Every Secret Thing

by Ann Tatlock

When Elizabeth Gunnar starts teaching English at the school she attended as a girl, she is faced with unforeseen challenges, starting with a troubled student and a childhood friend, but she will find renewal from an unexpected source.

Genres: Christian Fiction, Fiction, Contemporary, Christian, Mystery, Romance, Audiobook

368 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2007

About the author

Ann Tatlock is a novelist and children’s book author. Her books have received numerous awards, including the Christy Award, the Midwest Book Award and the Silver Angel Award for Excellence in Media. She also serves as managing editor of Heritage Beacon, the historical fiction imprint of Lighthouse Publishing of the Carolinas. She lives with her family in Western North Carolina.

Reviews

[Olivia · Rating 5 out of 5]

I need all Ann Tatlock's books right now!!! This one was simple, down to earth, and just relaxing to read. It isn't suspenseful or fast-paced, but it is realistic and full of such great descriptions of human nature and personalities. I'll Watch the Moon is still my favorite, but this one came very close :))

What makes this book so good is the fact that at the beginning you have no idea how the book is going to end. When Elizabeth moves back to her high school home-this time as a teacher-she meets Satchel and is reminded of her teacher, Theodore Dutton.

All the characters were amazing. I didn't-and couldn't-hate any of them. The clear message of God's exsistence is very real and amazing. The transformation of Mr. Dutton, the choice Ray made (despite it being hard), the love Elizabeth showed toward Satchel, and the return of Len made me so happy!

Even better about this book is the romance. I'm tired of books that are bogged with lustful romance. This book is what I want to read when it comes to true love. It isn't all about feelings or touching-it's real, sweet and touching. And it doesn't overrule the story!

"You were the one who told us life was a gift. You were the one who took us out to the valley and told us to feel what it was like to lie under the sun, to be alive on the earth.”

[Linda Hart · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ann Tatlock is one of my favorite Christian writers. She is not preachy at all but is able to convey positive and spiritual life lessons from which readers can benefit. This is a story of searching for truth, forgiveness, and trying to resurrect trust and confidence in God. It is also a satisfying mystery I am quoting another goodreads review below by Deb, https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/345866-deb a slight, but not significant spoiler:
"A powerful story that explores the effect secrets can have on us. Elizabeth Gunnar accepts a teaching position at the preparatory school she attended as a girl and she ends up returning to memories, mysteries, and an old love. The mystery if what really happened to her favorite teacher--right before the end of her senior year he tried to commit suicide and they never saw him again. The official story was that he had a heart attack--but Elizabeth and her friends were the ones who found him, and they know better. Now that Elizabeth is back at the school and with her old friends she keeps wondering what really happened to him. She also befriends one of her students--a precocious girl with a terrible home life. As a mentor to this young girl she hopes not to fail her in the same way she feels her teacher failed her. Fans of fiction that makes you think, especially with a Christian influence, will enjoy this one."

[Renee · Rating 4 out of 5]

A gentle story about how God brings meaning & joy as folks live everyday, ordinary lives.

[Carol Preston · Rating 3 out of 5]

Loved this story of Satchel, a young girl who'd given up on happiness, and Beth, a young woman who'd given up on love. Both find much more than they'd expected in a small town in Delaware, USA. A story about the value of teaching, the importance of truth, about acceptance and patience and about finding what ultimately and eternally matters.

[Anna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Middle-aged and still single, Elizabeth Gunnar takes a teaching job at her old high school, a prep school in Delaware. She has some really vivid memories of her time there as a student in the 70s - especially of her favorite teacher Mr. Dutton. He was young and handsome and didn't just teach English, he taught the love of life, and his students adored him. Elizabeth, who had felt invisible for much of her life, felt seen by Mr. Dutton. So when tragedy strikes, she is terribly wounded, and her world shifts and never quite rights itself.

