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A Rose By the Door
"Bea Bartling longs for reconciliation with the son who left her years ago. But her faith is shattered when she learns that he has been killed in a tragic accident. When the wife and child she never knew he had show up at her door, the memory of a dark family secret is too painful to bear and she has no welcome in her heart." - inside jacket
333 pages, Hardcover
First published November 1, 2001
About the author
Deborah Bedford
32 books36 followersaka Debbi Bedford
Deborah Bedford was born on 1958 in Texas, USA and earned her degree in journalism and marketing from Texas A&M University. Immediately after graduation, she accepted editorship of Evergreen Today, a weekly newspaper based in the small mountain town of Evergreen, Colorado. While serving as editor there, she worked 70 or 80 hours each week, writing stories and cut-lines, sports and features, chasing fire trucks and checking police reports, taking pictures, editing, laying out pages, opaquing the negatives, stacking papers into vending machines and taking out the quarters.
It was long before she began to dream of returning to her first love, fiction writing. For her birthday in the summer of 1984, her husband, Jack, bought her a copy of the 1984 Writers' Market, and she began to meticulously send letters to every publisher listed in the book. Rejection letters flowed back by the handfuls. She has a large folder where, for posterity's sake, she has kept these to this day. She has also kept the letter from Harlequin Books she received, which invited her to submit a complete manuscript but warned her that Harlequin did not want books about cowboys, airline pilots, guest ranches or Texans. Deborah laughs now when she tells the story. Her manuscript was the story of "a woman who marries an airline pilot in Texas. Then, when he dies in a plane crash, she runs away to a guest ranch and falls in love with a cowboy." When she showed her husband, Jack, the letter, he said, "Honey, you've managed to write a manuscript that has everything in it they don't want." Harlequin bought the manuscript five short weeks after she submitted it. At that time, her editor told her, "This book isn't a romance, but we're going to publish it, anyway."
When Debbi Bedford's first book, Touch the Sky, was released by the Harlequin Superromance line, its sales topped every Harlequin record for a first-time author. It earned rave reviews and a Romantic Times Reviewer's Choice award. During the next seven years, she published six more books for the Harlequin Superromance series and a historical novel, Blessing, before signing a contract with HarperCollins Publishers. This paved the way for her to move on to write mass-market mainstream women's fiction, where her work garnered numerous awards and appeared on the USA TODAY bestseller list. The word she uses to describe her career is "beguiling." Whenever she wrote words about Jesus or God in her stories, those spiritual overtones were never touched, edited or omitted. But, along with those words, she admits that she was writing steamy scenes. "I wanted all the reward that the world would give me," she says. "I wanted all the fame, and all the status. But I realized that I was giving away lentils in the Lord's battlefield. That's when I became convicted. The time had come for a change."
What surprises Deborah the most, she says, is the freedom she now finds in writing for her Heavenly Father. "It feels like gloriously falling forward and wondrously coming home, all at the same time," she says. The Story Jar (March 2001) written with Angela Elwell Hunt and Robin Lee Hatcher and including pieces from Left Behind author Jerry B. Jenkins, Francine Rivers, Debbie Macomber and Lori Copeland, marked Deborah Bedford's writing debut for the inspirational market. It held a spot on the CBA Bestseller list for three consecutive months. While still shopping for the right publisher for her novel-length fiction, she had the opportunity to stand up at the Jackson Hole Writers' Conference, read an excerpt from The Story Jar, and explain to conference attendees about the call she felt to leave mass-market fiction and follow the Lord. In the audience that evening was Jamie Raab, publisher of Warner Books. The rest, as everyone says, felt like stars moving into place.
When You Believe w
Deborah Bedford was born on 1958 in Texas, USA and earned her degree in journalism and marketing from Texas A&M University. Immediately after graduation, she accepted editorship of Evergreen Today, a weekly newspaper based in the small mountain town of Evergreen, Colorado. While serving as editor there, she worked 70 or 80 hours each week, writing stories and cut-lines, sports and features, chasing fire trucks and checking police reports, taking pictures, editing, laying out pages, opaquing the negatives, stacking papers into vending machines and taking out the quarters.
It was long before she began to dream of returning to her first love, fiction writing. For her birthday in the summer of 1984, her husband, Jack, bought her a copy of the 1984 Writers' Market, and she began to meticulously send letters to every publisher listed in the book. Rejection letters flowed back by the handfuls. She has a large folder where, for posterity's sake, she has kept these to this day. She has also kept the letter from Harlequin Books she received, which invited her to submit a complete manuscript but warned her that Harlequin did not want books about cowboys, airline pilots, guest ranches or Texans. Deborah laughs now when she tells the story. Her manuscript was the story of "a woman who marries an airline pilot in Texas. Then, when he dies in a plane crash, she runs away to a guest ranch and falls in love with a cowboy." When she showed her husband, Jack, the letter, he said, "Honey, you've managed to write a manuscript that has everything in it they don't want." Harlequin bought the manuscript five short weeks after she submitted it. At that time, her editor told her, "This book isn't a romance, but we're going to publish it, anyway."
