The Prayer Box

Review Quotes:
With a careful eye to detail and a beautiful, lyrical style reminiscent of those of Mary Alice Monroe and Patti Callahan Henry, Wingate vividly sets Tandi's struggles in a once beautiful Victorian mansion now falling to ruin and guarded by a cranky cat in a small town recovering from the ravages of a hurricane. [Starred review]--Booklist

Review Quotes:
Relatable characters and vivid portrayals of events both current and historical create an enchanting, memorable pilgrimage into the fullness of faith and love.--Publishers Weekly

Review Quotes:
Readers will delight in this gorgeously written, true gem of a novel. Wingate has a way with phrasing that makes one stop and savor certain passages because they are incredibly meaningful--not only to the telling of the tale, but to the reader's own life. Realistic characters and a saga of life, love, and rebuilding make a gorgeous treat. [Top Pick]--Romantic Times Book Reviews

Review Quotes:
Running away from her past, single mother Tandi Jo Reese rents a cottage on Hatteras Island, but when her elderly landlady dies in her sleep, the task of cleaning out Iola Anne Poole's big house falls to Tandi Jo. Tandi comes across 81 decorated prayer boxes containing notes: pieces of a life well lived. In them, Tandi finds not only redemption but peace with her past. VERDICT Two-time Carol Award winner Wingate ("Blue Moon Bay") has written a moving and inspiring story with interesting female characters and a colorful Southern backdrop. A good option for fans of Nicholas Sparks and Mary Alice Monroe.--Library Journal

Commendation Quotes:
I am in awe of Lisa Wingate's talent. "The Prayer Box" is a masterpiece of story and skill.

Commendation Quotes:
"The Prayer Box" is a charming book that transcends simple hope and healing while capturing the heart of the reader.

Review Quotes:
Wingate writes with a sensitivity and lyricism so effortless, weaving a community atmosphere with a comforting story of personal healing--ForeWord Reviews

Commendation Quotes:
Starred review. A beautiful, lyrical style reminiscent of those of Mary Alice Monroe and Patti Callahan Henry.--Booklist

Commendation Quotes:
The Prayer Box is a charming book that transcends simple hope and healing while capturing the heart of the reader.--Karen White, NYT bestselling author

Commendation Quotes:
Lisa Wingate writes with grace, beauty, and so much heart.--Sarah Jio, NYT bestselling author

Commendation Quotes:
I am in awe of Lisa Wingate's talent. The Prayer Box is a masterpiece of story and skill.

Publisher Marketing:

ECPA Christian Book Award Finalist, Christy Award Finalist, Christianity Today Book Award Finalist!

"THE PRAYER BOX is a masterpiece of story and skill."-- Debbie Macomber, NYT #1 Bestselling Author

"A good option for fans of Nicholas Sparks and Mary Alice Monroe" - Library Journal

When Iola Anne Poole, an old-timer on Hatteras Island, passes away in her bed at ninety-one, the struggling young mother in her rental cottage, Tandi Jo Reese, finds herself charged with the task of cleaning out Iola's rambling Victorian house.

Running from a messy, dangerous past, Tandi never expects to find more than a temporary hiding place within Iola's walls, but everything changes with the discovery of eighty-one carefully decorated prayer boxes, one for each year, spanning from Iola's youth to her last days. Hidden in the boxes is the story of a lifetime, written on random bits of paper--the hopes and wishes, fears and thoughts of an unassuming but complex woman passing through the seasons of an extraordinary, unsung life filled with journeys of faith, observations on love, and one final lesson that could change everything.

This masterfully woven tale includes:

• A lush, southern setting
• Themes of past mistakes, faith, and redemption
• A touch of romance

Perfect for fans of Christian women's fiction, this novel now includes discussion questions for book clubs.

Review Citations:

• Publishers Weekly 07/08/2013 (EAN 9781414386881, Paperback)
• Romantic Times 09/01/2013 pg. 40 (EAN 9781414386881, Paperback)
• Booklist 08/01/2013 pg. 30 (EAN 9781414386881, Paperback) - *Starred Review
• CBA Retailers 09/01/2013 pg. 36 (EAN 9781414386881, Paperback)
• Shelf Awareness 09/03/2013 (EAN 9781414386881, Paperback)
• Publishers Weekly 07/08/2013 pg. 65 (EAN 9781414388250, Hardcover)
• Library Journal 08/01/2013 pg. 76 (EAN 9781414388250, Hardcover)
• Booklist 08/01/2013 pg. 30 (EAN 9781414388250, Hardcover) - *Starred Review
• CBA Retailers 09/01/2013 pg. 36 (EAN 9781414388250, Hardcover)

Contributor Bio:Wingate, Lisa

Selected among Booklist's Top 10 for two consecutive years, Lisa Wingate skillfully weaves lyrical writing and unforgettable settings with elements of traditional Southern storytelling, history, and mystery to create novels that Publishers Weekly calls "masterful" and Library Journal refers to as "a good option for fans of Nicholas Sparks and Mary Alice Monroe."

Lisa is a journalist, an inspirational speaker, and the author of twenty-five novels. She is a seven-time ACFW Carol Award nominee, a multiple Christy Award nominee, a two-time Carol Award winner, and a 2015 RT Book Reviews Reviewers' Choice award winner for mystery/suspense. Recently, the group Americans for More Civility, a kindness watchdog organization, selected Lisa along with Bill Ford, Camille Cosby, and six others as recipients of the National Civies Award, which celebrates public figures who work to promote greater kindness and civility in American life. Booklist summed up her work by saying, "Lisa Wingate is, quite simply, a master storyteller." More information about her novels can be found at www.lisawingate.com.