When Ollie’s daddy, the Reverend Everlasting Love, pulls their travel trailer into Binder to lead a three-day revival, Ollie knows that t... read full description
reviews
Feb 02, 2012
Cornmaven
rated it: 
Story about a traveling revival tent family who comes upon a town, wherein lies meanness, a woman in jail for a murder she did not commit, and her kid who is floundering as a result. Ollie sets her mind to finding the truth, and along the way young readers will learn some truths, none of which is particularly Christian, just golden rule stuff.
The 1957 setting allows Hilmo to portray the sisters as really innocent and super kind, although Martha has some spunk. The writing was good. T More...
The 1957 setting allows Hilmo to portray the sisters as really innocent and super kind, although Martha has some spunk. The writing was good. T More...
Jan 11, 2012
Hilary
rated it: 
Tess Hilmo skillfully weaves a tapestry of richly evocative words. Hilmo’s descriptions of the cruelty endured by Jimmy and his mother at the hands of his abusive, alcoholic father, convey the horror at an immediate level.
The writing incorporates a spiritual tone without becoming “religious.” “Ollie” (Olivene) is the eldest daughter of a traveling preacher and longs for a settled home of her own. She weighs in on the small town of Binder, Arkansas in 1957, as a typical town that More...
The writing incorporates a spiritual tone without becoming “religious.” “Ollie” (Olivene) is the eldest daughter of a traveling preacher and longs for a settled home of her own. She weighs in on the small town of Binder, Arkansas in 1957, as a typical town that More...
Dec 22, 2011
Jackie
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I'm a little conflicted by this book. I had read a review, and promptly put it on my list of requests at the library. I particularly like to read things by local authors - and I'm glad this one made it into hardback.
And I really did like the book. Some things just didn't feel quite right to me. Even though the book was essentially a mystery, and a story about loving others and doing what is right, some of the characters were just a little too perfect for me. Susanna and the Revere More...
And I really did like the book. Some things just didn't feel quite right to me. Even though the book was essentially a mystery, and a story about loving others and doing what is right, some of the characters were just a little too perfect for me. Susanna and the Revere More...
Nov 10, 2011
Barbara
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This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers.
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Jul 05, 2011
Paige
rated it: 
When Ollie’s daddy, the Reverend Everlasting Love, pulls their travel trailer into Binder to lead a three-day revival, Ollie knows that this town will be like all the others they visit— it is exactly the kind of nothing Ollie has come to expect.
From the first page of this book, I really felt like I was in Binder, Arkansas. "Fields of soft green barley laid themselves out across the earth in perfect rows--as if God had reached down and combed them just so." Hilmo's descrip More...
From the first page of this book, I really felt like I was in Binder, Arkansas. "Fields of soft green barley laid themselves out across the earth in perfect rows--as if God had reached down and combed them just so." Hilmo's descrip More...
May 30, 2011
So many terrific things to say about this debut novel. First of all, it's really a page-turner. Ollie's family (her daddy is an itinerant preacher and mom and siblings have their roles to play) lands in Arkansas for a 3-day revival. There's something downright unfriendly in the town. There's a boy in trouble, and Ollie seems like the kind of girl who goes looking for trouble. She's a terrifically appealing, strong, funny character. Lots of well-drawn characters, like Mrs. Esther Carter, town mer
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Nov 10, 2011
Jan
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Thirteen-year-old Olivene Love is the oldest daughter of the Reverend Everlasting Love. For as long as she can remember, her family has traveled through the South, staying in small towns for just three days to hold tent revival meetings. At their current stop, Ollie soon discovers that this small town is a bit different than others she's been in. There is hatred and anger and cruelty, and Ollie can't figure out how she can solve the biggest problem she's ever seen. Can she talk her father into s
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Dec 03, 2011
Patricia J.
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This is what might be known as a quiet book--a middle grade, historical fiction about a girl whose father is a traveling preacher. I usually read YA or adult fantasy/dystopian but, I was drawn in completely to Ollie's world and her huge heart and courage. And even though Tess Hilmo's writing is rich in detail and atmosphere, a sense of urgency and danger begins early and stays through the story.
I like that this book is never preachy, despite being about a family who travel from town to tow More...
I like that this book is never preachy, despite being about a family who travel from town to tow More...
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Oct 04, 2011
Amanda
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Originally published at www.apatchworkofbooks.com
13 year old Ollie is used to living on the road. Her daddy, Reverend Everlasting Love, is a preacher, leading tent revivals all across the country for a living. Ollie, along with her parents and sisters, live in the travel trailer they pull along from town to town, being homeschooled and teaching the country about God.
When the family arrives in Binder, Arkansas, Ollie expects the three days to be like every other revival t More...
13 year old Ollie is used to living on the road. Her daddy, Reverend Everlasting Love, is a preacher, leading tent revivals all across the country for a living. Ollie, along with her parents and sisters, live in the travel trailer they pull along from town to town, being homeschooled and teaching the country about God.
When the family arrives in Binder, Arkansas, Ollie expects the three days to be like every other revival t More...
