Things We Once Held Dear

Harriet Klausner

"[A] terrific inspirational that uses a tragic mystery and more recent traumas to paint a tale of a Doubting Thomas whose only shred of belief is that God is testing or simply punishing him if he exists. As Neil and Mary reconnect they look back at what happened to break them apart. Hooked grateful fans will wonder whether Neil will find salvation with the Lord, what did occur years ago, and what will happen between Mary and him. Ann Tatlock inspires her audience with her deft touch."
—The Best Reviews

Midwest Book Review

"This is a terrific inspirational that uses a tragic mystery and more recent traumas to paint a tale of a Doubting Thomas whose only shred of belief is that God is testing or simply punishing him if he exists. As Neil and Mary reconnect they look back at what happened to break them apart. Hooked grateful fans will wonder whether Neil will find salvation with the Lord, what did occur years ago, and what will happen between Mary and him. Ann Tatlock inspires her audience with her deft touch."

RT Bookclub

"With a deft and gentle hand, Tatlock unwinds the tangle of a grieving heart to expose simple faith. This is a treasure for people who enjoy a literary yet unpretentious read."

Susan Meissner

"Tatlock does an admirable job of creating resolution without resorting to stock solutions that a lesser writer might have chosen... [She] is a superb storyteller. Things We Once Held Dear is a skillfully rendered tale of restoration and hope."
—Armchair Interviews.com

Tim Frankovich

"[Tatlock] creates a vividly immersive world. Mason and its inhabitants come alive in complex ways, creating a firm foundation of believability for the story. The background detail is immense and well-crafted.... It's beautiful, amazing writing.... a truly enjoyable and refreshing experience... Recommended."
—Christian Fiction Review.com

Publishers Weekly

Like an artist working with small chips of colored glass, Christy Award-winning novelist Tatlock takes multiple characters and fragments of their stories and pieces them together into a tranquil mosaic of commitment, faith, love and homecoming. When artist Neil Sadler's wife dies suddenly in New York City, he is drawn back to Mason, Ohio, the hometown that he fled almost three decades before. He spends the summer helping remodel an old "Gothic Horror" farmhouse into a bed-and-breakfast, trying to reconnect with his past and his cousin Mary Beeken. After a childhood spent caring for an invalid mother, Mary is trapped in a 23-year-old marriage to a troubled, alcoholic cop and feels her life has never quite gotten started. Mary's mother's murder years earlier and questions of innocence and guilt cast shadows on the lives of several Mason families. As Neil and Mary try to make sense of what has happened to their lives, they both discover that "[y]ou don't have to understand something completely to know it's true." Tatlock moves back and forth between different characters and earlier time periods, sometimes confusingly so. But Tatlock is one of Christian fiction's better wordsmiths, and her lovely prose reminds readers why it is a joy to savor her stories. (Jan.) Copyright 2005 Reed Business Information.