its title from a sign that hangs on her main character’s fence. This character is Hennie Comfort's, an 86-year-old twice-widowed woman living in a small mining town called Middle Swan, Colorado, during the Great Depression.
The "prayers for sale" sign brings Nit Spindle, a 17-year-old newlywed girl, to Hennie's door, requesting a prayer for her stillborn daughter, Effie. Hennie doesn’t actually sell prayers; she offers them free to whomever asks. She feels so fortunate for all life has given her that she put out the sign as a joke many years ago.
The two women become fast friends, and Hennie shares many stories with Nit about life during the Civil War and in the little mining town as the two work on quilting projects or pick berries together.
The book is filled with both laughter and tears,-including stories of the people of Middle Swan, told through Hennie's observations. Dallas' writing is engaging and her characters well-drawn. By the end of the book, you’ll feel like you’ve made a group of interesting new friends.
“Two people are better off than one, for they can help each other succeed. If one person falls, the other can reach out and help. But someone who falls alone is in real trouble.” Ecclesiastes 4:9-10
Book review by Shannon Pederson