'Runaway Saint' by Lisa Samson

Lisa Samson has a gift for telling a story behind the story.  Her books are never light, and always give a refreshing spiritual uplift.  I've thought before that in some way she personally identifies with her heroines---that she puts herself, or the way she thinks into her main characters.  There's a common thread in each of her books that always appeals to me.  And she's done it again with Runaway Saint.

This one is about a young married couple who live a wonderfully artsy life.  They run an old-style printing company and Samson goes into a great deal of detail telling of the antique equipment they use/buy (which was a bit confusing and overwhelming), but was probably necessary to the story.  Their shop is full of unusual people, more than I run into during an ordinary day, and this is a typical Samson trait, always a treat.  Sara, the main character, has a long-lost aunt, Bel, who moves back into town after being a missionary in Kasakhstan and the strange behavior of her aunt is the curious thread that drives the story.

Her aunt has a secret---really many secrets, and little by little they come to light.  What Samson tells isn't always pretty, sometimes painful, but the ending to this story is perfect, and I never saw it coming.  Highly recommended.  Have a pencil on hand to underline---with Samson there's always something I want to remember.

(i received this book free to review from BookLookBloggers)