Review: The Sweetest Thing

The Sweetest Thing
by Elizabeth Musser

Faith ~ Friendship ~ Forgiveness ~ Family

The Sweetest Thing is set in the South – Atlanta, Ga – during the Depression Era. Two girls from completely different locations (Atlanta and Chicago) and social statuses (well-to-do socialite family and poor preacher family) find themselves brought together by unexpected happenings in their lives. The story is told through the eyes of the two teenage girls – Perri and Dobbs.

Anne “Perri” Singleton’s life appears to be wonderful.  She has an active social life, attends a nice private school, enjoys the finer things in life, and is surrounded by friends and family.  The Depression, while horrible, has made things more difficult for her family, but they are still well off compared to many families across the nation.  Unfortunately, trouble is brewing for her family, and a horrible tragedy is about to turn their lives completely upside down.

Mary Dobbs Dillard is the daughter of a minister in Chicago.  Her family relies completely on the Lord for all of their needs.  They are poor and never know where their next meal might come from, but they keep trusting in the Lord and doing His will.  They live a hard, but rewarding life.  When Mary Dobbs is sent away to live with her aunt and uncle in Atlanta, her world as she knows it suddenly changes.  She believes her faith in the Lord will get her through.  She just didn’t expect her life to get so confusing as she entered her new life.

Through unexpected events, Perri and Dobbs become quick friends.  The story goes back and forth between the two girls telling their story.  It’s easy to get caught up in the girls lives and the story.  Warning: you probably will not want to put this book down, so you may not want to start it late at night.

The Sweetest Thing is a beautiful story about family, friendship, faith, and forgiveness.  Elizabeth Musser has a gift for making the reader feel part of the story.  The characters are well-developed and believable. If you like Christian historical fiction, I highly recommend adding this book to your summer reading list.

I received a copy of this book from Bethany House to help facilitate the writing of a frank and honest review. A positive review is not guaranteed, and all opinions are my own. This post contains an Amazon affiliate link.