Heyo girls! Today’s review is for The Sowing Season! There’s so much I want to say that’s not about books, but for now, let’s get this review done in time!
After he’s forced to sell the family farm he’s labored on his whole life, 63-year-old Gerrit Laninga doesn’t know what to do with himself. He sacrificed everything for the land–his time, his health, his family–with nothing to show for it but bitterness, regret, and two grown children who want nothing to do with him.
Fifteen-year-old Rae Walters has growing doubts and fears about The Plan–the detailed blueprint for high school that will help her follow in her lawyer father’s footsteps. She’s always been committed to The Plan, but now that the pressure to succeed is building, what was supposed to unite her family in purpose, may end up tearing it apart.
When their paths cross just as they each need a friend the most, Gerrit’s and Rae’s lives begin to change in unexpected ways. Can they discover together what really matters in life and learn it’s never too late for a second chance?
The Characters
Gerrit was a mess. He was an old grouch with a bad back and nothing left to live for after he sold his farm. He was burdened with jealousy and hatred.
I loved this character. He was so NOT perfect it was entertaining. He was so angry and impulsive it was entertaining. And he was such a naive man about emotions and losing people and… like how much he ruined. He tried to get everything back and he was almost baffled as to why it was so hard.
He cooked, which I found so cute. Him and his rooster and Daisy and that blue suitcase.
Rae was a good character too. She was well put together and stitched up and she was such a contrast to who Gerrit was that it was like sweet and salty together. They just complemented each other. She was a dedicated student and friend and I loved her Mr. Whiskers.
The Plot
Both characters had their own plots that kind of danced around each other. Gerrit’s plot developed like… when you beat half and half to make whipped cream . So slow, so steady, so rich. Then when you’re done, it’s worth all the work.
His relationship with Hannie and Morgan, the teenage kid he met at the homework group Rae dragged him to, was so complicated and enjoyable. And the way Rae was soft and tender but still could handle his gruff attitude made my heart sore in happiness.
Rae’s plot line was a little different. She felt like she was mainly there for Gerrit, which I appreciated. But she also had a plot line of her own. She was terrified to drive. She had to balance things between her friend Kylee, and David and Morgan. I appreciated her stress for “The Plan.” All this being said, I felt like the conclusion of her plot line wasn’t as tied up and pretty as it could have been. It kind of felt like she thought it was this huge immovable thing, and then her parents said “Wait, what? No.” And that was the end.
However her story with Mark and his encouraging her not to stop good works, especially with the Taylor of her own! (I have a Taylor character too so that made me excited.) It was.. the sowing season. XD
The Content
The Sowing Season was incredibly clean and I would recommend it to anybody from age 13 to 64! I loved that the author created a good wholesome book with an entertaining plot line and good characters, and nothing content wise!
Just for trigger warnings, there were mentions of possibly abusive home environments for a couple of the characters, but there were not any details or scenes described.
Also, Evi and Noah (Gerrit’s adult kids) had a really hard time trying to accept that their dad had changed and wanted to fix things in their relationship. And Evi especially had a lot of attitude towards her dad. She was an adult, I give her that. And he didn’t do a very good job being her dad when she was a kid. But just take her behavior with a grain of salt and don’t treat your parents that way.
In Summary
I really liked this book. And I’m so glad it was good because I was ready for a good book after the last few that I didn’t exactly adore.
Now, you might be wondering why I only marked it as four stars, rather than five. Nothing I could really point my finger at. This book just didn’t grab my heart and wrap it up and make me feel all fuzzy inside. I’m not hard to please (wait maybe I am). I have a lot of five star books, but they have to be really amazing. This one was very good and I do recommend it. I just didn’t feel all five stars.
Thank you to Bethany House and Katie Powner for a free copy of The Sowing Season! I was not required to post a positive review and all opinions posted here are my own! You can add it to your Goodreads TBR here.
In other news:
The beta signups for Playgrounds and Black Markers are STILL OPEN! You can read more about it and sign up here!
Also, are these book reviews getting boring? If I did them in an audio version, or if I did them via a video, would that make it more fun? Just trying to keep this place exciting. Let me know in the comments!
This sounds SO good!! I need to read it!