Book Review: Jennifer Erin Valent

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I had the awesome privilege of reading Jennifer Erin Valent’s Christian fiction trilogy set in rural 1930s South Virginia: Fireflies in December, Cottonwood Whispers and Catching Moondrops. I fell in love with the main character, Jessilyn Lassister, and quickly became part of her community of friends in Calloway, Virginia.

My understanding of the racially-charged South deepened, and the sacrifices blacks and whites made to usher in an era of racial equality became more personal. I watched as Jessilyn matured into a woman of strength, and I savored her faith journey as she wrestled with life’s hardest questions and found peace in a relationship with Jesus.

I enjoyed acclimating to a world of handmade cotton dresses, no air conditioning and homemade fried chicken and biscuits; and I adored how characters chatted on porch swings, strolled through the countryside and took time to break bread together. Through Jennifer’s characters, my eyes gazed upon both love and hate, and I experienced how forgiveness and hope can prevail by God’s power and grace.

I’ve gotten to know Jennifer Erin Valent through Facebook, and her love for Jesus is apparent in all she writes. I surrendered my heart and imagination to her books because I trust that Jennifer’s words are rooted in God’s Truth. Jennifer allowed me to taste the faith of others; and my own walk with Christ found renewed beauty, depth, and fervor. God’s Word is the central root system of Jennifer’s trilogy, which allowed flowers of God’s promises to spring up on every page. I plucked every God-breathed blossom of Truth and stored them in the wicker basket of my heart.

Thank you, Jennifer, for the beautiful offering of the Passover Lamb for God’s children.

“Take your place in the sanctuary—a team of Levites for every grouping of your fellow citizens, the laity. Your job is to kill the Passover lambs, then consecrate yourselves and prepare the lambs so that everyone will be able to keep the Passover exactly as God commanded through Moses” (2 Chronicles 35.5-6 MSG).

Jennifer has released the fourth book in this series, Magnolia Spring! You can purchase it on Amazon.

Jennifer Erin Valent is the 2007 winner of the Jerry B. Jenkins Christian Writers Guild’s Operation First Novel contest and 2010 Christy Award winner for Fireflies in December. She lives in central Virginia, where she has worked as a nanny for over fifteen years. A lifelong resident of the South, her surroundings help to color the scenes and characters she writes. You can find her at her website, Facebook, Twitter, Amazon and Goodreads.