New Creations
New Creations
Floyd Douglas is a blundering barber who faces retirement wondering if the past sixty years of his life have been a waste. When he’s presented with the opportunity to go on a mission trip, it seems like the answer to his prayers and a way to finally make his life count for something. Now with a series of obstacles standing in the way of his newfound dream, he must decide whether to push through or find contentment in being the faithful family man he’s always been.
Emira has always looked up to her grandpa, especially since her parents’ marriage fractured and left her foundations shaken. Now, she scrambles to assure the man who taught her how to love what a deeply meaningful life he’s lived.
This book was like a personal journey for me. There were things that touched my heart in the most intimate way. It felt like a walk down memory lane, having recently walked a similar journey with my mom, reminiscing stories told from one generation to another. There were parts that made me laugh out loud and others that had me in tears. It gave me a lot to think about regarding my own life too.
It has split timelines taking place in the 1960’s, 1990’s & 2000’s. While this may seem disjointed at times, I appreciated how Sarah put them together to keep moving the story forward. She has an amazing way of developing her characters that makes me feel like I am part of the family and even present in Floyd & Susan’s chairs.
New Creations was just what I didn’t know I needed, I love when stories speak right to your heart. Many of the characters struggle with not feeling good enough, like they haven’t made enough of a difference in life, that they haven’t changed enough. Things that I think we all struggle with at times. The writer really gets into the heads of the characters and allows them to express their deepest desires and their deepest fears. There is an amazing theme of just living your day to day life excellently by Loving God and Loving People. This is an easy read because you won’t want to put it down. I had to make sure to put it down because I wanted to savor the storylines and what was happening in the story.
You will come out of reading this book encouraged and desiring to honor God in your daily walk as you love the people He puts in your path.
From laugh-out-loud funny, to somber and poignant, New Creations is a tribute to what the world considers an average life but God makes abundant and meaningful. Hanks celebrates the beauty of those small actions we don’t realize God is using. A fun read about the true purpose in every believer’s life.
Have you read any of Sarah Hanks’ books yet? She writes beautiful dual-timeline books with so much meaning. This one, about her grandfather, had me in both tears and laughter multiple times. I’m kind of not sure what to say about it, to be honest. I was moved. Even when you think your life has not affected another human being, it only takes a spark. You never know how your words and life impact another person.
What a beautiful tribute to a life well lived.
Wow! What an extraordinary book! I laughed, and I cried. I enjoyed how Sarah Hanks combined serious situations along with some comedy. The overall theme is how a person’s life affects others. You just never know how your words and actions can impact someone’s life.
Floyd resembles so many people in my life. His faith, compassion, and love for his family are evident. He experienced a lot of pain and disappointment. He makes a decision to surrender his life to Jesus, and soon, he does great things for God. Emira really touched my heart. Her father disappoints her a lot, but she soon finds out that she can trust her heavenly father.