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Oct 02, 2011
Meagan
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This book is so atmospheric and drenched in humanity. It is a story about a travelling preacher's daughter bent on helping a boy whose mother is jailed for a murder (his father)....but it is so much more than just a murder mystery. Yes, there is an element of faith in the book because it is a preacher's family but it is not at all about that and I found those references "Ollie wondered what God might think when he looked down on the shack Jimmy Koppel called home" are more about the s
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Nov 12, 2011
Jessica
rated it:
Review via Cracking the Cover
“With a Name Like Love” is one of those magical novels you read as a child and continue to read as an adult.
There’s something comforting about Tess Hilmo’s prose as she introduces the world to Ollie and her family — you almost feel as if you already know them. And even though murder is part of the plot, there’s a quiet grace that soothes the edges.
The book has a spiritual tone to it without being “religious.” Nothing is forced on the rea More...
“With a Name Like Love” is one of those magical novels you read as a child and continue to read as an adult.
There’s something comforting about Tess Hilmo’s prose as she introduces the world to Ollie and her family — you almost feel as if you already know them. And even though murder is part of the plot, there’s a quiet grace that soothes the edges.
The book has a spiritual tone to it without being “religious.” Nothing is forced on the rea More...
Nov 27, 2011
Wendy
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Tess Hilmo’s debut novel is a story about the power of love to heal and transform. When Olivene Love arrives in rural Binder, Arkansas with her parents and sisters, she expects their stay to be a typical three-day revival event lead by her preacher father. What she doesn’t realize is that she needs to do a bit of saving herself. On a trip into town, Ollie discovers how deeply prejudiced the people of Binder are toward Jimmy Koppel and his mother. It just so happens that Virginia Koppel is sittin
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Nov 17, 2011
Angelina
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This was a delightful read. The focus of the story was obviously Olive, but most of the Love family were well fleshed out. The characters rang true when combined as a family unit. Mrs. Mahoney, Moody and Ray were just a few of the other characters that gave this story depth.
Despite having a totally different type of ending, I found myself thinking of Steinbeck's Of Mice and Men after thinking about the overall impression the story left upon me.
For readers who prefer Christ More...
Despite having a totally different type of ending, I found myself thinking of Steinbeck's Of Mice and Men after thinking about the overall impression the story left upon me.
For readers who prefer Christ More...
Dec 19, 2011
Emily
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What I like about this book is that the characters are well developed and Tess Hilmo creates a beautiful picuture of the Arkansas landscape. I had a clear picture in my mind of Ollie, her family and the town of Binder. With a Name like Love is a nice mystery, that has enough twists and turns to keep you reading. The open ending also makes you want to know more about Ollie and her family.
Great quotes from the book
Some people are broken. Its like their hearts get going in More...
Great quotes from the book
Some people are broken. Its like their hearts get going in More...
Dec 07, 2011
melissa1lbr
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Things I Liked:
This was a sweet and heart-warming little book about family and friendship and the things we do for others. I loved the Love family and Ollie especially. Her interactions with her sisters were my favorite, especially because I have four sisters and it seemed like every little thing could become a fight. Family dynamics are always interesting to read about and adding outside characters makes it even more fun. I fell in love with Ollie and Jimmy and couldn't help being int More...
This was a sweet and heart-warming little book about family and friendship and the things we do for others. I loved the Love family and Ollie especially. Her interactions with her sisters were my favorite, especially because I have four sisters and it seemed like every little thing could become a fight. Family dynamics are always interesting to read about and adding outside characters makes it even more fun. I fell in love with Ollie and Jimmy and couldn't help being int More...
Aug 22, 2011
Jon
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This book reminds me why I love young adult fiction. This book features a wonderful, sympathetic yet believable narrator who learns some important lessons about building and maintaining relationships with others. I think Hilmo has captured beautifully the time and place of the novel and while the themes have been treated often in other books, Hilmo's main character (Ollie) is so well-drawn that it's like seeing these familiar things fresh through her young, naive eyes. The book has enough of a c
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Nov 02, 2011
Saraelizabeth
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I liked this book but I had a hard time finding the characters to be believable at times. Jimmy seemed to come around to Ollie just a little too soon-joking around and flirting when I'm not so sure a child who grew up like he did would be like that. ?
The story seemed a little too simplistic and glowing for the subject matter. But, you know-it's for children/young adults so maybe I am being too harsh. Yet, I've read many young adult books that I fell in love with and would recommend to a More...
The story seemed a little too simplistic and glowing for the subject matter. But, you know-it's for children/young adults so maybe I am being too harsh. Yet, I've read many young adult books that I fell in love with and would recommend to a More...
Oct 29, 2011
Bethany
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13-year old Olivene Love, the eldest daughter of traveling preacher Reverend Everlasting Love, has come to the small town of Binder to help her family spread the Word. They're to stay only three days, then move on to the next town, just like always. But Ollie can't help but notice something is deeply wrong in Binder--Jimmy Koppel, a thin, dirty boy about her own age is living on his own, his father murdered and his mother in jail for it. Not only is Ollie convinced that the mother is innocent
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Nov 18, 2011
Tammy
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I loved this little heartwarming book about Ollie Love and her four sisters who travel in their camper trailer to Bender, Arkansas in 1957, with their preacher dad and mom. They change the lives of the town folks as they uncover lies, solve a murder and open a path to the truth. You will love the quirky characters created by Tess Hilmo, and will not want the story to end. I look forward to more books written by this author, it is on my highly recommended list!
