What do you think?
Rate this book
Philanthropic Ways
They were three little church girls, veritable Angels that had been brought up sheltered from the big bad world outside. But when they became teenagers they parted company and went their separate ways.
Avarel takes the path that leads her to total separation from God and while she acquires great fame and wealth, she eventually learns that the needs of the spirit are of far greater importance than those of the flesh as she arrives at a place in her life where only God can restore her peace.
Carly's chosen path pushes God to the periphery of her life and she struggles through challenges of her own making. And as she arrives at a place of desperation in her life where only He can restore her joy, it dawns on her that God has never stopped loving her, but that he has done so from a distance to where she has relegated Him, her choices having limited His hand in her life.
Amelia chooses to stay put at Born Again Church of God, vowing never to leave home and while her life has not been free of persecution, she has been blessed with true joy and kept strong by God's grace. God has been good to Amelia, but He made her a promise many years ago, the fulfilment of which she feels is way overdue. She becomes weary with waiting and struggles to maintain her grounding as her trust in God's faithfulness is eroded and she is pushed to the edge - a place of spiritual decline where only His love can reach and save her.
But God has a plan for redemption which will see all Three Little Angels return to the place of love that they had once all called "home" - Born Again Church of God - where it had all begun but they each must make the right choice if they are to be truly redeemed.
In keeping with Eugenie Laverne Mitchell's unique writing style, there are many interesting characters that come into play in this heart-warming novel where the main focus is on love and as the title suggests philanthropic love will play a strong role in this colourful story.
Avarel takes the path that leads her to total separation from God and while she acquires great fame and wealth, she eventually learns that the needs of the spirit are of far greater importance than those of the flesh as she arrives at a place in her life where only God can restore her peace.
Carly's chosen path pushes God to the periphery of her life and she struggles through challenges of her own making. And as she arrives at a place of desperation in her life where only He can restore her joy, it dawns on her that God has never stopped loving her, but that he has done so from a distance to where she has relegated Him, her choices having limited His hand in her life.
Amelia chooses to stay put at Born Again Church of God, vowing never to leave home and while her life has not been free of persecution, she has been blessed with true joy and kept strong by God's grace. God has been good to Amelia, but He made her a promise many years ago, the fulfilment of which she feels is way overdue. She becomes weary with waiting and struggles to maintain her grounding as her trust in God's faithfulness is eroded and she is pushed to the edge - a place of spiritual decline where only His love can reach and save her.
But God has a plan for redemption which will see all Three Little Angels return to the place of love that they had once all called "home" - Born Again Church of God - where it had all begun but they each must make the right choice if they are to be truly redeemed.
In keeping with Eugenie Laverne Mitchell's unique writing style, there are many interesting characters that come into play in this heart-warming novel where the main focus is on love and as the title suggests philanthropic love will play a strong role in this colourful story.
250 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 5, 2014
792 people want to read
About the author
Eugenie Laverne Mitchell
5 books233 followersEugenie Laverne Mitchell writes from the heart. The tales she skilfully weaves spring from a fertile imagination but are coloured by some vaguely similar life observations. She was motivated to start writing, in order to convey messages of hope, grace, truth and love with the aim that her work will in some way be a positive influence upon readers.
A born Storyteller, as a child her creative outlet was into poetry, most of which told short stories. When she became a teenager the poems graduated into songs. She still writes songs today and incorporates some of her song lyrics into her novels.
For example, "Prodigal Daughter" is a song featured in "Philanthropic Ways".
In her early twenties Eugenie began to receive inspiration to write a novel but was just too busy with life and so put off doing so until the compulsion became too strong to ignore and she began to write "WASHED" mostly on weekends and during holidays.
"WASHED" was finally published in 2012 - it has been very well received.
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1...
Her second novel, "Philanthropic Ways" was published in 2014 and the third, "Rebel Seed", in 2015.
The fourth novel "The Yard Girl - Sienna's Story" was published on 25 December 2018 and is receiving great reviews.
LOOK OUT for "The Yard Girl II - Miranda's Story" - Now available in ebook and paperback format from Amazon.
You can find out more about this Author and her books at: Author Eugenie Laverne Mitchell Corner on Goodreads:
https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/...
Please feel welcome to come on board as a member and join in the community.
Eugenie Laverne will keep on writing the unique stories that she has to tell, to introduce to the world the true to life characters that inhabit her imagination. She hopes that her messages of truth, hope, love, grace and faith will transcend barriers. And she does not seek to provoke any denominational debate but that the positive messages will overshadow such futility.
A born Storyteller, as a child her creative outlet was into poetry, most of which told short stories. When she became a teenager the poems graduated into songs. She still writes songs today and incorporates some of her song lyrics into her novels.
For example, "Prodigal Daughter" is a song featured in "Philanthropic Ways".
In her early twenties Eugenie began to receive inspiration to write a novel but was just too busy with life and so put off doing so until the compulsion became too strong to ignore and she began to write "WASHED" mostly on weekends and during holidays.
