A Thank You

Abby's Mom here.  A big thank-you to any of you who bought any of my books for gifts this Christmas. TBOB had a nice little spike in sales that helped me donate to a lady that has a Blind Horse rescue that lost her husband of 19 years to a heart attack a few days ago and didn't have the means for a proper burial as well as help a couple of bloggers with unexpected Vet bills. I love to write, but wouldn't have gone through the whole book publication/editing thing (not fun) except to help folks I couldn't otherwise be able to help.

I've appreciated all the reviews, but this recent one on my book published in November really struck home as the reader really understood the message of the book, which though from a Christian publisher, is less about any specific religious doctrine and more about living a life of love and peace and caring for each other as neighbors, as Christ would have done.

The photo above - the barn I would pass on my way to work when I lived in Indiana.  The rail spike on the cover from Small Town Roads was part of its door and I loved the photo.

5.0 out of 5 starsIf you like a book that will make you think, this is the one

By Ted Doty on January 12, 2017

Format: Paperback Verified Purchase

If you like a book that will make you think, this is the one L.B. Johnson's novel is about self-discovery in a small town. What really shines is less the story line than the psychological exploration of the heroine. That exploration (and her lush writing style) makes the characters come to life. Indeed, it makes us consider our own lives - as someone who has a family member struggling with dementia, this bit about the heroine's mother and her struggle with Alzheimer's jumped at me:

"Initially, she had little moments of forgetfulness, like any person of her age, but she was such a bundle of energy, still active in church and volunteering, taking dance classes, working in the garden. Then one morning, out of the blue, she came into the kitchen and sat down, looking at me and I realized she did not have a clue as to who I was. What struck me was not that but the look on her face as she realized this, realized she should know."

Johnson's ability to make you stop reading and think about your own life is remarkable and is spread throughout the book. This about a rescue dog is one of a million similar gems:

 "On my couch is the form of a little black dog. I do not know why Clyde was a stray. He responds with great plaintiff urgency to the sound of small children laughing, looking around for them as to say "my kids, my kids" only to get this look of pure sadness when he sees they are strangers. The first time I witnessed it, I cried."

Johnson tells you a story not by telling it, but by showing you these scenes, one after another. I found it a slow book to read because I would suddenly snap back from where I had been mentally wandering, remembering a time when I too had had an experience like what was being described.

This book asks big questions: What is it to be human? What is it to live the Good Life? What is it to leave that Good Life?

 I cannot recommend this book more highly