The Prayer Box

The Prayer Box
Lisa Wingate
(Tyndale)
ISBN: 978-1414386881
Septermber 2013/400 pages/$15.99
When Iola Anne Poole, an old-timer on Hatteras Island, passes away in her bed at ninety-one, the struggling young mother in her rental cottage, Tandi Jo Reese, finds herself charged with the task of cleaning out Iola’s rambling Victorian house.

Running from a messy, dangerous past, Tandi never expects to find more than a temporary hiding place within Iola’s walls, but everything changes with the discovery of eighty-one carefully decorated prayer boxes, one for each year, spanning from Iola’s youth to her last days. Hidden in the boxes is the story of a lifetime, written on random bits of paper--the hopes and wishes, fears and thoughts of an unassuming but complex woman passing through the seasons of an extraordinary, unsung life filled with journeys of faith, observations on love, and one final lesson that could change everything for Tandi.

Read an excerpt.



ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Lisa Wingate is a magazine columnist, speaker, and the author of nineteen mainstream novels, including the national bestseller Tending Roses, now in its eighteenth printing. She is a seven-time ACFW Carol award nominee, a Christy Award nominee, and a two-time Carol Award winner. Her novel Blue Moon Bay was a Booklist Top Ten of 2012 pick. Recently, the group Americans for More Civility, a kindness watchdog organization, selected Lisa along with Bill Ford, Camille Cosby, and six others, as recipients of the National Civies Award, which celebrates public figures who work to promote greater kindness and civility in American life. When not dreaming up stories, Lisa spends time on the road as a motivational speaker. Via internet, she shares with readers as far away as India, where her book Tending Roses has been used to promote women's literacy, and as close to home as Tulsa, Oklahoma, where the county library system has used Tending Roses to help volunteers teach adults to read.

Lisa lives on a ranch in Texas, where she spoils the livestock, raises boys, and teaches Sunday school to high school seniors. She was inspired to become a writer by a first grade teacher who said she expected to see Lisa's name in a magazine one day.

Lisa also entertained childhood dreams of being an Olympic gymnast and winning the National Finals Rodeo, but was stalled by the inability to do a back flip on the balance beam and parents who wouldn't finance a rodeo career. She was lucky enough to marry into a big family of cowboys and southern storytellers who would inspire any lover of tall tales and interesting, yet profound characters. She is a full time writer, and pens inspirational fiction for both the general Christian markets. Of all the things she loves about her job, she loves connecting with people, both real and imaginary, the most. More information about Lisa's novels can be found at www.lisawingate.com and on her Facebook page.

MY THOUGHTS

A misunderstood and unappreciated solitary life. Prayers poured out on scraps of paper and tucked away in boxes for decades. A desperate young mother searching for a new beginning. Lisa Wingate has taken these seemingly disparities and pieced them together in a beautiful tapestry that is The Prayer Box. A setting so real that I could feel the sand between my toes transported me to Hatteras Island on the Outer Banks of North Carolina, and I longed to visit Sandy's Seashell Shop and discover some sea glass treasures. Most of all, I loved getting to know the heart of Iola Anne Poole through her prayers and watching the impact they had on Tandi's life. Tender and poignant, this tale will touch your heart and remind you that no one is unseen or forgotten by God or outside the reach of His grace. I love the concept of prayer boxes, especially the ideas that Wingate shares on her website about making and giving them as gifts. The Prayer Box is a must-read!


Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a copy of this book from Tyndale House Publishers. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”