"A Very Bookish Easter" by Kelsey Bryant, Abigayle Claire, Sarah Holman, and Kate Willis

It's another Very Bookish Holiday collection!  This springtime anthology was a fast, fun read, and I'm happy to add it to our shelves.

Like the previous books in this series, the four novellas here each revolve around a classic book or story, and retell it a little bit too.

"The Prayer Garden" by Kelsey Bryant revolves around The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett.  In it, a young woman with uncertain ideas about God and Christianity moves into her grandmother's old house to take care of it now that her grandma is in a care facility.  She discovers a hidden "prayer garden" in the woods behind the house, and the combination of her grandma's gentle witnessing and the help of a godly young gardener soften her heart for the seeds of faith to grow.

"Lilies and Thorns" by Abigayle Claire involves Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare.  The manager of a grocery store's floral department falls for the owner of the town's independent florist shop.  Rivalry and resentment take a back seat as they get to know each other and help one another out of a few unpleasant situations.

"An Easter Canticle" by Sarah Holman is inspired by A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens.  A successful businessman gives up his whole business and seeks calm and clarity in a gardening job at a retreat center after a decision nearly costs two innocents their lives.  Healing and forgiveness can be his only after he confronts his past and contemplates his future.

"Addie's Mountain" by Kate Willis is informed by Heidi by Johanna Spyri.  Two sisters, one with chronic health problems, move to their grandfather's remote farm.  They make new friends, learn new skills, and bring new joy to their grandfather's life.

I really liked that both "An Easter Canticle" and "Addie's Mountain" dealt with chronic illnesses and disabilities.  We need more stories that reflect the painful realities so many people live in.  "Lilies and Thorns" dealt a bit with shyness and anxiety, and "The Prayer Garden" included the difficulties of watching a loved one struggle with dementia.  While none of the stories felt heavy or discouraging, they also didn't try to offer platitudes or easy fixes for these troubles.  Instead, they accepted that life on this earth involves trouble and pain, but that those don't need to define us.

One caveat: some of these stories contain decision-based theology that is unbiblical, from a Confessional Lutheran standpoint.  Read with discernment.

Particularly Good Bits:

Losing your memories seemed like losing pieces of the life you worked so hard to live.  Few things could be so tragic (p. 63, "The Prayer Garden").

"The best books help us process our past, inform our present, and help shape our future.  The Bible often is the best at that.  Yet, there is no denying that God often uses the stories of others to help us too" (p. 254, "An Easter Canticle").

If This was a Movie, I Would Rate It: G -- clean and uplifting.

This is my 15th book read from my TBR shelves for #TheUnreadShelfProject2023.