Forevermore

This was a real hoot to read. I just fell in love with Hope Ladley. Jakob Stauffer saw Hope as not tall or short, not skinny or plump, not gorgeous but not ugly; she was just Hope, and "one of the most endearing traits, though, was her spontaneity. No matter what she did, she did it with joy. Her zest for life shone like the brightest star". I had a smile on my face most of the way through this book, especially when Hope would say one of her crazy cliches.
Hope is like a dandelion in the wind, she goes from one farm to the next, wherever she feels God directing her, where she helps out until she feels she needs to move on. In the beginning of the book she finds herself pulling into the Stauffer farm right before harvest. She knows this is where she is suppose to be as Jakob is trying to raise his little girl, take care of his pregnant sister and bring in the harvest. Hope jumps right in and becomes the stable force in the lives of everyone. Jakob is still feeling the loss of his wife, Annie is pregnant and fearful her abusive husband will come for her and little Emmy-Lou is a sweetheart that also has an obstacle to overcome. Hope is the answer they all need and you can't help but love her! But Hope doesn't stay in one place long, so can they convince her that she can stay with them "forevermore".
I don't usually think about re-reading a story after having just finished it, but I could read this one again, just for the pleasure of it. As a sidelight, as also loved the cover. This is one of Cathy Marie Hake's best stories I have read so far! ( )

Hero: Jakob Stauffer is a widower with a very young daughter and a sister to protect from an abusive husband.
Hope Ladley is our unconventional heroin, she has a unquic veiw of life.
She trsvels around helping feed the farm hands during harvest.
She instinctively sees the need to protect Anne his sister and Emmy-Lou his daughter. I loved this book!!!!! ( )

Hope Ladley is like a "dandelion wishy"; she blows from place to place, helping people as God leads. Independent, unschooled (she cannot read or write, and constantly bumbles cliches), with a heart for the Lord, she lands on Jakob Stauffer's farm and changes things forever. A widower with a young daughter and pregnant sister to care for, Jakob is hesitant about letting Hope and her unconventional ways stay on his farm. Yet together they provide safety, fun and love for all on the farm.

I recommend this book for anyone looking for a fun, heartwarming book. Lovable characters with real-life struggles and issues, it is easy to relate to Hope and Jakob. This is book four of a five-book series, but all can stand on their own. ( )

NCLA Review - Hope Ladley, an itinerant cook, drifts throughout Texas directed by God to go where she is most needed. Jacob Stauffer a widower is coping with the loss of his beloved wife, raising a small daughter, and caring for his pregnant sister who was abused by her husband. Hope’s arrival creates seemingly chaotic changes in his lifestyle. Can Hope live up to her name and bring hope, healing and happiness to this family through her faith in God? She can and she does. But will Hope follow God’s direction and change her own life as well or will she continue to be an itinerant without family or roots forevermore? Many of the same characters from Hake’s previous novel, Fancy Pants make an appearance in this heart-warming story. Forevermore is a story of hope and faith triumphing over despair and hopelessness. Rating: 3 —MF . 350p, paper, Bethany 2008, $13.99 [FIC 813.6] ( )