Whither Shall I Go by Gina Holder
Let me start off with reading is a highly subjective experience. Based on the reviews on Amazon, there are many people who very much love this story. This book has touched and will touch the hearts and lives of those God intends it to touch.
This time around, I was not one of those readers, and that is okay. For me, the struggle came through the multiple points of view and the large expanse of time this story covered. I will say, the farther I got into the story the more I enjoyed it, but it did take a while for me.
While this story is not my particular cup of tea, it may be something someone else will find great joy in. So below is my typical review format.
Genre: Historical Fiction, Multiple Locations, starts 1910
Favorite Character and Why:Â Â Ellie because it was very neat to watch her grow and learn to trust God with her future.
What I liked:Â You can really tell how much hard work and research went to creating this detail-rich story.
Who would like this:Â Those who like stories that take place across a long expanse of time, have multiple point of views, and characters who struggle to trust God with their futures and wherever He calls them to go.
Amazon Blurb:
In 1911, Ellie Williams struggles to see God’s hand in her life when she loses both parents and is sent to live with her wealthy, estranged aunt, who transforms her from awkward country bumpkin to socialite heiress. Six years later, she meets a young preacher and finds hope as they serve the Lord together.
Robert Hampton is deeply devoted to God and desires to take the gospel to the unreached natives of Brazil. He didn’t expect to fall in love. When he is drafted, Robert is torn between his duty as a soldier and his budding affections for Ellie. Will Robert survive the trenches? Will he lose the only woman he’s ever loved?
Ellie’s journey takes her from her home in Cades Cove, Tennessee, to the concrete jungle of New York City, and finally to the harsh unforgiving world of the Amazon River Basin, where she meets Paul, a doctor who’s lost his way, and Jack, a soldier with amnesia. Encountering anacondas, jaguars, and an antagonistic shaman, will Ellie give in to the fears that threaten to overwhelm her?
Or can she depend upon God’s grace to bring about His will for her life?