As a teacher, Elizabeth strives to be to her students what Mr. Dutton was to her. There is one girl who especially appeals to her - Satchel Queen. Satchel has had a difficult life; her beloved father took his own life, and her mother is remarrying and doesn't want Satchel around. So Elizabeth and Satchel begin to spend time together and bond. But Elizabeth keeps running up against old secrets, old memories, old friends - and the truth of the tragedy of her youth is still elusive, still haunts her, still rocks her world. Her faith, which was simple and solid in her youth, falters as she tries to make sense of her life.

This book is based on the author's memories and experiences, and felt very real. The characters were flesh-and-blood people you could know and love. I felt immersed in the spirit of the 70s - the music, the events, the lifestyles, the parties, cars, guitars, and the free and easy relationship between the students and their young teacher.

It is a Christian novel, but not preachy. Elizabeth struggles with her faith because of this huge tragedy in her life that has shaken her worldview. How she resolves it is the meat of the novel. I love a good story that draws me in and changes me. Five stars for this one.

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Several years ago, I read an Ann Tatlock book that I enjoyed, called “I’ll Watch the Moon.” I decided to read another of her books, this time “Every Secret Thing.” This book centers around Beth, a woman who returns to the boarding school she graduated from 25 years ago to teach English. She had experienced the trauma, her senior year, of her favorite teacher trying to commit suicide (although the administration told students he’d had a heart attack).

There are many side plots and things going on in the book, and I don’t want to say more for risk of spoilers. I liked the tone/”feel” of the book, and could relate to Beth, who is a deep thinker and who enjoys reading. She mentions having “a thin skin over deep feelings,” which was relatable to me. There are many mentions of Virginia Woolf and her “moments of being,” or moments when we seem to get a glimpse of the something-greater that’s really behind our existence here. I liked those. Books are mentioned as friends many times: “faithful, ever present, unchanging.”

* “Anticipation was the dominant feeling of my adolescence … I expected good things of life; I thought fulfillment was tucked into the years that were yet to unfold.” Relatable.
* “Hope was a bumpy ride, no matter where it took you in the end.”
* " … even if it meant that, once again, your own dream was coming true for someone else.”
* “I’m finding out that more and more of life just doesn’t make sense.”

I enjoyed this book. Tatlock weaves in God and Christianity in a gentle way, even having characters discover that perhaps Woolf’s “moments of being” were her own way of discovering God (even if she didn’t realize it). I think Tatlock’s fiction is a cut above the average Christian fiction, and I recommend her books.

[Margaret · Rating 3 out of 5]

The main character and the student, Satchel kept me going with the book. Elizabeth, the teacher really set the pace for me, her character was so well written. I really appreciated the excellent writing and constant reference to English literature. I think that I would have liked more spiritual content but at least it wasn't preachy. I am not sure why it didn't astound me because the stage was set but perhaps the ending was anticlimactic, at least it was for me.

[Akanke · Rating 4 out of 5]

Every Secret Thing was an endearing and timeless story that I really enjoyed reading. Ann Tatlock is a skillful writer that pens authentic characters with narratives that really draw you in. I appreciated that this novel was not a fluffy romance. The main character Elizabeth (Beth), is grappling with the meaning of life following her return to Delaware and her alma mater as an English teacher. Lest I give too much away I'll just leave things here...

[Nancy DeValve · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beth is a new teacher at the school she attended in high school. Taking on the new job and living on campus (the school is both a day school and a boarding school), memories of one of her teachers come to the surface. At the same time, one of her students and her bond over their love for writing and of books. The old teacher comes back into her life and her troubled student and he help each other in unusual ways.
The book is good. There are a lot of references to classic literature, but the author gives enough explanation and quotes that she doesn't assume her readers know what she's talking about. The book is written in 2007. Written in 2019 with today's Child Safety Policies at schools, she would surely have been fired for having a student alone at her house. Even in 2007 she should have known better even though in this instance it is a positive helpful relationship. It surprised me a bit, though, that the author seemed clueless about the dangers of one-on-one relationships with students, especially in a boarding school situation.

[Jeni Enjaian · Rating 4 out of 5]

A review from my old blog...

