The Vestibule of Heaven

by Katherine Bolger Hyde

When professional house-restorer Kelly Mason inherits a historic bungalow from an unknown benefactor, she plans to fix up the house and donate it to the community. But when she visits the place, she feels an unexpected emotional pull and decides to move in. As she works to restore the house, Kelly senses a ghostly presence guiding her to some startling discoveries about her own past. Her coworkers, the McCarthys, and especially their enigmatically appealing friend Nathaniel, encourage her to unlock her history and find the home and family she’s never known. But to do so, Kelly must open her rational mind to the unexplainable and her bricked-up heart to forgiveness and love.

Genres: Christian

249 pages, Kindle Edition

Published March 13, 2024

About the author

Katherine Bolger Hyde is the author of the Crime with the Classics series as well as several books for children. A lifelong lover of literature (and alliteration), Katherine has a degree in Russian literature and works as editorial director for Ancient Faith Publishing. She lives in the redwoods of Santa Cruz County, California, with her husband and the youngest of her four children. Katherine loves to sing and knit, and she dreams of one day designing and building her own storybook cottage in the woods.

Reviews

[Marsha · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Vestibule of Heaven by Katherine Bolger Hyde

This book has something for every reader. Part mystery, part ghost story, part love story, and a little bit of history thrown in. The characters are strong and the plot is predictable, or you think it is until you are surprised with a twist, in fact, a few twists. At times I laughed, cheered, and cried. This book offers hope, no matter who we are, or what our circumstances may be.
I was excited to read a novel written by an Orthodox Christian. Her description of the Church was perfect. Through her words, I could see the Icons and smell the incense.
There was nothing I did not love about this book. I will reread it and hope it comes out in an audio version. This book is not easy to review because I don’t want to give anything away. Just read it! And the title, The Vestibule of Heaven, is perfect.

I was given a copy of this book for an honest review.

[Katie Newberger · Rating 4 out of 5]

I remember exploring my great grandmother’s house as a little girl, wanting to open all the drawers and peak into all the cupboards and pick up every knickknack. This book gives you that same feeling; the house is really the main character in a creative and inviting way. The dialogue is a little wooden, but the story was so enticing and charming I didn’t want to stop! Read it in one day for a very restful Saturday.

[Kathryn · Rating 5 out of 5]

As the main character remodels a mysteriously inherited home, she also journeys to deconstruct the walls that she’s built around her heart. Katherine Bolger Hyde has crafted a well written, orthodox fiction, mystery, and romance novel that incorporates the ideas of deification, reconciliation, and healing through healthy love and community support. The two main characters are relatives, but this is unknown to the living main character, Kelly as she mysteriously inherits a house from someone who turns out to be her deceased grandmother. Kelly has led a traumatic life filled with those who never respected her feelings and did not treat her with true loving kindness. She begins to remodel the home and as each new piece goes into the house so she also meets new characters who show Kelly “love, true love,” the Orthodox Christian view that we should love all as Christ has also loved us. I would recommend this for anyone seeking a summer (or anytime of year) vacation read or for something uplifting that also incorporates the foundations of our faith.

[Morgan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This review was done as part of a promotion.

As a former English major, I appreciated the opportunity to review Katherine Bolger Hyde’s “The Vestibule of Heaven.” The plot is fairly simple and easily understood, as are the characters and their motivations. The author sprinkles in mysteries in the first chapters of the book, which hooked me in quickly. As a fan of home design, I liked the details discussing historical architecture and decorating. In addition, Orthodox Christian ideas are part of the story without being overwhelming—you don’t need to know a lot about theology to grasp the story. I will likely look for more of her works in the future, as these lighter reads are my favorite way to enjoy fiction nowadays.

[Maria G · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book quite a bit. I really liked the architectural and renovation aspect, and although the plot was a bit predictable, there were enough twists to keep it interesting. I liked how the author described and sprinkled in bits of Orthodoxy, in ways that were subtle, but strong, and not overdone. I also enjoyed seeing the main character's transformation as the story progressed. I wish there was a little more overall character development throughout the book, since I felt like a couple of the characters were a bit trite/cliche. Overall though, this book was fun to read and it kept me turning the pages to find out what happened next. I look forward to more stories from this author.
I received a copy of this book in return for my honest review.

[Sara · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars, rounded up

There's a lot to like about The Vestibule of Heaven. The concept was brilliant, and the plot had me hooked. There was something familiar and cozy about the story that left me sad when it was over. My chief complaint was that the characters felt more like allegories than people—particularly Kyle, Kiera, Nathaniel, and Aiden. Many of the conversations they had with Kelly seemed like they were simply there to move the plot along. Fully developed characters would've taken this story to the next level.

Thank you to Ancient Faith Publishing for sending me a complimentary copy of the book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

[Nancie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved it.

[Anam Cara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not a true mystery, but sort of. The mystery concerns who it is who left the house to Kelly and the circumstances behind her relationship with the deceased Esther.

I loved all the characters. There were parts of the story that were just too similar to a book I just finished. I am not implying any plagerism, they are common story devices; it’s just that I’ve never before read two nooks in a row that use two similar devices.

I loved the simple explanations of the Orthodox church and basic beliefs, but I just am not sure about this “vestibule” in the story. It sounds more like some firm of limbo or maybe even purgatory which are not Orthodox beliefs. I do believe that the veil (the author calls it a barrier) between this material world and the spiritual world is much thinner than most people suspect. If people could only get that from the book, it will be a success.