"WASHED" was finally published in 2012 - it has been very well received.
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1...
Her second novel, "Philanthropic Ways" was published in 2014 and the third, "Rebel Seed", in 2015.
The fourth novel "The Yard Girl - Sienna's Story" was published on 25 December 2018 and is receiving great reviews.
LOOK OUT for "The Yard Girl II - Miranda's Story" - Now available in ebook and paperback format from Amazon.
You can find out more about this Author and her books at: Author Eugenie Laverne Mitchell Corner on Goodreads:
https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/...
Please feel welcome to come on board as a member and join in the community.
Eugenie Laverne will keep on writing the unique stories that she has to tell, to introduce to the world the true to life characters that inhabit her imagination. She hopes that her messages of truth, hope, love, grace and faith will transcend barriers. And she does not seek to provoke any denominational debate but that the positive messages will overshadow such futility.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
March 26, 2019
No, this is not the type of book that I most often read--it is not a horror novel. However, it does contain some pretty horrific occurrences and I truly enjoyed it from beginning to end.
This endearing story will take you on a journey into the lives of Avarel, Carly and Amelia--three women who have known one another since childhood and were part of a singing group called "God's Little Angels."
As the girls matured, they embarked upon three very different paths. As their lives stray from their goals and expectations, they each struggle with disappointments and bitter emotions. Years later, they learn that it's never too late to make changes, to find happiness, to re-establish the bonds of friendship, to have faith and to return to their humble beginnings.
Ms. Eugenie Laverne Mitchell does an exceptional job developing rich, relatable characters, each with their own set of strengths, weaknesses, insecurities and problems. I liked how the story is told through different perspectives. First, Avarel tells us how her life has progressed since her days performing with "God's Little Angels." Next, Carly fills us in on her life, followed by Amelia. Each one of their accounts will stir your emotions and have you sharing their joys and pains. An amazing story unfolds, with surprises and twists that will keep you wondering and guessing. And all the while, you'll be filled with warmth as this incredible story takes hold of your heart and inspires you to evaluate your own life and path.
This uplifting, remarkable story exceeds the bounds of race and religion with its message of enduring hope and compassion. I never give away spoilers, but there is a point where the book's title, "Philantropic Ways," is especially demonstrative through one particular character and it's simply phenomenal.
This amazing book played on like a movie in my mind as I read and there were many times when I became misty-eyed. I would love for this book to be made into a movie--for all to have the opportunity to experience this heartwarming tale of friendship, love, hope and altruism at its best--unforgettable philanthropic ways that are nothing short of inspirational.
Ms. Eugenie Laverne Mitchell is an extremely talented author and I look forward to reading her other book,
I read this one for a second time (as a group read) and it was just as incredible! I’m truly sad that it’s over because I feel like my good friends have all moved away.... :-(
What an amazing, uplifting story.
This endearing story will take you on a journey into the lives of Avarel, Carly and Amelia--three women who have known one another since childhood and were part of a singing group called "God's Little Angels."
As the girls matured, they embarked upon three very different paths. As their lives stray from their goals and expectations, they each struggle with disappointments and bitter emotions. Years later, they learn that it's never too late to make changes, to find happiness, to re-establish the bonds of friendship, to have faith and to return to their humble beginnings.
Ms. Eugenie Laverne Mitchell does an exceptional job developing rich, relatable characters, each with their own set of strengths, weaknesses, insecurities and problems. I liked how the story is told through different perspectives. First, Avarel tells us how her life has progressed since her days performing with "God's Little Angels." Next, Carly fills us in on her life, followed by Amelia. Each one of their accounts will stir your emotions and have you sharing their joys and pains. An amazing story unfolds, with surprises and twists that will keep you wondering and guessing. And all the while, you'll be filled with warmth as this incredible story takes hold of your heart and inspires you to evaluate your own life and path.
This uplifting, remarkable story exceeds the bounds of race and religion with its message of enduring hope and compassion. I never give away spoilers, but there is a point where the book's title, "Philantropic Ways," is especially demonstrative through one particular character and it's simply phenomenal.
This amazing book played on like a movie in my mind as I read and there were many times when I became misty-eyed. I would love for this book to be made into a movie--for all to have the opportunity to experience this heartwarming tale of friendship, love, hope and altruism at its best--unforgettable philanthropic ways that are nothing short of inspirational.
Ms. Eugenie Laverne Mitchell is an extremely talented author and I look forward to reading her other book,
I read this one for a second time (as a group read) and it was just as incredible! I’m truly sad that it’s over because I feel like my good friends have all moved away.... :-(
What an amazing, uplifting story.
November 17, 2015
They were three little church girls, veritable Angels that had been brought up sheltered from the big bad world outside. But when they became teenagers they parted company and went their separate ways.
Avarel takes the path that leads her to total separation from God and while she acquires great fame and wealth, she eventually learns that the needs of the spirit are of far greater importance than those of the flesh as she arrives at a place in her life where only God can restore her peace.
