Thursday, July 19, 2012

Hope Springs

Hope Springs by Kim Cash Tate tells the story of 3 cousins in the Saunders family who travel to their grandmother’s home to spend Christmas together but end up staying longer and learning about themselves and solving some of their problems. Janelle Evans’ husband died a few years earlier, and she finds it hard to go back to the pace they spent so much time together. Stephanie London lives in St. Louis with her husband and is nominated by her father as the one to represent the family at this holiday. Libby seems to be searching for something in her life, and she is unable to commit to a relationship. When these cousins reunite and learn their Grandmother Geri is sick, they decide to move in with her to help take care of the home and take her to doctor appointments. This book looked at more than just family secrets. It also looked at the racial divide that still may exist in some areas. I liked the overall idea of the book and the focus on the importance of family. I also liked how each of these characters were so different from one another. Even though they were cousins, and were raised in similar families, they ended up completely different from one another. I liked this book, but I felt like I was very confused with all of the characters. There were cousins, aunts and uncles, neighbors, random family friends, and grandchildren. I was unable to remember all of the characters connections to one another until I was basically finished the book. I think some of the characters could have been removed and the book would still have relayed the same meaning. Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com [...] book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255 [...] : "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."