Shadow Sister is the first novel by author Katherine Scott Jones that I have had the pleasure of reading. It was a haunting story that has stayed with me long after finishing it. Filled with family, suspense, secrets, love, hope, grace, and redemption. It is beautifully written and unlike anything I have read. Shadow Sister is a 365 page Christian Fiction packed with intrigue, sadness, and grief, but there is the element of forgiveness and reassurance of God’s love and the importance of family.
Author Jones alternates between past and present, tenses, and people in the telling of this inspiring story. It took me a few chapters to become invested, but then I was all in. The characters were described so well that they came to life on the pages. I have never been to Bolivia but feel like I have now. The author has a descriptive writing style that is engaging.
This is the tale of two close sisters, Jenna and Sarah Lanning. Misunderstandings drove them apart. The emotions transferred from the characters to me, and I was saddened. The mystery that kept me reading was what could do this to sisters. Unfortunately family disagreements and grudges go back to Bible times.
Jenna was part of a Christian organization that helps people in third-world countries get clean, water, something Americans take for granted. In Bolivia she encounters superstitions, harsh conditions, injustice, and creepy crawlers. After some tragic news Sarah goes to Bolivia.
I really liked the Christian element and inspiration in this book. If a book is classified as Christian I don’t want it lightly sprinkling it. Give me a heavy handed dose. This book did. Encouraging me to draw closer to God and help others was a result of reading this. Valuing family even more and realizing the preciousness of time spent together stuck with me.
Yes, I would definitely recommend this book. The subject matter and descriptions seem to me better suited for older teens and adults. Parts of the book were hard for me to read, realistic as they might be. I rated it 4 out of 5 stars and will definitely be reading more from this author.
I was given a complimentary copy of this book from the author through CelebrateLit Tours. I was not required to write a positive review. The review and opinions are my own honest ones.
About the Book
Working on her father’s vineyard allows Sarah Lanning to bury memories of a lost love and a career that might have been. But then her fractured family receives word that her estranged sister, Jenna, is dead, leaving behind an unexpected request: that Sarah travel to Bolivia to scatter her ashes. Accompanied by pilot Chase Maddox, Sarah embarks on an Andean journey that tests her devotion to home and exposes Jenna’s secret life. Each staggering discovery creates new mysteries—until the last, which leaves Sarah questioning everything she understood about family loyalty. At a crossroads, she must decide whether truth is worth the cost of forgiveness—and whether she can lay claim to a future of happiness without it.
Purchase your copy here: Amazon: Shadow Sister
* Christian Book Distributor: Shadow Sister
Giveaway:
To celebrate her tour, Katherine is giving away a grand prize that includes a personalized signed print copy of the book, a Shadow Sister bookmark, a Frame-able print, Book-lover’s tea, 6 Handcrafted notecards, and a set of vineyard-themed playing cards!!
Be sure to comment on the blog stops for nine extra entries into the giveaway! Click link below to enter. https://promosimple.com/ps/d25f/shadow-sister-celebration-tour-giveaway
About the Author
Katherine Scott Jones grew up in cities on every U.S. coast and overseas as her family moved with her father’s Navy career. Seattle became home when she married her husband twenty-eight years ago. After graduating Whitworth University with a degree in communications, she established herself as a freelance writer before turning her hand to fiction. She blogs about books that celebrate beauty at www.katherinescottjones.com. Katherine and her husband have two teenage children. Shadow Sister is her second novel.
Connect with Katherine here: Website
Guest Post from Katherine Scott Jones
Shadow Sister: Outtake Reel
By Katherine Scott Jones
Much as I love a good movie, my favorite part often comes at the end when the director includes outtakes—those false starts and bits from the making of the movie that wind up on the cutting room floor.
In a similar vein, I’m going to let you in on some of what went into the creation of my novel, Shadow Sister, but did not make the final cut.
Shadow Sister is a work of inspirational women’s fiction with a global accent—written for women with a heart for complex relational issues as well as a passion for biblical justice. It is the story of a vintner’s daughter who travels to Bolivia to scatter her estranged sister’s ashes. There, she unravels secrets that test her devotion to home and make her question whether truth is worth the cost of forgiveness. Shadow Sister explores the mysteries of the human heart and the bond of unquenchable love.
