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Jolina Petersheim

Goodreads Author

Born

in Lancaster, PA, The United States

Website

http://www.jolinapetersheim.com/

Twitter

Jolina_Joy

Genre

Fiction

Influences

(or favorite authors) Donna Tartt, Elizabeth Strout, Marilynne Robinso ...more

Member Since

August 2012

URL

https://www.goodreads.com/Jolina_Joy

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Jolina Petersheim is the highly acclaimed author of The Divide, The Alliance, The Midwife, and The Outcast, which Library Journal called "outstanding . . . fresh and inspirational" in a starred review and named one of the best books of 2013. That book also became an ECPA, CBA, and Amazon bestseller and was featured in Huffington Post's Fall Picks, USA Today, Publishers Weekly, and the Tennessean. CBA Retailers + Resources called her second book, The Midwife, "an excellent read [that] will be hard to put down," and Booklist selected The Alliance as one of their Top 10 Inspirational Fiction Titles for 2016. The Alliance was also a finalist for the 2017 Christy Award in the Visionary category. The sequel to The Alliance, The Divide, won the 20 ...more

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Popular Answered Questions

Where did you get the idea for your most recent book?

Jolina Petersheim I guess you could say I had a slightly different childhood. When I was six and my brother ten, our family stood in a field on the camp where my…moreI guess you could say I had a slightly different childhood. When I was six and my brother ten, our family stood in a field on the camp where my parents were caretakers, and my parents told us that this was where we would meet if we were separated when the world “blew up.” From this field, our family would travel by foot to our friends’ elaborate, fairytale home and live in the blue room hidden behind their bookshelves.

My parents in no way meant to instill fear in us. Now that I’m a parent, I see that they were trying to assuage their own fears by coming up with a plan. But I was born with an overactive imagination, and therefore this plan planted in me the seed of fear—and, subsequently, a driving need to control my environment.

I wish I could say I uprooted this fear once I became an adult, but after I had my firstborn daughter, my fear grew worse, for not only did I have to control my environment; I also had to control hers.

When my eldest was six months old, an unnerving exchange with a logger caused my fear to deepen its roots and for me to ask myself whether I would ever use lethal force to protect myself and my family. I believed I would, even though, growing up, I sensed that my own father would adhere to his pacifist heritage if placed in such a situation.

The final puzzle piece for my book, The Alliance, slid into place when my father told us that we needed heirloom seeds to last us until the next harvest season. I remember standing in my darkened kitchen and repeating that phrase to myself—The Harvest Season.

Initially, I believed this would be the title of the book, but over time, I knew a community having enough food to last until the next harvest season was only a small element of the story. The larger element came from the protagonist, Leora Ebersole’s driving need to control her environment, even after society crumbles around her, because if she controls her environment, she believes she will be able to keep her orphaned family safe.

With every one of my books, God’s been faithful to allow me to experience some portion of whatever topic I’m addressing. The Alliance is no exception. My family and I moved from Tennessee to Wisconsin shortly before I finished the rough draft. Eight weeks later, my husband went in for a CAT scan, which revealed a tumor near his brain stem. He had surgery the next morning, and all through that night next to his hospital bed, I feared for my family.

I feared for our two young daughters—two-and-a-half and four months at the time. I feared that I would be a widow, living on a grid-tie solar-powered farm six-hundred miles away from our immediate families. In a matter of hours, one of my worst fears had come true, and I didn’t know how to handle it.

However, all through my Garden of Gethsemane night, during the hours my husband was in surgery, and the critical weeks that followed the craniotomy, I felt God’s presence as if he was sitting beside me. I then understood that God had allowed me to face one of my greatest fears so that I would learn that inner peace can never be acquired through my futile attempts to control my environment—and therefore keep my family safe. Moreover, I can only achieve inner peace if I continually surrender my life and the lives of my family to the One who called us into being.

So I pray, dear reader, that you will discover the author of the peace that passes all understanding and daily surrender your life—and the lives of your family—to him.

