Lavender Blue

by Michelle Crystal

“We’re Murdocks—we can do hard things.”

Rachel Tate enjoys an idyllic life—an attentive, handsome husband; three healthy, beautiful sons; a comfortable lifestyle—but when disaster strikes, she stands to lose it all. Rachel, a former lawyer turned stay-at-home-mom, struggles to make sense of her new life, find a path to happiness, and gain peace of mind.

Attempting to heal her family’s deep emotional wounds proves more difficult than Rachel ever anticipated. Surprising repercussions follow their insurmountable tragedy, leaving Rachel drowning in grief, self-pity, and doubt.

As a favor to her mother, Rachel assists in cleaning out her ailing grandmother’s home. There, she stumbles upon journals from the late 1800s, authored by her great-great-grandmother Anna Murdock Pierce. The two women exist centuries apart but seem to live nearly parallel lives. As Rachel grows in the knowledge of her ancestor, she begins to accept herself. But will learning about the past bring insight to Rachel’s present—or will the daunting trials she faces get the best of her?

Past, present, and future collide on Rachel’s journey to understanding.

345 pages, Kindle Edition

Published December 13, 2017

Reviews

[Whitney Crystal · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am not much of a reader but I couldn't put this down. I was hooked from the very beginning. Cried in the first chapter and throughout the book. Some sad tears of the trials these women faced and some happy tears as they overcame their obstacles. I would recommend this to anyone I know. Truly a good read.

[Mikaela Lennberg (lennberglibrary) · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this story! Though parts were heavy and sad the majority made me happy, I loved getting to know the characters. I loved the intertwined stories of present day characters and her ancestors. I liked seeing how she learned from her family’s heritage and was able to overcome hard times.

[Julia DuBois · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book! I connected to the strong women in it, and enjoyed the life lessons contained in their stories. I cried happy and sad tears, laughed and sighed as I read. Beautiful use of imagery and well-written! I loved diving into this book, and can’t wait to pass it on as gifts to loved ones—and read it again soon!

[Daciana Washburn · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a nice quick read - I found myself wanting to keep picking it up. I even got a little teary at times. I loved how healing progressed through connection with her ancestors and tender mercies.

[Scott Crystal · Rating 5 out of 5]

Even though this book was written for a female audience in general, I found myself wholly engrossed in its pages. Once I picked it up and got so into the story that I didn't realize for 30 minutes I was on the wrong light-rail train on the way home from work.

[Angie · Rating 2 out of 5]

I read this book for book club. But I didn't finish on time for the book club meeting. This book literally took me over 3 weeks to read. Books NEVER take me 3 weeks to read. The first few chapters had me hooked immediately - the story intrigued and engaged me right off the bat. And then it just fizzled and dragged. This is one of those books with a story within a story, with alternating timelines (one present day, one historical). I think I would have enjoyed either timeline story individually, but the stories were so ridiculously paralleled that it just bored me and made the book drag on and on and on. I hate it when authors write characters who are oblivious to others' obvious intentions/emotions, and this author made BOTH of her main characters look clueless for not seeing the obvious way their respective love interests felt and their life purpose, yada yada. And that oblivion went on and on and on in every single chapter it seemed. Then to make matters more annoying, if ever there were a book that was tied up in a tidy little bow at the end... this one is it. And you get *TWO* tidy little bows. I kept reading because I felt like I owed it to the book club and the lady who loaned me her copy, to finish. And I didn't even hate the stories, themselves! I was just annoyed by too many things to actually enjoy the book. The editing wasn't great. Some of the dialog was awkward and forced. And the metaphors were sometimes pretty cringe-worthy - the author even includes this in her author bio at the end of the book "Addicted to metaphor, she can find one in just about anything. Luckily, her family endures her regular, boundless allegories" Endures? Yeah... that's how it felt.

[Kaleigh Fox · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book! I loved it so much I have read it twice. The story is so engaging and the characters so real. I felt each characters' joy and sorrow. Crystal's writing style incorporates metaphor perfectly to describe and help the story flow. If you are in the market for something easy to read and written well, this is the ticket! I will recommend it again and again.

[Lanita · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was great! The writing really pulled me into the story and the characters came alive. The creative and beautiful metaphors really added to the depth of the charactets/story and helped to paint a picture. I also liked how the main character drew strength and healing from the women in her life, especially her ancestor. This was a touching and inspiring read!

[Monica · Rating 4 out of 5]

Honestly, I was sad to finish this book because I didn't want it to be over! I wanted to keep following the characters and find out what happens next with them. It was full of wonderful and touching messages of hope, healing, and love. I wasn't expecting this to be a sad book, but despite sad parts, it all came together so beautifully and didn't end up feeling like a sad book at all once I finished it. I would definitely read it again!

[Kj Scrim · Rating 4 out of 5]

I recommend this book. You will find yourself laughing and crying as you turn page after page. It is a story of one woman's journey from tragedy to recovery through her connection with the past. It is wonderfully written, painted with beautiful metaphors. Now all I need are recipes! :-)

[Kmt1944 · Rating 3 out of 5]

Started this book and never got into it. But when I started reading it seriously I found it a heartwarming and lovely story. The dual time line made it especially poignant with wonderful characters. 3.5 stars. A book filled with hope, and perseverance, and kindness.

[Sarah Martin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this beautifully written book, and already miss all the characters. It’s a great story between the present and the past, all coming together as only family history can.

[Brooke Frazier · Rating 5 out of 5]

I began thinking I would probably like this book. I didn’t anticipate loving it! It was an easy read, and yet incredibly thought-provoking for me. One chapter in and I couldn’t put it down.

[Apzmarshl · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5
This book dealt with some serious topics, self harm, trauma, tragedy, death, marriage and remarriage. It didn't go very deep, but the topics were interesting, especially the food parts.