Carly's chosen path pushes God to the periphery of her life and she struggles through challenges of her own making. And as she arrives at a place of desperation in her life where only He can restore her joy, it dawns on her that God has never stopped loving her, but that he has done so from a distance to where she has relegated Him, her choices having limited His hand in her life.
Amelia chooses to stay put at Born Again Church of God, vowing never to leave home and while her life has not been free of persecution, she has been blessed with true joy and kept strong by God's grace. God has been good to Amelia, but He made her a promise many years ago, the fulfilment of which she feels is way overdue. She becomes weary with waiting and struggles to maintain her grounding as her trust in God's faithfulness is eroded and she is pushed to the edge - a place of spiritual decline where only His love can reach and save her.
But God has a plan for redemption which will see all Three Little Angels return to the place of love that they had once all called "home" - Born Again Church of God - where it had all begun but they each must make the right choice if they are to be truly redeemed.
In keeping with Eugenie Laverne Mitchell's unique writing style, there are many interesting characters that come into play in this heart-warming novel where the main focus is on love and as the title suggests philanthropic love will play a strong role in this colourful story.
Avarel takes the path that leads her to total separation from God and while she acquires great fame and wealth, she eventually learns that the needs of the spirit are of far greater importance than those of the flesh as she arrives at a place in her life where only God can restore her peace.
Carly's chosen path pushes God to the periphery of her life and she struggles through challenges of her own making. And as she arrives at a place of desperation in her life where only He can restore her joy, it dawns on her that God has never stopped loving her, but that he has done so from a distance to where she has relegated Him, her choices having limited His hand in her life.
Amelia chooses to stay put at Born Again Church of God, vowing never to leave home and while her life has not been free of persecution, she has been blessed with true joy and kept strong by God's grace. God has been good to Amelia, but He made her a promise many years ago, the fulfilment of which she feels is way overdue. She becomes weary with waiting and struggles to maintain her grounding as her trust in God's faithfulness is eroded and she is pushed to the edge - a place of spiritual decline where only His love can reach and save her.
But God has a plan for redemption which will see all Three Little Angels return to the place of love that they had once all called "home" - Born Again Church of God - where it had all begun but they each must make the right choice if they are to be truly redeemed.
In keeping with Eugenie Laverne Mitchell's unique writing style, there are many interesting characters that come into play in this heart-warming novel where the main focus is on love and as the title suggests philanthropic love will play a strong role in this colourful story.
May 7, 2019
*3.5 stars*
DISCLAIMER: I hadn't heard of Philanthropic Ways prior to the author's gracious invite to the group read. She provided free e-copies to the participants, for which I'm incredibly grateful, as I probably wouldn't have taken a chance with it otherwise. Providing it wasn't contingent upon this review. Also, Angel's review went a long way in persuading me to read it. Thank you.
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Eugenie Laverne Mitchell's
work isn't one I'd ordinarily read. While hers was uplifting and faith-based, my tastes tend to gravitate towards fantasy, science fiction, and darker aspects of the human condition. Yet something about Philanthropic Ways worked for me. The story of these three childhood friends, who would eventually go their separate ways, whose passion for music, and the Lord, moved me in unimaginable ways.
Known affectionately as "God's Three Little Angels," Avarel Andersen, Carly Collinge, and Amelia Lanson, were three very different African-American women, growing up in London, but naturally, they shared a lot of the same interests and worldviews, too.
Their fame and subsequent division served as a prologue, and it was only after the fact that their differences were revealed. Their secrets were shown gradually, with precise pace. Nothing felt misplaced or contrived. Both the characters and plot (albeit minimal,) were very easy to follow.
The aforementioned locale, London, UK, could've taken on a life all its own, if Mitchell had worked harder to develop her worldbuilding skills, and I love when location becomes almost a living, breathing character. Lamentably, it was London by name only. I kind of had a sense of it, but with the exception of the church (which I believe was intentional,) I couldn't really visualize the layout of it. I couldn't feel it. Where was its lurid history? Readers appreciate a sense of commerce; of employment; the political status, and its devisive nature? What were the socio-economic realities?
Look, I wasn't expecting perfection, and I'd be bored with history lessons. That's not what I'm saying. But locale should be more than a name. It should be clear and intriguing.
It was interesting that despite their similarities in childhood, the lives of God's Three Little Angels took such different-at times shocking-- turns as adults, and not necessary for the better. One could, in fact, argue that their choices rarely afforded them better opportunities, even Avarel, who-by the world's standards-- seemingly had the most success.
The juxtaposition between the three was enchanting, invigorating, fascinating, and often, sorrowful.
It wasn't just sad. It ran the gamut of emotions. They were all justified, and true to character. The investment that Mitchell clearly, painstakingly, put into them was unexpected, and by far the novel's biggest strength.
