In Sickness And In Health

A Tapestry Of Secrets by Sarah Loudin Thomas is a contemporary Christian romance. It is the third book in the Appalachian Blessings series but can be read as a stand-alone.

I really enjoyed A Tapestry Of Secrets. It had a real feel good factor to it with God and family at the very heart.

Perla has a secret. A secret she has kept since 1948 and now she wants to share it. The novel shows how secrets can be a real burden. They can drag us down with their weight. It is always better to deal with the truth. Being truthful can bring freedom from our burdens.

There is the theme of trust within the novel. There is trust in God. “You got to get to the place where you want whatever the Lord wants and you’ll find you have more than you ever dreamed.” God loves us with an everlasting love. He only wants the best for us. He longs for us to trust Him. There is also trust in others. Trust in the goodness of people. Sometimes people will let us down but give them a chance and trust them. Not everyone is untrustworthy.

There is also the theme of family. The family in the novel is both close knit and fractured. Family relationships are not always rosy but there is love in spite of tension. There is a wonderful bond between grandmother and granddaughter. It is as if they act as one at times. The parents in the novel only ever want what is best for their children but sometimes the children do not agree with them!

A mother’s role is at the heart of the novel. The family revolves around the mother. She holds it all together. Sarah Loudin Thomas shows that you are never too old to want your mother’s love. “How could it be that she, a woman of seventy nine could still long for her mother?” A beautiful tribute to the love of a mother.

The theme of roots links in to the family theme. We all long to know who we are and where we come from. Sometimes we focus more on the past than looking forward into the future. Our history matters but where we are going and how we are using our knowledge of the past to influence our future matters too.

Within A Tapestry Of Secrets there is a discussion about faith. “There was more to believing than going to church and praying before a meal.” Having faith means having a relationship with God. Going to church is important but being the church is of utmost importance. It is our duty as Christians to take the church into our communities, to spread God’s love and hope to a hurting world. The church is so much more than a building. The church is Jesus’ body of people.

The novel also has the theme of forgiveness. God forgives us but we are often slower to forgive ourselves. Unforgiveness will trap us in the past, unable to move forward and may make us bitter. We need to give and receive forgiveness.

I really loved A Tapestry Of Secrets. It was my first novel by Sarah Loudin Thomas but I shall definitely be reading more by her. I can highly recommend A Tapestry Of Secrets. It’s a perfect read.
I received this book for free in exchange for a fair and honest review.  No monetary compensation was received and all views expressed are my own.

JULIA WILSON