A Promise Kept

Robin Lee Hatcher shared this story because it was her own situation that she was once in. Certainly not all the details, but some of them rang true. Allison, the main character, was moving into an old log cabin she had inherited from her deceased aunt Emma after a divorce caused an excoriating separation from Tony. Allison was determined to carry on with her life, still not believing they were divorced. Her biggest struggle was with God. Allison thought the promise of their vows would last forever, never knowing from the start that an alcoholic husband would be the death of their marriage.Well it was over, but they were parents of a daughter who had graduated from college, and she came home on vacation from her new job, and had to share her time with two parents who lived a couple hours apart. Tony begins anew at AA, and starts passing milestones. He is already up to 6 months, but not only that, his attitude was changing. He began apologizing, taking responsibility for his actions, claiming it was his fault, and at every opportunity rectifying situations and relationships. He was nice, and sweet, and loving. His old self had practically disappeared. He stopped his drinking and expecting others to meet his need first. He was nice to be with, and both his ex wife and his daughter came to a place of forgiving him and accepting him, especially during holidays and planning a family camping trip.The part of the book that attracted me was that in moving to the log cabin, Allison found two old trunks in the attic. She had never been permitted in the attic as a child, so this discovery peaked her curiosity. She found treasure, but her best find was Aunt Emma's journals. They were written during the years from 1915 until her death in her eighties. Reading these chapters interspersed with present day happenings revealed some shocking secrets. I liked how much their lives took some of the same turns.God worked in all of their lives, in Allison and Tony, but also in Aunt Emma.The story is very clean Christian fiction, and I gave Robin five stars for how well she developed her characters. A great read!

After having gone through the devastating effects of a divorce myself and believing that "whatsoever God has put together, let no man put asunder", I could very well relate to everything Allison and Emma experienced. Divorce (no matter the reason) feels like you're expecting a loss equivalent to the death of your best friend except for one very important thing - they are still alive. Accepting that is so hard, especially when you fill that you've failed, failed yourself, your family, and most of all, the Lord. Learning to lean on Him and allowing Him to bring you out the other side, can be difficult but very rewarding. Allison did a lot of spiritual growing while reading Emma's diaries. I wish that I had had a chance to speak with my aunt who had had a divorce. The subject is handled extremely well and we are allowed to see how that God can use others to do His work.

This is the first Robin Lee Hatcher book I have read. I could not put it down and finished it in six days! I am the daughter of an alcoholic mother who beat me unmercifully and am divorced from a very unfaithful man who bullied me emotionally, so this story really resonated strongly with me. I wept, I smiled, I hoped and experienced despair with the two main characters. Ms. Hatcher weaves the stories of these two women together so masterfully - she is a very gifted storyteller. I will start reading Love Without End today and expect a similar experience.I highly recommend A Promise Kept to every woman, no matter what her life experience, for encouragement and hope in your life journey.

I absolutely loved this book. The twists and turns went right along with the heartache and redemption. A story lived through two broken womens lives two generations apart. One in the present, one in the past. Both stories heartbreaking and heartwarming. Both stories bring glory to God and his ultimate plan for us and how we need to heal if we will just accept the help he offers us through other people. The character were well developed and the story flowed easily making the book hard to put down once you began reading.

The story of Allison and Tony are one of dealing with a typical alcoholic. It started gradually and became worse along with infidelity on Tonys part. That lead to divorce and Allison moving into her bread aunt Emma's cabin.While living there she finds journals written by her great aunt Emma. As she reads she sees a parallel with herself and her aunt. She solves the mysteries of her aunts life.Through her daughter she finds that her ex husband has changed and finds that she can spend time with him. He has changed. She has changed also. God has changed both of them. Great book.

Thoroughly enjoyed this book. Really liked how the story alternated between Allison, rebuilding her life after divorce, and her Aunt Emma, whose diaries she found and whose house she inherited. The plot weaved their stories together and provided a framework for Allison's healing and her rekindled openness to God's plan for her life. As humans, we see the jumbled threads on the back of the tapestry and it looks messy and confusing. God sees the completed tapestry of our life. Would highly recommend to others!!!! When you complete the book and think how much you loved it .... there's more.

Dreams have been shattered for Allison,retreating to a cabin that had been left to her. The attic was never opened to them when they came as children. Now it beckons her to investigate. Finding how her great aunt lived in the 20’s and 30’s. The heartbreak, and loneliness, was it any different then what she now was going thru. With the healing mountains, and God’s help, she too would find peace. A story of rememberance, of a love these two women had.

Great

Wow. This book was such an amazing example of loving and forgiving people. It made me think and re-evaluate what it means to give someone a second chance. It reminded me the importance of continually praying for people, even when they are no longer in your life. God has been showing me that he doesn't always keep his promises in the time we think he should...when we let it go and come to the end of our dream, he redeems our dream. This book came at the right time...but then that's just like God, isn't it. ;)

Not a book I would read for fun. It has a lot of angst in it. Lots of wisdom too. Useful if you are seeking encouragement that God works in mysterious ways. Our part, to trust and obey.

This book is so true to life and life's experiences. BUT GOD sees one through them all and brings blessing when we submit to Him.