Wildflowers from Winter: A Review

This book is so good, I find it hard to believe it is Ganshert’s debut novel. The characters are well-developed, the plot well-planned, and the writing well-executed.

When Bethany fled her trailer park past to become an architect in Chicago, she never planned to go back to her past and its memories. However, when her grandfather dies and she is laid off, Bethany is called back to the world she so desperately tried to leave behind. Now heir to her grandfather’s farm, Bethany is stuck since Evan, the brother-in-law of her childhood best friend, owns the farmhouse and animals, making it difficult for Bethany to sell the land. Will being stuck in the middle of nowhere for a cold winter sprout wildflowers in her own life?

Bethany is a cold character. Childhood troubles taught her to bury her emotions deep, yet Ganshert makes her likeable by slowly revealing why she is the way she is. Because the book takes place over almost a year’s time, Bethany’s “thawing” is authentic and profound. Evan is also a great character. Who doesn’t like the farm guy who works with his hands? J

What I think makes this book great is the author’s slow reveals….emotions, feelings, and revelations of the past come at a steady pace, allowing the reader to feel with the characters. The writing style draws the readers in and makes Ganshert a Christian fiction author to watch.