I enjoyed this one for many reasons one of which being that this novel takes place in my home state. But the main reason is that Rebekah is determined to help her family out. To the point that she disuses herself as a boy in order to be tour guide in Mammoth Cave because it makes more money. Rebekah's determined to not let the University boy derail her plans. But it's quite possible that God has other plans.

I gave this bookn5 stars because I really enjoyed it, it is heartwarming and filled with intrigue.

I highly recommend this title.

Thank you netgalley and WaterBrook & Multnomah for allowing me to read this title.

Kim Vogel Sawyer has written a wonderful historical fiction novel about Mammoth Cave in Kentucky and the people who lived and visited there. Having visited the cave myself, I loved her depiction of life and society at that time and how life was simple for some and very complex for others.

The book takes you through the lives of Rebekah, Devlin, Tolly, and Cissy, and how the cave intertwined with their lives. Society rules depicted your station in life which these characters lived with and had the ability to break the mold if they dared. Rebekah takes a job at the cave to earn money to buy a headstone for her brother's grave. To get the job she disguises herself as a man. Tolly, who is the leader of the cave tours, knows that Reb is a girl and hires her anyway. Devlin is a college student and cartographer who is mapping out the cave but has a political agenda in mind. Cissy is Rebekah's sister. She is unhappy with the life of being poor and dreams of a rich beau, beautiful house, and lots of clothes and money. They are spending the summer working at Mammoth Cave experiencing joy, disappointment, faith, friendship, betrayal, and love.

This was a very well researched and historically accurate novel. I enjoyed reading about that time in history. I would love to know what happens to the characters down the road. Maybe a sequel?

A beautiful story of loving grace. I enjoy reading Kim’s books.

Guide Me Home by Kim Vogel Sawyer is a delightful Christian historical romance. Fact meets fiction as Kim Vogel Sawyer weaves the real Mammoth Caves into the tale.
The story has warm and welcoming characters with huge hearts. They have little in the form of material wealth but are rich in their knowledge of God.
There is a difference between knowing God and knowing about God. Having a relationship with God means trusting Him in the good and the bad times. In our weakness, we can lean on Him. "They're strong... because they know who gives strength to the weak."
Part of trusting God means handing our fears and worries to Him. "Hand off yo' worries to Him, 'stead o' stewin' on 'em." If we know God, we need not fear.
I loved the authentic dialogue used for the character of Tolly. It really drew the reader into the tale and into his story which tugged at the reader's heart. "Down here [in the caves] it didn't matter if a man's skin was black... the cave accepted all, embraced all, challenged all." Oh that we could all learn the lesson to love everyone and not judge.
Characters live with one eye on eternity. "Are you heaven bound?" They know, even in their grief, where their loved ones are.
The novel shows that outward appearances can be deceptive. Fancy clothes may be hiding unkind hearts. God looks at the state of our heart and not the size of our bank account.
There is the motif of the dark caves and the brilliant sunshine. What happens in the caves is hidden and in secret. Lives that are practicing deceit need to stop and come out and live their lives in the light of the Son.
The theme of leaving a legacy runs throughout. A legacy is not to be found in bricks and mortar but in people's hearts and minds. We are called to be a living legacy.
Guide Me Home was a perfectly wonderful book. It taught the lesson of love and spoke to my heart.
I received this book for free. A favourable review was not required and all views expressed are my own.

I was so interested in reading this novel because it reminded me of Mulan’s story. I don’t know why but I love to read about stories like Joan of Arc or Mulan because they had a special intrigue to me even when I was younger.
Anyway, let me stop blabbering! This novel started out pretty well and it had a very interesting start. I was interested in how the novel began in giving some background with the main character and her family.

The main character’s journey was pleasant enough but as it got further along in the story I was slowly losing interest. I kept waiting for that “big” moment to be wowed by this novel but sadly it never came.
As for the hero, I was not impressed.
I still am a big fan of Kim Sawyer’s novels but to say the least, this was not my favorite novel written by her. However I’m still a big fan of her writing and I’m looking forward to whatever this author has to offer.

*I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are entirely my own.*

Guide Me Home by Kim Vogel Sawyer

Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

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Story Notes

Kim Vogel Sawyer's latest historical romance is a lovely story of redemption, sorrow, and healing found through God's grace and mercy.

This wonderful story was somehow lost in my device for over 2 months before I discovered its presence in a little used app - quite a sad thing as it turned out to be a really engaging story that I would have hated to have missed. Ms. Sawyer is a favorite writer of mine and I hoped this latest would be up to the mark as well. I found this story to be a little different than those previously written, but not in a bad way. On the contrary, I really enjoyed the way she had multiple main characters rather than one and that each one's story was told in completion. Ms. Sawyer tells the story of how past tragedy has drastically effected the Hardin family through the eyes of the two oldest daughters and neither story is the same. Rebekah Hardin is the oldest child and carries the guilt of her brother's death in Mammoth Cave with her daily. She believes that Andy would not have gone into the Cave if she had not told him to leave her alone one afternoon as she read her latest library book. Wanting to help her family purchase a stone marker for Andy's grave, Rebekah will become a guide for the Mammoth Cave Resort company that takes travelers on tours through the Cave - a job that requires she dress and work as a man. Cissy Hardin, on the other hand, views helping her family as a life of true drudgery. She has become convinced she is not loved by her parents and that the only way to be happy is to find a way to make money and go to the nearest large city in search of a rich husband. Cissy despises the daily work of her family farm and cannot stand the cloud of sorrow that continually hangs over them. Her jealousy over Rebekah's job and consuming desire for money will lead her to a job helping a photographer on the Mammoth Cave Resort grounds - a job that will give her the money she needs to escape her "terrible" life. With these two drastically different views, Ms. Sawyer creates a story that will leave the reader laughing out loud, feeling deep frustration and, perhaps, crying a few tears of joy over the redemption of the characters involved.I really enjoyed the journey that Ms. Sawyer set her characters on. She was careful to give them each distinctive personalities but also showed that they all had a similar problem - they lacked the forgiveness and joy that is to be found in Jesus. I also found it interesting that she used Rebekah, who was so burdened by guilt, to be a "light" for Devlin in more ways than one. She, along with Tolly, was able to show Devlin that what truly matters in life is not what money or standing you have before others, rather what standing and value you have before God. And, in turn, Devlin was able to help her see that Andy's death was not her fault, rather it was the will of God. In Cissy's case, Ms. Sawyer used the several heartbreaking experiences to help her learn she was not unloved by her family and that money would not bring her the peace and joy she was seeking. Ms. Sawyer brought her to the point of ultimate fear in facing death to show the error of her belief in going her own way to have the best life. I enjoyed seeing that Ms. Sawyer also had the Hardin family offer total love and forgiveness to Cissy in an effort to point her to the true Forgiver of her sins. My only issue with this book was that the ending felt a little rushed. Decisions and plans were made by Rebekah, Devlin and the Hardins in a quick fashion that did not exactly fit with the rest of the story. I would have liked to have seen a few more pages added to add details or time that would have rounded out the story better. But, other than this, I found the story to be one of complete development and truly enjoyed reading it.I hope Ms. Sawyer will make a series from this book as I would love to read more about the Hardin family members. I will most certainly recommend this book to others and will be looking for Ms. Sawyer's future works.

I received this ebook free of charge from Waterbrook/Multnomah via NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review. I will receive no fiscal compensation from either company for this review.