My Mother's Wish by Jerry Camery-Hoggatt - and a Giveaway!

About My Mother's Wish:

A grandfather’s song turns a diner into hallowed ground, like a church. A contrary girl with a gypsy heart feels the tug of home. A mother, far away, confronts impossible expectations. And a truck driver named Jedidah keeps his foot on the gas to sweep you into an unforgettable story of belonging and grace.

Readers looking for a meaningful, powerful read on a winter’s evening or with the family will love the rich 1960s nostalgia captured in the Midwest of Jedidiah’s and Ellee’s story; the peace found when family strife boils over, and the gentle reminders of the influence and effect every life has on another.

My Mother’s Wish is an unforgettable, powerful tale that ends on a memorable Christmastime note, but will be cherished and reread year-round for its bold message of grand hopes, impossible expectations, and the gift of grace that comes in between.

About Jerry Camery-Hoggatt:

Jerry Camery-Hoggatt, Ph.D., is professor of New Testament at Vanguard University, in Costa Mesa, California. A professional storyteller, he is the author of the highly-acclaimed Christmas stories When Mother Was Eleven-Foot-Four (in trade adult and children’s picture book editions) and Givers of Gifts; plus Irony in Mark’s Gospel and Grapevine: A Spirituality of Gossip. His passion is theology and storytelling, which he believes are meant to go together. Jerry and his wife, Shaleen, are the parents of three children.

My Thoughts:

My Mother's Wish is the endearing story of Ellee McKutcheon, a young girl who seeks to express her individuality but whose spirit is crushed mercilessly again and again by her demanding mother. As Ellee grows up, she is still unable to conform to meet her mother's expectations, so she runs away from home only to be transported on a journey she never expects. She finds herself in a seemingly mundane place, a small-town diner, with equally mundane participants...a waitress, a grandfather, and a truck driver...where she receives a message that is so simple it's profound. The insightful rendezvous ends with Ellee returning home at Christmastime, to find out that she's not the only member of the family who has had a life-changing epiphany.

I read this book through a first time and wasn't quite sure what to think of it, especially at the spot where Ellee starts her journey. I decided that I would mull the book over for a few days and then reread it. It seemed like the pieces came together much better for me as I reread it that second time. I immediately fell in love with Ellee...she is a character you can't help but feel tenderness towards. Jerry Camery-Hoggatt does a wonderful job at not just showing the reader the emotions that Ellee is experiencing at her mother's injustice, but making the reader feel them as well. This book is definitely thought-provoking, and well worth the read...and would make a great stocking stuffer this holiday season.

Would you like a chance to win a copy of this book?

Multnomah Publishers was kind enough to send one copy for me to give away, so US residents please leave your comments with contact info (you at yoohoo dot com) by midnight Saturday, November 22nd, 2008, to be included in the drawing. I'll draw a name and notify that person sometime on Sunday.