Ann Tatlock continues to be one of my absolute favorite authors. If she publishes a new book I will buy the book even without knowing what the book is about.

This book chronicles a time in the life of an English teacher at a prep school in Delaware. Beth loves books, even more than I do. I totally identified with her. I also identified with the really normal pace of the story and the completely believable pacing in the story.

Ann Tatlock weaves together Beth's memories, one of her student's writing and interweaving stories in the present time concerning Beth's search to understand why a favorite teacher would try to commit suicide and her favorite student's desire to be loved.

While some may say that the pacing is too slow I considered the pacing appropriate for the nature of the story. A true book lover will become absolutely infatuated with this book.

*Update*
I think that I identified with this book even more now that I am an English teacher myself. This book definitely stays in my collection.

[Deb · Rating 3 out of 5]

A powerful story that explores the effect secrets can have on us. Elizabeth Gunnar accepts a teaching position at the preparatory school she attended as a girl and she ends up returning to memories, mysteries, and an old love. The mystery if what really happened to her favorite teacher--right before the end of her senior year he tried to commit suicide and they never saw him again. The official story was that he had a heart attack--but Elizabeth and her friends were the ones who found him, and they know better. Now that Elizabeth is back at the school and with her old friends she keeps wondering what really happened to him. She also befriends one of her students--a precocious girl with a terrible home life. As a mentor to this young girl she hopes not to fail her in the same way she feels her teacher failed her. Fans of fiction that makes you think, especially with a Christian influence, will enjoy this one.

[Diana · Rating 5 out of 5]

Part of me wants to call this a nice comfortable read- which it is. However if you're a Curious George like me, you know there is a little more to the story. This book kept me reading to find the secrets that everyone was holding back. Not just things that happened, but also things that were felt were held inside, rather than bringing them before the other person and having a resolution. The other thing that intrigued me was that the main character had a teacher/mentor and was becoming that same thing to one of the students in her class. I loved the part where her former teacher/mentor quotes her high school essay that he did not agree with to the student she is now mentoring. Sometimes things come full circle and this book demonstrates that. What you send out will come back to you, and what is done in the darkness will eventually come to light. This book is not preachy at all but did put out some vibes for life lessons that will touch us all. I thoroughly enjoyed this book!

[Stacy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love Ann Tatlock but this is NOT one of my favorites! This book isn’t bad....it slowly peels back the layers of the “secret” as a teacher returns to her private high school and discovers the truth of what happened to a beloved teacher all of those years ago. I guess this wasn’t exactly what I expected and perhaps a little too “ordinary” and not mysterious enough. I also felt the romance was lacking as well.

[Marije · Rating 4 out of 5]

I got this book for my birthday (thanks mum!) and it took me a while to start reading it. But yesterday I finally started it and I really liked it! It was fun and it had a lot of literary references :-)

[Melissa (Distracted by New Grandbaby) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well written. Woman returns to teach at a prep school she once attended.

[Robin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mango

It is a quick read but meaningful. When the heart is open, there are ways to care about people in different circumstances.

[Amanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a wonderful book -- beautifully written and deeply emotional. This is what women's fiction should be.

[Deedee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Slow slice of everyday life.

[Barbara Harper · Rating 5 out of 5]

In Ann Tatlock’s novel Every Secret Thing, Elizabeth Gunnar had attended Seaton Preparatory School in Delaware. Her high school English teacher there, Mr. Dutton, encouraged and nurtured her love of literature and inspired her to become an English teacher herself.

There are mentions through the book that something terrible happened to Mr. Dutton, and his story is told piecemeal in Elizabeth’s flashbacks. He was a well-loved teacher, so his tragedy hit the student body hard. But Elizabeth and three of her friends were stunned that the school covered up what really happened.

Now, twenty years later, Elizabeth has returned to Seaton as an English teacher. Mr. Dutton’s shadow looms large, but eventually Elizabeth finds her footing. One of her students, a girl named Satchel Paige, seems aloof, but Elizabeth learns of her troubled family background, and they eventually form a relationship.

