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07 December 2011

Review of Falling to Pieces by Vannetta Chapman


Falling to Pieces A Shipshewanna Amish Mystery Series
by Vannetta Chapman
Zondervan (2011)


Five Stars *****


Review by Carrie Fancett Pagels


Callie is a young widow who comes to Shippshewanna after her beloved aunt dies. Auntie owned a quilt shop and several Amish women are reliant upon her to sell their quilts. One of the women has a significant need for the funds as she has a child with a rare illness.  Callie is a spunky woman from a big city in Texas suddenly in small town Indiana. A real fish out of water.  But as the story progresses one senses she was a goldfish swimming in the ocean who needed to be in a tank, required the cozy closeness that provided. Lovely job of dropping that into the story over time.  The Amish quilters are lovely women, each with distinct voices that are also unlike most other Amish stories I have heard.

Callie hasn’t gotten over the loss of her husband, in fact doesn’t even share this with her new friends until very late in the book.  She is an endearing character despite her prickly behavior, which furthers the story line, especially when she becomes the prime suspect in a murder. This is not a romance but there are a couple of romantic possibilities. By the end of the story we have a real possibility for a boyfriend in the next book, which I am looking forward to reading/listening to!

This was a great Christmas season listen because it a) has an easy tempo b) has an excellent narrator (amazingly she sounds almost exactly like the real Vannetta Chapman!) c) it’s like having a girlfriend in your room with you telling you the story d) while it is a suspense/mystery it has a cozy feel and is not knuckle whitening – I mean who needs that this time of year? It has a soothing quality to it despite the suspense and the murder mystery. It may be one of the first women’s fiction reads I’ve read in a long time, but Vannetta’s book almost defies genres.

I plan to listen to this book again sometime as I really liked it and it has the qualities of a repeat listen - great voice, characterization, and pleasing story line.

Bibliotherapy: Loneliness, estrangement, grieving, child with a rare disease, and friendships.

Formats: I listened through http://audible.com and it is available in paperback, ebook (e.g., Kindle), and audio.

Giveaway: Leave a comment for a chance to win a copy of one of Vannetta’s books this week.

25 comments:

  1. Thank you for the kind review, Carrie! Actually, it's NOT my voice, but the sweet professional that Zondervan hired to record the book called me and asked, "How Texan do you want Callie to sound?" Isn't that a hoot? Looking forward to comments today. You have a wonderful blog!

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  2. Another great review from the pen, er, computer of Carrie Pagels! I love her insightful reviews and this one was no exception.

    That is funny about the narration, Vannetta, as the Kindle books that I have listened to thus far just have a monotonous computerized voice. I'm looking forward to listening/reading to this one when I get the chance.

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  3. The narrator really sounds like Vannetta! Zondervan did good with that! Thanks, Vannetta!

    Thanks Diana. This is a great listen!

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  4. And our 120th follower was located - Wendy Marple, and she asked for a Kindle copy of Falling to Pieces! So she has been sent that! Congrats to Wendy!

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  5. WooHoo, Wendy! Congratulations!

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  6. Diana, the kindle books that you listen to on audio ARE a flat robotic voice. Zondervan did an actual audio book with this series ... so it's a bit nicer. : )

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  7. I have a friend who loves quilting so I need to share this with her. It would be great to win, read and share the paperback copy!

    Blessings, jsmithg@hotmail(dot)com

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  8. Janice, the series is set in Shipshewana, IN ... and the inspiration for the quilt shop was Lolly's Quilt Shop. You can visit it at http://www.lollys.com/. Let me say, it's an AWESOME place. : )

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  9. Oh, I hope my comment isn't too late for the giveaway. Sounds like a great and wonderful story.

    Blessings,
    Barb Shelton
    barbjan10 at tx dot rr dot com

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  10. I am a huge fan of Vannetta's. I loved the review Carrie. Would love to win a copy of Falling to Pieces!

    Blessings To Everyone!

    judyjohn2004[at]yahoo[dot]com

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  11. Sounds like a wonderful book!

    marissamehresman(at)aol(dot)com

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  12. Thanks, Judy, so glad you love Vannetta, who is such a sweetie! Yes, Marissa, a great listen! Hi Barb! Janice, my mom was a quilter and I have many beautiful quilts from her, which is such a blessing.

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  13. JANICE, I love quilting too. : ) It was one of the fun things about writing this series.

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  14. Barb, thanks for posting. : ) I hope you have a wonderful evening. : )

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  15. JUDY, fun seeing you here. Thanks for coming by. : )

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  16. Marissa, I'm glad you like the sound of Falling to Pieces. Thanks for stopping by!

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  17. Wonderful Review Carrie and sounds like a great read...I would love any book from Vanetta Chapman!
    Blessings.....Joy
    ibjoy1953{at]yahoo[dot]com

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  18. A book that defies genres? This one certainly sounds interesting! Thanks for the giveaway.

    writer.chicka[at]gmail.com

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  19. JOY, I'm glad you enjoyed the review! Have a great day.

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  20. SUGARPEACH, You made me smile today. : ) I think that's because a cozy mystery, by definition, includes a little of each genre. There's a bit of mystery, some romance, some women's fiction, and a little humor in there. And of course an overall spiritual message. I REALLY enjoy writing this series!

    Have a wonderful day and thanks for stopping by!

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  21. Sounds like a great read!! I would love a chance to win a copy. Thanks! margie at mijares dot net

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  22. I received this book via kindle and can't wait to read it. It sounds so good
    wsmarple/at/gmail/dot/com
    BC

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  23. The reviews are fantastic and love the interview.
    I would love to read these.
    Thank you for the chance.
    Wendy
    wdesirees[at]yahoo[dot]com

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  24. Thank you for the wondeful giveaway.
    Wendy BC
    wdesirees[at]yahoo[dot]com

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