It is 1936 and Kate Merritt, the middle child of Victor and Nadine, works hard to keep her family together. Her father slowly slips into alcoholism...
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Sep 09, 2011
Judy
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Victor, Nadine, and Kate Merritt are the main characters in this book. The story revolves around their past and present lives. Victor has a drinking problem which started when he was serving in WWI. I strongly suspect that Preston Merritt, Victor's Father, played a big part in it too. Preston was a man that his son could never please. Victor could do nothing right in his Father's eyes; the reason goes back to when Victor was growing up.
Nadine Merritt is the Daughter of Preacher Reec More...
Nadine Merritt is the Daughter of Preacher Reec More...
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Mar 07, 2011
Cheryl
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Kate Merritt is the middle sister. Though if you met Kate you would never guess she was so young. She is wiser beyond her young years. Kate is strong. She learned right away that being the middle sister meant caring for yourself. Kate has only cried about a dozen times. Kate helps care for her father. She tucks him in every time that he comes home drunk, helps her mother and cares for younger sister.
Lorena Birdsong is just five years old. Lorena is a pretty brave little girl. When K More...
Lorena Birdsong is just five years old. Lorena is a pretty brave little girl. When K More...
Mar 04, 2011
Kristina
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Kate has always been the strong one. While her older sister primps and her younger sister is oblivious, Kate gets what needs to be done, done. Even as her father sinks deeper and deeper into alcoholism, Kate still does not allow herself to lose hope. One day out of nowhere she sees a little girl on the steps of the church her grandfather pastors. She befriends the child and learns that the angelic Lorena Birdsong has been praying for an angel to come save her. Kate "adopts" her as
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Feb 26, 2011
Brenda
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Its the summer of 1936 and the US is in the throws of the Great Depression. Fourteen year old Kate Merritt and her family live in the tiny town of Rosey Corner Ky. The Merritt sisters are totally different, Evangeline, is sixteen, and totally lovestruck, while ten year old Victoria loves to fish, leaving Kate to be the responsible one. Her father Victor, is dealing with inner demons, and more often than not turns to alcohol to get thru the day, while Kate's mother Nadine is a steady influence, s
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Feb 23, 2011
April
rated it:
ANGEL SISTER by Ann H. Gabhart is a wonderful inspirational historical fiction set in 1936 Kentucky. It is well written with inspiration,depth,and details. It has alcoholism,family, forgiveness,perseverance, faith, community,secrets,family issues,strength,rural living, fear of the preacher,fear of the town leader,family rejection,and tumultuous decisions and time. The main characters are heartwarming,
tender,caring,have strong feelings of faith even through difficult times.The secondary cha More...
tender,caring,have strong feelings of faith even through difficult times.The secondary cha More...
Feb 21, 2011
Linda
rated it:
Not ever hearing anyone personally share the difficult times of the 1930s, I found Ann H. Gabhart’s book, Angel Sister, one extremely interesting and touching book.
I was so moved by the issues (what we now call PTSD) that Victor struggled with, and how he used alcohol to drown out the horrors from war and the rejection of his father, though he hated himself while doing it. I could empathize with the distress that Nadine, his wife, went through with his bouts of alcoholism. Though her More...
I was so moved by the issues (what we now call PTSD) that Victor struggled with, and how he used alcohol to drown out the horrors from war and the rejection of his father, though he hated himself while doing it. I could empathize with the distress that Nadine, his wife, went through with his bouts of alcoholism. Though her More...
Feb 19, 2011
Cindy
rated it:
War is never over, it sometimes seems. Young men, young women go to war and come home with images and horror stories that those who haven't been there will never understand. This is what happened with Victor Merritt after the big war. Set in 1936 Victor's family is falling apart. His wife resents him because he has turned to the bottle, the dreams that plague him in his sleep cause him to turn to the bottle, and his family suffers through all of it. His middle daughter seems to be the one w
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Feb 18, 2011
Laura
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Title: ANGEL SISTER
Author: Ann H. Gabhart
Publisher: Revell
February 2011
ISBN: 978-0-8007-3381-0
Genre: Inspirational/historical/women’s fiction
Kate Merritt is fourteen years old, but during the Great Depression, she feels solely responsible for the entire running of her household. Her father is a drunk, her mother suffers from depression, and her sisters are fragile. Kate takes on the responsibility of making sure her drunk father is cleaned up and put to More...
