Book Review and Giveaway: Sing in the Sunlight

I spent part of my childhood in Southern California which was a huge culture shock for this little girl who had only known of life in the piney woods of rural South Mississippi among kith and kin.  Not only were the people different (colder), but everything was different:  the schools were different, living in surburbia that was not quite ghetto was different, the stores were different, and even the landscape of the California wilderness was different.  I honestly didn't know that the biome of California had a name until I exchanged some emails with the author Kathleen Denly after I read the first book of this series.  The name is Chaparral (which is a rather neat name) and although I never knew what that was, when I viewed photos on the website link she sent me, I instantly knew what it was.  "Oh, yeah, that's California."  While reading Sing in the Sunlight, I was able to get a pretty good mental image of the setting because I knew what it looked like; after all, I had lived there, too.

Sing in the Sunlight comes after Waltz in the Wilderness which I read and enjoyed some months back. Even though they are part of a series, each can be read in any order without any spoilers or missing backstory.

I really liked Sing in the Sunlight.  The characters were flawed and real - flawed due to very real, believable, understandable hurts in their young lives.  Like most good stories, misunderstandings make up a good part of the reason for the hurts.  Hurting people don't always see things as they really are because they're too close.  It's kinda hard to see the beauty of stained glass when your eyeball is pressed up against it.  I loved seeing the development and growth of Clarinda as she learns to accept love.  I also loved seeing the incredible patience of Richard as he seeks to show her not only his love but the love of God which she needs more than anything.

Some quotes I like:

He liked the idea of having a name for her that no one else used -- a name not associated with the ridicule and betrayal she'd experienced so much in her life.

They just didn't know how to handle a daughter who'd been far more wounded than her scars revealed.

Most parents love their children and want their best for them.  However, parents are very much human and do not always handle situations in the best way or treat their children like they should be treated.  If you come from a childhood that was less than ideal, remember what Jesus said on the cross, "Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do." (Luke 23:34)  I am sure that if parents knew the deep and lasting effects that their actions and words (or lack thereof) had on their children, they would have chosen differently.  Just remember that they most likely didn't know or for whatever reason maybe couldn't help it.

"Because we, my darling, were never meant to hide in the shadow.  We were meant to sing in the sunlight."

This line shows how the love of God and of her husband touched Clarinda and helped her to heal and to thrive.

This is a story well worth reading.  Thank you to Celebrate Lit for the opportunity to request, receive, read, and review this book.

Keep reading to learn more and to enter a great giveaway.

 

About the Book

Book:  Sing in the Sunlight

Author: Kathleen Denly

Genre: Christian historical fiction

Release date: March 2, 2021

Richard Stevens isn’t who he thinks he is. Neither is the woman who now claims his last name.

Disfiguring scars stole Clarinda Humphrey’s singing career, her home, and her family, but she refuses to let her appearance steal her future. While attending The Young Ladies Seminary in 1858 Benicia, California, she finds a man who promises to love and cherish her. Instead he betrays her, leaving her with child, and Clarinda must take drastic measures to ensure her child doesn’t suffer for her foolishness.

Richard Stevens’s life hasn’t turned out as he expected, and when a shocking letter turns even his past into a mystery, he travels to San Francisco in search of guidance. On the way, he encounters a mysterious young woman hiding beneath a veil. That night he experiences a dream that sends him on a quest to find the bride God has chosen for him. He never imagines she’s already told everyone they’re married.

Unwilling to lie, nor accept a marriage of mere convenience, Richard wants the real thing. Yet Clarinda’s not interested in love, only a chance to save her child. Can he help her rise above the pain that runs deeper than her scars to accept a love worth every risk?

 

Click here to get your copy!

 

About the Author

Kathleen Denly lives in sunny Southern California with her loving husband, four young children, and two cats. As a member of the adoption and foster community, children in need are a cause dear to her heart and she finds they make frequent appearances in her stories. When she isn’t writing, researching, or caring for children, Kathleen spends her time reading, visiting historical sites, hiking, and crafting.

