I have just finished reading "How the Light Gets In" by Jolina Petersheim. Oh my!!! So much deeply felt emotion, so much breath-stopping grief, so much anger, so much joy, and so much unconditional love. I have added it to my re-readable shelf. I would love to buy my own book so I can go back and underline all the parts that touched my heart with wisdom, warmth, and passion. It is a very inspirational story. I recommend it to everyone, no matter what age you are, or what circumstances you find yourself in at this moment. I cannot wait for the next one! ( )

In ‘How the Light Gets In’ by Jolina Petersheim, Ruth is a thirty-year-old Irish widow whose husband, Chandler, and her father-in-law volunteered to do humanitarian work in Afghanistan and were killed when a bomb exploded and decimated the hospital in which they were working. Left penniless and without resources for support, Ruth goes to Wisconsin to visit her mother-in-law and cousins who oversee a cranberry farm. While there, Ruth assists with the cranberry harvest, and she falls in love with Elam, her deceased husband’s cousin, while adjusting to life without Chandler. The story unfolds through a series of letters, which Ruth writes in a journal regarding her frustrations and anger at a husband who deserts his family in order to pursue his own ambitions. Although the letters are a means to convey Ruth’s feelings and thoughts, I felt that this method of conveying plot events left me feeling detached through much of the novel.
I appreciate the opportunity to learn about the Mennonite community, and I think that some of the outcomes of this story result in the value system of this conservative and religious community, as well as the story’s author. The heart-breaking issues of marriage and love are presented from a more conservative viewpoint than what I would apply to my own life, but I could understand how these characters in the story are framed by their ethical values related to God and the expectations of their Mennonite society.
Without giving too much away, I would like to say that I felt rather annoyed by the end of the novel at how I had been strung along through a blustery tale, only to find that this novel was a fantasy of sorts. I failed to understand the motivation of the author, as well as the main character in the story. For that reason, I decided to award the story 3 stars.
As a final word, I had difficulty imagining that Ruth was Irish because she failed to speak with any kind of Irish brogue, and her letters held none of the nuances of Irish phrasing or the Irish language. Other than her red hair, Ruth seemed to be devoid of any Irish physical or cultural influences. ( )

Title: How the Light Gets In
Author: Jolina Petersheim
Pages: 400
Year: 2019
Publisher: Tyndale
My rating: 5+ out of 5 stars
I have read this author’s other novels: The Midwife, The Outcast, The Alliance, and The Divide. I enjoyed each story she shared with readers, but this one for me is really the best of her work thus far. The brilliance in the story is revealed at the end which is surprising and heart-grabbing to say the least! Here is a book I would recommend to married couples which will be understood after it has been read cover to cover.
The book is raw emotion, heart-engaging and gripping to the max! Best of all it brings out the hope that lies dormant in the heart if not stirred occasionally by stories like this book. Jolina also shares her own life and heart at the end of the book to show us that all of us struggle and can battle by praying for our spouses to come out the other side changed and filled with hope.
As I read the book, at times, I was wondering why the author went the way she did with the characters’ actions or words, but the brilliance in the tale is quite bright when readers are done. I enjoyed the tough issues Jolina’s characters had to face, then cry out to God and wait for Him to act on their behalf. I didn’t want to stop reading the book because my heart wanted to know the answers to the questions asked, or the next pregnant pause that made me catch my breath as I awaited the revelation.
Jolina’s other novels are very enjoyable and I highly recommend them. How the Light Gets In though really sets this work apart from her others, and readers will be talking about it long after they are through. Get ready for a heart-pulling ride as you turn pages and then the hope that floods your soul when you understand at the end all that occurred earlier in the story. What an awesome book I am sharing with a friend and hoping you will too after you read it!
Note: The opinions shared in this review are solely my responsibility. ( )

3.5 Stars

This book (my first read written by Jolina Petersheim) has otten some rave reviews from readers and bloggers I trust, so I decided I had to read it. And it is a well-written tome that throws some unexpected and emotional plot twists at your throughout, continually surprising you.

How the Light Gets In is not an easy book to read. It’s filled with loss, painful decisions, crushed hopes and dreams, and a marriage in disrepair. Yet, it’s a story of life. Of finding a way out of grief. Of living after devasting loss. Of finding a way to survive the pain, guilt, and daily struggles. Not every story has a happy ending. Sometimes a book or watch a movie that makes you hurt and cry is exactly what you want.

However, at the end of this one, I felt used, like Petersheim manipulated my emotions and then said, “Just kidding!” in the worst kind of way. So, my advice to readers is read the book…but skip the final chapter. ( )

Retelling the biblical story of Ruth, How the Light Gets In by Jolina Petersheim deals with loss, grief, and forgiveness, as well as love, moving on, and the changing of dreams, and it’s a story I will not soon forget.

When her husband dies, Ruth Neufeld and her two daughters lives uproot as they stay in a Mennonite community, piecing together their future. Heartbreak after heartbreak fills Ruth’s story, sorting through the ramifications of her loss, yet it is not without hope—and plenty of thought-provoking surprises.

How the Light Gets In is one of those stories that kept me thinking long after the last page. The story captured all my emotions from joy to sorrow, and the ending challenged how I felt about it. All in all, I enjoyed, loved, and now recommend this book.

Thanks to TLC Book Tours, I received a complimentary copy of How the Light Gets In and the opportunity to provide an honest review. I was not required to write a positive review, and all the opinions I have expressed are my own. ( )