"I've always loved hollyhocks," Ollie said, pulling a blossom from the soda-bottle vase. "See? When you turn one upside down, it looks like a dancing lady." The round petals of the pink flower flitted in the breeze like a delicate ball gown."
~ With a Name Like Love by Tess Hilmo
Summary: When Ollie’s daddy, the Reverend Everlasting Love, pulls their travel trailer into Binder to lead a three-day revival, Ollie knows that this town will be like all the others they visit— it is exactly the kind of nothing Ollie has come to expect. But on their first day in town, Ollie meets Jimmy Koppel, whose mother is in jail for murdering his father. Jimmy insists that his mother is innocent, and Ollie believes him. Still, even if Ollie convinces her daddy to stay in town, how can two kids free a grown woman who has signed a confession? Ollie’s longing for a friend and her daddy’s penchant for searching out lost souls prove to be a formidable force in this tiny town where everyone seems bent on judging and jailing without a trial. ~ Goodreads
My Take: I love books with beautiful writing, strong characters and interesting plot. With a Name Like Love has it all. From the very beginning I felt fully immersed in the world of Olivene(Ollie) Love with the help of her endearing, authentic voice.
Loved the mystery and the overall sweet message.
I recommend With a Name Like Love to anyone 10 and up.
Tess Hilmo is a writer and an amateur composer who lives in Highland, Utah. With a Name Like Love is her first novel. For more information visit her website here.
Thanks so much for the shout out Mary! And I'm so happy you liked the novel :). You know the line you quoted was written in honor of my mother. Her favorite flower is a hollyhock and she is the one who, when I was little, turned a flower upside down and showed me how it looked like a dancing lady.
ReplyDeleteThis one's on my Christmas wish list! :D
ReplyDeleteThis one's on my tbr list--can't wait to read it!! :-)
ReplyDeleteSounds so good and the cover is lovely.
ReplyDeleteOh, I'm dying to read this book! Nice review.
ReplyDeleteIt sounds like a wonderful story.
ReplyDeleteMakes me think of 'Because of Winn Dixie', which is a GOOD thing. Sounds lovely.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Mary. Looks like my kind of book.
ReplyDeleteSounds like an enjoyable read for any age.
ReplyDeleteAnn