"When the road home becomes daunting--sometimes a very capable girl on a bicycle can help find the way."Finding Our Way Home is a story about an unlikely pairing up of two women with equally strong, but dramatically different personalities. Sasha Davis, a 37-yr-old professional ballerina, has a career-ending accident that sends her spiraling into an ocean of bitterness, anger, and physical pain. Abruptly abandoning her dancing life, her hugely supportive and loving husband, and her circle of friends who remind her too much of what she's lost, she hides herself away in her mother's home, keeping most of the house closed up and unlived in while she spends much of her time sitting in a rocking chair glaring - not gazing - out the window at her memories of what her life used to be.She needs help so she hires an assistant, Evelyn Burt, a 19-yr-old, "large-boned" girl who prays in one word, "Grace." Evelyn is just the opposite of Sasha - she finds hope and possibility in even the worst circumstances and situations...and people, including Sasha Davis. Evelyn is also engaged to Jorden McFinn, a young man with a "playboy" reputation, questionable roots, and from the wrong part of town. Evelyn's parents do not approve; which is why she is pursuing the live-in position with Sasha Davis. She's trying to get some perspective on her future.This is the first book I've read by Ms. Baumbich and I must say that I'm not surprised at the mixed reviews it has received. I'm a voracious reader who gets "attached" to characters quickly, but that was not the case with the cast in Finding Our Way Home. Although I enjoyed Ms. Baumbich's prose and lyrical style, I felt that the story was weighed down by characters who were not quite believable. If Sasha Davis could walk away from everything in her old life (including a devoted husband who relentlessly pursued her throughout her withdrawal, and whom she deeply loved, too), she certainly would have had no qualms in dismissing Evelyn Burt the moment the girl tried to push her way into the dancer's life. Evelyn Burt, having such a gift at being able to see people for who they were underneath their masks, still seemed overly naive about Jorden McFinn's role in her life. And Jorden McFinn was textbook bad boy (too many cliches) but we're given no back story, no substance for us to care about him...making Evelyn's "love" for him seem shallow and unbelievable. By the end of the book, the direction of their relationship seemed contrived, convenient, and somewhat disingenuous. The "spiritual" aspect of the snowglobe ballerina was distracting to me, not endearing.Although the previous paragraph would indicate otherwise, I think this book has many promising qualities and I did enjoy it enough to care how it ended. The characters were understandable, if not wholly believable, and the prevailing message of grace made me want good things for these women and for the important people in their lives. Evelyn's undaunted spirit in light of her often adverse circumstances was a sharp contrast to Sasha's poisoned spirit in light of all she had going for her, something I'm certain the author intended readers to note. I did find myself rooting for Evelyn and all that she expected out of life, and I found myself longing for Sasha's healing both physically and emotionally.Would I recommend the book? Yes, I would, but with some disclaimers. I feel that Ms. Baumbich has a lovely way with words, however, she did not endear me to these characters in the way I'd hoped. Would I read more of her books? I may try some of her non-fiction and see if I connect better with her that way.I received this novel for free from Waterbrook Multnomah Press via Blogging For Books in exchange for an honest review. This is a very nice but simple story. It is like so many before, successful gal suffers some sort of hardship, she goes home to try to mend fences or reconnect with her family, death stops by and she needs help, the help turns out to be in the form a younger person who, end the end seems to fix everything.It is like so many others in some ways but in this story it is written so well. I really enjoyed the story that was woven. It touched my heart. The way the characters entwined themselves in each others' lives was very endearing. I found this story moved along nicely and I did not want to stop reading it.I think I said enough, I do not want to give this away, but the bottom line is that it is the same ole same ole but put in a new and different way, one I think you will enjoy.
What do You think about Finding Our Way Home (2012)?
Complimentary copy received from the publisher. Many thanks!
—sqwarrel
Extremely lite reading. But a cute tale, none the less.
—maria89
Total chick book. Light. Sappy. Happy ending
—Salma