Elizabeth speaks often of what she calls “moments of being.” She borrowed the phrase from Virginia Woolf, who described them as “a sudden shock, a welcome shock, in which she sensed something beyond the visible, or, as she wrote, the shock ‘is or will become a revelation of some order; it is a token of some real thing behind appearances.'” Elizabeth felt those moments were God manifesting Himself or trying to get our attention, and she even wrote a paper on that premise. But she knew Virginia didn’t believe in God. And she was sad to discover that Mr. Dutton didn’t, either, though he gave her an A on her paper.

Satchel progresses well until a crisis at home affects both herself and Elizabeth.

I feel I am not doing justice to this story: there’s so much I can’t say because I don’t want to spoil it. But I loved this book.

For one thing, I loved the era. Elizabeth graduated a couple of years behind me, so all the 70s references were familiar and nostalgic to me.

Then I identified very much with Elizabeth as the bookish “Jesus freak” (as some Christians were called then) introverted A student.

I loved the threads of “moments of being” throughout the novel as well as the thread of invisibility. Both Elizabeth and Satchel had felt invisible for different reasons. Elizabeth brought up Jesus’s calling of Nathanael, seeing him when he thought he was alone under a fig tree. I liked the truth that sometimes God uses us in ways we never knew until much later.

Overall, it’s a beautiful, redemptive story. It’s one of my favorites of Ann’s.

[Sheenamy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ja...also dass ich das Buch nach einem Drittel weggelegt habe und erst mal 10 Wochen nicht mehr angeasst habe, spricht jetzt nicht unbedingt für das Buch. Das lag vor allem daran, dass das erste Drittel furchtbar langweilig war.
Also Beth kehrt nach Jahren als Lehrerin für Englisch an die Schule zurück, an der sie ihren Abschluss gemacht hat und trotz dessen, dass mindesten ein Jahrzehnt vergangen ist, hat sie nichts anderes zu tun als sich über ihren Englischlehrer von damals auszulassen. Der hat sich nämlich damals unter ziemlich seltsamen Umständen umgebracht, was natürlich böse ist, weil es Lieblingslehrer war, zu allem Überfluss war sie dabei als man ihn mit aufgeschlitzten Handgelenken gefunden hat. Sie trifft also alte Freunde wieder und auch mit diesen hat sie irgendwie nur ein Gesprächsthema: ihren ehemaligen Englischlehrer, Theodore Dutton. Das versteht nur niemand. Ich im übrigen auch nicht.

Beth: Denkst du noch manchmal an Mr. Dutton?
ihre Freunde: Nein. Warum auch? Das ist doch ewig her. Du etwa?
Beth: Hmm...täglich.
ihre Freunde: Warum das denn?!
Beth: Aber...Mr. Dutton...
Ich: *verdreht entnervt die Augen*

Nachdm Beth also hundert Jahre rumgeheult hat, mir Sachen von Delaware erzählt, die ich eigentlich nicht hätte wissen müssen, und sich außerdem irgendwie mit einer etwas rebellischen, aber dafür sehr literaturinteressierten Schülerin Satchel angefreundet hat, passiert etwas, das niemand erwartet hätte. Oh...und irgendwie bändelt sie noch mit ihrem alten und geschiedenen Schulfreund Ray an. Satchel erzählt sie, da wäre nichts, ihrer Mutter gegenüber erwähnt sie das Heiraten. Seltsame Geschichte.
Aber zurück zu der unerwartet Sachen: Theodore Dutton lebt! Ray, seiner Zeichens Arzt, hat einen Patienten im Zuckerkoma, der das passende Alter und Namen hat und die passenden Selbstmordnarben, auch wenn er sonst nicht nach dem einstigen Lehrer aussieht. Beth ist total aus dem Häuschen. Will ihn fragen, warum er sich umbringen wollte und so. Da trifft es sich ganz gut, dass sie sich im Krankenhaus auch mit seiner Frau anfreundet, die ihr im Übrigen erzählt, dass sie und ihr Mann einen Buchladen im nächsten Kaff haben. Wie praktisch.