The ending was a patchwork of elements, which brought Philanthropic Ways to a satisfying conclusion. It was revelatory, in some ways predictable, and beautiful how the pieces came together. There was one element, however, which shocked me to the core, and which still resonates. It was what I respect most: an earned ending. Anything else would have been idealistic and contrived.
I liked the story a lot. Given that it's also a coming-of-age tale, my fondness for it grew a little more. The characters were compelling, and I identified with various aspects of all three. There were a couple supporting players, too, that were nicely developed.
http://www.slaphappylarry.com/what-is...
But Mitchell's story could've gone from good to great, if a sense of locale had been present. And if some of the pivotal scenes were "shown" instead of "told." Not that all told stories are bad, or subpar, but especially important moments can be more powerful if they're shown. All of this, plus simple grammatical errors and typos, could've been rectified with a good or decent editor.
Half the pleasure of this was the group read itself, and being able to freely discuss the chapters as we progressed, without worrying about spoilers. We discussed theories and opinions, and gave the author constructive criticism. A special shout-out to Angel Gelique and our little band of enthusiastic readers. You all made this experience special. Thank you.
August 27, 2016
A heart-warming story
Philanthropic Ways follows the different paths (through life) of three sheltered church gals. Their paths lead to possible redemption, but they don’t realize that. At least not at first.
Christians will resonate with this tale where faith in God is put to the test, and one or two of our leading ladies struggle to stay on the straight and narrow.
This is a heart-warming story, which, regardless of your religious persuasion, will leave you feeling blessed. For above all, it’s a story of love. Although a work of fiction, it elicits feelings – memories perhaps – of real people as the story progresses and our leading ladies face the challenges that life throws their way.
Philanthropic Ways follows the different paths (through life) of three sheltered church gals. Their paths lead to possible redemption, but they don’t realize that. At least not at first.
Christians will resonate with this tale where faith in God is put to the test, and one or two of our leading ladies struggle to stay on the straight and narrow.
This is a heart-warming story, which, regardless of your religious persuasion, will leave you feeling blessed. For above all, it’s a story of love. Although a work of fiction, it elicits feelings – memories perhaps – of real people as the story progresses and our leading ladies face the challenges that life throws their way.
July 20, 2014
This was a great story. The characters come to life in your mind.
October 11, 2014
I was given a free copy of this book by the author in exchange for an honest review.
3 out of 5 stars. Philanthropic Ways is about three girls who formed a singing group at their church, but then parted ways as teenagers. Each girl took a completely different path. We first meet Avarel, who has become a singing superstar, but has had to compromise many of her morals and values along the way. She has been married multiple times and barely has a relationship with her young son. We then see where Carly is. Carly keeps getting back with her loser boyfriend, who leaves her pregnant nearly every time and then takes off. She has six children when we are done with her story, but no husband. She, too, has fallen away from God. Lastly, we meet Amelia, who has remained in church and continues to sing for God's glory. God has given her a revelation of her future spouse that she is clinging to, despite attention from other suitors. The girls' paths meet for a short time, as Amelia encourages her friends to come back to church, and we see where each one ends up at the end of the book.
First of all, this is a different sect of Christianity than I'm familiar with, so that was interesting. The church the girls grew up in, Born Again Church, is very charismatic. They strongly believe in divine revelations from God and the gift of prophecy. I'm not used to that being a heavy focus in church, so I had mixed feelings about the characters having revelations and prophetic dreams so often. I could see the temptation an author might have to use these prophecies as a plot device, but I didn't feel that they were relied upon too heavily. Also, the courtship process was super different. Men would go to the Bishop asking for a girl's hand in marriage, she would tell the Bishop her response, and the Bishop would pass it along. Sometimes these were men Amelia had barely spoken with, who were seeking to marry her! It was interesting to read about this branch of Christianity, as it isn't something I'm familiar with at my church.
I found the girls' stories realistic, except maybe Amelia's because of the divine revelations that I have never experienced. However, Carly and Avarel led challenging lives and saw the rough parts of life. It was a good story of redemption in that God kept trying to draw the two wayward daughters back to Him. He never gives up on His children. The ending was also realistic, although I don't want to give anything away. The three characters were interesting and likeable, although Amelia drove me a little crazy with her refusal to trust in a certain character. I was glad when she realized her mistake and what a fool she had been.
The book format/writing style could use some improvement. In the beginning, it was as if the characters were talking to a person (phrases like, "So you want to know what I've been doing since I left God's Little Angels?"). However, later, it was a normal narrative in which the readers were not involved at all. Nothing about the book really "sucked me in," like some books do, hence the 3 out of 5 stars. Thank you for the opportunity to read your book, Eugenie, and you certainly have potential as an author!
