Things we Once Held Dear
The foundations of Neil Sadler’s small-town life had been rocked by the suspicious death of Helen Syfert, the mother of Neil’s friend Mary. Years later, living and working in New York City, Neil struggles to recover from a more recent loss. Intent on repairing his shattered world, Neil returns to his hometown of Mason, Ohio, where he reconnects with Mary. Their once-close relationship hadn’t been strong enough to survive the tragedy that overtook Mary’s family, yet what drove them apart years ago now seems to be drawing them back together. The mystery of Helen’s death remains unsolved. To bring closure will mean facing old truths—hard truths—and discovering some new ones.
Reviews of this book“Like an artist working with small chips of colored glass, Christy Award-winning novelist Tatlock takes multiple characters and fragments of their stories and pieces them together into a tranquil mosaic of commitment, faith, love and homecoming. …Tatlock is one of Christian fiction’s better wordsmiths, and her lovely prose reminds readers why it is a joy to savor her stories.”
— Publisher’s Weekly
“Ann Tatlock’s work is consistently an engaging and enticing read. Her dialogue is fresh and inviting, and her characters are disarmingly genuine as they struggle to contend with emotions and difficulties so common to the human heart. What is especially difficult to achieve — though Tatlock seems to do so effortlessly — is to allow her characters the room for mistakes, for error, and yet they maintain their integrity in a way that is believably hopeful. Readers will find this newest work a wonderful addition to this author’s previous novels and likely will feel a renewed restfulness in spirit as they consider their own life’s journey through the ups, downs, and all the in-betweens.”
— Michele Howe, FaithfulReader.com
“Tatlock does an admirable job of creating resolution without resorting to stock solutions that a lesser writer might have chosen… [She] is a superb storyteller. THINGS WE ONCE HELD DEAR is a skillfully rendered tale of restoration and hope.”
— Susan Meissner, Armchair Interviews.com
“This award-winning author (All the Way Home) handles the themes of grief and tragedy with the sensitive intelligence her readers expect from her. Her well-developed characters are easy for readers to empathize with, and Tatlock naturally interlaces the Christian element into her story. Highly recommended for all collections.”
— Library Journal, Starred Review