Beth: Theodore Dutton ist nicht tot. Er lebt. Ich hab ihn gesehen und mit seiner Frau gesprochen!
Ihre Freunde: Na und?
Beth: ...Theodor Dutton...
Ich: *verdreht die Augen*

Nun ja...sie und ihre neue Freundin/Schülerin/Ersatztochter freunden sich mit den Duttons an und Satchel hilft sogar in deren Buchladen aus. Grund genug für Beth da öfters mal vorbeizuschauen, weil Theodor Dutton und so. In der Zwischenzeit hat man auch so einiges über Satchel erfahren: Seit dem Tod des Vaters kommt sie nicht mehr so super mit ihrer Mutter und deren neuen Mann klar, sie ist grundsätzlich irgendwie unglücklich, aber kann super schreiben, fühlt sich aber doch durch Beth und ihre Arbeit bei den Duttons zunehmend besser. Ach ja...Rays Exfrau taucht wieder auf und bittet um Verzeihung. Ray will es nochmal mit ihr versuchen, es wird wohl doch nichts aus Beth und ihm, was Beth jetzt auch nicht besonders zu stören scheint. Alles nett, alles gut.
Dann, der Schock: Ihre Eltern nehmen Satchel von der Schule. Oh Schreck, oh Schreck, on nein, oh nein.

Direktor: Satchel hat die Schule gewechselt. Ihre Mutter ist schwanger und möchte sie um sich haben.
Satchel: *schreibt in einem Brief, dass sie unglücklch ist*
Beth: Aber. Satchel. Ist. Unglücklich. Mann muss doch da irgendwas machen können, oder? Das können ihre Eltern doch nicht einfach machen, oder? Sie ist unglücklich!
Alle: Solange weder Missbrauch noch Vernachlässiung vorliegt, können ihre Eltern machen, was sie wollen.
Beth: Aber Satchel ist unglücklich.
Ich: *verdreht die Augen* Das hätte man aber auch wissen können, dass man da nichts machen kann. Dafür, dass du so belesen bist, hast du reichlich wenig Ahnung.

Dann läuft Satchel von zu Hause weg. Und taucht bei Beth auf...natürlich. Die auch prompt Satchels Eltern anruft, um ihnen zu verklickern, dass sie doch wenigstens Satchel das Schuljahr hier auf dem Internat beenden lassen sollen. Sie kommen vorbei, reden mit allen möglichen Leuten, um schließlich auszuflippen, und ihre Tochter wieder mit nach Hause zu nehmen. Die läuft aber noch auf dem Heimweg wieder weg und taucht dieses Mal nicht bei Beth auf.

Beth:...
Len:...
Die Duttons...
*warten auf Satchel*
Beth:....
Len:...
*sind verliebt*
Ich: *verdreht entnervt die Augen*

