L. B. Johnson, whom you’ll doubtless know from her ‘Home on the Range‘ blog, has developed quite a following as an author. Her first effort, ‘The Book of Barkley‘, was a memorial paean to her beloved black Labrador retriever. Her second book, ‘Saving Grace‘, is the story of her adoption and, later, her painful decision to give up her own daughter for adoption. Both became Amazon bestsellers in their respective categories.
Her latest book is her first novel. It’s titled ‘Small Town Roads‘.
From the blurb:
Evelyn Ahlgren, a widow, and retired schoolteacher enjoys the comforts of her little home and her surrounding neighborhood. That’s why she is intrigued to see what her new neighbor, a young woman named Rachel Raines, will add to their small town.
Rachel has just left the city with a Criminal Justice degree. She had thought she wanted a carefree city life, not a job as a rookie cop in a town whose only restaurant has a life-sized plastic cow on the roof.
Sometimes God has other plans for us.
Evelyn befriends her young neighbor, finding out she has endured a lot of grief for one so young, that sorrow taking her on a directionless path instead of one lit by the Holy Spirit. As heart-breaking as that is to see, Evelyn believes that God brought the two together to find renewed purposes in His Will, and the two begin an unlikely friendship that surpasses age, knowledge, and life experiences.
When Rachel is caught up in an unexpected act of violence while out on patrol, her whole life changes, as does her look at her future and her faith.
Small Town Roads effortlessly captures the unique perspective that small towns bestow on those who live there. Mrs. Johnson shows that the confines of a small town can contain a healing spirit that can soothe the difficulties of the past while providing hope in God for tomorrow’s future.
Knowing the author as I do (Miss D. and I have numbered her among our friends for years, and I had the privilege of officiating at her wedding), I can identify a lot of her own background in this book. I like that – it makes it warmer, more real, more human.
I recommend L. B. Johnson’s books unreservedly. She’s a good person, and she writes for good people. There aren’t many of whom one can say that, these days.
Peter
Yea! She definitely has a way with words!
Ah yes, our dear lady Brigid. I have great respect for her, and make a point to swing by her end of the blogosphere now and then to study her recipes (I learned how to make beer bread from her recipe).
If I ever encountered her in RL, I'd probably be too tongue-tied to speak intelligibly.
Thank you gentlemen. And Toastrider, Old NFO who has known me in RL for 30 years, would tell you I'm just the girl next door, that just likes guns, beer, and cooking.
She is amazing!
I am proud to call her a friend.
gfa