3 out of 5 stars. Philanthropic Ways is about three girls who formed a singing group at their church, but then parted ways as teenagers. Each girl took a completely different path. We first meet Avarel, who has become a singing superstar, but has had to compromise many of her morals and values along the way. She has been married multiple times and barely has a relationship with her young son. We then see where Carly is. Carly keeps getting back with her loser boyfriend, who leaves her pregnant nearly every time and then takes off. She has six children when we are done with her story, but no husband. She, too, has fallen away from God. Lastly, we meet Amelia, who has remained in church and continues to sing for God's glory. God has given her a revelation of her future spouse that she is clinging to, despite attention from other suitors. The girls' paths meet for a short time, as Amelia encourages her friends to come back to church, and we see where each one ends up at the end of the book.
First of all, this is a different sect of Christianity than I'm familiar with, so that was interesting. The church the girls grew up in, Born Again Church, is very charismatic. They strongly believe in divine revelations from God and the gift of prophecy. I'm not used to that being a heavy focus in church, so I had mixed feelings about the characters having revelations and prophetic dreams so often. I could see the temptation an author might have to use these prophecies as a plot device, but I didn't feel that they were relied upon too heavily. Also, the courtship process was super different. Men would go to the Bishop asking for a girl's hand in marriage, she would tell the Bishop her response, and the Bishop would pass it along. Sometimes these were men Amelia had barely spoken with, who were seeking to marry her! It was interesting to read about this branch of Christianity, as it isn't something I'm familiar with at my church.
I found the girls' stories realistic, except maybe Amelia's because of the divine revelations that I have never experienced. However, Carly and Avarel led challenging lives and saw the rough parts of life. It was a good story of redemption in that God kept trying to draw the two wayward daughters back to Him. He never gives up on His children. The ending was also realistic, although I don't want to give anything away. The three characters were interesting and likeable, although Amelia drove me a little crazy with her refusal to trust in a certain character. I was glad when she realized her mistake and what a fool she had been.
The book format/writing style could use some improvement. In the beginning, it was as if the characters were talking to a person (phrases like, "So you want to know what I've been doing since I left God's Little Angels?"). However, later, it was a normal narrative in which the readers were not involved at all. Nothing about the book really "sucked me in," like some books do, hence the 3 out of 5 stars. Thank you for the opportunity to read your book, Eugenie, and you certainly have potential as an author!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 29, 2020
I LOVED this Book, from the first word, until the very last word.
In the Book, there's these 3 young women, that grew up together as childhood friends, known as,"God's Three Little Angels"
They are: Avarel Anderson, Carly Collinge, and Amelia Lanson.
They went to Born Again Church of God and did their service to God each Sunday, taking part in Church on Sundays, too.
I LOVED the fact that, through all the experiences that Amelia went through, she was true to God. When times were tough, she would get mad, hurt, upset, and every other emotion, blaming God for all that she went through, instead of trusting God that he would bring her through the experiences she had.
Then after the experiences passed by, she would pray God for forgiveness, for acting the way she did and God, of course, would forgive her.
Carly and Avarel both went through experiences often, too, but their lives were different from Amelia's life.
Things just seemed to end the right way, in the end of the Book, but sad, too, in some ways.
If there were any *SPOILERS*, I'm sorry for that, but I was giving a Review with the way I was feeling in my heart.
I will give this Book 5 Stars, for it's excellency.
I LOVED from the Book from the very first word, to the last word, Eugenie.
Dustin Frueh--Thanks for requesting the Book for one of my Reads.
In the Book, there's these 3 young women, that grew up together as childhood friends, known as,"God's Three Little Angels"
They are: Avarel Anderson, Carly Collinge, and Amelia Lanson.
They went to Born Again Church of God and did their service to God each Sunday, taking part in Church on Sundays, too.
I LOVED the fact that, through all the experiences that Amelia went through, she was true to God. When times were tough, she would get mad, hurt, upset, and every other emotion, blaming God for all that she went through, instead of trusting God that he would bring her through the experiences she had.
Then after the experiences passed by, she would pray God for forgiveness, for acting the way she did and God, of course, would forgive her.
Carly and Avarel both went through experiences often, too, but their lives were different from Amelia's life.
Things just seemed to end the right way, in the end of the Book, but sad, too, in some ways.
If there were any *SPOILERS*, I'm sorry for that, but I was giving a Review with the way I was feeling in my heart.
I will give this Book 5 Stars, for it's excellency.
I LOVED from the Book from the very first word, to the last word, Eugenie.
Dustin Frueh--Thanks for requesting the Book for one of my Reads.
April 22, 2018
I had a hard time getting into this book but after a while, the story picked up and I began to follow the story of the three angels. The stories of the angels reflect the different choices we all make in life and how God sees us through them. However, at times, I felt like these women are just plain stupid. But then, maybe I'm being too harsh. I did read this author's other book and though I had issues with the main character in Rebel Seed, I still found that one a bit more enjoyable than this one. But, the message is good in this story.
May 7, 2019
I can honestly say that Ms. Mitchell's work truly moves me as her writing and words are universal and that which anyone can relate. I am not sure why it takes me so long to write a review upon completing her work, because I love the messages and have great feeling while reading and they stick with me ... I still can't get, 'The Yard Girl: Sienna's Story' out of my mind and am very much looking forward to, 'The Yard Girl: Miranda's Story.'
