Early August 2006

Hi Everyone —

I am starting to get reviews on A SIMPLE GIFT and couldn’t wait to share them with all of you. I had a hard time cutting these down to just the "glowing" parts (especially on Nancy Davis’s), and if you want to read them in their entirety, go to "Reviews."

As you can imagine, these kind words from some of the genre’s toughest critics have me walking on air.

A SIMPLE GIFT
4 ½ Stars
TOP PICK
Reviewed by Sheri Melnick,
Romantic Times BOOKreviews

Lyrical and moving, this novel tells one family’s emotional tale of healing and redemption. Witmer’s latest is storytelling at it’s best; it draws the reader in and never lets go. This deeply captivating take will resonate with readers who enjoy intelligently written fiction.

A SIMPLE GIFT
Reviewed by Nancy Davis
Romance Readers at Heart
romancereadersatheart.com

There are some books you just read and some books that you savor. A SIMPLE GIFT is one book to cherish... a story where sometimes the simple gift of unconditional love turns out not to be all that simple.

A SIMPLE GIFT is a gift to readers who relish emotional, often times heartrending stories. [As that,] it's ... indescribably perfect. Inspirational. Unforgettable. I read it in one sitting, a box of kleenex by my side, and thought about the story and characters for several days afterward.

Karyn Witmer isn't a new author... she also has written some lovely historicals under the pen name Elizabeth Grayson, many of which feature the same character depth and emotional range as this contemporary story has. I'm so happy to see that this author's venture into the contemporary world seems not to have affected her writing one bit.

Whether you enjoy her as Elizabeth Grayson or Karyn Witmer, A SIMPLE GIFT is not to be missed. It's beautifully told, not easily forgotten, and let's face it, there's just not enough books with this type of magic being written today.

A SIMPLE GIFT
Reviewed by Barb Radmore,
Front Street Reviews

Karyn Witmer has written a story of the depth of family love, both that between husband and wife and between parents and children. It also examines the relationship between husband and wife as a separate relationship from family. It is a difficult concept for many couples, an important part of themselves that needs acceptance and nurturing... By interweaving the stories of previous generations with the events of the present, Witmer portrays the effects of the past on the relationships of the future. It is a book of acceptance, forgiveness and the meaning of family.

It is not a surprise to learn that this book is being issued in paperback in September 2006. It should coincide with Christmas reading lists and will ... start new holiday traditions in many families.

Stay cool everyone,

Early Summer 2006/Farm Visit Archive