We are often reminded of how God works in our lives without our knowledge or request. This is very evident in Caroline Miller’s Rebuilding Hearts. This is the twenty-fourth book in the Independence Island series, the sixth taking place on Sparrow Island, and the fourth that focuses on Greener Garden employees.
Tim and Bella are great characters who have moved to Sparrow Island to start over. They are both Christians who suffered a traumatic experience in the past. Tim is a private person and enjoys being alone. However, he is starting to feel like he’s the only one not going on with their lives and even though God’s with him, he feels alone. Bella is realizing God supplied her needs before she thought to pray for them. While she is in a relationship, she’s realizing it may not be the right one and is encouraged by her landlady to trust God with her future. Within days of moving to Sparrow Island, she is feeling heard and listen to with respect.
This is an enjoyable story that is well written and easy to read. It has such good messages and so much feeling in it. The story is realistic with hard life situations, such as traumatic experiences, starting over and loss. I enjoyed Tim’s plant knowledge and his comparison of plants to humans; that few thrive on neglect. The story is so encouraging with Tim and Bella coming together at just the right time in their lives. It was enjoyable to catch up with the employees of Greener Gardens and see how the death of the owner affected them. They felt the loss, were given new responsibilities and questioned their future. The members of the community are warm and welcoming. Bella’s landlady is a wonderful secondary character who is so nice and caring, but seems to enjoy a little match making.
