Wednesday, November 6, 2024

TEA WITH ELEPHANTS by Robin Jones Gunn, Reviewed by Rebecca Maney

(Suitcase Sisters Book #1): 
(Contemporary Women's Fiction Book Set in Kenya with Female Friendship, Sisterhood, and International Travel)


REBECCA'S REVIEW:
"Fernweh . . . 'a longing to go to far away places'."

Finally! What had seemed like an impossibility was suddenly possible. Fern Espinoza and Lily Graden's teen dream of traveling to Africa together had been providentially gifted at just the right time in their lives (did they even know that?). Proud of themselves for traveling such a long distance with only one suit case apiece (after all, they were affectionately dubbed the "suitcase sisters"), their invisible baggage would prove to be much more cumbersome.

Determined to put her personal dilemmas aside, Fern grabs hold of the golden opportunity to spend uninterrupted time with her best friend, eagerly absorbing the sights, sounds, tastes, and smells of the African culture with pure abandon. Lily's response, while enthusiastic, becomes a bit more measured as the days pass by; her exterior positivity cracking just enough for Fern to glean the truth of the matter. Is "Aslan on the move" in both of their lives, as Fern's husband Danny so fervently believes?

An absolute delight of a story! Perfectly paced with mesmerizing descriptives, the chapter flow easily invites the reader to travel along with Fern and Lily during a chance of a lifetime adventure, waiting and watching carefully as they search for healing in the fractured crevices of their hearts, just the sort of places where God promises to draw near.

"Creator of this beautiful world, what would bring You joy in this next season of possibilities in my life?"
*I volunteered to read a complimentary copy of this book and was no obligated to provide a positive review. 
 
BackCover Blurb:
Ever since they met as teenagers volunteering at a conference center in Costa Rica 20 years ago, Fern Espinoza and Lily Graden have shared a close friendship, even though they live in different states. They can hardly believe it when their teen dream of traveling to Africa together becomes a reality. It's the trip of a lifetime--but life sure isn't what they thought it would be back when they were young.

Along with their suitcases, each woman brings along emotional baggage that weighs heavily on them. Yet the people they meet and the places they experience have the power to change their hearts--but only if they surrender to the lessons God wants to teach them in this unexpected land of emerald tea fields, graceful giraffes, and rambunctious elephants.

Pack your bags and get ready for adventure as Robin Jones Gunn invites you on a safari of the heart in this vulnerable exploration of how to move forward in faith even when the future is uncertain.
 
Revell Publishing, October, 2025
Available in digital ebook, paperback, library binding, and audiobook:

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