Last week I read two wonderful Bethany House releases by debut authors. Both books are written in a lovely lyrical style, and wouldn’t necessarily be books I normally gravitate towards. Nobody is killed, and they aren’t romances – though there are romantic elements in each. Instead, each is the tale of a young woman finding healing from past scars.

Home Another Way is the debut release of talented new writer Christa Parrish. The tale of a troubled young woman, Sarah Graham, who seems bent on destroying herself. Then she learns her father, who spent much of her lifetime in prison for killing her mother, died and left her an estate. She goes to Jonah for the sole purpose of collecting her inheritance and living. To receive the money she has to stay through the long winter. As she does, she is slowly changed by the love of those around her and the slow unveiling of the truth. This book rolled through the story with a pull that kept me reading. And I was so satisfied with the ending because it wasn’t the expected wrap up. If you’re hungry for something different, grab this book!

Rain Song is the debut release from Alice J. Wisler. I read this book second and wondered if it would read differently from Home Another Way, since both are general fiction. Oh my, did it. This book is sweetly lyrical, and definitely southern. The characters form a beautiful cast around our heroine, Nicole Michelin. Another young woman who essentially lost both parents at a young age through a tragedy, it could have seemed identical, but each book carried its author’s unique stamp. Nicole must face so many of her fears in her quest for truth she is hungry to learn. Romance plays a slightly greater role in this book (maybe 20%), but this book’s focus is on the question of what we are willing to sacrifice to learn the truth. Beautiful story!