Can’t Wait Wednesday

Can’t Wait Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Wishful Endings, to spotlight and discuss the books we’re excited about that we have yet to read. Generally, they’re books that have yet to be released. It’s based on Waiting on Wednesday, hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine.

This latest book from Sharon Maas is historical fiction set in the Jim Jones cult in Guyana in the 1970s. I am excited to read Maas’s take on this tragedy because she is actually from Guyana. Maas is a powerful writer who can evoke great emotion in the reader and provide vivid descriptions that will transport the reader to any location. I have read two of her other works–The Far Away Girl, about a young girl growing up in Guyana with a very absent father, and Those I Have Lost, which is a unique take on a World War II novel. It is written from the perspective of a girl in Ceylon (Sri Lanka), watching as Japan devastates Southeast Asia and then arrives on her shores. Having become a fan of Maas’s powerful writing, I am very much looking forward to A Home For the Lost.

BOOK DESCRIPTION

He got them when they were most vulnerable, when they were down and out, poor and alone and in trouble. He was kind to them when they needed kindness. He took their trust, and then robbed them of everything else. They don’t dare betray that trust.

A gripping and heartbreaking read, based on the true story of the Jonestown cult, one of the darkest chapters in American history.

When journalist Zoe Quint loses her husband and child in a tragic accident, she returns home to Guyana to grieve. But when she hears cries and music floating through the trees, her curiosity compels her to learn more about the Americans who have set up camp in a run-down village nearby. Their leader, Jim Jones, dark eyed and charismatic, claims to be a peaceful man who has promised his followers paradise.

But everything changes when Zoe meets one of his followers, a young woman called Lucy, in a ramshackle grocery store. Lucy grabs Zoe’s arm, raw terror in her eyes, and passes her a note with a phone number, begging her to call her mother in America.

Zoe is determined to help Lucy, but locals warn her to stay away from the camp, and as sirens and gunshots echo through the jungle at nightfall, she knows they are right. But she can’t shake the frightened woman’s face from her mind, and when she discovers that there are young children kept in the camp, she has to act fast.

Zoe’s only route to the lost people is to get close to their leader, Jim Jones. But if she is accepted, will she be able to persuade the frightened followers to risk their lives and embark on a perilous escape under the cover of darkness? And when Jim Jones hears of her plans, could she pay the highest price of all?

Release Date: June 23, 2022

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Lynn Austin is probably my favorite writer of Christian historical fiction, and I am always excited to read her next book. This saga is set in post World War II, with another timeline existing seven years earlier. While I’ve tired of most WWII fiction, as we are being inundated with it, I like the idea of the post-war setting in this one.

BOOK DESCRIPTION

Gisela’s family becomes unsafe as Germany turns hostile toward Jewish people. They secure spots on a boat bound for Cuba, only to be turned away upon their arrival. The next few years are filled with heartbreak as WWII threatens everything Gisela holds dear.

After the war, Peggy is thrilled when her childhood best friend, Jimmy, returns home. But Jimmy is no longer the lighthearted boy she knew. Determined to help him, Peggy sets out to uncover what happened during his tour.

The book alternates between Peggy and Gisela’s points of view, exploring the pre- and post-war world. It is unflinching in dealing with heavy topics including antisemitism, genocide, and suicide, yet also highlights the courage and perseverance of individuals facing such horrors.

Faith plays a large role. Gisela questions her Jewish heritage, and Peggy reminds Jimmy of the scriptures he once clung to. The age-old question of how a benevolent god can allow evil is raised, answered with ideas of human responsibility and the possibility of grace that suffering brings.

Release Date: June 21, 2022

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I’ve been a sports fan all my life, and while I don’t always read middle-grade books, I can’t resist a book about a minor league baseball team and their very young manager. This book looks like it will be a lot of fun.

BOOK DESCRIPTION

Middle-grade star author Chris Rylander brings his signature sense of humor, a compelling and original baseball story, and tons of heart to the story of the Hurricanes of Weakerville.

All his life, Alex Weakerman has had one passion: baseball. Specifically, the Hurricanes of Weakerville, Iowa–the scrappy independent-league team owned by his Grandpa Ira.

Even as the team and the town have fallen on tough times, there’s no place Alex would rather be than at the ballpark–a hot dog in one hand, a pencil and scorebook in the other, keeping track of each and every statistic. Alex has never been all that great at playing baseball, but that doesn’t matter. For someone as painfully awkward as Alex, being a fan–and a wiz with baseball stats–is all he needs.

When Grandpa Ira passes away, though, Alex is crushed. He’s lost his best friend, and he doesn’t see any way that the team will survive. But Ira, it seems, has one last trick up his sleeve: his will names Alex the new manager of the Hurricanes.

Alex is as excited as he is terrified at the chance to finally put some of his fantasy baseball genius to use. But as he sets to work trying to win over the players, he soon learns that leading them to victory is about more than just stats. Will he be able to save his team, his hometown, and his family legacy?

Release date: June 21, 2022

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