Wishing on Dandelions (Maranatha Series #2) [Paperback]

Mary E DeMuth (Author)

Book Description

Release date: September 15, 2006

Maranatha Winningham admittedly has some trust issues, As she tries to sort out the confusing layers of love--of friends, of family, of suitors, and desperately, of God--Natha struggles to find herself before she turns into a scared shadow of a girl.

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

HEADLNE God says I Love You in many ways, some of which are hard to hear. Georgeanne Peach will ruin everything! At seventeen, Maranatha Winningham admittedly has some trust issues-her mother abandoned her, a neighbor boy abused her for years, her best friend has left for college and God, ever since he spoke to her underneath the pecan tree three years ago, has remained elusive. So when Miss Peach blows in to take over the only place Natha’s ever called home, leaving a trail of peach fabric swatches and cloying perfume, it’s easy to understand how something like a little ol’ tornado might not be a big deal. Like every teenager, Natha tries to sort out the confusing layers of love-of friends, of family, of suitors, and desperately, of God. Natha struggles to find herself before she gives into the scared, shadow of a girl in this follow up to the praised Watching the Tree Limbs.

About the Author

Mary E. Deluth has spent the last fifteen years as a writer. Winner of the 2003 Mount Herman Christian Writers Conference’s Pacesetter’s Award, she now splits her time between writing and, together with her husband, Patrick and two other families, planting a new church in the South of France, where they live with their three children.

Product Details

• Paperback: 384 pages
• Publisher: NavPress; 1St Edition edition (September 15, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1576839532
• ISBN-13: 978-1576839539
• Product Dimensions: 5.6 x 1 x 8.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (28 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #835,292 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

I'm a freelance writer and novelist living in Texas with my husband of twenty-two years and my three wonderful children.

I have been writing since 1992, first as a newsletter editor, then as a freelance writer, followed by a fiction and nonfiction author. My articles have appeared in Marriage Partnership, In Touch, HomeLife, Discipleship Journal, Pray!, Bon Appetit, Kindred Spirit, The Writer, and Writer's Digest. For two years I penned a lifestyle column for Star Community Newspapers in Dallas (circulation 100,000).

My books include

Ordinary Mom, Extraordinary God (Harvest House, 2005),
Building the Christian Family You Never Had (WaterBrook, 2006),
Watching the Tree Limbs, Wishing on Dandelions (NavPress, both novels releasing in 2006),
Authentic Parenting in a Postmodern Culture (Harvest House, 2006),
Daisy Chain, A Slow Burn (Zondervan 2009), Life in Defiance (Zondervan 2010),
Thin Places: A Memoir (Zondervan 2010),
150 Quick Questions to Get Your Kids Talking (Harvest House 2011),
You Can Raise Confident and Courageous Kids (Harvest House, 2001)
The Muir House (Zondervan 2011),
Beautiful Battle (Harvest House 2012),
Around the Word in 60 Seconds (Tyndale, 2012),
Everything: What You Give and What You Gain to Become Like Jesus (Thomas Nelson 2012).

Thankfully I'm more than my books. I love to cook, try my hand (body!) at triathlons, have a nose ring, and am passionate about singing. I'm a gardener and love to decorate. And right now I'm training for a half marathon (though I might just die in the process.)

I love to help people live uncaged lives and blog about it five times a week at http://www.marydemuth.com. My facebook page is http://www.facebook.com/authormarydemuth and you can follow me on twitter at http://www.twitter.com/marydemuth

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent sequel December 26, 2006

By Barbara Warren

Format:Paperback

Wishing on Dandelions is the sequel to Watching the Tree LImbs. It continues the story of Maranatha, the young girl we met in the first book. A victim of childhood sexual abuse, Mara is a tenager now and living with her Uncle Zane. Georgeanne Peach, who was hired to take care of Uncle Zane after his stroke, takes over and before Maranatha relizes what has happened, Georgeanne has fired Zady and talked Uncle Zane into marrying her.

