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lizisreadingagain's review against another edition
5.0
I enjoyed reading this story about 11-year-old Roz, whose mom relocates her, her brother, and her baby sister to a small town to get away from her drunken, abusive father in the 1960's. Although she knows her dad was frightening at times, Roz wants to remember all the good things he did for her and hopes one day her family can be together and whole again.
Tillie is an eccentric, elderly woman who makes herself at home with Roz and her family shortly after they arrive in town, and even though she's a little odd, they soon find she's just who they need in their lives.
Then there's Mara Nightingale, a friend from school who befriends Roz. As their friendship grows they share everything with each other, including their deepest secrets. They make a pinky-swear promise to one another that they will pray for each other, that God will make both of their greatest desires come to pass one day.
[a:Ann Tatlock|104527|Ann Tatlock|http://photo.goodreads.com/authors/1224280281p2/104527.jpg] is a new author to me, but I will enjoy reading more of her books. This story held my attention and had my interest from the first page. It was a fast-paced read and hard to put down.
I would've enjoyed the book even more if the faith aspect had been stronger. It was rather weak for my personal taste, but I still highly recommend it for the plot and storytelling.
I appreciate Bethany House Publishers for sending me a free copy for review. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions expressed here are my own.
Tillie is an eccentric, elderly woman who makes herself at home with Roz and her family shortly after they arrive in town, and even though she's a little odd, they soon find she's just who they need in their lives.
Then there's Mara Nightingale, a friend from school who befriends Roz. As their friendship grows they share everything with each other, including their deepest secrets. They make a pinky-swear promise to one another that they will pray for each other, that God will make both of their greatest desires come to pass one day.
[a:Ann Tatlock|104527|Ann Tatlock|http://photo.goodreads.com/authors/1224280281p2/104527.jpg] is a new author to me, but I will enjoy reading more of her books. This story held my attention and had my interest from the first page. It was a fast-paced read and hard to put down.
I would've enjoyed the book even more if the faith aspect had been stronger. It was rather weak for my personal taste, but I still highly recommend it for the plot and storytelling.
I appreciate Bethany House Publishers for sending me a free copy for review. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions expressed here are my own.
punnygirl789's review against another edition
4.0
I really enjoyed this book. It was told from an 11-year-old's perspective, which was interesting. My favorite character was Tillie, she's a hoot! Laughed out loud several times, cried several times. Looking forward to reading more of Ann Tatlock's books.
lovetoread62's review against another edition
3.0
Very light reading. Just OK. Tillie was the saving grace of the novel. The rest was very predictable.
jazzyjan94's review against another edition
4.0
This review appears on my blog: https://confessionsofabookwormweb.wordpress.com/2020/07/27/mini-reviews-5/
I've had this book on my Kindle for a while, but I forgot I had it until it came up as a read-a-like on Novelist for Legacy Lane (click here to read about Reading Experiment #4). All I can say is that I am surprised I did not read it sooner. I loved the cast of characters, especially Tillie Monroe and Roz as they live life in Mills River, Illinois during the Vietnam War, as well as hiding from an abusive father. My only complaint is that we are not outright told which year this book is set in and readers have to guess based on contextual clues. 4/5 Stars.
I've had this book on my Kindle for a while, but I forgot I had it until it came up as a read-a-like on Novelist for Legacy Lane (click here to read about Reading Experiment #4). All I can say is that I am surprised I did not read it sooner. I loved the cast of characters, especially Tillie Monroe and Roz as they live life in Mills River, Illinois during the Vietnam War, as well as hiding from an abusive father. My only complaint is that we are not outright told which year this book is set in and readers have to guess based on contextual clues. 4/5 Stars.
marlo_c's review against another edition
4.0
Although a bit predictable, I enjoyed Promises to Keep. The themes of abuse and divorce, trust and family, as seen from a child's perspective, were interesting and thoughtful. I wasn't as emotionally involved in this book as I would have liked to be, but I was concerned enough to want to know what happened to the characters. Undoubtedly, the best sentences were in the final chapter and epilogue of the book but no spoilers here.
daybreak1012's review against another edition
4.0
An easy read, I definitely was drawn to keep turning the pages. It was mildly predictable, but I enjoyed the characters so much, that despite having a good idea where the story was heading, I telling myself "one more chapter." I don't think I could choose a favorite character, there were so many I just genuinely liked. I found the conclusion satisfying, and the epilogue ended up being my favorite part of all, the perfect closure.
maigahannatu's review
4.0
The story is told from the point of view of a young girl. Her mother had escaped an abusive relationship with the girl's father. She also had an older step brother and a baby sister. Roz is crushed by her parent's separation. She recognizes that her father is abusive, but she also knows he loves her. I'll not tell you more about the story as I don't want to give it away.
Ann Tatlock is one of my favorite authors. She makes her characters feel real -- nobody is impossibly beautiful or perfect. They lose their tempers with each other, they hurt each other, they love each other, and they figure out how to work things out. As Roz says, "If I was going to survive in this world, I had to understand that not everything I wanted to be true was true, and not everything that looked good was good." Ms. Tatlock has written several books that involve cross-cultural or cross-racial relationships and this book is no exception.
I hope you enjoy this one as much as I did.
Ann Tatlock is one of my favorite authors. She makes her characters feel real -- nobody is impossibly beautiful or perfect. They lose their tempers with each other, they hurt each other, they love each other, and they figure out how to work things out. As Roz says, "If I was going to survive in this world, I had to understand that not everything I wanted to be true was true, and not everything that looked good was good." Ms. Tatlock has written several books that involve cross-cultural or cross-racial relationships and this book is no exception.
I hope you enjoy this one as much as I did.
catrev's review against another edition
5.0
Promises to Keep by Ann Tatlock is a family drama with heart-stopping suspense. In 1967 Roz Anthony's mother, Janis, has moved with her children, seventeen-year-old Wally and two-year-old Valerie from their home in Minnesota to make a new start in Mills River, Illinois. Roz understands why her mother needed to get away from her father's drunken abuse, but being just eleven, she still wants her daddy. She meets Mara at school, a girl who is ostracized because of the color of her skin and who has her own secret about her father. The two girls bond and promise to pray that each will be united with her daddy. Added to the family drama is Tillie, who keeps turning up on the Anthony's front porch insisting that she is going to die in their house, the one she built with sweat and love with her husband before her sons sold it and sent her to a nursing home. Tillie becomes an answer to prayer when Janis needs a baby-sitter for the girls, but her presence is one more thorn in Wally's side until he just can't take anymore. Roz's prayers seem to be answered when her father shows up with a promise that he will make everything right, but Mara isn't so sure, and it puts their friendship to the test. Tatlock is a master of writing compelling, heart-breaking family drama while really getting into the heads of her characters. Readers will ache for Roz as her mother dismisses her missing her father again and again by telling her to simply forget him and move on. Janis' refusal to talk with Roz opens the entire family to tragedy, while Roz's refusal to trust her mother could just destroy them all. Through Roz's eyes, the world is a scary changeable place, and Tatlock wisely keeps the reader there, until a climax that will leave them forgetting to breathe. I can never get enough of Ann Tatlock's books, especially when they are this good.