A Woman Named Damaris by Janette Oke

I mentioned back in my 111 Things About Me that Janette Oke was my second favorite author.  I still have 4 of her books that I own that I haven't read.  The Drums of Change, Roses for Mama, Love's Abiding Joy, and Beyond the Gathering Storm.


Well, I started A Woman Named Damaris yesterday--or the day before.  Something like that.  I finished it tonight.  See the Goodreads challenge updated?  See see see.  I'm on track now!


Goodreads Description:  She was almost fifteen on the night she dared for the first time to think of what life might be like away from home. Pa again had come home drunk and mean; the trauma of the subsequent scene had been repeated as long as Damaris could remember. The idea that she no longer needs to tolerate this, that maybe she's old enough to manage on her own, is planted in her mind and begins to grow. She must plan her escape carefully, but she must get away from him.

 Two treasures hidden for years from her father her grandmother's lacy golden brooch and her grandfather's lovely watch are Damaris' only legacy from her past. That and her name. Her mother said it came from the Bible and had a special meaning that she can't remember anymore. What difference might it make?

But Damaris can't escape the "aloneness" that haunts her life or the bitterness she feels when she sees others suffering, particularly children. Ultimately, she must come to terms with her past, learn to live in her present circumstances, and trust her future to another Father. 

I liked it, gave it 5-stars.  I now remember why I like Janette Oke books so much.  While they are slow to start, they're only a little over 200 pages/book.

Also, she's preachy to the point of understanding, but not over preachy, if that makes any sense at all.

You know when you're little and you have a best friend and then you grow apart.  You're still friends, just not as close as you once were.

But then, you get a chance to catch up.  Things may never get to the way they were before, but there's always going to be a fondness for each other.  That's how I feel right now.

And, when I get rid of some more books at the used bookstore, if I see some of her books that I don't have, I may start getting them again.