When Debbi Bedford's first book, Touch the Sky, was released by the Harlequin Superromance line, its sales topped every Harlequin record for a first-time author. It earned rave reviews and a Romantic Times Reviewer's Choice award. During the next seven years, she published six more books for the Harlequin Superromance series and a historical novel, Blessing, before signing a contract with HarperCollins Publishers. This paved the way for her to move on to write mass-market mainstream women's fiction, where her work garnered numerous awards and appeared on the USA TODAY bestseller list. The word she uses to describe her career is "beguiling." Whenever she wrote words about Jesus or God in her stories, those spiritual overtones were never touched, edited or omitted. But, along with those words, she admits that she was writing steamy scenes. "I wanted all the reward that the world would give me," she says. "I wanted all the fame, and all the status. But I realized that I was giving away lentils in the Lord's battlefield. That's when I became convicted. The time had come for a change."
What surprises Deborah the most, she says, is the freedom she now finds in writing for her Heavenly Father. "It feels like gloriously falling forward and wondrously coming home, all at the same time," she says. The Story Jar (March 2001) written with Angela Elwell Hunt and Robin Lee Hatcher and including pieces from Left Behind author Jerry B. Jenkins, Francine Rivers, Debbie Macomber and Lori Copeland, marked Deborah Bedford's writing debut for the inspirational market. It held a spot on the CBA Bestseller list for three consecutive months. While still shopping for the right publisher for her novel-length fiction, she had the opportunity to stand up at the Jackson Hole Writers' Conference, read an excerpt from The Story Jar, and explain to conference attendees about the call she felt to leave mass-market fiction and follow the Lord. In the audience that evening was Jamie Raab, publisher of Warner Books. The rest, as everyone says, felt like stars moving into place.
When You Believe w
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Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews
July 19, 2015
This was a very good read. This book shows you that no matter who you are, we all go through struggles in life, having doubts, what ifs and so much more. This book focused on a woman that lost her son, he left home and never returned. She prayed faithfully every day for him to return. Then, one day the sheriff shows up at her door to tell her that her son had been killed. She goes through the emotions of burying him. Then, a stranger shows up on her doorstep with a little girl in tow. She tells the woman, Bea, that she was married to her son. To which Bea really doesn't believe at first. Her and the little girl end up staying with Bea, after many unsaid things and unasked questions, they slowly start to form a bond. But, talking of her son was frowned upon. Bea kept asking God how is she supposed to help these two when she basically can't help herself because she feels that God had let her down when her son never returned home to her. She blamed the woman for keeping her son from her, thinking if he never met her, just maybe he would've returned home. Eventually, they both realize they feel the same way, losing someone they loved and wishing they could've known each other before that had happened. As time went on, it was learned that there was another son, one that seemed to have disappeared and no one talked about it. While looking in her husbands child hood bedroom, Gemma discovers postcards that were written to someone named Jacob. All had been returned. She then went on a mission to try and find out who Jacob was. Even asking Bea, but that just caused them to argue and Gemma and Paisley, her daughter, leaving and staying with the friends while waiting for her car to get fixed so they can leave. She finally learns who Jacob was, calls him to inform him that his brother had died. It finally comes to light as to who Jacob was. He was the adopted son of Bea and her ex husband. He ended up losing control one night, threatening Bea with a knife, only to cut himself, the police were called, he was taking out and put in foster homes. She relinquished rights to him. Nathan, her deceased son, blamed her for Jacob leaving and never returning. He never knew the truth as to why. In the end, Bea, Gemma and Paisley become a family. Even though Paisley wasn't Nathans child, Bea proudly told everyone that she was her granddaughter. Then, a knock on the door one night, Bea opens it to see Jacob standing there. They talked things over, he thanked her for letting him go and said if she hadn't of, he probably wouldn't be the man he is now. This book shows you, that when you are praying for one thing, it may be the wrong thing and that is why it isn't answered. The son she wanted to come home, was the one taken from her and the one she should've been praying to return was the one she never spoke of.
January 6, 2010
Meh. That's really all I can say about this story. Since I don't normally read Christian literature, I skipped over the parts that were full of prayer. I was hoping to get to the "meat" of the story; that is, why did Jacob treat Bea so badly? And, why couldn't she see past her own grief to welcome Gemma and Paisley into her life? Even at the end of the story, when all of the loose ends were supposedly tied up with a neat little bow, I still felt that Gemma and Paisley would always be treated as outsiders by Bea, even if Gemma was married to Bea's son Nathan.