“Finally, an apocalyptic novel ablaze with hope. Just the kind of story I champion. A must-read.” ~ Sarah McCoy, New York Times and international bestselling author of The Mapmaker’s Children and The Baker’s Daughter

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Hi Jolina, I'm not sure if you remember but you were so lovely to speak via Skype to my Senior Book Group in Mead, Colorado. I look forward to your new book next summer! What are you reading now and do you have any recommendations on books you have loved that I could pass onto my book group? Thanks so much, Beth Ann Goodwill p.s. They still speak about your visit with us as their favorite book club of the year!!

Jolina Petersheim Hi, Beth Ann!

So good to hear from you. I also loved getting to chat with your wonderful book club, and I hope we can repeat that conversation after…moreHi, Beth Ann!

So good to hear from you. I also loved getting to chat with your wonderful book club, and I hope we can repeat that conversation after The Alliance's June release! I have recently really enjoyed The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah, and I feel it would make for a great book club discussion, as it revolves around two sisters who are struggling to survive during WWII in Nazi-occupied France. I also recommend Far from the Madding Crowd by Thomas Hardy. It's a little bit of a slower read, but the imagery is beautiful! Hope this helps. Thanks for connecting.

Hugs,
Jolina(less)

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Jolina Petersheim’s books

Average rating: 3.98 · 3,916 ratings · 952 reviews · 9 distinct works • Similar authors

	The Outcast: a modern retelling of The Scarlet Letter 3.93 avg rating — 1,679 ratings — published 2013 — 8 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Midwife 3.90 avg rating — 1,012 ratings — published 2014 — 9 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Alliance (The Alliance #1) 3.71 avg rating — 594 ratings — published 2016 — 11 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	How the Light Gets in 4.59 avg rating — 377 ratings — published 2019 — 6 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Divide (The Alliance #2) 4.32 avg rating — 221 ratings — published 2017 — 9 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	How the Light Gets In PREVIEW: Selected Scenes from the Novel really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 10 ratings	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	A Jolina Petersheim 2-in-1 Collection: The Outcast / The Midwife 4.67 avg rating — 3 ratings — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Alliance #1-2 0.00 avg rating — 0 ratings	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	When You Pass Through Waters: Words of Hope and Healing from Your Favorite Authors by Nicole A. Seitz (Goodreads Author) (Editor/Contributor), Lisa Wingate (Goodreads Author) (Contributor) , Fred Bassett (Contributor) 4.29 avg rating — 21 ratings — 3 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

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Jolina Petersheim's Blog

It’s About Pursuit, Not About Perfection

“Not that I have already obtained it or have already become perfect, but I press on so that I may lay hold of that for which also I was laid hold of by Christ Jesus.” – Philippians 3:12

A novel typically has a sixty-day launch window. Knowing How the Light Gets In’s window was closing fast, combined with the restlessness of being at home with a sick toddler on a rainy day, made me try to cont...

Series by Jolina Petersheim

The Alliance (2 books)
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Jolina Petersheim (Goodreads Author)

3.87 avg rating — 815 ratings

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Jolina Petersheim and 7 other people liked Victoria Bylin's review of How the Light Gets in: "If I was part of a book club, I'd suggest How the Light Gets In without hesitation. The writing is gorgeous, the story compelling, and the ending . . . spellbinding! I'd say more, but this is a book that needs to be read in order to be fully exper..." Read more of this review »
Apr 23, 2019 06:37PM · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of How the Light Gets in by Jolina Petersheim. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — How the Light Gets in by Jolina Petersheim <iframe id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Jolina Petersheim liked Marta Ratliff's review of How the Light Gets in: "This book has left me speechless! All I can say is wow. It brought me to tears. The ending blew me away! It was not until I was near the end that I realized I was reading the story of Ruth. For anyone that is not a fan of Christian fiction I think..." Read more of this review »
Apr 23, 2019 06:37PM · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of How the Light Gets in by Jolina Petersheim. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — How the Light Gets in by Jolina Petersheim <iframe id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Jolina Petersheim and 1 other person liked Kristina Seleshanko's review of How the Light Gets in: "I'd never read Jolina Petersheim before, so I really didn't know what to expect from this novel. In the first section of the book, I thought, "Oh, this is a pretty standard romance novel." But when the second section of the book began, I realized..." Read more of this review »
Apr 23, 2019 06:36PM · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of How the Light Gets in by Jolina Petersheim. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — How the Light Gets in by Jolina Petersheim <iframe id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Jolina Petersheim liked Aletha Pagett's review of How the Light Gets in: "I received this fabulous book from Goodreads. The characters were so so real, so believable, so relate-able that I had to check to make sure I was reading a novel. Do the paths we choose have consequences both for good and for sorrow? Absolutely!"
Apr 23, 2019 06:36PM · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of How the Light Gets in by Jolina Petersheim. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — How the Light Gets in by Jolina Petersheim <iframe id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Jolina Petersheim wants to read Glory Road by Lauren K. Denton (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Mar 11, 2019 12:35PM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Glory Road by Lauren K. Denton. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Glory Road by Lauren K. Denton <iframe id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Jolina Petersheim is now following Amanda Woods and Tressa (Wishful Endings)
Feb 05, 2019 10:38AM
Jolina Petersheim wants to read Brave Love: Making Space for You to Be You by Lisa Leonard	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Feb 03, 2019 07:48PM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Brave Love by Lisa Leonard. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Brave Love by Lisa Leonard <iframe id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Jolina Petersheim made a comment on We’re Ready to Begin " Thank you! He is healing beautifully and back to working on our house. We are so grateful! "
Jan 29, 2019 08:24AM · see blog post
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Dec 22, 2018 06:51AM · 1 like · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of How the Light Gets In by Jolina Petersheim. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — How the Light Gets In by Jolina Petersheim <iframe id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">

