Leaves of Hope: A Contemporary Mystery Inspirational Romance

by Catherine Palmer

An adventurous spirit has always set Beth Lowell apart in her family, creating tension with her mother, Jan, who cherishes stability. Beth, a risk taker who traverses the globe for her job, wonders how Jan, now widowed, can endure her staid, predictable life. Then a note hidden inside an antique tea set reveals that Jan has kept a shocking secret from Beth.Beth's search for the birth father she has never known takes her to an enchanting tea estate in the Himalayan foothills, accompanied by a handsome British businessman. And the revelation of a long-hidden past forces Jan to embark on her own journey—toward reconciliation with her daughter and the courage to love again.

Genres: Christian Fiction, Christian, Fiction, Romance, Chick Lit, Inspirational, Clean Romance

334 pages, Kindle Edition

First published May 1, 2006

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.

Catherine Palmer lives in Atlanta with her husband, Tim, where they serve as missionaries in a refugee community. They have two grown sons. Cathy is a graduate of Southwest Baptist University and holds a master's degree in English from Baylor University. Her first book was published in 1988. Since then she has published over 50 novels, many of them national best sellers. Catherine has won numerous awards for her writing, including the Christy Award, the highest honor in Christian fiction. In 2004, she was given the Career Achievement Award for Inspirational Romance by "Romantic Times" magazine. More than 2 million copies of Catherine's novels are currently in print. The Author's Work With her compelling characters and strong message of Christian faith, Catherine is known for writing fiction that "touches the hearts and souls of readers." Her many collections include A Town Called Hope, Treasures of the Heart, Finders Keepers, English Ivy, and the Miss Pickworth series. Catherine also recently coauthored the Four Seasons fiction series with Gary Chapman, the "New York Times" best-selling author of "The Five Love Languages."

Reviews

[Debbie Wentworth Wilson]

A visit to her widowed mother's new home upends Beth Lowell's life when she opens a box in her mother Jan's guest closet with her name on it and discovers her life is not what she had always thought. Her beloved late father was not her birth father. Jan had not wanted Beth to know until Jan died. The two women irritate each other because Jan has always wanted to stay at home in Tyler, Texas, while Beth's job takes her around the world.

As Beth tries to fit finding her birth father around her job, Jan realizes that home in Texas isn't everything she had hoped for. Then there's a handsome, wealthy, young Englishman that Beth meets and dislikes in Nairobi who keeps turning up.

Catherine Palmer is a new author to me but one I hope to read more of. I'm not usually a fan of character-driven novels, but Palmer keeps the characterization lively and the plot interesting. Both women grow, which is good, because I liked neither of them at first. The characters are unique and the situation intriguing.

[Hannah]

It was a good book, but I didn't like the ending. What happened was good, I just feel like she should have expounded or told us a little more of what happened after the ending--like a summarizing epilogue.

[Cathie]

What a delightful book! This story begins with Beth, a young Christian woman, who is visiting with her mother. In the room where she is staying, she spies a box with her name on it. She opens it to find mementos from her childhood and a devastating surprise. This will change her life forever.
I liked this book because of a good story and because it has lots of scripture. A must read.

[Maurice Jr.]

Beth Lowell and her mother Jan couldn't be more opposite if they tried. Beth is a world traveler who longs to see new places and try new things while Jan is content to stay right where she is and do the same things. Jan only colored outside the lines once in her life, and never told Beth about it.

Beth finds something in her mother's things indicating that the man who raised and loved her was not her biological father. In true Beth fashion, she immediately researched him despite her mother's assertion that the man was dead. One of her business trips introduced her to a man who had information vital to the search- and who made her heart flutter.

I enjoyed watching both journeys-Beth seeking her father and Jan finding a new path to follow.

[Pamela Barrett]

Jan and Beth; could there be two more opposite characters? Mother Jan is a “play it safe” homebody, and daughter Beth is “full speed ahead” adventure seeker, but are they really that much different? When Beth stumbles upon a long-hidden family secret the chaos that it causes reveals the persons they truly are perfectly imperfect and in need of God’s guidance. In this Christian fiction novel, I found myself chuckling a lot at the imperfect sides of their personalities' because I could relate, and sad at their missed communications. Then there is Miles, the “has it all” funny English Lord whose own life isn’t that perfect. Each embarks on their personal journey towards the person God is calling them to be.

