Racial Tension and Unity in Hope Springs

The Sanders family reunion is underway with new faces and some changes in the family. Stephanie and her husband, Lindel, are back in Hope Springs living in Grandma Geri's house with Janelle and her children. Marcus, a cousin, is the new assistant principal at the highschool and bunking in with Travis. Charlotte, a friend of the cousins, is welcomed at the reunion. She's recovering from a broken engagement and deciding to leave Hope Springs.

Other family members are adjusting to Grandma Geri's death and facing challenges of their own. The town of Hope Springs also faces tension. The unity service Todd and Travis cooperate on once a month receives opposition from both Calvary and New Jerusalem. Instead of bringing the congregations together, racial tensions rise.

The Color of Hope is another warm, wonderful book. I couldn't put it down. The characters are so alive you want to be there, attending the reunion, eating barbecue,  and chatting with the cousins late at night. The underlying story, however, is serious. Racial tensions are alive under the surface, and the attempt to combine the congregations for even one service brings them into the open.

I highly recommend this book. The sequel to Hope Springs can be read and enjoyed as a standalone story, but to fully get to know the characters and town read both. They'll make you want to visit the Sanders and Dillons, attend Sunday services, and stay for dinner.

I reviewed this book for the Thomas Nelson Booksneeze Program.