Ann H. Gabhart. The Scent of Lilacs. Revell. 2005.

David Brooke is the editor of the Hollyhill, Kentucky newspaper and an itinerant preacher looking for short-term assignments. It is 1964. His wife took his oldest daughter and moved to California where she could live a different lifestyle than that of preacher’s wife. His youngest daughter, Jocie, lives with him.

David struggles with being a single parent while maintaining one full-time job and seeking another part-time position as a temporary pastor. He questions whether the church will actually hire a divorced pastor.

The story lines in this book are very realistic for the 1960s – a time when people were struggling with the “hippie movement” in California, unwed mothers due to the sexual revolution, abortion, adultery, and basic morality. Two family secrets threaten to destroy the people involved.

Aunt Love has hidden a secret most of her adult life which explains why she is so fond of quoting scriptures constantly to Jocie. It also explains why she recognizes the reason Tabitha, David’s oldest daughter, returns home after being dumped by her boyfriend. David has failed to share a very important fact with Jocie which nearly leads to her death.

Forgiveness and unconditional love are two Christian themes running through this book. David must forgive his ex-wife in order to help his daughter find answers to questions about why her mother was able to run off leaving her behind. A dog visiting a cave brings to light Aunt Love’s tragic secret.

Recommendation

I loved this story of life in a small town. The author’s ability to let the reader know exactly what her characters are thinking brings out the spiritual struggles that began taking shape in the 1960s across the United States, and ultimately, the world. Her ability to weave the various story lines into a cohesive story is outstanding.

Gabhart sheds Jesus’ teachings on problems facing every day people. Following the themes will help you discover much about the heart of God himself. They also show us the revolutionary change taking place across society.

Copyrighted by Diana Pederson, 2005-2009