RACHEL’S PRAYER
by Leisha Kelly
This book is a slice of life during the second World War. It focuses on two families, the Worthams and the Hammonds. They live right next to each other and their lives are intertwined in many ways. George Hammond lost his wife 10 years before and the Worthams have been helping out with all the kids. As the book opens Robert Wortham, Joe and William Hammond and Rorey Hammond’s boyfriend Lester were heading off to war. Rachel is Robert’s girlfriend and it’s her prayer that is woven throughout the book and is prayed by most of the characters.
The author has a really unique writing style. The author chose three of the main characters and wrote each chapter from their point of view. Julia Wortham is the matriarch of the Wortham family. Sarah is her daughter. Frank is the oldest Hammond who’s still living at home. By telling the story from each of these points of view the reader really gets to know what’s going on inside their heads. It’s a way of getting to know the characters in a way that you can’t with normal writing styles.
When Julia’s character is narrating the reader gets a real understanding of what it’s like to raise children during that age and the effect of a son being overseas. Mail at that time took weeks which added even more stress.
Sarah is Julia’s daughter. She seems to be very mature for her age. She graduates from high school early and then helps around the house and on the farm. She’s not sure why, but Robert, in one of his letters, asks her to befriend Frank.
Frank is George’s son and has the weight of the family on his shoulders. George is still having a hard time dealing with the loss of his wife. Now he has two sons in danger in the war. His way of dealing with it is to find a bottle. Frank has to spend a lot of his time trying to keep his father from drinking. Frank also has to deal with the guilt that he isn’t over fighting in the war himself. He has a limp and he can’t read so the military refused him when he tried to enlist.
The author has a wonderful way of showing through these three people how much better life is when you have your faith to fall back on. Frank can’t read yet knows the Scriptures better than any other character. Each one turns to prayer when the times get rough.
I would highly recommend this book for readers of all ages.
Reviewed by Lynn Worley
chbookshelf August 31, 2006
Rachel’s Prayer by Leisha Kelly is set in the 1940′s. The novel centers around service men, their family and their neighbors in a small rural area. The author draws the reader into the families hardships, trials and tribulations and their fears about family members going to war.
The main characters consisted of family members the mother, Julia, the father, Samuel, daughter, Sarah, and sons, Frank and Robert. Robert had already left for the service while Frank tried to enlist. However, he was denied because of a physical defect, which caused a great concern to him as he felt dejected.
The George Hammond family were neighbors. George was a widower with many children. Julia and Samuel helped to care for this family. George was an alcoholic which affected his priorities in raising his family and put the burden of keeping the family together on the older children. His son Willy enlisted in the army with Robert and together they departed.
The story was written in the first person with Julia, Frank and Sarah being the main people contributing. They shared their views on life and told of all the happenings in each family.
At the end of the book there were several deaths which surprised me. However, it was written very realistically and certainly made me think of the hardships the people back then endured.
The beginning of the book was a slow start for me. Actually, it was not the best book I have ever read but it did hold my interest to enable me to finish it. I don’t know if I would read another of Ms. Kelly’s books. I wasn’t impressed with the style of her writing.
Reviewed by Donna Swanger