Ransomed Dreams by Sally John

I began reading Ransomed Dreams by Sally John thinking that the story would be a simple one about an ambassador and his wife who experience major life-change after he is shot while on assignment. Several pages in, I realized that the story is more than that. It’s about relationships ... between two sisters, between a victim and her rescuer, between a daughter and her estranged father, between a daughter and the father she idolized, between daughters and their deceased mother, between a woman and the locals who become her support, between a mom in crisis and her best friend, between a wife and her husband facing tragedy.

Sally John tells the story of Sheridan, Eliot, Luke, and Calissa in a way that grips your heart and pulls you in. The characters become real and feel like friends. Their emotions are on display for everyone to dive in and pick apart. But more importantly, I could relate—not to the details of the plot—but to the emotions that the plot evoked.

I have read other novels by Sally John and am always impressed by her gripping stories and the way she weaves the Gospel throughout. It doesn’t feel forced ... it seems natural ... as though it’s an important part of her life and therefore an important part of each novel she writes.

I would definitely recommend this book to a friend ... If you’re anything like me you’ll have to fight not to read ahead to the last page to see if everything works out “okay.”

5 stars (out of 5)

I received a free copy of this book from Tyndale House Publishers in exchange for my fair and honest review of this book.