Customer Reviews

What She Left for Me

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

In Tracie Peterson's newest novel, What She Left For Me, three generations of women who have experienced heartache, tragedy and abuse, find their way to forgiveness and help each other heal through God's love.

Jana McGuire returns from a three-week mission trip to Africa excited to share her pregnancy news with her pastor husband, Rob. When Jana arrives at the parsonage she learns that Rob has run away with his secretary, cleaned out their meager savings, taken most of their valuable belongings, and has stolen jewelry left to her by a relative.

With the new pastor arriving, Jana has four days to vacate the parsonage. She has no job, little money, few personal belongings and a baby on the way. Her only option is to turn to the mother who has continually rebuffed her and emotionally abandoned her.

Jana's mother, Eleanor is haunted by a childhood of betrayal that she has been unwilling to share with anyone-and it has taken its toll on all of her relationships. It is the delightful and eccentric aunt who will weave God's love through the lives of these two estranged women.

Peterson's novel deals with the difficult topics of infidelity, incest, and rape from the view that they are areas that are reaching epidemic proportions in and out of the church. She writes about the issues openly, honestly and respectively with the idea that the faith community must confront these issues in order to better help the survivors.

An author warning: "Mothers and other caregivers will need to decide if the story is appropriate for their teenage girls." This is a thoughtful addition that will be appreciated by everyone. While this might be considered an adult novel, certain teenagers will be able to read it and benefit from the story. I would suggest that mothers and teenagers read it and then discuss it.

Armchair Interviews says: Kudos to Peterson for having the courage to deal with these delicate subjects in such a respectful manner, and while doing so, she still manages to educate and give us a good read.

This is an excellent book! From the opening pages to the close of the book, I was constantly wondering what was to come and did not want to put the book down! Tracie (respectfully) writes about some very sensitive issues that some women (Christian or not!) may face in their lives, but that must be dealt with in order to overcome the past and move forward to have a healthy future. While it may be difficult for some to read, the message of confronting your past and forgiveness is powerful and necessary.

This is definitely a book for adults and merits the authors warning in the foreward of the book.

This book has some really deep issues in it. Women are forced to find redemption and forgiveness to be able to move on with their lives.
I do have to admit: I skimmed over quite a bit of it. There are repetitive, long (page after page) dialogues between the women. The content of these conversations is good, it just got a little old and tiresome to read the banter back and forth, back and forth.....

Tracie Peterson is quickly becoming another favorite author of mine. This book didn't fail me in my expectations. It is about a pastor's wife who finds out she is pregnant while on a work and witness trip and comes home to share the news and finds out her husband, the pastor, has left her for another woman. What I found refreshing about this book and storyline is just because we're Christians, doesn't mean our lives are storybook. It is nice to see a realistic point of view and that God can overcome the hurts if we let Him help us.

Three women's lives are intertwined in ways they have never discussed until circumstances bring them all under one roof.

Jana, the youngest of the three, must move in with her Great-aunt Taffy and her mother, Eleanor, when she finds out her husband has left her for his secretary. To make matters worse, he is the pastor of their church and she must leave the parsonage within a week.

Jana and her mother have never gotten along. Eleanor has pushed Jana away at every turn, trying to teach her to never be dependent on anyone for anything, including love, which is what Jana has wanted more than anything.

Jana has spent her entire life thinking her mother didn't love her and knowing that her father didn't want her. She also begs her mother to tell her about the past, where she came from and who her dad was - the very things her mom has fought to forget.

Then there's Taffy. She has a joy for life that neither Jana nor Eleanor can understand.

They are certain she has never endured a hardship as they have only to discover that her life hasn't been that dissimilar from theirs and her joy truly comes from the peace she has with God.