Georgeanne hates the old home that Mara has come to love and wants to move to a new house across town. With too many changes, coming too fast, Maranatha wonders if God really cares for her.

Sexual abuse of children is on the rise, and it's all too often the subject no one talks about. There are many Maranatha's whose story has never been told. Mary DeMuth brings it out in the open in a beautifully written tale that captures the reader from the beginning. Wishing on Dandelions is a story of love, redemption, and healing that will speak to many. If you liked Watching the Tree Limbs, you will want Wishing on Dandelions.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful sequel to Watching the Tree Limbs September 15, 2006

By Michelle Sutton

Format:Paperback

Wishing on Dandelions is another amazing work of art by the author, Mary DeMuth. The prose is beautiful, the story is riveting, and I loved the entire novel. The characters are so real. Some parts were so funny they had me rolling and other parts had me on the edge of my seat. I loved Watching the Tree Limbs, but I think I love Wishing on Dandelions even more. I love how the author shows true Christianity in her stories through the love that is shown to Maranatha by the people who care about her.

I also loved the honest portrayal of merely religious people and their stifling ways. They are often the people who stunt the growth of new and struggling believers. Oh, and the tension between Maranatha and the two Charlies was fantastic, and the racism issue very realistic. Plus, the reluctance Maranatha exhibited in regards to helping put the "bad guy" in jail is very typical of abuse victims. They are SO afraid. Totally believeable.

Georgeanne and the uncle are so classic--as is their relationship. I loved watching them grow emotionally by occasionally popping from behind their protective walls to show affection to Maranatha the only way they knew how. And I loved Camilla's quirky poem ministry to Maranatha. Great stuff! You have to read the story to get my meaning there. The long and short of this review is...I don't want the series to end. I want to see Maranatha get married and deal once again with the issues that will arise when she makes those sacred vows and bears children. I hope the publisher agrees! Highly recommended!

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Will keep the reader turning pages to see how Natha deals with the various obstacles that life throws in her direction June 5, 2007

By FaithfulReader.com

Format:Paperback

Can you trust God once more after your life has been broken? It doesn't happen overnight, as 17-year-old Maranatha Winningham learns in this well-crafted story. WISHING ON DANDELIONS is a follow-up to WATCHING THE TREE LIMBS, in which Maranatha is abused by a young neighbor. In the opening pages of Mary DeMuth's latest novel, the reader learns that Natha's best friend Camille has left the small town of Burl, Texas, for college. Natha, meanwhile, plunges into her senior year of high school.

Because both her parents are dead, Natha lives with her father's brother. Since his stroke, Uncle Zane moves much slower and, while never much of a conversationalist, talks even less. Natha's home life is in turmoil when Uncle Zane marries Georgeanne, who has her own ideas about how the household should be run and in what part of town to live. Throughout the story, Georgeanne tries to build some sort of a relationship with Natha but often ends up crossing some imaginary barrier and offending the teen.

Then Violin Charlie, the son of a judge who lives in a better area in Burl, invites Natha to the Homecoming Dance. Georgeanne pitches in and takes Natha to purchase a new pink dress, building a bit of good will. Ultimately, Georgeanne has plans to move the entire family to this better part of town, which throws Natha into a panic as she wonders if she will be able to leave the protection of the house she has always known.

The abuse from the past comes roaring back into Natha's life. One day she rides her bicycle to a property where she likes to think. A man named Jake Gully confronts her about trespassing and then offers her a ride into town. When she gets into his truck, he takes off away from town and acts suggestively toward her. Natha manages to escape and reports the incident to the police. Miss Nichols, the assistant district attorney, pressures Natha to testify against Gully. After being convinced that he will be freed without her testimony, a reluctant Natha finally agrees to take that big step, as friends and family gather to support her throughout the trial.

WISHING ON DANDELIONS will keep the reader turning pages to see how Natha deals with the various obstacles that life throws in her direction. DeMuth has written an emotionally-charged novel that will help others grow in their own faith relationship.

--- Reviewed by W. Terry Whalin