The Premonition at Withers Farm by Jaime Jo Wright: Book Review

 *Book received for consideration. All thoughts are my own.

The voices of the past cannot stay silent forever.

In 1910 Michigan, Perliett Van Hilton is a self-proclaimed rural healer, leaving the local doctor convinced she practices quackery. It doesn't help that her mother is a spiritualist who regularly offers her services to connect the living with their dearly departed. But when Perliett is targeted by a superstitious killer, she must rely on both the local doctor and an intriguing newcomer for assistance.

In the present day, Molly Wasziak's life has not gone the way she dreamed. Facing depression after several miscarriages, Molly is adapting to her husband's purchase of a peculiar old farm. A search for a family tree pulls Molly deep into a century-old murder case and a web of deception, all made more mysterious by the disturbing shadows and sounds inside the farmhouse.

Perliett fights for her life, and Molly seeks renewed purpose for hers as she uncovers the records of the dead. Will their voices be heard, or will time forever silence their truths?

Sally Clarkson is a best-selling author, world renowned speaker, and beloved figure who has dedicated her life to supporting and inspiring countless women to live into the story God has for them to tell.

Sally hosts a weekly podcast "At Home With Sally" where she invites you into her home, thoughts, and life to share her candid wisdom and winsome discipleship. The podcast reaches women around the world and now has millions of downloads.

Sally has been married to her husband Clay for almost forty years and together they founded and run Whole Heart Ministries an international ministry seeking to support families in raising faithful, healthy, and loving children, in an increasingly difficult culture.

Sally has four children, Sarah, Joel, Nathan, and Joy, each exceeding in their own fields as academics, authors, actors, musicians, filmmakers, and speakers.

Jaime Jo Wright has such a way of telling stories that are haunting and eerie, making the reader question what is reality and what is not... all while keeping God in the story as well. I honestly can not think of any other authors in Christian fiction who create the types of stories that she does, and as such, I always look forward to reading them, just as I looked forward to reading this one. 

I must admit this was a tough one for me to read. To be fair, I knew it might be based on the description. As someone who has dealt with mental health issues following recurrent miscarriages, I could relate to Molly's character all too well. I was very glad that the book description was upfront about this, as it can be a very triggering topic and there have been many times where the subject comes up and takes me by surprise. I debated reading this book knowing this upfront, but again I do really enjoy this author and I had hoped that knowledge would prepare me beforehand. I am so glad that I gave it a chance because it was a wonderful read, but I did find myself having to take frequent breaks for this reason. 

This is not the only tough or controversial topic brought up in this book. It discusses grief and mental health with honesty and grace. It also digs into the world of mediums and spirits in a way that is not typical in a Christian book. As such, I know many may not enjoy it at all... but I encourage readers to give it a chance because again, the author really does a great job of making the reader question what is really going on... and in this particular book does broach the topic that God wants us to stay away from such things. I think it's a very fine balance... but I personally felt like the subject was handled well. 

Overall, I thought this was a beautiful book. While it took me a while to get through it due to my own personal struggles, the outcome was so very much worth it.