Ja...Len? Wo kommt der den plötzlich her? Ja...das ist der Neffe von Theodor Dutton, der bei seinem Onkel während seines Sabbatjahres rumhängt. Eigentlich der totale Nebencahrakter und dass die beiden plötzlich Gefühl füreinander haben, ist auch mehr so im Vorbeigehen und unmotiviert erzählt, aber wir wissen ja: Ohne einen Mann ist eine Frau ja auch nicht glücklich, auch wenn sie das behaupten mag. Und dann kommt ein bisschen Romance-Blabla. Date hier, privates Gespräch dort, man kennt das ja.
Ach übrigens...den Selbstmord hat Beth gegenüber Ted, wie sie ihn manchmal nennt, immer noch nicht erwähnt. Aber das kommt noch. Beth weiß nicht, wo Satchel ist, Mr. Dutton beruhigt sie, dass es ihr bestimmt gut geht, Beth macht sich trotzdem Sorgen, Mr. Dutton versichert ihr, sie sei an einem sicheren Ort, aber man müsse ihr Zeit lassen, Beth macht sich trotzdem Sorgen. Und flippt dann irgendwann aus. In der Folge wirft sie ihm halt alles mögliche vor...unter anderen seinen Selbstmordversuch. Das wiederum entsetzt Ted, weil man ihm nicht erzählt hat, dass seine Schüler ihn gefunden haben. Er entschuldigt sich. Zurückgeführt wird der Selbstmordversuch irgendwie auf...poetische Differenzen mit der Welt an sich, wenn es meiner Ansicht nach einer PBTS ist, was jetzt bei einem Vietnam-Veteran nicht so ungewöhnich wäre, aber poetische Differenzen mit der Welt klingt wohl einfach netter. Ach ja... und nach dieser Explosion vo Beth fällt alles in sich zusammen. Satchel taucht nämlich just in diesem Moment wieder auf, untergekommen war sie auf dem Dachboden der Duttons. Und dann: Friede, Freude,Eierkuchen.
Satchel darf zurück aufs Internat kommen, sagen ihre Eltern plötzlich aus Gründen, die nicht näher ausgeführt werden. Aber nur, wenn sie bei Beth wohnen darf. Da sagt Beth nicht nein.
Und danach gehen Beth und Len nach New York, um zu arbeiten. Satchel hat sich auch an einer Uni dort beworben.
Und Ray, der alte Schulfreund, heiratete wieder seine Exfrau. Freuen kann ich mich aber für ihn nicht.
Und alles nice und alles schön und alles Ende.

Warum ich dem Buch nach der Lästerorgie hier, trotzdem zwei Sterne gebe, liegt einfach daran, dass Beth zwar offenbar nicht weiß, wie man sich nicht total überzogen verhält, aber nach dem ersten Drittel ist das Buch ganz gut lesen, vom Schreibstil her, der Inhalt ist so eine Geschichte.

[Pauline · Rating 5 out of 5]

Here’s an interesting thing. I had the hard copy of this book on my shelf for years and kept passing over it when choosing a new book to read. When I was culling out books in order to rebuild my book shelves, I gave it away. What would possess me to do that? Simply, the photo on the cover. It was creepy to me and I just couldn’t pick it up. Fast forward. I really enjoy Ann Tatlock’s books and recently saw this on Kindle and bought it. Kindle has a different cover—flowers with butterflies.

I am a retired teacher and love “teacher stories.” Needless to say, I got wrapped up in this book and read way too late into the night. It wasn’t until today I came across the cover of the paperback book and realized what I’d done and why. I don’t know if anyone chooses books or doesn’t choose them because of their cover art—but this may be a lesson to us all.

Threads of memories tie us to the past and when Beth takes a job teaching at her old school, she must face painful memories and people of the past head-on. This book deals with forgiveness, grace, the development of faith. It covers varying views of love and life. The characters are so well written, I almost felt like I was watching a movie. Don’t let the paperback cover or anything keep you away from this book.

[Lisa Davis · Rating 2 out of 5]

I don't think this book was accurately described. I thought it was more of a mystery, of some dark secret being revealed due to the plucky heroine's diligence and insight. Instead it was a tediously predictable romance novel with the main character obsessing over the actions of a teacher occurring decades before that she didn't understand.

There was the added element of a troubled child, "rescued" by main character Beth, a stereotypical step family of said child with a whiny mother in a second marriage who first shunted the child off to boarding school and then demanded she return to "wait hand and foot" on her mother who was expecting a child.

What is it with what I call overly emotional female heroines who obsess over past events they cannot change and who are also obsessed with "why did this happen." As one of her childhood friends noted "It really isn't any of your business."

I finished the book but unless you want a very predictable mundane romance with trite and cliched writing, maybe pass this one up.