Author: Ann H. Gabhart
Publisher: Revell
February 2011
ISBN: 978-0-8007-3381-0
Genre: Inspirational/historical/women’s fiction
Kate Merritt is fourteen years old, but during the Great Depression, she feels solely responsible for the entire running of her household. Her father is a drunk, her mother suffers from depression, and her sisters are fragile. Kate takes on the responsibility of making sure her drunk father is cleaned up and put to More...
Feb 01, 2011
Bobbi
rated it:
I loved this book! Review to come soon ...
Ann H. Gabhart has seamlessly woven three generations of a family into one heartwarming, cohesive story that will keep you reading late into the night. Taking place during the depression years of the late 1930s, this story tells about the many secrets each family tries to hide. The story starts with Kate Merritt, the middle daughter of Victor and Nadine Merritt, who feels the needs to protect her family and clean up all the messes and takes More...
Ann H. Gabhart has seamlessly woven three generations of a family into one heartwarming, cohesive story that will keep you reading late into the night. Taking place during the depression years of the late 1930s, this story tells about the many secrets each family tries to hide. The story starts with Kate Merritt, the middle daughter of Victor and Nadine Merritt, who feels the needs to protect her family and clean up all the messes and takes More...
Feb 19, 2011
Carly
rated it:
Every once in a while, I get to read a book that I just do not want to end. That is what Angel Sister was to me. I fell in love with this book very quickly and it grew on me more and more as I kept reading. Now, a small word of warning, this book is not a fast read. It is one of those books that needs to be savored and read at a nice, slow pace. I am actually really starting to like books that read that way because they have a lot of substance and a story with characters I want to spend a l
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Feb 20, 2011
Cafelilybookreviews
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If you enjoy reading stories that are set in the depression era as much as I do, you’ll be happy to get your hands on Angel Sister. This is my favorite Ann Gabhart book to date and I like that she based the characters in this book very loosely on her own family.
The Merritts are a hardworking family hit by the woes of the depression and the war. Victor Merritt fights haunting memories from the war and finds solace in a bottle. Nadine, his wife, doesn’t have the energy anymo More...
The Merritts are a hardworking family hit by the woes of the depression and the war. Victor Merritt fights haunting memories from the war and finds solace in a bottle. Nadine, his wife, doesn’t have the energy anymo More...
Sep 23, 2011
Regina
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The Merritts live in Rosey Corner, a little town in Kentucky during the Great Depression - a time of great loss. Kate Merritt, the middle daughter of Victor and Nadine, is 14, wise and sensible, but is sensitive to the fact that her father has nightmares from World War I and drinks too much. A huge chasm has developed between him and her steady, hardworking mother. Kate also sees the rift between both of her grandfathers - they are stern town leaders who hold grudges, insist on being heard, and
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Feb 25, 2011
Clockstein
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Angel Sister by Ann Gabhart is a poignant story of love and forgiveness in a Southern small town. Kate Merritt is the responsible one of three sisters. As her father, Victor, has slipped further and further into alcoholism, she has picked up more and more burdens around the house. At fourteen, she isn't lovestruck like older sister Evie nor does she want to go fishing all the time like little sister Tori. Kate tries to take care of her father as he stumbles in drunk night after night while her f
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Feb 23, 2011
Katie
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I’ve never read a book by Ann Gabhart before, so I was excited at the opportunity to read this new release of hers. After finishing Angel Sister I know I will read more from this talented author. This book was quiet a journey! Ann skillfully weaved in a story that was so alive and personal I looked up from the pages expecting to see Kate, Nadine, or Victor sitting across from me. Each character had such depth!
