Lavender Tears By Sondra Cunningham

Lavender Tears

by Sondra Cunningham

Publisher: Bowker

ISBN: 978-1736187807

I love Biblical fiction so I was thankful to Sondra for reaching out to me to review her book! She sent it to me for today's post.

Summary:

The strength to rise again and again is not for the faint of heart.

Like each new sunrise, Mary of Bethany’s journey required an inner strength and faith that would permeate through the darkness of life’s unexpected tragedies. When her hopes and dreams came crashing down around her, Mary’s life began to spin, seemingly, out of control. What she couldn’t see, was that God, the faithful potter, was shaping her life into a valuable vessel. One mended and filled with the pure gold of the Father’s love and destined for a unique purpose. Held together by the sweet and calming scent of lavender and the memories of her mother’s garden, Mary journeys on, learning how to defeat the night and radiate like the noon day sun. ~Join Sondra on her debut novel’s heart felt journey alongside the woman with the alabaster jar, as she grows from soil to Savior!

My Review:

You know, one minute you're sitting there, reading Lavender Tears, thinking just how sweet this book is, and then boom, things take a turn! I was "concerned" to start with because I couldn't figure out any word to use to describe the book as other than, "sweet".  And honestly, I would've been ok reading a book that was 100% sweet all the way through. Life isn't like that though, right?

I thoroughly enjoy stories set in Biblical times and it was so fascinating considering the story of Mary, Martha, and Lazarus. Sondra's take on what life might've been like for them growing up in the time of Jesus. I really enjoyed how she infused Jesus' ministry into the story. Of course, with any Biblical fiction, the author does take license with anything not directly pulled from Scripture. I think we always need to keep that in mind as we read this genre.

I enjoyed getting to know the characters and the fact that the family worked so well together in all they did. So many stories I read pits family members against each other. Not only that, but we know that men ruled everything back then, but in this story, we see men treating the women kindly and as though they were worth something. I appreciate that!

This story took several turns that were very unexpected. I think all of us who know the story of Mary and Martha wonder how they came to that situation. That's what everything leads up to. How Mary ends up at the feet of Jesus while Martha is keeping busy. You can see how their personalities and "life experiences" brings them to being in such different places. I have to admit, there were a couple of spots that I had tears in my eyes. I certainly got emotional towards the end when Jesus was once again in the story.

Being a gardener, I loved how Mary and her mom tended the garden together. Also that her mother saw her gift with herbs and made sure she had something of her own that she could nurture. Of course, the name of the book fits in with their garden.

As I got further into the story more people from the Bible are involved and that really made me curious about how they're connected in Scripture just from what the writers of the Book wrote. I appreciate that with Sondra's book because I learned much more about them than I expected!

About the Author:

Sondra Cunningham is a wife and mother who has served in full time ministry since her teenage salvation. Sondra has flowed in the gift of worship, and worship leadership from those early years and continues today. Sondra ministers from her home and out in her local community, winning the lost, reaching out to pray, and teaching women how to grow deeper and more intimate relationships with the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Sondra makes her debut into the Christian Author's world with her new novel, "Lavender Tears." A biblical fiction story following the life of Mary of Bethany, the woman with the alabaster jar. Her words are eloquently written with sincere pathos and personal understanding of life's hardships. Sondra's desire is to use her voice in both song and written word, to sing healing over others and inspire the fallen to get back up. Through many difficulties within her years, Sondra has learned the precious truth of overcoming. Her ministry radiates hope for all those who have struggled to truly receive the love of God and find the confidence to leave the past behind. Sondra lives and works out of her home in upstate New York with her family. She spends her time passionately seeking Jesus, homeschooling her two children, leading worship, interpreting dreams, painting, and writing.