The Prayer Box by Lisa Wingate

About the Book:

When Iola Anne Poole, an old-timer on Hatteras Island, passes away in her bed at ninety-one, the struggling young mother in her rental cottage, Tandi Jo Reese, finds herself charged with the task of cleaning out Iola’s rambling Victorian house.

Running from a messy, dangerous past, Tandi never expects to find more than a temporary hiding place within Iola’s walls, but everything changes with the discovery of eighty-one carefully decorated prayer boxes, one for each year, spanning from Iola’s youth to her last days.

Hidden in the boxes is the story of a lifetime, written on random bits of paper—the hopes and wishes, fears and thoughts of an unassuming but complex woman passing through the seasons of an extraordinary, unsung life filled with journeys of faith, observations on love, and one final lesson that could change everything for Tandi.

My Thoughts:

This was not what I expected.  Instead "The Prayer Box" turned into far more than just a story about an old woman who died and a young woman who found some old letters.  "The Prayer Box" is a story of hope, of faith, of standing strong in our identity as daughters of the King and not allowing anyone to define us.

Tandi is so beaten down and nearly destroyed by the time she finds safety in the little bungalow on Iola's property.  Desperate for a new way of life for herself and her two children, she's pretty much given up hope.  Then she finds Iola, passed into the arms of Jesus, and Tandi's real journey begins there.

Nothing in this book happens by chance.  You can see (and feel) the fingerprints of God on Tandi's life, her son J.T.'s and especially on her daughter Zoey's lives.  Even when the less than hopeful events take place, don't lose heart...God has a plan for Tandi.

Well, actually, Lisa Wingate has a plan for Tandi's life...but I fully believe it is blessed by God to help women in bondage and/or abuse be set free.  This is more than just fiction.

This is a warm and tender hug wrapped up in imaginary characters designed to lead us to the Savior, one page at a time.  My copy is a bit tear-stained, or I'd loan it to you.  Instead, I'm encouraging you to go and get your own copy and savor the story of two women, born generations apart, working their way toward Jesus.

Maybe "The Prayer Box" will become your story as well.  "The Prayer Box" is published by Tyndale Publishing and is available in bookstores and online retailers.  Highly recommended.




Happy Reading!





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