As Young as We Feel

While this story is a little out of my era and I couldn't really connect with the characters on an intimate level (they are twenty years older than me), I could certainly relate to the idea of having made friends in first grade that I'd lost touch with over the years and then re-connected with (my best friend and I met on the first day of first grade and have been best friends ever since!). I thought the ending was a bit too perfect and I was surprised that this was considered Christian fiction as not much was mentioned about God or religion in general. Overall, I enjoyed the story and will likely read the next book in the series, Hometown Ties, when it is released in September.

In Clifden, Oregon, the four females named Linda met in the first grade and became friends. They agreed to use their middle names to ease identification in the Four Lindas club. The quartet vowed to remain BFFs, but high school has a way to break up forever clubs. Almost five decades have passed since the women first formed the Lindas club. Each went their separate ways with Janie becoming a New York attorney; Abby feeling the pangs of her empty nest with the kids gone; Marley as a failed artist lost her élan and free spirit attitude; and Charlotte the starlet whose Hollywood time is over. Each has decisions to make in their middle years, but though they had lost contact until now, they remain BFFs having each other's back. This is an entertaining character driven tale starring the Four Lindas who in their early fifties face differing crises, but with their BFF namesakes do so with courage and encouragement. Although the plot is thin, fans will relish that with faith and friends in your heart, a person can achieve so much more to overcome what eats at their soul. Melody Carlson provides a wonderful inspirational that will have fans wanting to see how the Four Linda's rock Clifden. Harriet Klausner

As Young as we Feel is the first book in a heartwarming series featuring four women named Linda, who have known each other in grade school when they formed a club called, The Four Lindas. Now, in their fifties, these four women meet again at a school reunion on the Oregon coast. Abby, Janie, Marley and Caroline -- all going by their middle names -- are now in the middle of big changes in their lives. Any woman of Boomer age will identify with at least one of these characters as they watch the four Lindas walk through the unique life challenges of the Boomer generation: marriages in trouble, widowhood, depression, relationships with estranged children, and taking care of parents with long-term care needs. You'll laugh and cry as you watch them struggle through dating at 50, relocating to smaller homes, and changing careers at mid-life. You'll be encouraged as you see them step out in faith to do what's right in spite of the circumstances. It's not a story of easy answers, but one of spiritual growth through tough times. I look forward to reading the next book in the series to find out what will happen next. Will Abby's marriage be saved? How will Caroline, a breast cancer survivor, deal with her aging mother's dementia? How will Marley adjust to the fact that her son is gay and that she will never have grandchildren? Is there romance in the future for Janie, the widow, or for any of the others who are also single? This is a book for and about women -- about their trials, their strengths and their friendships. It's a book you won't want to miss, especially if you're a Boomer woman.

Unlike the characters in this book, I never had the privilege of sharing my name with anyone in my classes. Deborah has been a popular name in the 50's, it seemed to die down by the time I entered this world. Even though the characters are in their 50s, I still enjoyed reading about their experiences. Class reunions are always fun to read about because it's interesting to see how the popular crowd has fared throughout the years or how your crush from high school is no longer hot. What I found unique about this book is that the four Lindas weren't best friends in high school, they had just bonded because they all shared the same name back then. Now they've grown apart and created new identities for themselves. Caroline's character was the most interesting to me. Her situation with her mother was sad to read and frustrating to read about. It's hard to see someone you love start to slowly break down mentally especially when it's a parent. I was a bit confused as to how her mother survived on her own. It seemed that Caroline didn't visit her all that much before the book started. I don't know how her mother hasn't burned the house down or hurt herself severely living on her own. Abby's story was a bit of a letdown. She seems to be kind of a push over, allowing her husband to do what he wants and doesn't think about what makes her happy. I got really annoyed at the way he would put her down and then accuse her of making his life miserable. Even at the end when they start to resolve their problems, he's still not making 100% of an effort. As for the other two women, I didn't really feel as if I got to know Marley or Janie. They just seemed to be the two characters that lived far away and then chose to come back to their hometown. There wasn't really much growth in their characters other than discovering that they weren't happy in their present situation. I did find it quite interesting that Marley's son is gay and other than a few mentions of her ex husband being displeased it's just a way of life for them. It was the same with Janie's boss, it's casually mentioned but not a factor. Which I thought was very refreshing for Christian fiction, to NOT be judgmental. I will admit that even though I normally love Melody's books, this one feel sort of flat. Melody is known for pushing very edgy material in her other books and this one didn't really have it. I think there was just too much dialogue between the characters. There was just a LOT of talking that seemed to be just chatter or small talk. I never really bonded with any of the characters like I normally do. Overall though I enjoyed it. There is a bit more faith talk in this book as opposed to other Carlson books, but for the most part it doesn't feel in your face. Since I do enjoy her books, I will be reading the next book in the series.

I enjoyed this book very much. It took the action a little while to develop but the basic premise is a great one- four childhood friends brought back together in their fifties renew their friendships and their lives. As a woman who grew up when "Linda" was one of the most common names (we didn't have many names back then) I can easily imagine the scenario of four friends named Linda (my class had four Susans instead.) As a- heaven forbid- middle-aged woman today I can thoroughly relate to the places in which the Lindas find themselves. I'm looking forward to the sequel and certainly hope the Kindle version will come at a reasonable price. In the meantime I'm going to buy the paperback edition of this first book for my best friend Linda! I gave it four stars instead of five mainly because I think it took the story too long to get interesting. One of the downsides of having four main characters is the time it takes for the reader to become interested in all four, and this book does suffer from that basic and almost inevitable flaw. For the readers who tend to shy away from "Christian Fiction", don't worry, there is very little to scare you off and nowhere is the style preachy.