About the Book

Book: A Promise Child
Author: Kathryn Spurgeon
Genre: Inspirational historic fiction
Release Date: September 10, 2017

She can’t survive the ‘30s alone…

Sibyl Trimble does everything she can to keep her family together. Before falling in love with a handsome, penniless hobo, she lived a life of new cars, speakeasies dances, and fancy cloche hats.

Then the Great Depression hits Oklahoma. The wind blows topsoil away, hundreds of jobless men hang around town, and the economy falls apart. Even Fremont, her strong, stable husband, grows discouraged and considers leaving as they struggle to put food on the table.

When disaster strikes again, will Sibyl and Fremont move on to California or try to survive in Oklahoma? Neither option sounds promising.

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MY THOUGHTS.....

Once again author Kathryn Spurgeon has written a novel that is based on true facts from her grandmother's life. Sibyl Trimble was her grandmother and Spurgeon has used both family records and historical facts to continue her grandmother's story. It is now January 1936 and Sibyl is happily married to Fremont Pope and the mother of two children. Her life, however, is far from easy because the Depression has left Shawnee, Oklahoma with failing banks, failed businesses, no jobs, and extreme poverty, not to mention the dust storms they had to endure! As Sibyl works to feed her children and live a Christian life, she still struggles with the realization that the wealthy father that she once adored isn't as admirable as she once thought. "As a child, Papa had always seemed bigger than life to me. A dad I cared about. Along the way, my vision of him had fallen, and I struggled with how to view him now." I was so sad for this daughter who had lost faith in her father!

Sybil's story is a tale of family hurts and extreme poverty and even when Sibyl felt defeated, she never completely lost hope until....an unthinkable tragedy came to her family and Sibyl and Fremont found themselves floundering. Had Sibyl Trimble Pope finally reached the end of her rope? Would she and Fremont be able to walk through this fire unscathed? Did God really see their pain?

I enjoyed this second book in the Promise series and I truly appreciate the research that Spurgeon has devoted to it. A Promise Child is often sad but the time period that it covers was an extremely difficult time in our nation's history. My Daddy was a child during this time and he has mentioned how hard it was on his Kentucky farm family. This novel is an accurate depiction of the heartache and struggles that our nation suffered so it is often sad but it shows that through the worst times imaginable, those who loved and trusted in a greater power were able to see it through. Another testament to the power of love and trust!

A Promise Child is the second of a three part series devoted to Sibyl and Fremont Pope and it covers their lives until 1939. I am so eager to learn what is ahead for Sybil, Fremont, and their families and I recommend it to all who enjoy historical fiction! If you enjoy stories of hope and faith, you will want to read A Promise Child.

I received a copy of this book from the author but I wasn't required to write a favorable review. These are my honest thoughts.

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

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About the Author

Kathryn Spurgeon, an award-winning author and recipient of a 2018 Illumination Book Award, has published over a hundred stories, articles, and poems. She grew up on an Oklahoma farm before moving to South Korea, where she adopted two children. She and her husband, Bill, hold weekly studies in their home for international college students. They have six children and twelve grandchildren.

More from Kathryn

Researching and writing about the 1930s has been a blast, and although it was the economically worst decade of the last century, faith, love, and life went on. It has been fun to glimpse into that historical time and find amazing and uplifting stories. Sibyl Trimble, my grandmother and the ever up-and-down, emotional but brilliant lady, did her best to create a great family environment. Seeking God, she also studied, taught, and shared about Christ in the midst of heartaches. Based on a true story, I hope this tale will inspire, uplift, and bring a touch of nostalgia to your day. The strength and courage Sibyl revealed can encourage us all and I am honored to share her tale with you.