[Claudia Cheyne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Elizabeth Gunnar has mixed emotions about starting a new school year at Seaton Preparatory. Previously she attended there as a student, now she will be teaching English classes. Beth (her preferred nickname) can't help but think about her own English teacher, Mr. Theodore Dutton, who encouraged her to follow that career path. However, an incident involving Mr. Dutton which occurred shortly before graduation has haunted her all these years and returning to where it took place throws Beth off kilter as memories come flooding back. Will she ever find out the truth regarding a huge secret she was forced to keep? A troubled student in need of help becomes part of Beth's life both inside and out of the classroom.
This is a Christian novel. It is not at all preachy. In fact, it is very subtle in the way the author talks about God. I am going to look for more of Ann Tatlock's books during my next visit to the library.

[Joleen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an odd little book. Some characters are only in the book for a short while and drift off, but even the little mentioned ones have significance.
Set in present day, in Delaware at a private boarding school, Beth Gunnar returns to the school not as a student, but as a teacher. A young student named Satchel Queen becomes a friend of sorts. Satchel is miserable and lets everyone know she's unhappy. But the friendship between teacher and student brings her out of her sad, angry state.
An old friend from Beth's school days is brought back into her life, and because of that an old teacher they thought was dead is also reunited with her. The blending of all these people makes for an interesting book.

[Shirley · Rating 5 out of 5]

I saw so many recognizable characters in this writing, including myself. It is so hard to deal with issues of disappointment and loss of trust, loving but not being loved, suicide and abandonment, and being "invisible" without being harsh or insensitive. This author gives careful consideration to all of that through believable people going through those experiences. I don't often read a Christian themed book that manages to communicate that God is less concerned about belief than he is about us knowing that we are loved. Excellent writing especially for those who have a love of literature, poetry and how those genres speak of life, aloneness, "moments of being" and the "sensus divinitatis".

[Debi Srader · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book of Books

For as much knowledge as the author obviously has of literature, I was truly disappointed in the main character’s little regard for the Book of Books-the Bible! I agree with her father’s assessment that Psalms are very good poetry-and inerrantly true, unlike Virginia Woolf’s assertions that ultimately lead her to suicide. I love to read as much as any bibliophile, but I know what is fiction, fluff, and what is bedrock Truth and Life and Living Water. I kept hoping Beth would get saved like Mr. Dutton apparently did, and become a lover of the Word of Truth and not so pitifully dependent on lesser books, yea,in her case, lesser gods. :/

[Mary Hamilton · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ann Tatlock is a wonderful, talented writer. And this book was no exception. The characters become real people and the reader hates to say goodbye at the end. I loved the young girl, Satchel, and her relationship with Mr. Dutton. And I especially appreciate the minimal romance in the story.

I can't say I connected with this one as well as some of her other stories. I don't think I got a strong enough feel for Beth's original relationship with Dutton. I would've been Natalie, Ben or Ray who moved on and put it behind them. I didn't feel like Dutton "owed" her an explanation. But it is still a very well-written story that kept my attention the whole time.

[Lynn · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a different kind of book from what I usually read. It was a book that didn't have tons of action, but it didn't drag, it moved at a good pace. It was a very pleasant read and one I did struggle to put down. When Beth goes back to her old school to teach she is confronted with memories, old friends and things that have left a lasting impact on her. I really enjoyed reading about her student Satchel. She was a well developed character that I really empathized with and found myself invested in her story. It isn't overly christian, but there is a a thread of God's presence as the characters struggle with his influence on their lives.

[Dianne Sidebottom · Rating 5 out of 5]

This story covers the past and present with Beth and Satchel the main characters. I had found reading this book God inspired (that I needed to read this book) and the lessons learned by the characters are also relevant to me. Also with reading books in the past I had missed much of what was behind what was written. Classic literature and English classes went over my head in school n reflecting now in older years the light bulb moment has just been revealed. I may have missed this if not for this book. Thanks Ann for writing this book.

[Emma Filbrun · Rating 4 out of 5]

There were definitely things I did not enjoy about this book, but it all worked together in the end. After Elizabeth came home to teach in her old school, she was forced to think about a former teacher and his suicide. Why did he do it? Then, she has a student who needs her the way she needed her former teacher. Can she help her student find healing—and is there any chance she can find healing, and maybe even love, in the process? The ending was lovely, and the lessons learned along the way were valuable.