I doubt I'll be picking anything up by Bedford at any time in the future.
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I don't normally read Christian literature... we'll see how this one goes.
I doubt I'll be picking anything up by Bedford at any time in the future.
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I don't normally read Christian literature... we'll see how this one goes.
August 18, 2009
I love her books. This book is abouto a family where the day leaves and one day the son does. Upon a death (not to blow the story) a womans life is turned around and she tries to seek comfort from God but can't open up. With His intervention she finally comes to realize a lot of things in her life. With the addition of another character theyare both comforted. GREAT story!!
July 26, 2010
A moving story. Watching a woman, bitter, Lonely, Angry with God. After losing her son who was gone for 5 years, Twists at the end.
I am much enjoying reading these "novels of Faith" from Warner Books. I'll have to look for more.
I am much enjoying reading these "novels of Faith" from Warner Books. I'll have to look for more.
October 12, 2013
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It so vividly demonstrated the struggles I we often have living out what we know God has told us in His Word. Shortly after I read this book I had the privilege of meeting the author!
October 12, 2010
A moving story about faith lost and then found.
November 8, 2010
a nice book about finding faith and believing once again after loosing someone dear to you.
November 18, 2010
A wonderful story about loss, forgiveness and family.
June 4, 2012
I couldn't put this one down. I really liked it.
Read
March 23, 2013This was a real tear jerker but good~~
September 16, 2014
Christian novel. Son dies, has been estranged from his mom for years. His wife shows up. Great story about grief, healing, and forgiveness, and it has a wonderful ending.
February 16, 2015
One of my favorite books ever. Love the story. Made me cry.
August 11, 2015
A very interesting story about the Oregon Trail and the Harrison yellow rose. It made me go looking for the rose (haven't found it yet)
September 22, 2015
Actually 4.5*, a sweet read about trusting that hit close to home. There's always a reason behind a secret...
June 5, 2016
Heartwarming story of overcoming the grief of losing a son.
September 22, 2016
I enjoyed this book. It was a mystery why Bea's son left her and never returned home. This didn't become clear till very close to the end of the book.
July 1, 2024
This book was the first book in idk how long that didn’t have a romance in it. No love story. And I would always say they have to have that in them for me to like them. It didn’t even hit me until I was finishing it up either! It was so good. The beginning almost made me put it down because of how REAL her grief feels over her son. It was almost too much for me but I’m so glad I stuck it out. I rarely give books 5 stars. Haven’t given a book one in a few months. But read this. It almost reminds me of a Nicholas Sparks book without the romance the way it was written. It was at a time when the plot of the book, her asking God “Why me?” was very close to home. Thats why I picked it up, and the beautiful cover. Love the pioneer references since I also read this books all the time too. And I found it so crazy that in the back it says she wrote a book with Joyce Meyer?! I’ve been reading her books!!! Sometimes I get the weirdest coincidences when picking up books. I’m going to go see if I’ve read any of her other work without realizing it.
July 24, 2017
Wonderful story. Love Christian Fiction. How often we get mad at God and drift away but He is always waiting there for us to come back to Him. This is the story of Bea whose sons leave home and she becomes bitter because her prayers for them to come back don't seem to be answered. Then one of her son's dies and an unknown daughter-in-law with a child shows up at Bea's door. Nuff said. Its to be read. Wonderful ending.
May 19, 2020
A thoroughly enjoyable read. I enjoyed the story, the characters and the location. I could sympathize with Bea and it was wonderful to see the relationship between Gemma and Paisley grow. I loved the small town sense of community the author created in Ash Hollow. I really felt like I was part of the community. This was my first time reading anything written by Deborah Bedford and feel like I've found someone I want to read more from.
April 3, 2021
An easy-to-read about forgiveness and letting go.
February 22, 2022
This isn't a terrible book . It is quite predictable. I'm just not a fan of "christian" literature I don't care for the genre but it is perfectly acceptable entry if you like this type of book.
March 5, 2023
Lovely story, a little bit predictable, but no entirely. Loved so much of the western us referencing. No surprise that since the author lives in the West.
November 6, 2024
Starts off sad, but gets better. Definitely a relatable novel for estranged families. I cried reading it, but it was so good.
May 13, 2025
ending had me in tears with a sweet book, I loved it!
January 28, 2016
What a wonderful, feel good book! I was very interested to see the struggles that the main characters went through concerning faith and love and trust. It was heartwarming to see them begin to take risks to become a family. What a lovely book, in the true sense of the word.
Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews