Where My Heart Belongs

Enjoyed this book. Light rreading but sometimes that is what I am looking for.

Reviewed by Tammy Petty Conrad for Reader Views (3/08 This story follows the tale from the Bible of the Prodigal Son. Only this time, it is a daughter in modern-day Kansas who comes home having lost her inheritance and hurting her family deeply. The author, Tracie Peterson, gets right to the heart of things on page one and keeps moving all the way to the end, undoubtedly changing a few hearts along the way. Kathy is a Kansas farmer's daughter who has done her duty. She stayed home and cared for her parents when her younger sister Amy left the stifling confines of their small town and the high-school sweetheart she was afraid she'd end up marrying. Actually it was "Sunshine" who left, because even her birth name seemed to hold her back from the future she yearned to have. The story moves easily between the present and the past with the use of flashbacks into the family's history. Kathy remembers exactly what it was like when Sunshine left and what she had to give up during the twelve years her sister remained absent. Although Kathy has just become engaged, she pushes her young man away once her mother becomes too ill to care for herself. Of course Sunshine knows nothing of the tragedy that befalls her family after her departure. And her family knows nothing of the horrors she endures. They fear she is dead and Amy often wishes she was. This is a tale of how Kathy comes to grips with the actual reality of Sunshine's existence and how she allows her to become part of the family again. But it is not a quick and easy adjustment for Kathy or her sister. Although raised in a Christian family, she finds it extremely hard to accept her sister back into the family and to forgive her. Finally she does realize something about grace: "But isn't that what grace is all about? Getting what we don't deserve?" She has this light-bulb moment with a particularly annoying woman which makes it all the more meaningful! I appreciated that this wasn't just Kathy's story, but Sunshine's too. Although both were selfish at times, their motivations were revealed and I could imagine becoming friends with either of them and understanding where they came from and why they made the choices they did. The author has written over 70 books in a variety of genres. "Where My Heart Belongs" entertains, inspires and encourages readers to look at people and events from every angle before drawing conclusions.

This was a really good book. It was well written, making it easy to read, and quickly grabbing my attention. The storyline of forgiveness and reconciliation hit home. It is fiction with a life changing message. Get yourself a copy!

Tracie always manages to deal with emotional issues that can occur in families, only as the Lord would deal with them, and in this book, one is moved with compassion for both sisters, Sunny & Kathy. It is difficult to put the book down, until one sees the reconciliation complete ! Even the minor issues are dealt with so well by Tracie. I love her books anyway and would highly recommend this one (along with all her others)

Amy Halbert changed her name, took her share of the family money, and left home for good. Kathy Halbert stayed home, taking care of her ailing parents, giving up her dreams to keep the family together. 12 years later, Amy now called Sunny, returns to find the home she left changed dramatically. Kathy harbors angry feelings towards her sister and vows never to forgive her. However when she finds out what really happen to her sister, the judgment she had previously passed seems too harsh. This is not just another retelling of the prodigal son story. When I first started reading this book, I felt a sense of de ja vu. Didn't I just read a book this year with a version of the prodigal son story? I figured that this story would be the same like all the others where the prodigal gets treated like royalty while the older sibling is humbled and regrets feeling jealous. Boy was I wrong. This story is hard hitting and very heart wrenching. You can see where both sisters made mistakes in how they chose to live their lives and how they have to pay for their decisions. As the younger sister, Sunny doesn't try to gain sympathy when she tells her sister her story. Older sister Kathy, has every right to be angry in my opinion but the story also shows her as making the same kind of selfish choices her sister made. It puts a new spin on the story which I fully appreciated. As always with Peterson's books, it's a wonderful read with excellent story telling. The only part I didn't like was that the ending felt kind of rushed. You don't see any present interaction with Kathy and Kyle. And it felt a little too everyone is happy for me. I know that the characters have had harsh lives but it just seemed a little fast to close things up. However I really enjoyed this story. It's another winner from Tracie Peterson.