Now that you know a bit about what it is, come along as I pull back the curtain and share an exclusive peek at what Shadow Sister is not.
Working Titles
It took me a while to finally land on the right title. Early contenders:
– The Sweetness of Light
– Variations on Shadows and Light.
Characters
It also took a bit of experimenting before I found the right combination of people and places:
– Sarah, the main character, was originally a marine biologist. I first imagined the story set in Seattle before moving it to the fertile plains of Eastern Washington wine country.
– Sarah was originally engaged; and Chase and Rachael were involved.
– The gender of Matilde’s baby changed from what I first plotted. That simple switch got me unstuck from a perplexing snag of writer’s block.
– Names:
o Nicole, Stasi, Rees, and Stephen were all main-character names I considered and rejected.
o Little sister Sarah and big sister Jenna began as litter sister Jenna and big sister Kate. Then Jenna became Somer and finally Sarah, while Kate became Jenna.
o Sassy Britches is named after an actual racehorse by the same name.
Unused research
Of course, story exploration turned up far more tidbits of interesting info than I could possibly fit into the pages of a novel! Some of what I wished I could have used…
– Bolivian fun facts
o Customs.
- Bolivians tend to eat outdoors when it is not raining. Many men do not feel comfortable eating in front of strangers, so they will often face a wall or sit hunched over their food when they are eating in public.
- Cha’lla is a ritual blessing drawn from Catholic tradition, indigenous religious ceremony, or—typically—a combination of both. Performed by a yatiri (spiritual leader) or Catholic priest, a cha’lla ceremony is performed whenever a new building is finished to ensure future peace in that building.
- Many Bolivians believe in karisirus, or night phantoms. These harmful spirits catch people out after dark or when they’re sleeping. Legend says that they split their victim’s stomach and extract some of the fat.
o Drinks. While the traditional Bolivian beverages api and mate de coca are featured in Shadow Sister, several others are not:
- refresco (fruit juice with a dried peach at the bottom of the glass)
- tostada (a mixture of barley, honey, cloves in water)
- chicha (homemade corn beer)
- singani (made from grapes, a cross between wine and whiskey)
o Language. Spanish, Aymara, and Quechua are Bolivia’s three national languages, and they differ from each other greatly. For example, the number one in Spanish = uno, Aymara = ma, Quechua = hoq.
– Quotes:
o On wine: “Wine is sunlight held together by water.” ~ Galileo
o On art: “Art enables us to find ourselves and lose ourselves at the same time.” ~ Thomas Merton
I hope this glimpse into what didn’t make it onto the pages of Shadow Sister piques your interest for discovering what finally did!
Blog Stops
Book Reviews From an Avid Reader, September 4
Carpe Diem, September 4
Reflections From My Bookshelves, September 5
The Power of Words, September 5
Among the Reads, September 5
Fiction Aficionado, September 6
The Becca Files, September 6
RebekahsQuill, September 7
Babbling Becky L’s Book Impressions, September 7
Bigreadersite, September 7
Just the Write Escape, September 8
Jennifer Sienes: Where Crisis and Christ Collide, September 8
Bibliophile Reviews, September 9
Living Life Free in Christ, September 9
Inspirationally Ever After, September 10
Abba’s Prayer Warrior Princess, September 10
Texas Book-aholic, September 11
Livin Lit, September 11
Janices book reviews, September 12
Remembrancy, September 12
All-of-a-kind Mom, September 13
Inklings and notions, September 13
The Midnight Bookaholic, September 14
Pause for Tales, September 14
The Mimosa Blossom, September 14
Kelly Harrel, September 15
Two Points of Interest, September 15
A Baker’s Perspective, September 16
proud to be an autism mom, September 16
Godly Book Reviews, September 17
Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, September 17
She is also the president of New Life Enterprises, the founder of Mercy Moms Home, a place for single mothers to find hope and healing, and the founder of Bella Women’s Ministry in Richmond, Virginia, which hosts annual conferences for over five hundred women.
Abba's Prayer Warrior Princess 