Mailbox Monday - June 26

Mailbox Monday is a meme started by Marcia of To Be Continued. Mailbox Monday is the gathering place for readers to share the books that came in their mailbox during the last week. It now has a permanent home at the Mailbox Monday blog.

Warning: Mailbox Monday can lead to envy, toppling TBR piles, and humongous wish lists.

If you're here, welcome. As I mentioned last week I merged The Busy Mom's Daily and Cheryl's Christian Book Connection into this blog, which I think will work out much better. Last week was a bit hectic with appointments and end of school year stuff. Dance recital was Saturday and I worked all day Sunday. Someone I still managed to get some cleaning done around here and some farming for real estate.

My mailbox made me happy last week as I received a book from one of my favorite southern fiction authors I ordered and then a book of poetry I am reviewing for a book tour arrived.

Chattahoochee, Florida, a town with a state mental institution on its main drag, seldom slips from its usual relaxed pace. Detached from the tourist havens farther south, everyone here knows everybody else. Senior citizen Elvina Houston, head of the little-ole-lady hotline, keeps her nose wedged in the middle. October typically brings three well-attended festivals and a break from the oppressive summer. But this year, the relentless heat and humidity continue and a parade of horribles cranks up for Jake Witherspoon, his best friend Hattie Davis Lewis, and her older brother Bobby, one that will affect their intertwined families, friends, and the entire town. The incidents Jake perceives as a replay of his horrible assault are every bit as real as the twisted man who inches into Hattie's family. How this group of small town folk handles the clash with hate and crime is a tribute to resiliency, friendship, and hope.

In this rare collection of nonfiction Christian poetry and prose based on real life experiences, Diamante Lavendar, a victim of abuse, shows the reader the raw emotions of pain, hate, and denial that occur before a victim of abuse can find a way to heal from the pains of assault. Knowing herself the very difficult journey of being a victim, Diamante was abused as a child, and turned to alcohol and drugs to numb the pain. Many years later, she started to heal under God's watchful eyes and was able to find love in her life again. She shares these truly inspiring, religious poems in the hopes that it may help other victims heal their hurts, as she did while writing the poetry collection.

Hope you'll share what was in your mailbox too. Enjoy your week!