Our friend and local author writes....

To all the book lovers out there, hello! My name is Christa Parrish, and I'm the author of Home Another Way (Bethany House, 2008). I'm also a "local" - living, working, and shopping in the Glens Falls/Queensbury area.

With all the wonderful books out there – I know; I love to read, too – I’m sure it’s difficult to choose! I do hope, however, if you decide to take a peek at Home Another Way, you will purchase it at The Lighthouse. I think it's very important to support local, independent businesses. When I buy local, I know I'm helping to provide a paycheck for my friends and neighbors, and I consider that being a good steward of the gifts God has given me.

Home Another Way, at its most basic, is a story of forgiveness – both God’s for us and ours for one another. But as we all know, forgiveness goes deeper than "I’m sorry." There is real pain and sacrifice involved, and secrets are often pulled toward the light.

No, Sarah Graham is not your typical Christian fiction protagonist. She’s prickly and rude and difficult to love, as those in the novel soon find out. Like many of the people we encounter on a day-to-day basis, Sarah’s brokenness goes deep, and isn’t remedied with a couple of Bible verses. The people of Jonah – Jack, Maggie, Beth, Memory, and others – aren’t perfect either; they get fed up with Sarah’s antics, they become discouraged, they have wrong reasons for their right actions. They also understand loving isn’t an option, but a command, and in their faithfulness are surprised to learn that they aren’t only there to help Sarah. Sarah has been put there to help them heal, too.

The tiny hamlet of Jonah isn’t a real place, but a composite of several towns nestled in the Adirondack Mountains, where gossip spreads like warm butter and, yes - as you know - some people honestly do still live in houses with dirt floors. Sarah, Jack, and the others aren’t based on real people, but I strive to write characters you won’t soon forget. Plus, the tough issues tackled in the novel can provide plenty of material for thought-provoking discussions. And if you purchase Home Another Way for your book club at The Lighthouse, please let the staff know - they will contact me, and I'd be more than happy to come visit with you group during one of your meetings.

May the Lord bless you and keep you during this Advent season, and all year long.
In Him,
Christa Parrish
www.christaparrish.com