It All Comes Down To This: The unforgettable story of three sisters discovering the truth about the past

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I felt Therese captured all the qualities I had anticipated—yet, the plot was spinning in so many directions, no one thing ever happened that became the ‘main’ focus of the book. Jesus didn’t want His followers to stay in Galilee, although the go did include Galilee. Jesus doesn’t want us to stay in Bartow or Polk County, although the go does include Bartow and Polk County. Though this novel wasn’t my favorite by this author, I will still be eagerly awaiting her next book, hoping that it’s more in line with A Good Neighborhood.

You only need a couple of puffs. It’ll make you feel nice, and it’ll help with the pain. I thought I explained all of that to you.” Meanwhile, a man has returned to the island seeking a home, staying at the home of an old friend. He wants to buy the sister’s family cabin. But he shares a history with one of them, and it won’t be working in his favor. Illustration: This is like when a parent tells all the kids to put away their laundry. One may not do so and say, “I didn’t know that you wanted me to put away my laundry!” The parent will say, “I said for all of you to put away your laundry! That applies to everyone unless I say otherwise!” So also, Jesus has told His followers to go on mission. It applies to us all. We don’t just want people, we want disciples! A church full of disciples of Jesus will be radical to this world. They will transform their communities! They will be beacons of light for the Gospel of Jesus and the supernatural love of God! When blast-from-their-past C.J. Reynolds, a Southerner with secrets of his own, enters the picture as a potential buyer, EVERYTHING gets more complicated. Will this trio be able to reconcile the past, their present, and move toward a united front in the future...however twisted, tangled, and unnerving their new paths may be?I did have somethings in common with Sophia. In a part of the story he sister used to sneak out and she thought Sophia never knew, I went through the same thing with my older sister. My least favorite thing in the book is how many people are judged by their race and there were many secrets kept between everyone. My favorite passage in the book was when Sophia helped her sister in something important to her. Karen English has created a brilliant cast of complex characters. They are fully realized, nuanced people, flaws and all. She manages to highlight their humanity, no matter what happens. I appreciate that Jennifer and her family try hard to not see skin color as an issue, but that we also understand how impossible this is. It's only in the past few years that I have come to see my own ignorance in claiming to not see this difference. Los Angeles, 1965: It’s the summer before Sophie’s ninth grade year at a new school and the summer before her older sister, Lily, is supposed to go off to college at Spelman. Sophie is off having adventures with her friend Jennifer and Lily falls in love with their housekeeper’s son, Nathan. Some of us may be foolishly tempted to think that Jesus’ message to go only applies to a few? However, Jesus told His followers to go. The exception is not for those who go, but for those who should not go. Unless God somehow tells you otherwise, you should assume that He’s told you to go in some way. He wants us to make disciples by teaching them the commands of Jesus and teaching them to observe those commands. Jesus wants those who are willing to become more like Him! He doesn’t just want us to know His ways, He wants us to observe His ways.

Near the end of 2019 I read Therese Anne Fowler’s A Good Neighborhood, which I loved, but it’s the only other book of hers I’ve read. I’d hoped to enjoy this one as much, or nearly as much, but… alas, it was apparently not meant to be. I SIMPLY adored Therese Anne Fowler’s prior book A Good Neighborhood. It was in fact one of my favorite reads of 2019. I, therefore, couldn’t wait to get my hands on her next release..and then I did. But Marti’s will surprises them with its provision that the family’s summer cottage in Maine must be sold, the proceeds split equally between the three sisters. While there’s a ready buyer in C.J. Reynolds, he’s an ex-con with a complicated past and a tangled history with one of the women.These three sisters have very complicated relationships with one another. Each sister has painted a slightly skewed picture of their life to the other two. There are hidden truths, deceptions, and secrets, but each one remains hopeful for change in their future. The main character is Sophie (Sophia), who is 12-years-old. She has some experiences with racism from other teenage girls in her upper-class mixed neighborhood. Sohpie's family is light, and the sister is able to pass for white, and Sophie learns some lessons from her sister's experiences, too. The family has a maid, Mrs. Baylor, who mothers Sophie a bit and opens up to Sophie about part of her past. Notice, that verse 17 says those present worshiped Jesus. They recognized that He had divine authority. They knew Him to be the Son of God. They knew Him to be Lord. If these Jewish people had worshiped Jesus, and He wasn’t really God the Son, what they were doing would have been an abomination; it would have been blasphemy. But He is God and He is worthy of our worship and obedience. This is yet another book that I felt missed a golden opportunity to explore emotional connections on a deep level. And why was that?