Lilly's Promise

Title: Lilly's Promise

Author: Terrie Todd

Genre: Historical fiction, Dual-time, Christian Fiction,

Publisher: Word Alive Press

Source: Author Provided

My review:

It's been a while since I read a novel by Terrie Todd. I had forgotten how she has a gift of grabbing your attention from the opening scene. Lilly's Promise begins at a funeral that sets the course of the novel.  

Lilly's Promise is real and gritty. It tackles hard topics and deals with them in a beauty-in-the-ashes kind of way. The struggles are real. The faith woven in the story is genuine. The characters are authentically broken and put back together in only the way God can do. My emotions were on a roller coaster with this story. At times, I had to put it down and walk away. I was so mad at Lilly! She did not have to continue to make mistake after mistake...but isn't that what we do? Yet, I would pick it back up again because I was just as curious as Diana to learn about her ancestry.

This is a wonderful story of redemption and forgiveness. I did struggle in the first few chapters to get into the different timelines, but that is no fault of the author/story, I think it was my head space. The two timelines are woven seamlessly together in a powerful and unforgettable story.

Thank you to Terrie Todd for the opportunity to read Lilly's Promise. I was not required to provide a positive review. All thoughts and opinions are my own. 

★★★★★/5

Synopsis (Goodreads): 

Orphaned and adopted as a toddler in 1922, Lilly Sampson pursues a nursing career in hopes it will redeem the shameful crime of arson she committed as a child. When her self-sabotaging choices only build the ash heap higher, Lilly prepares to sacrifice everything for the sake of a child she tried to abort. Can Lilly reconcile with the one person who shares all her secrets and find the strength to raise a son with special needs?
2019: While unraveling a mysterious link in her ancestry, 36-year-old Diana DeWitt is fear-stricken by the two most staggering invitations of her life: to adopt a teenager’s baby, and to marry her best friend. Will the truth Diana uncovers about her Grandmother Lilly release the grip of rejection and free her to embrace a life she only dreamed of?