Kate Marritt is only fourteen years old, but she feels like she is her fami More...
Kate Marritt is only fourteen years old, but she feels like she is her fami More...
Feb 27, 2011
Ann
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Angel Sister is set in 1936 in the little town of Rosey Corner, Kentucky, where Kate Merritt is the middle child in a family of three daughters. Gabhart’s skillful writing puts the reader in the midst of this community and its characters—we know the people, and we feel the heat of a Kentucky summer.
Kate is the responsible sister who feels it’s up to her to keep her family together. The task she takes onto her fourteen-year-old shoulders is a daunting one. Her father is sliding into a More...
Kate is the responsible sister who feels it’s up to her to keep her family together. The task she takes onto her fourteen-year-old shoulders is a daunting one. Her father is sliding into a More...
Feb 16, 2011
Casey
rated it: 
This is a story of blame on multiply levels. And when blame gets passed around consciously or unconsciously, it usually takes a shock to the character’s lives to change their worldview.
That is what I liked about this story. Little Lorena Birdsong is the shock to a family ravaged by drink, past mistakes and a future that only seems to be swallowing them whole.
While I enjoyed that aspect of the story, I had a hard time keeping interest. There was a great deal of “backlog” More...
That is what I liked about this story. Little Lorena Birdsong is the shock to a family ravaged by drink, past mistakes and a future that only seems to be swallowing them whole.
While I enjoyed that aspect of the story, I had a hard time keeping interest. There was a great deal of “backlog” More...
Aug 18, 2011
Natalya
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Truly a beautiful story. I loved the vivid people, and the true to life town. I could go on and on about the book. I'm not giving 5 stars, however, because of one rather significant failing. Many parents are presented as self-serving, unloving, and hateful. And although people change and you may begin to understand and even have empathy for these characters as thy grow,that doesn't change the fact that few parents are unloving and have favorites and expect too much. As much I loved the story, I
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Nov 05, 2011
Joanne
rated it:
When this book was chosen as a book club selection, not one of us ladies realized that it was actually Christian fiction. Although I am a Christian, I have found that much Christian fiction I read just ends up being a bit too unrealistic for my taste. I can tell you that most of the ladies in my group loved this novel, while my final thoughts tend to be a bit more reserved.
Although I didn't enjoy this story as much as the other ladies, I did find appreciation within the story itsel More...
Although I didn't enjoy this story as much as the other ladies, I did find appreciation within the story itsel More...
Dec 01, 2011
Hannah
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The main character in this book is a middle child named Kate who lived during the time of the depression. Despite all her issues at home such as her alcoholic father, and her feuding grandfathers she finds it in her heart to bring home an abandoned girl named Lorena Bird Song who had been left on the steps of her grandfathers church. This book is about her struggle to keep Lorena out of the hands of an unloving and coldhearted women who would lock Lorena in the pantry. The characters are very r
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Mar 21, 2011
Karen
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Is Kate Merritt the glue that holds her family together? At first glance, one might think so, but fourteen year old Kate struggles with issues below the surface. Victor, her father, is tormented by drink, wrestling demons from his service in WW I. Her mother Nadine depends on her, for Kate's older sister, sixteen year old Evangeline, lacks Kate's ability to keep a level head. Younger sister Victoria is not old enough to grasp all that happens in the Merritt household.
Grandfather Merrit More...
Grandfather Merrit More...
Jun 12, 2011
Abbie
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I enjoy the writing style of Ann H. Gabhart her books are always very real to life. This one is no different. I did find it to be very slow to develop though, unlike some of her other books. I immediately liked the middle sister Kate Merritt, the spunky 14 year old determined to keep her family together. I will be honest in saying I was frustrated at the fact that the mother left that to this child, but a suppose this is also a true to life experience. My heart absolutely went out to the child w
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Jul 02, 2011
Sara
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“Angel Sister” takes place in the small town of Rosey Corner, Kentucky, in 1936. The Great Depression touches every corner of the nation. The lingering effects of World War One continue to affect the country as well.
