Then Came Heaven [Paperback]

LaVyrle Spencer (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 5, 2003

* A Literary Guild Main Selection Can love survive a shattering loss? A grief-stricken widower learns to open his heart again in LaVyrle Spencer's touching and emotionally charged new novel. Late summer, Browerville, Minnesota, 1950: Life is just about perfect for Eddie Olczak. A devoted husband and father, a man of unshakable faith, he derives intense pleasure from the life he's built with his beloved wife, Krystyna, and their two daughters, and is the dedicated handyman for St. Joseph's, the Catholic church that is the cornerstone of Browerville life. But when a tragic accident cuts Krystyna's life short, Eddie is sure his heart is broken forever. Krystyna was everything to him--his true companion. As friends and relatives rally around the family in the dark days and weeks that follow, there is one person who is unable to express what the loss of Krystyna means to her. Sister Regina, the girls' teacher at St. Joseph's school, has always felt a special affinity for the family. Yet her religious vows prevent her from becoming too close to them, even in their time of need. In the past, Sister Regina had bristled under the constraints of the order, but always reaffirmed her commitment through prayer and contemplation. Now the strict rules of the Benedictine sisterhood, which once gave her life a sense of meaning, chafe at her more insistently. Time passes, and Sister Regina and Eddie Olczak continue to cross paths. Deep inside, they realize there is something between them--more than a kinship, a connection that somehow goes beyond their shared love of Krystyna and the girls. Thrilled--and secretly frightened--they both must summon the courage to look within their hearts and make their own choices. Powerful, moving, and deeply affecting, Then Came Heaven is a celebration of love and tenderness, a book LaVyrle Spencer's fans are sure to cherish long after the last page is turned.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

This just in: the story of a young widower with two little girls and the nun whose urge to help them makes her question her vows.
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

About the Author

LaVyrle Spencer is one of today's topselling and best-loved authors of romantic fiction, with over fifteen million copies of her work in print. All of her recent titles have gone straight onto the New York Times bestseller lists. She lives in Minnesota with her husband, Dan. --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 368 pages
• Publisher: Berkley Trade (August 5, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0425195767
• ISBN-13: 978-0425195765
• Product Dimensions: 7.9 x 5.1 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (85 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,707,185 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Stunningly beautiful!!!, December 18, 1997

By 

Maudeen Wachsmith "BeachReader" (Port Townsend, WA) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Then Came Heaven (Hardcover)

This is one of the most beautiful books I've ever had the privilege to read. When at first I heard the news LaVyrle Spencer was retiring, I wasn't really disappointed because several of her later books had fallen flat for me. Now, I'm suddenly struck by the sadness of never, ever being able to read a new book of hers again. The setting is 1950 in a small Polish community in Browerville, MN - Spencer's hometown. Perhaps it's her familiarity with the setting that makes this book come alive. The book opens as the community is stunned by the death of a young wife and mother, Krystyna. No one is more grief-stricken than her husband, Eddie, who is the janitor and bellringer for the local Catholic church and school. Their two daughters, Anne and Lucy are 4th and 3rd graders taught by Sister Regina. Sister Regina has been questioning her vows and now that she is prevented from physically comforting the girls, she questions them even more. As the book progresses, Sr. Regina and Eddie begin to have feelings for each other but are frustrated by not being able to act on these feelings. I'm hesitant to reveal more for fear of spoiling this very wonderful, touching book. Please do yourself a favor this Holiday season and treat yourself to this book!

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Delightfully different romance, March 16, 2002

By 

mirope "mirope" - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Then Came Heaven (Mass Market Paperback)

"Then Came Heaven" is a totally unique romance novel. Set in a midwest Polish Catholic community in the 1950s, it is a beautifully crafted glimpse of a time when the world was simpler and more innocent. The primary characters are a grieving widower and a nun who is struggling with her vocation. Spencer always does a wonderful job of drawing the reader into the emotional lives of her characters, and these two are particularly sympathetic. The majority of the book focuses on their individual struggles before turning to the romance that springs from their mutual respect and support. The love story is very sweet and handled with great sensitivity. I also enjoyed the glimpse into the inner life of the nuns.

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Sweet and Simple, December 23, 1999

By 

Mony - See all my reviews

This review is from: Then Came Heaven (Mass Market Paperback)

Then Came Heaven is my first Lavryle Spencer novel. And, unfortunately, I can only report mixed reactions. I have nothing but praise for the author's tender and heartwarming portrayal of 1950's small town Mid-western life, and clearly well researched and very compelling portrayal of life amongst an order St. Benedectine nuns. Spencer does a wonderful job of developing a cast of strong, credible and diverse characters.

My only complaint is that the plot's romantic development was simply not executed as skillfully as the other aspects of the story. I had a hard time believing that just weeks after the heart-wrenching loss of his wife (my copy of the novel now suffers a little "water" damage in the early chapters)Eddie was already succumbing to his sister-in-law's seduction attempts. And it made me uneasy that Regina seemed so intent on emulating so many little aspects of Eddie's late wife. Too often the budding love affair between Eddie and Regina seemed like more of a continuation of his life with his wife than the beginning of a "new" life with a "new" woman.

Overall, this is a good read. And I'll hope my next Lavryle Spencer might be just a little better developed.