Shiny Green Shoes by Dana Taylor

This inspiring Christian novella begins in New Orleans. It is 1958. Mazie McDonald, a black woman, is an actress. Mazie remembers her past well. She flashes back to Luther, Oklahoma in 1935. Her life in Oklahoma was hard. Didn't seem like dreams were meant for a little colored girl. Mazie just survived each day with her mother and six siblings.

"Being Mazie McDonald--big, black and boldly beautiful isn't easy. I lean back on the comfy cushions and conjure the other Mazie, the hidden Mazie that only a few can see."

In Luther, Oklahoma there is a large Victorian house. Peach Knight, an old white woman,  lives in this house. Children think Peach Knight is a witch. Imagination can run wild about other people with untold stories.

"She ate small children, finding skinny colored girls especially to her liking."

Really, Peach Knight is just a forlorn, forgotten woman. She is an actress who lives in the past with Shakespeare's words and characters. She is sure her life is over. What can she offer the world? Until one day Peach Knight meets a little girl named Mazie McDonald. Both woman and girl will give each other a reason to live and dream again.  The story is filled with hope. The shiny green shoes are proof that dreams really do come true. It is never too late to give back to the world. Our dreams aren't limited to place, age or race. Part of the story takes place during Christmas. This gives the story an extra boost of magic.



"As always, the last thing I do before going on stage is open my vanity drawer and pull out my good luck charms. I rub the familiar patent leather and remember...Dreams do come true."

Teaser Tuesday

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Shiny Green Shoes by Dana Taylor

"Folks tried to beat the choking dust by sealing off doors and windows, but the suffocating stuff blew through all barriers."

The First Gardener A Novel by Denise Hildreth Jones

This is a novel packed with the deepest emotions  experienced by any human heart. Almost the entire story takes place in the Governor's mansion in Tennessee. Gray London is the governor. His wife is Mackenzie London. There is their daughter, Maddie, who is just beginning kindergarten. Along with these characters are Eugenia, the mother in law and Jeremiah, the gardener. Each person in this circle are giving people until the unexpected happens in their lives. This one event will reshape their lives for better or worse. The novel is so powerful that I shared it with my husband. Denise Hildreth Jones' Jeremiah is so special especially when he is playing with Maddie, or thinking about Mackenzie. Jeremiah knows The Lord well. However, he doesn't preach. He allows his flowers to speak through him. He knows the meaning of almost every flower or bulb: the amarillys, an orchid, lily, rose, etc.


"I been thinkin' a lot these days 'bout my ol' daddy. He the one taught me 'bout talkin' to God. Taught me a lot 'bout flowers too. He always say, "God can handle my yellin', and flowers can win a heart."
 
I learned so much about grace, strength and grief while reading this novel. Some sentences I read more than once. Others I repeated more than once throughout the day in order to never forget an old truth made new or a truth never known to me.

"All you need is today's grace. And when you get to tomorrow, God will have all the grace you need to get through that day too."


I also enjoyed the fun moments in the novel. I enjoyed Eugenia's bickering with Jeremiah. I especially loved Eugenia's friends: Dimples, Sandra and Berlyn. One time Eugenia describes her friends with these words.

"When they retired from meddling, they should all become spies for the CIA."

The First Gardener is unforgettable. It's a journey into hearts and minds. The novel is of staggering proportions.  denisehildrethjones