Where the Heart Leads

Through connections he has made from Summer's family, Thomas Ollenburger has had the advantage of a college education. For the past several years, he has been away from his roots and the lifestyle of all that is familiar. Now he must make a choice. Not only in where he will live, but what to choose for a career and whom he should marry. These are not the only issues clouding Thomas' life. He finds himself questioning the values of the father who raised him. Only when Thomas's finds himself face to face with ethical choices does he truly appreciate those values instilled upon him through his life. Kim Sawyer has done an outstanding job in this sequel to Waiting for Summer's return. In this story, she has taken an historical episode and weaved the impact of history upon the fictional lives of those who might have been impacted by these events. Once again she shows how God preserves those who set their hearts and mind upon Him.

Where the Heart Leads is an engaging story about Thomas Ollenberger, a young man torn between his Mennonite roots on the Kansas prairie and his love for the big city of Boston. Thomas also struggles with his attraction toward two women. Two women who are so different, the only thing they have in common is their feelings for Thomas. Even though this novel is set in 1904, it still resonates with what people experience today. We all must decide on a daily basis what path we choose. Do we let ourselves be drawn to what looks like the ultimate path to happiness? Or do we seek God for His direction and His timing? And sometimes, when we think we have it all figured out . . . God surprises us. I have to admit--this book was not satisfying for me--but only because I was not ready to see the story end! I wanted to read further and continue the journey I'd begun with the characters. Where the Heart Leads is the sequel to Kim's novel, Waiting for Summer's Return, another favorite of mine. Both also work well as stand-alone novels. You don't HAVE to read one to enjoy the other, but I encourage you to read both.

In the long-awaited follow-up to Waiting for Summer's Return, Kim Vogel Sawyer takes us on a journey with Thomas Ollenburger. He is torn between a life as a journalist in Boston, and returning to his small hometown to make a life there. Even worse, he finds he has feelings for women in both places. This book surprised me more than once. A subplot concerning a presidential election and the power of the press makes it remarkably timely. And the romance aspect, while sweet and gentle, is unique with a lovely twist. Fans of Sawyer will not be disappointed with her latest offering. And if you've never read this author before, don't worry. Even though this is a sequel, you can read it on its own and never feel left behind. Enjoy!

WHERE THE HEART LEADS by Kim Vogel Sawyer Reviewed by Marion Kelley Bullock If you've read Waiting for Summer's Return, you're probably dying to read more about Summer, Peter Ollenburger, and his son, Thomas. Thomas, grown now, and having earned a college degree from Boston Tech, must make a momentous decision. He's lived in Boston with Nadine Steadman, Summer's mother-in-law, for the past six years, in order to complete his education. He's torn between his Mennonite roots in Hillsboro, Kansas, and his love for Boston, where he's been offered a newspaper job befitting his education. Add to that his affection for a girl in each place. Which path does God want him to choose? Which girl? While Thomas struggles with these decisions, he's faced with another conflict. His boss expects him to support a certain political candidate. Now he finds that this candidate's ideals and values are opposed to his own. He wants to be where he can do the most good. But how can he write less than the truth?

At last, Kim Vogel Sawyer has provided the long-anticipated sequel to Waiting for Summer's Return. There were a number of times I tried to guess where she would go with this next book, but Kim has proven that her creativity in plotting a new story is not predictable. Now a young man with a degree from an eastern college, Thomas Ollenburger seeks direction for his career. Having seen more of the world than his sleepy little home town ever provided, he must sort through the proverbial wheat and chaff to discover what God has in store for him. Mix in the distractions of two pretty but very different young women, family struggles back home, and the lure of journalism and politics, and Thomas finds himself challenged to define success as he fine-tunes his faith. I think you will enjoy the surprises this story has in store.