 

More from Kathleen

Hiding our Flaws

We all have things we’d like to change about our physical appearance. Personally, I’ve yet to lose the weight I gained with my last pregnancy and sitting behind a desk all day hasn’t helped things any. Despite this, I know that my husband, kids, family, friends, and most importantly, God, loves me just as much now as when I was my healthiest self. I want to lose the weight not because I need to earn someone’s approval but because I know I’ll feel better and be able to do more without tiring as quickly if I do. In the meantime, I’m okay with where I am because it’s the best I’ve been able to do so far.

This level of self-acceptance has come with maturity and the love of a godly man. When I was younger, I’d spend hours in front of the mirror trying to disguise my flaws beneath layers of makeup and stomach smoothers. In fact, one of the most memorable moments of my courtship with my now husband was the day I returned from a women’s retreat. I hadn’t gotten much sleep all weekend and we’d had to pack up and leave early, so I’d made the unusual decision to skip my makeup that morning. I was going to carpool back to the church, grab my car, and head home for a nap. What was the point in painting my face when the only people who’d see it were the women who’d seen me wake up bare-faced that morning anyway? Well, it turns out my now husband had missed me. So he was waiting in the church parking lot when we arrived, just to say hi before I went home. Sweet, right? Um yeah. At the time, part of me thought it was sweet, but more of me wanted to melt into the floor’s carpet and vanish from sight. I had ZERO makeup on, people! And I had bags under my eyes! *gasp* *shudder*

Needless to say, after almost nineteen years of marriage, he’s seen me a few times without my makeup on. Actually, these days, I only wear makeup for videos, photographs I intend to share online, special events, and (if the kids are nice to me that morning) church. Not that I don’t have my insecure moments or those photographs that friends share but I really wish they wouldn’t. (You know who you are.) But overall, I am okay with how I look because I know that I am loved and accepted.

However, in Sing in the Sunlight, my character, Clarinda, feels unloved, and unwanted by those closest to her. She describes parts of herself with words like hideous. She uses long sleeves, high necks, gloves, and veils to hide herself from a world that has rejected her. And she keeps almost everyone at arm’s length—especially God. So when she finally lets someone in, only to be betrayed, it sets off a series of desperate decisions that tangle her in a web from which she cannot find an escape. It’s my prayer that her story will touch readers’ hearts and show them how much they are loved—flaws and all.

Blog Stops

Debbie's Dusty Deliberations, March 2

Simple Harvest Reads, March 2 (Guest Review from Donna Cline)

Texas Book-aholic, March 3

lakesidelivingsite, March 3

Inklings and notions, March 4

Genesis 5020, March 4

For Him and My Family, March 5

A Novel Pursuit, March 5

Betti Mace, March 6

deb's Book Review, March 6

Locks, Hooks and Books, March 7

Labor Not in Vain, March 7

Abba’s Prayer Warrior Princess, March 8

Connie's History Classroom, March 9

The Meaderings of a Bookworm, March 9

Older & Smarter?, March 10

Adventures Of a Travelers Wife, March 11

Ashley’s Clean Book Reviews, March 11

A Modern Day Fairy Tale, March 12

Gina Holder, Author and Blogger, March 12 (Author Interview)

KarenSueHadley, March 13

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, March 13

Musings of a Sassy Bookish Mama, March 14

Blossoms and Blessings, March 14

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, March 15

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Kathleen is giving away the grand prize package of a Kindle Paperwhite, one bookish scarf, one pair of bookish socks, one bookish necklace, one Chaparral Hearts Pen, and one custom bookmark made and signed by Kathleen Denly!!

Be sure to comment on the blog stops for nine extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.

https://promosimple.com/ps/1089f/sing-in-the-sunlight-celebration-tour-giveaway