I've spent the past week reading What She Left for Me by Tracie Peterson. I won't give you a synopsis of the book - other reviewers have done that, but this is definitely a KEEPER. I want to encourage you to read it and learn from it, and pass it on to a hurting friend. This book is dedicated: "To all who bear their secret shame, who carry the pain of the past, who long to be set free." Ms. Peterson continues with a letter to the reader, suggesting that moms and other caregivers should decide if this book is appropriate for teenage girls. I wish I could stand on a street corner and hand this book to everyone who passes but Ms. Peterson is right, you have to determine if your teenage daughter is emotionally ready for this story. But please note, you don't have to have been a victim of abuse or molestation to learn something from this story. I learned from Jana when she thought to herself, "Can a person hold something against another without even realizing it?" I've never thought about it so I had to highlight that phrase. We're definitely 'products' of our past-whether we want to be or not. I'm sure we all have ghosts that rear their ugly heads and say boo to us now and then-especially when we think we're happy. We need to rid ourselves of those ghosts and Ms. Peterson's tortured, hurting characters show us exactly how to do it. Yes, this book is about forgiveness, and it will show you how. Taffy said, "You must never confuse forgiveness for approval; it's not the same thing. . .." I encourage you to grab a copy of What She Left for Me. Savor every word and each lesson learned by Peterson's well-rounded characters. If you have demons in your past, Jana, Eleanor and Taffy's stories will point your in the right direction for forgiveness. As for me, I'm going to the blackboard and write `you must never confuse forgiveness for approval; it's not the same thing' five hundred times. Would you like to join me?

Pregnant Jana comes home following a three week missionary trip to Africa only to find her pastor husband dumped her for his secretary, emptied their finances and took anything else of value including her jewelry left to her by a relative before vanishing. Jana is further stunned when she learns he explained all to his parishioners including that Jana knew.

Feeling stripped of any decency by a man of God she thought she knew and with the new pastor arriving shortly to take over her current residence, Jana returns home in spite of an estranged relationship with her mom Eleanor. Also residing in her mother's house is her lovable eccentric Great-Aunt Taffy. Through Taffy's manipulations, the kindness of a minister and while the pregnancy progresses, Jana and Eleanor begin to heal the past as both turn to God to help them find forgiveness as each realizes "to err is human". Still Jana has further tribulations to cope with hopefully with her mom at her side and the Lord everywhere to guide her.

Though obviously an inspirational tale, WHAT SHE LEFT FOR ME is much more as Tracie Patterson delves into taboo subjects like adultery by religious leaders and rape by adult family members of a child. Jana is a terrific central character who learns that probably no bond is stronger than that of a mother and daughter except with the Lord. Eleanor and Taffy strengthen the strong insightful family drama that focuses on various interrelationships. This includes negative impacts caused by "loving" third parties that like some politicians, prefer sanitizing, insisting this only occurs in liberal hot spots like Boston. This is a thought provoking eye opening relationship drama.

Harriet Klausner

What She Left for Me by Tracie Peterson is a book that deals with themes of adultery, rape, incest, and child abuse. Tracie gives a warning at the beginning of her book mentioning that parents should first make sure the book is okay for their teenagers to read. Because I am 19 and was able to handle this book, I'm not sure the typical 13-14 year old would be able to. She does not make things graphic like other authors to, but it is implied that inappropriate things are happening.

The books starts off with 26 year old Jana McGuire coming home from Africa from a missions trip. Excited to tell her pastor husband that she is pregnant with their first child, she comes home to a airport with no one there to greet her. Once home, she finds a note from her husband saying that he has fallen in love with his secretary and that he wants a divorce. He withdraws all their money--leaving her penniless, and even takes her family heirloom jewerly. Jana with no one to turn to calls the mother she barley knows and asks if she may move in with her and her great-aunt Taffy. Her mother, Eleanor however is very reluctant with the move-in. Eleanor has secrets from the past that she is trying to hide, a past she just wishes would go away and disappear. Jana, however wants to know those secrets and find out truly who her father is, who she really is, and how her past has affected the choices she has made. Will these woman ever truly be set free from the past secrets and lies that bond them?

This is not the best from Tracie. Not very rich in detail compared to her wonderful Heirs of Montana series and other past works she has done. Neitherless it was still a good read. The book has TONS of dialogue between the three main characters (Jana, Eleanor, and Taffy). Sometimes the dialogue gets so repetive though you just want the main plot to move forward--I kept looking ahead to find out what happens. I still enjoyed it, but it wouldn't be something I would read again. If you want a REALLY good book about family secrets and lies told read Lynn Austin's "Eve's Daughter's".

this book started out like any ole contemporary fiction book. It really took an abrupt turn and covered some sensitive issues. Tracie had me really wondering. This book covered incest and adultery. It was written very well. The characters in the book were people I grew to have feelings for. Aunt Taffy is every ones dream aunt. Eleanor was also some one who I really felt grieved for with all her difficulties in life. I would not recomend this book to teens unless an explanation and discussion follows. It was a fast read and different from Tracies usual writting.

My sister got me reading books by Tracie Peterson ans I went to Amazon and ordered this book. It's an older book that she wrote but I really enjoy reading her books. I have ordered another book from her from Amazon and I can't wait to get it.