Customer Reviews

Coldwater Revival

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Nancy Jo Jenkins brings us a novel written with flowing and lyrical prose. Coldwater Revival takes us into the heartache of one Southern family and out into the love and redemption of Christ.

As an author, I appreciated the magic of Jenkins's words. I believe Coldwater Revival is one of this year's best!

You won't forget this one in a hurry. The emotions of guilt and despair, of love and rejoicing, are so strong you lose sight of the fact that this is just a story. Emma Grace Falin was only a child when the two young brothers in her care fell into a well. Since she was supposed to be watching them, the overwhelming guilt sank her into a depresion so deep and so dark she couldn't find a way out. Her desperate family sent her to live with Granny Falin, and the clouds began to lift when she discovered other people had sorrows too. Granny believes in God, but Emma Grace is angry at Him. He could have done something to save her brothers if he cared enough. At first she clings stubbornly to her dark, lonely world, but as she learns to love the sea, the sand, and the long expanse of sky, she begins the long climb back to reality. I didn't expect romance, but when Emma Grace meets Tate, he teaches her about love and about the blessings of trusting God. Nancy Jo Jenkins has a gift for making her characters so real you actually seem to experience their emotions and know their most private thoughts. This isn't a book you'll read once and toss aside. It's a keeper.

Nancy Jo Jenkins is a gifted author who has written a beautiful novel. Set in the 1920's, "Coldwater Revival" is a coming of age story about a girl who grew up long before her time in a hard-working Texas family. Jenkins digs deep into her characters' emotions and the protagonist, Emma Grace, is as sympathetic as any character can get.

There are moments in the story when Emma Grace will move readers to tears as she fights to overcome burdens set on her heart when she was only a young girl. And after following Emma Grace's long journey, readers will cheer as she opens her heart to the future and steps into womanhood.

Readers will be moved by the satisfying ending of the book and will be refreshed by the lovely southern voice of the author. In spiritual fiction, Nancy Jo Jenkins' style is a rarity and readers will appreciate the skillful talent of this debut novelist.

Coldwater Revival is an absolutely stunning debut novel, a literary work of art chronicling the story of one woman's journey from crippling loss and self-condemnation into the light of healing and the freedom of restoration. Set to marry Gavin O'Donnell, Emma Grace seeks healing for her heart which was shattered by devastating loss and guilt years before. Her journey into the past forces Emma to confront not only her guilt, but also the God she thought had abandoned her in her greatest need years before.
Nancy Jo Jenkins writes of life and loss, heartbreak and joy with the pen of a master wordsmith. The narrative flows seamlessly between Emma Grace's present struggles and past recollections. Jenkins' characters are crafted like finely polished gems -- while flawed, their heartbreak and struggles make them all the more real. Her prose positively drips with Southern charm, possessing a seductive quality that completely draws in and immerses the reader in the world of the novel.
Coldwater Revival is a story to savor. Jenkins has penned an awe-inspiring debut, filled with unforgettable characters whose lives are richly seasoned with grace and restoration. One of the best books of the year, I highly recommend it.

While this is one woman's story it is truly a family saga...complete with marriages, births, deaths and all the richness that makes one family toiling on the Texas farm this very vivid story. From the first page, this is a "can't put down" read. The characters are so very real and the pace never lets up. You will find yourself right inside the lives of Nancy Jo's characters - a delightful excursion on a wintry day.

Coldwater Revival is a book replete with wonderful characters, beautiful prose and emotive scenes that take you on a journey that will leave an imprint on your heart and mind for some time to come.

A young Emma Grace Falin realises just weeks before her wedding the need to return home to Coldwater, Texas to expunge the guilt and torment she has lived with for five years following the tragic loss of her little brother, Micah. In an attempt to do this, Emma delves into her childhood memories of growing up with little material goods but surrounded by the love of her parents and siblings until tragedy shatters the family and community in which they live. Emma relives her spiral into despair, the fear of her parents that she will not recover and the journey to her Grandmother's home in Galveston, a woman also shaped by her own experience of grief.

Nancy Jo Jenkins' debut novel is captivating! I was swept away by the palpable loss sustained by Emma and the additional grief that befalls the family when Emma sinks into depression despite the love and compassion of those who grieve with her. Nancy Jo Jenkins' portrayal of the fragile Emma, the stouthearted yet broken brother Elo, compassionate parents Roan and Annaleen, and Tate, the young man refined by flames in his own life is exceptional. A story doesn't get much better than this!

Coldwater Revival was a truly inspiring read! Every sentence painted a picture. Every scene transported me back in time to the tragedy and triumph in the soft heart of the main character, Emma Grace. The author's passion for this story is palpable, and I savored every word.

In 1933, three weeks before Emma Grace Falin is to marry Gavin O'Donnell, she heads home to Two Toe Creek to confront her past. She knows if she fails to reconcile with the death of her younger brother she cannot offer her full heart to the deserving Gavin. Five years may have passed since the incident that shaped her, but Emma still mourns the loss and feels guilty for causing it. She has even shunned God.

Five years ago her family also devastated by the death, cannot cope with Emma, who wants to die. They send her to Galveston praying her grandmother will help her heal. There she meets Tate, who has suffered the loss of loved ones, but still believes snugly in the Lord and lives life to the fullest. Tate knows he loves Grace, but hides his feelings from her as he knows she is not ready for a relationship. Now she is engaged to someone else, but he trusts that God will show both of them the way.

Besides a strong look at the healing process, this deep inspirational tale provides a powerful sense of time and locale as the audience obtains a taste of Texas during the Depression. Emma is a wonderful protagonist as she holds the historical drama together with her first person account of the past and present. The support cast, predominantly seen through their respective relationships with Emma, augments the audience's understanding that the lead character lacks confidence in her self, her family, and the Lord as she struggles to understand why bad things happen to good people.

Harriet Klausner

Nancy Jenkins' debut novel is a book that will draw you in from the very beginning. It grips your heart and won't let go even when you read the last word. The language is beautiful and haunting with descriptions that sing. It is a love story not only of a man and woman but also one of God's love and how He will never let us go no matter how far we try to run or get away from Him. Don't let this one go by, you won't be sorry.

As I poured over the pages of Nancy Jo Jenkins' debut novel, my mind traveled to the beautiful images conjured within Coldwater Revival and to the poetic cadence with which the author lulled me. Her words captivated me and I became lost in Emma Grace's life - her insecurities, strong-willed personality, struggles in despair and guilt, questions about God's love and life's seemingly unfair twists. The subtle layers weaved into this story define the underlying strength of a family's love and surety of God's hand to bring peace into one's deepest abyss. Their poignant journey to restoration and forgiveness will forever remain in my heart. I'll anxiously await Jenkins next masterpiece.