Monday, February 3, 2025

About the Book

Book: The Thomas Sisters

Author: Kathryn Spurgeon

Genre: Historical Fiction

Release date: August 29, 2024

Five tightknit sisters. Five interwoven stories. One book.

Based on the true lives of closely connected sisters.

As the harsh winds of the 1930s Dust Bowl strip the Oklahoma ground of its fertile soil, and the Great Depression becomes imminent, the Thomas sisters struggle to hold onto their families, their faith, and one another. To survive their storms, they must let go of their secrets and grief and trust in the strength of sisterhood. Based on true stories.

Click here to get your copy!

About the Author

Kathryn Spurgeon, an Illumination Award-winning author, publishes inspirational, historical novels based on true events. Her novels include the Promise Series, and the Thomas Sister Series, both set in the 1930s in Oklahoma. She also writes and publishes devotionals, nonfiction, and poetry. A native Oklahoman, as a married teenager, Kathryn spent two years in South Korea where she adopted two babies. She and her husband have six children and eighteen muti-racial grandchildren.

More from Kathryn

Old Fashioned Dark Fruit Cake

1 cup sugar

1 cup shortening

1 egg

1 3/4 cups flour

1 pkg mincemeat

2/3 cup molasses

1 cup cold coffee

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp vanilla

1 cup pecans

1 1/2 cups raisins

Mix sugar, shortening, and egg until fluffy. Add flour, mincemeat, and molasses. Add soda to the cold coffee, then add to mix. Add vanilla, pecans, and raisins. (Instead of raisins, or also, I use candied cherries, candied pineapple and dates cut up.) Cook 300 degrees for two hours in an angel food cake pan. Put a cookie sheet under the pan. Cook on bottom rack.

Aunt Til loved to make fruitcake. The recipe has been in the family for over 120 years.

MY REVIEW

The book takes readers back to 1930s where times were hard and family was important. This is based on the lives of sisters and difficult subjects. It may be hard for some to read but I like the honest and transparent characters who overcame hard times. Each sister has a story that may be filled with loss, marriage problems or abuse. Although this is not a feel good book it’s openness about struggles helps readers see where even though it might seem impossible, God is always there. Never give up hope and continue to pray for God’s direction.

I loved how the sisters banded together when one of them needed help or a listening ear. At times I wondered how they faced the difficulties but it was only by God they were able to. Their faith is strong even during a crisis. I cried at the loss of a child, or a marriage in trouble. Finances were a definite struggle in this time period. It was fun to join them at Christmas and read how excited children were over simple gifts like a toy train or even a stocking filled with fruit and candy.

It was very hard to read about abuse in the story that a child endured. Alcoholism was also a struggle as well as domestic violence. It seemed at times that turmoil was all around the sisters lives. The author is able to illustrate how faith held the sisters together as they comforted each other when times were hard. Although the book tackles issues that are present even today, we see how steadfast faith helped even the during the darkest days.

I received a copy of this book from Celebrate Lit. The review is my own opinion.