The Prayer Box by Lisa Wingate

The Prayer Box by Lisa Wingate
Series: Book 1 of 3 of A Carolina Chronicles
Publisher: Tyndale Fiction (September 1, 2013)

Review by Gwen M. Plano

Tandi Jo Reese runs from an abusive marriage. With her two children in tow, she finds a hiding place in Iola Anne Poole’s small bungalow on Hatteras Island, North Carolina. Tandi has very little money from her divorce, and soon, her meager funds are depleted. She decides to meet with her landlord in the big Victorian house to explain her situation and discovers that the woman has passed away. The local church takes ownership of the estate and employs Tandi to clean the main house in exchange for free rent in the bungalow.

While scrubbing and organizing the house, Tandi discovers eighty-one prayer boxes, each filled with letters to the Heavenly Father. She begins reading the letters, and slowly, the mysterious Iola becomes real to her, so real that she considers her a friend. Iola wrote her prayers on random pieces of paper and often included descriptions of a life marked by struggle and prayer.   

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“All labor is joy,” she tells me. “It is not washing dirty floors, but the feet of Jesus, Iola. All we do for others, we do for the One Most High.”

We are His children, each knit together as we should be. We must go by the name our Father has given us—Beloved—not by the names which others might seek to place upon us.”

“We do not choose the vessel we’re given, but we choose what we pour out and what we keep inside.”

LISA WINGATE, THE PRAYER BOX

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The Prayer Box had a slow beginning for me. However, once Tandi began cleaning the main house and discovered the prayer boxes, the story took a turn that led to an emotional journey. Through the glimpses of Iola’s hidden life, I was introduced to a woman of great integrity, profound love, and unbending faith. I was so entranced that it was difficult to put the book down. I wanted to know more. I wanted to hold and read the letters myself.

This was an inspirational story. Through its fictional characters, it exposed the transformational journey we travel. At one time or another, I suspect we’ve all been the frightened young mother, and by grace, we’ve become strong. It made me wonder if I should create my own prayer box. There was something so sacred and eternal about the ones in the book.

Wingate’s descriptive writing is breathtaking. The scenes are vivid, and the characters are well-crafted. Apart from the slow beginning, the book is a jewel. I fell in love with the story through Iola’s letters. These bits of paper underscored that prayers are answered in unexpected ways, and somehow, that simple truth resonated deeply within my heart. I’m pleased to give this book five happy fish.

I purchased the Kindle version of The Prayer Box on Amazon.

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