How the Light Gets In by Jolina Petersheim

How the Light Gets In by Jolina Petersheim is my first book by this author--but I hope to read more.


This beautiful story begins when Ruth Neufeld's husband and father-in-law are killed in a bombing overseas. Ruth's mother-in-law invites her to travel to Wisconsin with her and her two daughters to bury their men within the Wisconsin Mennonite Community. Elam Albrecht, her husband's cousin, invites them to stay at his cranberry farm through the harvest.


Ruth's marriage was broken and not doing well before her husband died, but she doesn't feel like she can share those details with anyone. She finds both solace and healing in this new place--and perhaps new love with Elam. But will Ruth get the happy ending she hopes for?


How the Light Gets In is one of the most intriguing novels that I have read lately. Petersheim kept me turning pages quickly and it kept me guessing until the end with some twists and turns. I read the book mostly within a span of two days, in spite of other real-life stuff to do in between. I found the story to not only keep my interest but to inspire me to consider my own marriage. By the end of the book, I was considering how to best reflect God in my life and to better pray for my husband and our marriage. I especially like fiction books that encourage me to live a better life through the story I just read. How the Light Gets In would make a great book for a book club discussion. The author has questions in the back of the book for a group to use. Of course, I always like to read them for my own personal reflection too.

I received a copy of this book from the author and the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review.