Rating: 6/10This was a favourite of mine when I was in my teens. Obviously I am a lot older and thus a different person so the soppiness and cheese got to a point where it was too much. Also their grief was touching to beginning with but after awhile, you get a little over reading about them crying over everything. I do think that it is a sweet story especially in the beginning when Sophie doesn't expect people to be kind and generous with her. Once her love interest develops it becomes too sickly sweet and over the top. The book should have ended once everyone was on board in the relationship and then the epilogue could have been a look into the future. Sometimes Sophie does irritate me when she decides to take matters in her own hands and makes rash decisions without checking to hear the whole story first. But as a complain, I can say that I did enjoy reading it, especially as I haven't read it for close to 15 years and have fond memories of enjoying it back then.The Questions:Entertaining/Addictive?: Very easy read but about 3/4 of the way in, I started to get a little too cheesy and I slightly lost my drive to read it.Writing Style?: Very mushy and cheesy. Many scenes of the family bonding over their mourning or just feeling emotional about life. I think 50% of the book is about someone crying.Impacting/Thought Provoking?: Hmmmm Clean?: YesRead it again?: Well I own it so I will probably read it again in another 15 yearsWould I Recommend it: No, sadly I would be embarrassed to recommend this
I own this book, and it's my seventh time reading it (or something... starting to lose track). But I've been going thru a 'wilderness' period, and needed something gushy, and that's the time to pull out a Lori Wick book.This is the story of an immigrant woman in 1989 who comes to be housekeeper for a widow and three children in Wisconsin, and of course she wins the hearts of the family and falls in love with the father. And it's really, really well done... for a Wick book.When I say that, I mean that in every novel that Wick writes we find that Every. Single. Character. over-thinks every action they make, has to rationalize what they do and why before doing it, and talks through every feeling they have with each other. That's just Wick's style. And it's... unrealistic and eventually tedious if you're not in need of something extremely saccharine. Which is why I save her books for when I'm seriously in a bad place. They're wonderful. Too wonderful.But in this case, it was just what I needed.PS: As a person who has left christianity, might I also add that there is a LOT of unBiblical stuff in here? Mostly along the lines of 'Mom is in Heaven' now... even though scripture is clear that Heaven is not where we go when we die, etc. But if you're a spiritual sheeple, it probably won't affect you in the least. And if you're like me, you can take it with a grain of salt, knowing that the author is a sheeple and just writes from that place. It's still worth it. Really.
What do You think about Sophie's Heart (2004)?
The most beautiful, touching and heartfelt novel I've ever read! I'll be reading this one over many times. If we could all strive to be the kind of person Sophie is, what a wonderful world this would be.From back cover:"After the tragic death of his wife, Alec Riley struggles to put his life back together. He and his three children are lost in their grief until Sophie walks unexpectedly into their lives.Having left her native Czechoslovakia, Sophie has discovered that the land which seemed so bright with promise is far from her dream. Sophie, a highly educated woman, now finds herself keeping house for Alec and his family.How can Sophie find peace in her new job? Will God use her gentle spirit to help heal Alec's broken heart?" Please read this one, I guarantee you will not be able to put in down!!!
—Louise
I've also read this book several times over the years. It is a bit more of an undertaking than The Pricess but still every bit worth it. This is another modern day fiction book that takes place after the mother of the family dies and Sophie, a new immigrant, comes to live with the family. There are many funny parts as Sophie tries to fit into the culture and many serious moments as she tries to help this family with their grief. This book always makes me cry! (in a good way, I love when a book can bring out emotion in a reader). I truly love this book.
—Brooke
Christian romance is not my typical genre, but on a recommendation from my mother-in-law I dived into Sophie's Heart by Lori Wick. I flew through the novel in about a week, and I found it to be an enjoyable, if predictable, romantic read. I had a few quibbles with some of the theology in the novel, but I also was rather surprised to find myself inspired by the devotion of the title character, Sophie. Rather than falling prey to worry or self-pity when encountering difficult circumstances, Sophie prayed and read her Bible. She fully trusted in God to see her through the joys and sorrows of life and therefore maintained a positive attitude no matter her current situation. I could do worse than to follow this example.The love story between Sophie and widower Alec was inevitable from the beginning, but I still was swept up in their sweet, romantic moments, which were never over-the-top or unrealistic. I appreciated that Wick wrote her main characters as mature and thoughtful beings rather than flighty romantic fools.I doubt that Christian romance will become my genre of choice, but when in need of a light read, a book like Sophie's Heart might be just the thing.
—Stephanie
