Saturday, October 12, 2019

About the Book

Book: A Promise to Break

Author: Kathryn Spurgeon

Genre: Christian Historical

Release Date: July 11, 2016

SIBYL TRIMBLE, the daughter of a wealthy banking family during the Great Depression in Shawnee, Oklahoma, promises her father to be part of a political movement to change the world. By 1932, the timing to fulfill that promise seems right. Her life consists of fashionable clothes, cruising in a Model T, and dancing every weekend at the local speakeasy.

FREMONT POPE is a handsome, blue-eyed, down-on-his-luck hobo, and Sibyl’s life turns

upside down when she meets him. Her love for him and his Christian family opens her eyes to a different way of life than she has ever known.

Based on a true story, this historical novel follows Sibyl through some difficult choices. She must dig deep within herself to find strength to face her father and determine which, if any, of her past beliefs can be salvaged. What is more important, love or duty?

Click here to get your copy.

About the Author

A Christian writer, Biblical counselor, teacher and speaker who offers insight, the author loves connecting to people individually and through retreats and conferences.

Kathryn’s mission is to teach that the passion of godly love knows no boundaries. Whether with prisoners, international students or those needing assistance, her platform strategy is the concept of personal, intimate encounters with Jesus. Her historical novel, “Up Town,” shows the importance of spiritual encounters with Jesus—small encounters that lead to a more mature spiritual life. Kathryn’s Biblical counseling and teaching background lends itself to this message.

She lived in South Korea for two years in her early twenties, spent time in an orphanage and adopted two Korean babies. A single mom for 18 years, she went from welfare to owner and CEO of a multimillion dollar corporation, Integrity Healthy Care. Her company took care of the medical needs of over 4,000 prisoners and during that time she counseled over 200 women.

Kathryn and her husband, Bill, hold Bible studies for international students attending the University of Central Oklahoma. They have had many different students live in their home and try to help students in all areas of their lives.

Kathryn is on the Mission Team at her home church, Henderson Hills Baptist Church, in Edmond, Oklahoma, where she has been a member for over 13 years. While attending her prior church, Country Estates Baptist Church in Midwest City, Oklahoma, she was on the Finance and Long Range Planning Committees, and taught DivorceCare and Financial classes. She is a Crown Money Map coach.

Bill and Kathryn have six children and nine grandchildren at the last count, including some adopted. Their family is internationally diverse. God’s love is enormous and includes all of us.

More from Kathryn

Nostalgic book

Have you ever wished to go back in time and question a relative who is no longer around? Ask what motivated her, discuss her greatest heartaches and how she overcame them, analyze her spiritual journey?

My grandmother’s life was full of upheavals and I wish I could have spent more time with her and studied her thought-processes. My mother did spend more time with her. With a clear mind of that time, Mom (and many others) enthusiastically shared memories and discussed the lessons the once wealthy Sibyl Trimble may have gathered in life.

What a trip it has been! Autobiographies. Publications. Notes in attic boxes containing information about secret love affairs and heart-breaking losses told with spiritual honesty. The more information I uncovered, the more I wanted to get to know Sibyl Trimble, the person. I wanted to know how God worked in her life. I wanted to write her story.

The nostalgic era of the 1930s came alive to me as I travelled to places of lively, boogie-woogie music, old handwritten documents, and tombstones. The amazing, booming town of Shawnee, Oklahoma, was the perfect setting for a Great Depression tale. Some people moved to California during that time. Others stayed in Shawnee. In contrast to “The Grapes of Wrath,” this book relates the experiences of some who remained during one of the worst times in U.S. history. They stayed and thrived.

This book is not a recount of simple facts but examines the essence of a brilliant woman who traversed through life, maneuvering the hardships along with the blessings. I uncovered anecdotes, read newspaper articles, and confirmed family lore that had been passed down through generations.

Many readers agree Sibyl could have been their grandmother, their heritage, and after reading this book series, they will know Sibyl almost as well as I do.

This story is an intimate look at a searching individual during the wistful days of a long-gone era. I expect, after you read “A Promise to Break,” you’ll agree that Sibyl Trimble’s story needed to be told.

I enjoyed the setting of the book in the 1920's to early 1930's. The author gives readers a nice look at what it was like during the depression era. The story takes place in Oklahoma where my granddad homesteaded. I remember him telling me stories about how hard it was when he worked his farm trying to survive. He lived in a small town where the people knew each other and tried to help each other out.

When I make a promise I try never to break it because my integrity is very important to me. Sibyl adored her father and tried to always please him. I found it fascinating that the book was based on a true story . The author describes a family that has a comfortable living even though the depression was hitting hard. Sybil and her siblings didn't seem to do without and had a carefree live. That all changes as the politics start to take over and her father strays from his commitment to family.

The story is based around a promise that Sybil makes to her father. She makes it not thinking she will ever have to actually follow through with her vow. I found her father to be quite arrogant at times and very judgmental of others. His lack of sympathy for the poor made me angry. He was very demanding and wanted his family to obey him without question. There are flaws in the family structure as Sybil starts to question her father and his political beliefs.

I found myself invested in the story and loved how the author writes a story with transparency and exposes the breakdown of a marriage. When Sybil goes against her father's wishes to marry someone, that seemed to be the beginning of the breakdown in father/daughter relationship. Sybil has always done what her father wanted and to disobey him was unthinkable. Her father does take a detour and completely changes the dynamics of a close family. All he seemed to be worried about what his reputation.

The highlight for me in the story was Fremont. What he lacked financially, he made up for with his deep faith. I loved reading how his and Sybil's relationship developed and how he helped her find her way back to God. The story talks about greed, family, power and how important it is to listen to God. I am anxiously awaiting the next book in this series.

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