Words

Title: Words

Author: Ginny L Yttrup

Genre: Christian Fiction

Publishing Date: Feb 1, 2011

Publisher: B&H

Length: 352 Pages

About the Book:

“I collect words. I keep them in a box in my mind. I’d like to keep them in a real box, something pretty, maybe a shoe box covered with flowered wrapping paper. Whenever I wanted, I’d open the box and pick up the papers, reading and feeling the words all at once. Then I could hide the box. But the words are safer in my mind. There, he can’t take them.”

Ten-year old Kaylee Wren doesn’t speak. Not since her drug-addled mother walked away, leaving her in a remote cabin nestled in the towering redwoods-in the care of a man who is as dangerous as he is evil. With silence her only refuge, Kaylee collects words she might never speak from the only memento her mother left behind: a dictionary.

Sierra Dawn is thirty-four, an artist, and alone. She has allowed the shame of her past to silence her present hopes and chooses to bury her pain by trying to control her circumstances. But on the twelfth anniversary of her daughter’s death, Sierra’s control begins to crumble as the God of her childhood woos her back to Himself.

Brought together by Divine design, Kaylee and Sierra will discover together the healing mercy of the Word-Jesus Christ.

My Review:

Leave it to a book called Words to leave me speechless. I happened to snag a copy of this from a friend’s bookshelf and was sucked so deeply into Kaylee and Sierra’s world that I occasionally had to force myself to come up for air. I don’t feel that I have the nearly the right words to do this novel justice.

I wouldn’t call this a read for the faint at heart. Kaylee’s childhood was nothing short of a nightmare. Although it was difficult to read, I believe the author did an amazing job of revealing what was happening without getting too graphic with the content. When I first started reading I didn’t know if I’d be able to make it past the first chapter but I was encouraged on and it really was a remarkable story.

One thing that I know will stick with me from this one is that even though we have our broken pasts and can’t change them, we can choose how to live now and what we are going to do for our future. Whether the pain in our past is from our own poor choices or those of someone else, we can continue to let it eat away at us or we can hand it over to the Lord and seek healing that can only come through Him.

I read this book after several recommendations and even though it was one that brought me to tears on more than one occasion, it was still a powerful read that managed to still find a way to end in hope. If you haven’t given this one a read yet I’d highly recommend it, but be aware for trigger warnings in regards to drugs and child sexual abuse. I believe this would be a good read for those interested in or currently dealing with the foster care system. While Kaylee may be a fictional character, the horrors she experienced are unfortunately the true stories of many hurting children. This isn’t a book to step into lightly, but it’s one that will permanently etch it’s way into your heart.

Rating: