Where the Blue Sky Begins by Katie Powner

 

Where the Blue Sky Begins by Katie Powner will make you laugh and also may leave you in tears so keep a tissue box handy. Powner is a rich storyteller who leaves me feeling as though I am in the story with the characters, living and feeling things right along with them. Through the characters in this book, readers will also be asking themselves the question, "What matters most when the end is near?"

In Where the Blue Sky Begins, she tells the story of Eric Larson, who is sent to his Uncle's financial company in rural Montana to work for the summer. Eric is in his early 30s, strong and handsome, eats only healthy foods and drinks the best coffee as he is from the big city, Seattle. Now, his summer rental house is next to Eunice Parker--with whom he had a literal run-in with when first he came to town, before he knew she was his neighbor. Even though she is only in her 40s, Eunice his a terminal illness, with little time left to reach out to a list of people to talk to before she passes away. After their run-in, she strong-arms Eric into helping her with her list.

Where the Blue Sky Begins made me chuckle out loud more than a few times--and it also left me in tears a few times. I really enjoyed watching the characters in this book evolve as the summer progressed. This beautiful story has themes of redemption and forgiveness although no preachy "Christianese." It was interesting to ride along with Eunice and Eric and watch how Eunice's actions were received by local people in town. Some reacted well to what she had to say and others didn't. I think that is pretty true to how life would be. As someone who has lived in a small town, is an only child and had some health issues, although much different than Eunice,. . .some of Eunice's story hit a little too close to home for me. I could also relate to some of Eric's thoughts and challenges. There is a lot to think about and this book will linger in my mind for awhile. Powner puts both heart and humor into her work, so I am glad I read Where the Blue Sky Begins and got to know all of the wonderful characters. I would be up for a sequel if one were out there as she leaves us with some possibilities with Eric.

I received a copy of this book from the author through the publisher. All opinions within this review are my own.