I would like to simply recommend any of her works because the theme is the same ... having faith and coming back to GOD. Even if one is not of the Christian faith, one can take these positive messages and work them into their own lives, because as I mentioned, anyone will be able to relate to aspects of their life within the story.
Ms. Mitchell is so positive in her thinking, and this positivity resonates throughout her work, even when the characters are going down the 'wrong' path, the 'bad' is not the focal point, but rather a baseline to draw readers in and help us find ourselves within her stories to find hope.
I am grateful to have connect with Ms. Mitchell here on Goodreads as she is one of GOD's little angels as well!
<3
I would like to simply recommend any of her works because the theme is the same ... having faith and coming back to GOD. Even if one is not of the Christian faith, one can take these positive messages and work them into their own lives, because as I mentioned, anyone will be able to relate to aspects of their life within the story.
Ms. Mitchell is so positive in her thinking, and this positivity resonates throughout her work, even when the characters are going down the 'wrong' path, the 'bad' is not the focal point, but rather a baseline to draw readers in and help us find ourselves within her stories to find hope.
I am grateful to have connect with Ms. Mitchell here on Goodreads as she is one of GOD's little angels as well!
<3
June 21, 2015
This is a great inspirational story showing that no matter how far you stray from God, you can always come back to him and he will be waiting with open arms. Very touching story of 3 little girls who were the best of friends until each one chose a different path. 2 strayed from church and God, but one stayed. It tells the paths each of their lives took and how they ended up back home.
August 4, 2015
Whilst reading this book, I thoroughly enjoyed learning more about the interesting characters and their pasts, who really seemed to come to life through the Author's great writing. Can't wait to finish reading it!
July 11, 2015
Recommended by Maggie, Main Library, Circulation Services
March 21, 2016
I received this book from the writer it's a wonderful book! I recommend it to all!
May 7, 2018
An interesting tale of three women who have to battle the world, the devil, and their emotions to follow the path God laid out for them.
Unfortunately, a lot of it did not make much sense in the beginning. In the end, I really connected with Amelia since I'm basically in the same boat she is with finding a man (and I think I've had dreams sent to me from God about my own future husband), but that was pretty much it. Didn't care for the other two girls' stories as they've been told time and time again, and the constant changing of person and view did not help either. And coming from a Catholic background, the use of the words Brother and Sister was really weird (Brothers and Sisters are consecrated body and soul to God; Chastity is one of the virtues and rules they must follow while in a monastery or a convent . . . and the shortening to bro didn't help either).
I really think the best way to have done this was to have it all from Amelia's point of view, and for Carly and Avarel to just tell their stories without all the details (as it was pretty much done later on). That would have made for a better telling as it did end up being mostly Amelia's POV (and leaving out the constant changing of first person to third person, that really sucked me out of it). I can see why the other two stories should be kept in to show the dangers of the world and turning your back on God, but it could have been done much better. But, considering I have not experienced what those two have gone through and I am more of an Amelia (without the singing, I'm liable to croak like a frog), that was where I felt the story really began.
All in all, a good idea, needs some work though.
Unfortunately, a lot of it did not make much sense in the beginning. In the end, I really connected with Amelia since I'm basically in the same boat she is with finding a man (and I think I've had dreams sent to me from God about my own future husband), but that was pretty much it. Didn't care for the other two girls' stories as they've been told time and time again, and the constant changing of person and view did not help either. And coming from a Catholic background, the use of the words Brother and Sister was really weird (Brothers and Sisters are consecrated body and soul to God; Chastity is one of the virtues and rules they must follow while in a monastery or a convent . . . and the shortening to bro didn't help either).
I really think the best way to have done this was to have it all from Amelia's point of view, and for Carly and Avarel to just tell their stories without all the details (as it was pretty much done later on). That would have made for a better telling as it did end up being mostly Amelia's POV (and leaving out the constant changing of first person to third person, that really sucked me out of it). I can see why the other two stories should be kept in to show the dangers of the world and turning your back on God, but it could have been done much better. But, considering I have not experienced what those two have gone through and I am more of an Amelia (without the singing, I'm liable to croak like a frog), that was where I felt the story really began.
All in all, a good idea, needs some work though.
May 4, 2018
I was given this book from the author for a review. The author did not pay me for review, and all the thoughts here are my own honest opinion.
So I'm going to briefly state why I gave this book 2 stars. Though it will probably be discussed throughout this review.
I like Christian books that can state the facts of life without sugarcoating it. BUT, I do not like any kind of book, Christian or non-Christian, to lay out every kind of sin for me with a character(s) I haven't even begin to like or care for. Doing that makes me dislike the character(s), makes me scan instead of read, and makes me very uncomfortable to read. And even though this book wasn't downright descriptive, it was too descriptive for me. So if sex, drugs, alcohol, gays, adultery, lust, cursing God, etc., etc., etc., (more about this in the content section of this review) bothers you, then I do not recommend this book.