Recommended for 3rd gra More...
Recommended for 3rd gra More...
Feb 07, 2012
Cheryl
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Really set me down in a time and place, with characters that were interesting and seemed real, although they were unusual. A traveling preacher and his family of 5 girls in the south in the 50's, told through the oldest girls eyes. She longs to settle down, and finding a boy whose mother has confessed to a crime she didn't commit gets her father to do it... at least for awhile. Lots of personalities, quirky things like pet frogs, nasty townsfolk who may not be what they seem at first... kept me
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Dec 01, 2011
Deanna
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While there was lots I liked about this book, I have to say overall it didn't quite cut it for me. First, no boy on the face of the planet will ever, ever, ever pick this one up on their own. Who designs these covers?? Second, everything worked out way too peachy keen with a big fat red bow to tie it all up. The kids were just a little too perfect which made them feel unrealistic to me. Also, while lots of books have a message, I prefer those which are delivered organically and develop in a natu
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Jan 06, 2012
Wendy
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A reluctant two stars because really, I've read less competently-written books this year. If this book had come out of a small Christian press I would have said "hey, this book is pretty good considering it came out of a small Christian press". But it did not. Now, considering that when I was a kid I thought Love Comes Softly was a good book, and didn't realize it was a tract (and badly written to boot), there's no reason to think that plenty of kids won't like this, whether they're ev
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Oct 29, 2011
Joanne
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I am not sure what to say about this book other than I loved, loved, loved it. I normally shy away from books that have religion in them (the Love family is headed by a reverend and they travel around the south to preach in small, poor towns) but this is not a book about religion, this is a book about goodness and overcoming the bad stuff that happens, and embracing people who have become bitter and full of hate, to try to help them, instead of turning away. There are many bad things that happen
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Nov 28, 2011
Sarah-Greenbeanteenqueen
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Oh my goodness, if you want a heartfelt mystery with characters you want to reach into the book and hug, bad guys who are so mean they make you squirm, and a family you can't help but want to be part of, With a Name Like Love is your book. I loved this book!
The Love family is a family you won't soon forget. Each of the five Love daughters is a distinct character and each girl has her own voice, which is hard to pull off in a large cast. Even though Ollie is the main character and we g More...
The Love family is a family you won't soon forget. Each of the five Love daughters is a distinct character and each girl has her own voice, which is hard to pull off in a large cast. Even though Ollie is the main character and we g More...
Feb 17, 2012
Shelby
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First off, I think this book should be listed under "historical fiction" not "mystery". Because although the murder was a big part of the plot, it was the writing and settings that grabbed me. Have you ever read a book where the way they speak gives you an accent in your head for the characters? This book was like that for me. Here's a little example:
"And put your shirt back on, why don't you?" she said over her shoulder. "Remember, I'm a lady." More...
"And put your shirt back on, why don't you?" she said over her shoulder. "Remember, I'm a lady." More...
Oct 17, 2011
Wendy
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Really lovely story, set in 1950's Arkansas. The main character, Ollie, and her family are utterly believable and readers will relate to many of the gentle touches that Hilmo has added. Honestly, I think the only thing going against this book is the title - the title suggests something more romantic while the story is a bit grittier than the reader might expect. But then, being the great book that it is, the title makes even more sense when you are done.
Feb 08, 2012
R
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It was excellent. It took me a while to get Ollie's sisters straight (There's four of 'em, after all, but over the course of the novel you learn that Martha's the mean one, Camille's the weird one, Gwen's the nice one, and Ellen's the youngest), but at about 40% of the way through I had them down. Excellent historical setting, too.
I do wish the resolution had been a bit longer. ): IT ALL HAPPENED SO QUICKLY.
I do wish the resolution had been a bit longer. ): IT ALL HAPPENED SO QUICKLY.
Jan 21, 2012
Vicki
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The Love family is traveling preacher family. When they stop in Binder Arkansas Ollie the oldest of 5 daughters in the family senses a world of hurt and a mysterious murder. Can the Love daughters bind together and convince their daddy, Everlasting Love to stay a few days more in this troubled town. Easy to read and I hope there will be more books about this lovely family. Set in the 1957.
Dec 27, 2011
Amber
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4. 5 stars I really like this book. A lot. It had everything that I love in a book. I tend to love young adult, coming of age type books-Newberry types and I could definitely see this being nominated for a Newberry. Cute story of a 13 year old girl in a small town with a mystery twisted in. I read it in less than 24 hours partly because it was easy to read, partly because I loved it and partly because it's Christmas break and I have more reading time. :)
Jan 23, 2012
Sadie
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This is a simple story of a traveling preacher and his family and the lives that are changed as a result of the love the family shares. It is a good, uplifting story with a bit of a mystery tied in. I did enjoy it, but did feel that the main character had a little too much mature insight that would be expected for a 13 year old. Still, very good and I plan on having my own daughter read it.
