Kate's Turn by Cheri J. Crane

Have you read the “Kate” books by Cheri J. Crane? I’d read some of her later works, but I hadn’t read a lot of these. Kate’s Turn is the first of these books. In Kate’s Turn the reader is introduced to 16 Kate who wants nothing to do with the LDS church her family belongs to. This is a heartbreaking experience for her family and her parents plan a family vacation which they hope will give them the time together to work things out and become closer. Kate, on the other hand, sees the whole adventure as a time to see exactly how miserable she can make her entire family. Yep. Sounds like a typical teenager to me.

I was interested to read this book, because I just so happen to have a 16 year old daughter with a mind of her own. Kate’s Turn was touted as a story for mother’s and daughter’s who were struggling to understand each other and teenagers who were struggling to understand the value of the church in their lives. It promised an “alma the younger turn around” type of conversion story and that’s what I got.

But, I have to say I never found myself really drawn into the story itself. The odd part is I can’t quite put my finger on what it was about the story that didn’t appeal to me. Some of the descriptions definitely date the book as first written for the 80’s and early 90’s, but I can overlook things like that. It wasn’t that it didn’t feel like current issues. It most definitely did. It wasn’t that the characters didn’t ring true in their thoughts and actions. They did. The only way I can describe it is to say that parts of the story felt too, well, calculated. Forced, maybe. All the elements were there and I could see that the things written felt accurate, but I didn’t feel them the way expected to personally. I could read a passage, then look back at it and say “yes, that’s probably what would happen” but still felt it kind of rub at me wrong. Weird.

While I appreciated the approach Ms. Crane takes with providing Kate an opportunity to figure things out I got the feeling the pioneer story was the one she really wanted to share rather than the modern conversion. Does that make sense? Maybe I was just having an “off” couple of days when I read Kate’s Turn, I’m not sure. Like I said, I could appreciate the story and what it brought to the table as far as learning about dealing with doubts and families trials. Ms. Crane deals with some very serious issues in appropriate ways. It was worth my time for those elements. It just didn’t become a book I couldn’t put down. I wanted to love it, but I only appreciated it.

I wouldn’t knock this one completely off your “to read” list if you haven’t read Cheri Crane’s series yet, there is information there to be gleaned, but it may not be the one you want to choose for escape purposes. It will be helpful if you are dealing with teenagers in your own home and I do intend to read a few more volumes. Sometimes writers take a while to truly find the voice that can speak to the reader in the most effective ways. I’m anxious to see not only where Ms. Crane takes Kate’s character next, but I’m also interested to see her mature as an author as well.

I’d be interested to hear from others who have read this series. What did you think? Am I way off base?

Return to the Neighborhood

And while you're there, subscribe to our fantastic newsletter. In addition to being able to shop in the new virtual neighborhood, the LDS newsletter brings you LDS articles, LDS products, LDS services, LDS resources and LDS interviews from around the world—all with an LDS focus. Look for issues delivered to your email inbox every week on Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday.

LDS Newsletter Subscriptions are FREE, and joining is easy.

Season of Sacrifice by Tristi Pinkston

In honor of Pioneer Day, I bring you a book review on a story about… pioneers!

When I first picked up Season of Sacrifice by Tristi Pinkston, I have to admit feeling a little intimidated by it. It’s a thick book (320+ pages), and the cast of characters looked longer than the cast of a Shakespeare play. J But, I’m happy to share that each character was introduced on its own timetable and not all at once. I didn’t have a bit of trouble keeping them straight as I became involved in the story, and I did become involved enough to forget how long the book was.

My friend Tristi has felt a passion for this story for many years and I’m proud of her for seeing it through to completion. It’s definitely a star in her crown. Season of Sacrifice tells the story of her great-great-grandparents and their part in settling Utah, particularly the famous “Hole in the Rock” (which I’m now dying to see, btw).

History is a strange creature. It doesn’t really have a beginning and doesn’t really have an end. So when you write about history it’s up to you to decide where to start and how far to go. It’s a tough decision, add that to making it interesting for someone else who may not feel as passionate as you do about the subject, and I stand in awe of those who write historical literature of any kind. I’m sure Tristi had to make some tough choices of her own about how and when to start and how much to tell. She did a great job of that, but I must admit that the beginning took a while to hold my interest. I felt that there might have been better ways to weave in the aspects of life in Wales at later times, when the “action” seemed to kick in for me. I enjoyed the sweet scene it set, but it did take me longer to read the first third of the book than the last two-thirds.

Season of Sacrifice is about three things, in my opinion: heritage, pioneering, and polygamy. They each have a place in the story as a whole. I’ve seen reviews for this book, focusing on the history of “Hole in the Rock”, which features prominently in Tristi’s book. I’ve also seen reviews that discuss why she chose to include the polygamy elements of her family history (she does this very well and with great sensitivity, by the way). For me, the most powerful aspects of the story were family and love. It’s about being proud of our ancestors for exactly who they were, not who we would like them to be. It’s a powerful love story about trials and commitment; it’s about the human aspects of life in general. You can see one interview with Tristi and get a closer look at her own thoughts about the story here.

If you’re a history buff, Season of Sacrifice will offer you a new voice of experience to some things you may already be familiar with. If you’re a scholar of the emotions, you’ll feel right at home. If you have relatives of your own that you value for their unique contributions, you’ll recognize Tristi’s passion for family. There is definitely something for everyone between its covers. Any way you look at it, Season of Sacrifice is a great and satisfying read.

At this time, Season of Sacrifice is available exclusively from Tristi’s web site. So pop on over and order a copy. She’ll probably even sign it for you. ;)

Join the Neighborhood Newsletter . . . Subscriptions are free and joining is easy. Just by signing up and maintaining your subscription to receive the yourLDSneighborhood.com newsletter, you become eligible for our "Thank You" prizes. Our dozens of giveaways range from a trip for two to China, to iPods® (each with a $50 gift certificate for LDS music), cruises, and more.

Learn about our amazing monthly, quarterly, and annual giveaways by clicking here.

Return to the Neighborhood