The Feathered Bone by Julie Cantrell

“Feathers—no matter what size or shape or color—are all the same, if you think about them. They’re soft. Delicate. But the secret thing about feathers is . . . they are very strong.”

 In the pre-Katrina glow of New Orleans, Amanda Salassi is anxious about chaperoning her daughter’s sixth-grade field trip to the Big Easy during Halloween. And then her worst fears come true. Her daughter’s best friend, Sarah, disappears amid the magic and revelry—gone, without a trace.

Unable to cope with her guilt, Amanda’s daughter sinks into depression. And Amanda’s husband turns destructive as he watches his family succumb to grief. Before long, Amanda’s whole world has collapsed.

Amanda knows she has to save herself before it’s too late. As she continues to search for Sarah, she embarks on a personal journey, seeking hope and purpose in the wake of so much tragedy and loss.

Set amidst the murky parishes of rural Louisiana and told through the eyes of two women who confront the darkest corners of humanity with quiet and unbreakable faith, The Feathered Bone is Julie Cantrell’s master portrait of love in a fallen world.

MY THOUGHTS ON THIS BOOK

Looking at the cover of this book, I wasn’t sure what it would be about. I don’t read the back cover or reviews until I’m into reading the book, so I had no idea what it was about. But being a Julie Cantrell book, I knew it had to be good. The story starts off with Amanda chaperoning her daughters class on a field trip, but things turn bad when her daughter’s friend Sarah disappears and couldn’t be found. This throws Amanda and her daughter into a state of depression.

This is not an easy book to read. It is so full of emotions and tension that I had to put it down for a while, but then I couldn’t wait to pick it back up because I wanted to find out what would happen to the characters. The Feathered Bone deals with some pretty tough issues, mainly human trafficking. This is an issue I would love to be able to help with in some way because it is so horrifying and downright scary! I appreciate authors such as Ms. Cantrell writing on such issues. My heart ached with  each character as they grieved for their classmate. The scenes are so vivid, its like they are real life actions, and I felt drawn into the story as if I was a part of it.

There is a lot going on in this story, it goes deep, a story that you can’t just read in a day like some books. I felt like I was digging deeper and deeper as I read this one. If you like stories that deal with horrific issues that happen in today’s world, then I highly encourage you to read this one! I received this book from The Fiction Guild to read and review. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 55

CFBA TOUR Into The Free…..by Julie Cantrell

This week, theChristian Fiction Blog Allianceis introducingInto the FreeDavid C. Cook (February 1, 2012)byJulie CantrellABOUT THE AUTHOR:

A speech-language pathologist and literacy advocate, Julie Cantrell was the editor-in-chief of the Southern Literary Review and currently teaches English as a second language to elementary students. She has been a freelance writer for ten years and has published two children’s books. Julie and her family live in Mississippi where they operate Valley House Farm.

Julie served as contributing editor to MOMSense magazine and wrote content for Mothers of Preschoolers, Intl. for nearly a decade. Additionally, she has contributed to more than a dozen books. Into Th Free is her first book.

ABOUT THE BOOK

Just a girl. The only one strong enough to break the cycle.

In Depression-era Mississippi, Millie Reynolds longs to escape the madness that marks her world. With an abusive father and a “nothing mama,” she struggles to find a place where she really belongs.

For answers, Millie turns to the Gypsies who caravan through town each spring. The travelers lead Millie to a key which unlocks generations of shocking family secrets. When tragedy strikes, the mysterious contents of the box give Millie the tools she needs to break her family’s longstanding cycle of madness and abuse.

Through it all, Millie experiences the thrill of first love while fighting to trust the God she believes has abandoned her. With the power of forgiveness, can Millie finally make her way into the free?

Watch the book video:

If you would like to read the first chapter of Into the Free, go HERE.