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Quotes by Jolina Petersheim

“I encourage anyone who has gone through hardships to look back through their life’s chapters and see what can be turned into a book. For you never know what heartache God, one day, can turn into a redemptive story.”
― Jolina Petersheim

tags: biography, god, hardships, heartache, inspirational, memoir, redemption, shunning

16 likes

“Sometimes it is necessary to celebrate life, despite being faced with defeat and death.”
― Jolina Petersheim, The Alliance

tags: celebrate, death, defeat, life

2 likes

Polls

This is the poll for September's Book of the Month - the book with the most votes will be the Group Read, and the book with the second most votes will be the Group Buddy Read.

Engaged in Trouble by Jenny B. Jones

Engaged in Trouble (Enchanted Events #1) by Jenny B. Jones

7 votes 30.4%

The Lost Heiress by Roseanna M. White

The Lost Heiress (Ladies of the Manor, #1) by Roseanna M. White

6 votes 26.1%

Blue Moon Bay by Lisa Wingate

Blue Moon Bay (Moses Lake, #2) by Lisa Wingate

3 votes 13.0%

Stones for Bread by Christa Parrish

3 votes 13.0%

Ready or Not by Chautona Havig

Ready or Not (Aggie's Inheritance, #1) by Chautona Havig

2 votes 8.7%

The Midwife by Jolina Petersheim

1 vote 4.3%

The Promise of Jesse Woods by Chris Fabry

1 vote 4.3%

Sweet Tea and Southern Grace by Glenda C. Manus

0 votes 0.0%

23 total votes

2 comments

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Jolina’s Quotes

“A book, too, can be a star, a living fire to lighten the darkness, leading out into the expanding universe.”
― Madeleine L'Engle

tags: books, fire, star, universe

4339 likes

“If you are lazy, and accept your lot, you may live in it. If you are willing to work, you can write your name anywhere you choose.”
― Gene Stratton-Porter, A Girl of the Limberlost

tags: industriousness, inspirational

1211 likes

“Books are a uniquely portable magic.”
― Stephen King, On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft

tags: books, magic, reading

15664 likes

“Sometiimes when you look at a person all you see is the tangle and you miss the weave”
― Jonathan Odell, The Healing

16 likes

“A Robin said: The Spring will never come,
And I shall never care to build again.
A Rosebush said: These frosts are wearisome,
My sap will never stir for sun or rain.
The half Moon said: These nights are fogged and slow,
I neither care to wax nor care to wane.
The Ocean said: I thirst from long ago,
Because earth's rivers cannot fill the main. —
When Springtime came, red Robin built a nest,
And trilled a lover's song in sheer delight.
Grey hoarfrost vanished, and the Rose with might
Clothed her in leaves and buds of crimson core.
The dim Moon brightened. Ocean sunned his crest,
Dimpled his blue, yet thirsted evermore.”
― Christina Rossetti

tags: spring

43 likes

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