Now for me, I would have DNF this book at a 10% marker because of the content alone and the fact I wasn't really invested with the story. However, because I was given this book for review, I thought it was only fair to read through the entire book against my better judgment to give out my best and honest review.
And guys, even though this book was not for me, because of the content and all that. If you enjoyed this book, that's cool, everyone has the right to their own opinion.
So let's get on with this review.
The Cover:
Okay, let's face it, I don't really like the cover. It doesn't impulse me to buy the book, like covers are supposed to do. Even though it does fit with the story, the two images chosen just clash with each other. They don't look like they belong with another. The hands holding the coins look fake and glow too much, while the city looks more real. The sky is not much better, it just doesn't seem to be the original sky that the city picture would have had. Everything looks very copied and pasted. And the title is hard to read at its placement at the bottom where the city is, plus the font and color is not too easily to read anyways.
The Title:
The title does go well with the book's storyline, from what I got from it at the end. However, I always had to look up the word "Philanthropic" to remember what it means. I can't pronounce the word, and I always forget what it is anyways.
Mistakes:
The book has a few typos and other mistakes. There are a few misuses of dialogue markers, a couple times character names is changed by accident, and a few misspellings.
Storyline:
So this book starts out with God's Three Little Angels as kids. Which I thought was what this book was going to be about, which I would have been perfectly happy with if it was. I thought it was going to be a story about a girl who would sing just to see her aunt smile. Which would have been a beautiful story.
Nothing of above is what the story is about. Except well, it is about God's Three Little Angels, but they are not really kids anymore.
They grow up. And we're thrown with this character we don't really know, named Avarel, who walks away from God. All the sudden, the book is telling us about abuse, adultery, sex, cursing God.... You name it probably is in this part of the book. And we get this for like eight chapters? I just wanted to hide my poor eyeballs from having to read this.
Then we get to the next character, Carly, who also walks away from God. And she wasn't much better. Though she only had eyes are one guy and wanted to marry him, but instead she has sex with him and now she has like six kids with him. (Seven actually, but he got her to abort one, a baby girl, that was so sad.) The one thing I did like that she did, is that she was a very good mother. BUT, I came here to read clean Christian friction! NOT THIS!!! The one thing which was good, is the author did not describe too much of the things that went on, but still, really?
Now all the above is mostly just a prologue, the real story is about Amelia, and the story could have went along fine without writing the stuff above.
Now, I was okay with the story about Amelia. She was a strong Christian who walked with God. One of things I really admired about her is that she prayed to God about every situation, I really like that. There was still times when she struggled, but I expected that. She is probably my favorite character in the book.
Now I did struggle with some of the beliefs in this book, as I'm not charismatic. That's not saying anything against charismatic people, I have met great charismatic people who were very cool. I just don't believe how they do, and that's okay.
Writing Style:
The writing style is not very consistent.
The first part is written in "Third Person Omniscient" where it is not told with any of the characters, and whoever is telling the story is "all-knowing".
The second part is written in first person, kind of like a character is with me in a restaurant telling me their story.
Then it unexpectedly switches to third person, still told from that character.
Then back to first person with the next character.
Then switching to third person.
Then switching to first person with the last character.
Then switching and staying in third person for the rest of the book.
Sometimes the author would accidentally write in first person in a paragraph when it was previously in third person.
Plus the book also seemed to head-hop time to time.
And sometimes it is written in deep POV and a lot of times it is not. Of course, I'm not sure if I wanted it anymore "deep POV" than it is.
Content in Book:
There is a lot of bad content in this book. And even though it doesn't describe it too much, it was too much of my eyeballs and the main reason why I gave this book a two star rating.
1. Adultery.
2. Divorce.
3. Cursing God (though not really using the words to do it).
4. Mentions of chanting and rituals.
5. A gay character.
6. Sleeping around.
7. Swear words (a lot of times it is written like ***** or like s**t* or even just describing what the word means. But hey, it doesn't need to be in here, I still knew what some the words were. Which I really try hard not to think about.)
8. Sex.
9. Abuse.
10. Abortion.
11. Thievery.
12. Drugs.
13. Alcohol.
14. Dying because of an overdose of drugs.
15. Mentions of wild parties.
16. Someone talking about how fat or how fat their butts are after women give birth to children. And it was a woman saying these things. I mean really? How rude can you get?
17. Mentions of songs talking about sex.
18. Smoking.
19. Lust.
20. Must I go on?
So I'm going to briefly state why I gave this book 2 stars. Though it will probably be discussed throughout this review.
I like Christian books that can state the facts of life without sugarcoating it. BUT, I do not like any kind of book, Christian or non-Christian, to lay out every kind of sin for me with a character(s) I haven't even begin to like or care for. Doing that makes me dislike the character(s), makes me scan instead of read, and makes me very uncomfortable to read. And even though this book wasn't downright descriptive, it was too descriptive for me. So if sex, drugs, alcohol, gays, adultery, lust, cursing God, etc., etc., etc., (more about this in the content section of this review) bothers you, then I do not recommend this book.
