Kim Vogel Sawyer's Sweet Sanctuary ~ Reviewed

Sweet Sanctuary
By Kim Vogel Sawyer
Published By Bethany House
ISBN#978-0-7642-0789-1
352 Pages

Back Cover: Lydia Eldredge longs to provide a sanctuary for her son, Nicky. But a constant threat comes from Nicky's drug-addicted father, who wants the boy and seems willing to do whatever it takes to get
him.

Dr. Micah Hatcher serves the immigrant population in Queens, but under cover of darkness he provides another service that must not be discovered lest his and his brother's lives be in danger.

When Lydia and Micah's paths cross, they are suddenly wrapped up in each other's callings. Through unforeseen twists and turns, they seek a refuge of safety--for Nicky, for themselves, and for the needy people God unexpectedly puts in their lives.
 
Review: I’m thankful for the review copy that introduced me to author Kim Sawyer and her tender and encouraging story. I instantly cared for her characters especially 4 year old Nicky. Micah heads to Boston to straighten out matters in an upsetting letter sent by N. Allan Eldredge, accusing him of things he hadn’t done. It’s there he meets Nicky who captures his attention and heart too.

Nicky says to Micah; “think the bug would be happy in a shoebox?
That’s all I got to put him in.”

“Some how it pleased Micah that the child trusted him enough to ask his opinion. He scratched his head thoughtfully, considering the boy’s question…We-e-ell, seems to me that bugs are happier in the grass rather a gloomy place to live.”

The child’s face fell, “You mean he’d be sad in a box? I don’t want to make him sad. It’s not fun to be sad.”

Micah catches a glimpse of Lydia Eldredge a woman he went to school with, oh my she had changed. Lydia is surprised to see Micah too, it’s been years. Micah fills Lydia in on the letter written by her father.
 
She’s horrified. How could her father accursed Micah of such a thing.

Micah talks to Lydia’s dad and thinks to himself. “What an incredible mess! A morphine-addicted father seeking to sell his child… He might not be able to keep all the world’s children from pain and anguish, but he desperately wanted to help this small, tousle-haired boy who worried about bugs being happy…he also wanted to help Lydia.”

Micah heads back to a clinic he runs in New York for the poor. Micah can’t stop thinking and praying for Lydia, Nicky, and their situation. Lydia surprises Micah and stops by his clinic asking for help. Lydia quickly discovers Micah has a few secrets of his own. She could tell Micah was involved in some pretty serious stuff. Will he trust her enough to explain what’s up?

I enjoyed Kim Sawyers’ characters and the time period she describes. She said, “During the second world war, a number of people worked tirelessly to rescue Jews from Hitler’s systematic annihilation. Among them were ministers, farmers, housewives and business owners…being caught assisting Jews meant a death sentence, so these people literally risked their lives for the sake of another. Although Micah Hatcher and the others are fictional characters, they are inspired by many selfless individuals who sacrificed all in reaching out to a persecuted people with compassion.”

I found the subject matter interesting as I learned what others did in
secret to save lives of strangers. The characters are endearing and
this story leaves you with warm feelings in your heart.

Reviewed by:  Nora St.Laurent
TBCN Where Book Fun Begins