[Hannah]

I really liked this story, especially Beth's POV. I would have put it on my favorites list if the ending had felt a little more complete. Jan's POV showed a very selfish woman and I would have liked to settle into her updated character a bit better at the end and see if she learned more than a lesson or two in the heat of the moment. . Overall, a lovely story about family and connection; but there just wasn't quite enough of it to give that extra star.

[Suzanne]

This is my first time reading this author. I enjoyed the storyline and individuality of each character, and the back story of tea and the origin in which it’s grown. The relationships with Beth & Jan, and Beth and Miles were well stated, in my opinion, and what there is to discover when you communicate and forgive. Wouldn’t life be so much better if we could all figure this out! :)

[Celia Jolley]

Out of Texas

I love Texas and would rather put down roots there than be a globe trotter. This was a strong pull in this novel . However the young lady’s Christian example spoke louder than any other accent. It was truly a love story of redemption.

[Kim Hobbs]

love & faith

This is a story of the powerful life changing mistakes we can make. However, it also shows the power of the holy spirit to help us rectify decisions that we think are impossible to correct. But most of all it is a story of love.

[Kofoworola]

Lovely....

I really loved Miles though it could have done with a bit more romance

[Katrina Kehn]

Great book! It was well written and I enjoyed the discussion questions in the back.

[Chioma Bethel]

I loved this story of reunion of a father and his daughter.

[Katrina]

A lot of coincidences with Mr. Man, but overall very enjoyable.

[Dorry Lou]

I did not love this book. I thought it jumped around too much. The relationship between the daughter and her mother was not good as they lived such different lives. The handsome British businessman that this daughter met at an airport and his willingness to help her find her birth father seemed a little unreal to me especially as neither one knew a thing about the other. Anyway I only gave it 2 stars.

[Evelyn]

An adventurous spirit has always set Beth Lowell apart in her family, creating tension with her mother. Beth, who travels all over the world for her job, wonders how her widowed mother Jan can endure her staid, predictable life. Then a note hidden inside an antique tea

A satisfying, gentle read. Likeable characters who solve real-life problems. Highly recommend.

[Cheryl-Lynn]

I have started reading one other of Catherine Palmer's books. I didn't enjoy it so stopped. I really liked this book. It was a fast read, uplifting, and a fun little romance. There is a lot of christian beliefs intermixed which I don't mind- it's nice to know there are other religious people out there.

[Hannah]

OK, well I love Cathrine Palmer! Her stories are always inspiring. While reading, I thought I had the whole thing figured out, but I didn't. I really liked it. It's a nice light-hearted read that you can put down and begin again without loosing what you're reading. I finished it quickly...probably about three days.

[Jill Twigg]

Beth Lowell,coming from a stable home, learns that she has a different father from her brothers. She sets out to find him and by happenstance, meets the president of the company her birth father works for in Africa. This story reflects on the relationship of Beth's mother Jan, who kept the knowledge of her pregnancy from Beth's father, and the decisions one makes through life.

[Dani Moore]

I really enjoyed following Beth on her journey to find "her roots" so to speak. I was my mothers bio child but was just as foreign to her. I loved the message that faith is not always comfortable or easy. Easy reading. Finioshed in 2 days.

[Christal]

easy read, but I really liked it. It made me think so much about our different personalities and how God uses each person's gifts. It also dealt with out fears and to not let them stop you from living.

[Ahuvah]

In my personal opinion, the ending was not satisfactory. Thus, it was a bit of disappointment for me. I skimmed a lot, especially in Jan's parts. I didn't really like her character. If only the ending were complete, I would be a one happy gal.

[Jill]

This book was completely predictable, but enjoyed the light read and the happy story.

[Stephi Cham]

Predictable, but touched my heart and really captured the inner struggles of the characters that many of us can relate to.

[Kimberly Wolfe]

Quick read

[Linda Simons]

I am really liking Catheriine Palmer's writing. Book number two for me. Read it in 2 evenings. Interesting characters with Christian background in the story lines.

[Carolyn]

Very interesting plot. A teapot sends a woman searching for her birth father while at odds with her mother who believes he is dead and wants her daughter to forget about him.

[Melissa (Always Behind)]

Beth finds a box and discovers she has a different birth father, goes looking for him. Very stilted character interaction.

[Shelly Ann]

This wasn't what I thought it would be. To much going on as
far as going from story line to story line. I didn't like
the closure. Just seemed to rushed.

[Jean]

The book was ruined by "no longer would Jan be mired in the musty old language of the old King James Version" page 165

[Cathlee]

Awesome!!