Hope Springs by Kim Cash Tate

Hope Springs is the little town where Grandma Geri’s family and friends come together to support her during her cancer diagnosis.  Her family members are surprised to learn that she has hidden a secret from them for years.  In revealing it, she puts herself at risk of rejection by those she loves.  Meanwhile, her granddaughters are also dealing with difficult life lessons and encountering lost loves. 

Kim Cash Tate weaves themes of family, loyalty, love and loss throughout this book.  Not having read any of her previous books, I found it difficult to keep up with the many different characters.  Her theme of racial reconciliation was presented plainly.   However, because it was difficult to keep the characters straight, I wasn’t always sure of their racial heritage, and that made understanding the plot trickier.  Now that I have been introduced to the main characters, I would consider reading her previous books.  As a Christian author, she handles modern-day issues of sexual purity and pregnancy outside marriage sensitively.  Her characters, though flawed, learn and grow in grace from their mistakes.  The book didn’t have a “perfect “ending, but a realistic one.  I am grateful for the free copy from the publisher and this is my honest review.