Now for me, I would have DNF this book at a 10% marker because of the content alone and the fact I wasn't really invested with the story. However, because I was given this book for review, I thought it was only fair to read through the entire book against my better judgment to give out my best and honest review.
And guys, even though this book was not for me, because of the content and all that. If you enjoyed this book, that's cool, everyone has the right to their own opinion.
So let's get on with this review.
The Cover:
Okay, let's face it, I don't really like the cover. It doesn't impulse me to buy the book, like covers are supposed to do. Even though it does fit with the story, the two images chosen just clash with each other. They don't look like they belong with another. The hands holding the coins look fake and glow too much, while the city looks more real. The sky is not much better, it just doesn't seem to be the original sky that the city picture would have had. Everything looks very copied and pasted. And the title is hard to read at its placement at the bottom where the city is, plus the font and color is not too easily to read anyways.
The Title:
The title does go well with the book's storyline, from what I got from it at the end. However, I always had to look up the word "Philanthropic" to remember what it means. I can't pronounce the word, and I always forget what it is anyways.
Mistakes:
The book has a few typos and other mistakes. There are a few misuses of dialogue markers, a couple times character names is changed by accident, and a few misspellings.
Storyline:
So this book starts out with God's Three Little Angels as kids. Which I thought was what this book was going to be about, which I would have been perfectly happy with if it was. I thought it was going to be a story about a girl who would sing just to see her aunt smile. Which would have been a beautiful story.
Nothing of above is what the story is about. Except well, it is about God's Three Little Angels, but they are not really kids anymore.
They grow up. And we're thrown with this character we don't really know, named Avarel, who walks away from God. All the sudden, the book is telling us about abuse, adultery, sex, cursing God.... You name it probably is in this part of the book. And we get this for like eight chapters? I just wanted to hide my poor eyeballs from having to read this.
Then we get to the next character, Carly, who also walks away from God. And she wasn't much better. Though she only had eyes are one guy and wanted to marry him, but instead she has sex with him and now she has like six kids with him. (Seven actually, but he got her to abort one, a baby girl, that was so sad.) The one thing I did like that she did, is that she was a very good mother. BUT, I came here to read clean Christian friction! NOT THIS!!! The one thing which was good, is the author did not describe too much of the things that went on, but still, really?
Now all the above is mostly just a prologue, the real story is about Amelia, and the story could have went along fine without writing the stuff above.
Now, I was okay with the story about Amelia. She was a strong Christian who walked with God. One of things I really admired about her is that she prayed to God about every situation, I really like that. There was still times when she struggled, but I expected that. She is probably my favorite character in the book.
Now I did struggle with some of the beliefs in this book, as I'm not charismatic. That's not saying anything against charismatic people, I have met great charismatic people who were very cool. I just don't believe how they do, and that's okay.
Writing Style:
The writing style is not very consistent.
The first part is written in "Third Person Omniscient" where it is not told with any of the characters, and whoever is telling the story is "all-knowing".
The second part is written in first person, kind of like a character is with me in a restaurant telling me their story.
Then it unexpectedly switches to third person, still told from that character.
Then back to first person with the next character.
Then switching to third person.
Then switching to first person with the last character.
Then switching and staying in third person for the rest of the book.
Sometimes the author would accidentally write in first person in a paragraph when it was previously in third person.
Plus the book also seemed to head-hop time to time.
And sometimes it is written in deep POV and a lot of times it is not. Of course, I'm not sure if I wanted it anymore "deep POV" than it is.
Content in Book:
There is a lot of bad content in this book. And even though it doesn't describe it too much, it was too much of my eyeballs and the main reason why I gave this book a two star rating.
1. Adultery.
2. Divorce.
3. Cursing God (though not really using the words to do it).
4. Mentions of chanting and rituals.
5. A gay character.
6. Sleeping around.
7. Swear words (a lot of times it is written like ***** or like s**t* or even just describing what the word means. But hey, it doesn't need to be in here, I still knew what some the words were. Which I really try hard not to think about.)
8. Sex.
9. Abuse.
10. Abortion.
11. Thievery.
12. Drugs.
13. Alcohol.
14. Dying because of an overdose of drugs.
15. Mentions of wild parties.
16. Someone talking about how fat or how fat their butts are after women give birth to children. And it was a woman saying these things. I mean really? How rude can you get?
17. Mentions of songs talking about sex.
18. Smoking.
19. Lust.
20. Must I go on?
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 2, 2016
I thought this was a nicely written novel looking at the different paths taken by these three young ladies. I liked the way the characters, Avarel, Carly & Amelia were introduced & their lives examined. The storyline held my attention as detail was given to their lives making feel as if I knew them. This story also gave a powerful message with the title as well as the content. Great read that I recommend!
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews