Book Review: A Strand of Hope by Amanda Tero

Lena Davis is the daughter her mom never wanted.

But she survived. Through stories. Because books didn’t judge. Books weren’t angry she was alive. Books never expected her to be anything but who she was.

As she grows up, her beloved library becomes her true home.

So when the library is designated part of President Roosevelt’s Packhorse Library Project, Lena is determined to get the job of bringing books to highlanders, believing she’ll finally be free of her mom forever.

But earning the trust of highlanders is harder than she imagined, and her passion for books might not be enough to free her from her chains.

My rating:

Confession: Previous to A Strand of Hope, I'd never actually read any books by Amanda Tero. *hides* I've got one or two of her books on Kindle, buuuut I haven't actually read them yet.

So, when I signed up to be on her launch team, I knew I'd enjoy this story, I just wasn't sure how much, haha! And the good news? I did enjoy it, very much! Lena's story was gripping and compelling.

A Strand of Hope is a super easy read with endearing characters. Lena's mom made me so mad (surprise, surprise), Pastor Stuart and his wife were the SWEETEST things, and Homer & Nora? Oh my heart! I adore those two - especially Homer. His kindness and encouragement toward Lena was soooo refreshing and is just one of those characters that just makes you smile whenever you reach a scene with him. And Aidan! *grins* I just...really loved all the characters. Except for Lena's mom. ;)

My favorite part of the book, of course, was the BOOKS. Because how can you not like BOOKS?! So, I knew that I was going to like this story if only because of all the talk about books, but I didn't expect to love that part this much. I just...I could practically feel Lena's excitement as she pulled books out of her bags and set them out on the table. I could feel the worn covers between my fingers as Homer ran his calloused fingers over them. I could hear the muffled thumps as the books bumped each other. It just seriously made me sooooo happy.

Annnnnd the theme of forgiveness. This was brought out so well. Often when I read a story like this, I'll be rolling my eyes at the main character because I think they're being ridiculous. But this time? *coughs* I was kiiiiinda bitter towards her mom. So, I mean, *coughs* I didn't exactly blame Lena for harboring hard feelings against her mother.

It reads a bit like it's meant for younger readers, so aside from the fact that it's all about BOOKS, it was kinda hard for me to connect to the story. But. Overall, this is a super good story, and though it's labeled as YA fiction, I'd personally recommend it for most ages - a great readaloud for the whole family!

What are you waiting for?? Go read it!