NIGHT BIRD CALLING by CATHY GOHLKE

Publication date 5/1/21
NIGHT BIRD CALLING by CATHY GOHLKE tells the poignant story of Lilliana Swope, whose experience of marriage has been horrific, with both her mother and herself having married abusive men.
Before she dies, her mother entrusts her with a ruby ring belonging to Grand Aunt Hyacinth Belvidere, together with her address in No Creek, North Carolina, and tells her to make every effort to get there.
After her mother's funeral she overhears a conversation between her father and her husband, Gerald, hearing how Gerald has decided to get rid of her without losing his eldership position in the church, and runs away with just the clothes on her back, carching a train to No Creek.
The story takes place in 1941, with the second world war in full swing in Europe and the bombing of Pearl Harbor in December of that year. Still suffering from the recession, people are pretty desperate to make a living and moonshining is rife, resulting in some fathers being in jail and unable to support their families. There are marital and racial problems, and to make things worse the KKK is very active in the area.
There are some absolutely delightful characters such as Celia Percy, avid reader and budding detective, Grand Aunt Hyacinth who is blind but who sees so much with spiritual eyes, the extremely busy and helpful Reverend Jesse Willard who is quite smitten with the beautiful Lilliana, the brave and kind Jewish doctor, Dr Vishnevsky, and then there are some who are downright nasty and vindictive, such as Ida Mae and Janice Richards, to mention just a few.
It is one of the loveliest novels I have read this year and I highly recommend it for the great story and strong Christian message. This author really shows us the heart of her characters in an understanding and sensitive way. I also love the quotations from Scripture and from Oswald Chambers.
I was given an ARC copy by Tyndale House Publishers from NetGalley. 
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad