Too Small For A Gate

When Janiece Addison moves away to Colorado with her husband and children she hopes to find a departure from a disturbed relationship involving her parents. When she hears that her father has had a heart attack, she hopes by returning that in some way they can reconcile but she finds herself to late. She never knew her journey back home would cause such a setback with her mother.

Janiece is in for surprises when she returns home to not only find herself being rebuked by her mother for not arriving in time for her father, but she discovers a mystery that has been left for her in her hometown of Love, Oklahoma. After she begins to unravel the puzzle, she is uncertain what to do with the knowledge since it could destroy Love’s most respected citizens. Can Janiece make the right decision while wrestling with her personal family problems?

Too Small For A Gate is a heart-warming story. There were so many moments that I could actually relate. At times I began to wonder if some members of my family had entered the scene, especially the part about the cake. My heart could only go out to Janiece. When she walked to the open casket, I got teary-eyed; it reminded me of so many close-knit things that have happened in my life. The way Janiece had to decide what course to take in life, while living with so many personal issues, makes this story genuine. All the characters in the story are well rounded and the dialogue flows smoothly, making this an excellent book to read. Ms. Stroud writes a gripping story that touches the heart, that recalls memories, and that makes the reader sometimes want to jump through the pages and shake a few people to their senses. Her writing is so original with every turn of the page. This is my first book by Ms. Stroud and it promises not to be my last.

Reviewed by: Linda