Fourteen-year-old Kate Merritt, the middle sister in a family of three girls, works hard to keep her family going. Her father, Victor, struggles with alcoholism and the stress of the remembrances of fighting in the war. Her mother, Nadine, tries to keep things going but More...
Fourteen-year-old Kate Merritt, the middle sister in a family of three girls, works hard to keep her family going. Her father, Victor, struggles with alcoholism and the stress of the remembrances of fighting in the war. Her mother, Nadine, tries to keep things going but More...
Sep 10, 2011
Vicky
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I love all the books about the south, and this one was no different. It was about the Merritt family who lived in Kentucky, in 1936. My parents were both born and raised in Kentucky, so I saw a lot of my Mom in Kate. Kate didn't take any gruff from anyone, she stood up for what she believed in and that's exactly what my Mom has always done. The only reason I didn't give the book 5 stars is because it got slow in the middle. But other than that, I loved it!
Aug 09, 2011
Lynn
rated it:
Angel Sister by Ann H. Gabhart blends historical facts with the fictional history of the main characters based on the stories by the author's family.
The book alternates between the characters past and their present day life. It is like a 3 dimensional puzzle built with out the box. As you start putting more of the pieces together you see the bigger picture.
All the characters are gritty, normal everyday folks living in a time not unlike our own almost a hundred years late More...
The book alternates between the characters past and their present day life. It is like a 3 dimensional puzzle built with out the box. As you start putting more of the pieces together you see the bigger picture.
All the characters are gritty, normal everyday folks living in a time not unlike our own almost a hundred years late More...
Feb 12, 2011
To read yet - giving this book a 5 star rating as I have read the first chapter. It is VERY good! It is about a little girl who is growing up in the depression era, Her family has nothing. Knowing how Ann H Gabhart writes, and after readbing her last series on The Shakers, including best selling book called The Outsider, I expect book to follow in the author's talent of writing. I will come back after this book is completely read and write my review.
Mar 01, 2011
Holly (2 Kids and Tired)
rated it:
Set in small town Kentucky during the great depression, this is a fantastic story with characters that will stay with you. Some you'll love and some you'll hate. I adored Kate and Lorena. I hated Victor's father, a true to life example of how anger and bitterness ruins lives. Aunt Hattie was fantastic. Victor's struggle to overcome his alcoholism and come to terms with his war experiences, along with Nadine's love and fear for him, tear at your heart. Lorena's charming sweetness will capture
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Jan 21, 2012
Ina
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I don't know if I would have ever picked up this book--thank goodness it was the choice for book club. Ann Gabhart's writing brought these characters into my heart, made them real and increased my compassion for others. I agree with what the book says on the back--she "reveals the power of true love, the freedom of forgiveness and the strength to persevere through troubled times." It will stir feelings inside of you.
May 03, 2011
Diane
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An excellent book, the story about the dynamics of families. It was very well written, giving an understanding of Depression times, how heartbreaking and gratifying as you read of how one family learned and influenced others. Victor and Nadine learned to forgive the past, live today and look forward to tomorrow. Victor and Nadine's story is beautiful love story.
Jun 08, 2011
Emily
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I loved this book! I read it in one sitting and cried buckets, but it was so good. Ann Gabhart's characters are so genuine and the young protagonist's POV drew me right in. A heart-rending tale set in depression America with memories of WWI. Inspirational fiction at its finest, not to sweet or sappy but real people struggling with life and faith.
Feb 28, 2011
Andi
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This is a very touching story that will have you cheering for Kate as she grows up during the time of the Great Depression. With an alcoholic father, and sisters who just go on with their lives as if nothing is wrong, while Kate tries to keep her family together. I highly recommend this book, and suggest you keep a box of kleenex close.
