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Then Came Heaven
Can love survive a shattering loss? A grief-stricken widower learns to open his heart again in LaVyrle Spencer's touching and emotionally charged new novel.
Late summer, Browerville, Minnesota, 1950: Life is just about perfect for Eddie Olczak. A devoted husband and father, a man of unshakable faith, he derives intense pleasure from the life he's built with his beloved wife, Krystyna, and their two daughters, and is the dedicated handyman for St. Joseph's, the Catholic church that is the cornerstone of Browerville life. But when a tragic accident cuts Krystyna's life short, Eddie is sure his heart is broken forever. Krystyna was everything to him--his true companion. As friends and relatives rally around the family in the dark days and weeks that follow, there is one person who is unable to express what the loss of Krystyna means to her.
Sister Regina, the girls' teacher at St. Joseph's school, has always felt a special affinity for the family. Yet her religious vows prevent her from becoming too close to them, even in their time of need. In the past, Sister Regina had bristled under the constraints of the order, but always reaffirmed her commitment through prayer and contemplation. Now the strict rules of the Benedictine sisterhood, which once gave her life a sense of meaning, chafe at her more insistently. Time passes, and Sister Regina and Eddie Olczak continue to cross paths. Deep inside, they realize there is something between them--more than a kinship, a connection that somehow goes beyond their shared love of Krystyna and the girls. Thrilled--and secretly frightened--they both must summon the courage to look within their hearts and make their own choices. Powerful, moving, and deeply affecting, Then Came Heaven is a celebration of love and tenderness, a book LaVyrle Spencer's fans are sure to cherish long after the last page is turned.
Late summer, Browerville, Minnesota, 1950: Life is just about perfect for Eddie Olczak. A devoted husband and father, a man of unshakable faith, he derives intense pleasure from the life he's built with his beloved wife, Krystyna, and their two daughters, and is the dedicated handyman for St. Joseph's, the Catholic church that is the cornerstone of Browerville life. But when a tragic accident cuts Krystyna's life short, Eddie is sure his heart is broken forever. Krystyna was everything to him--his true companion. As friends and relatives rally around the family in the dark days and weeks that follow, there is one person who is unable to express what the loss of Krystyna means to her.
Sister Regina, the girls' teacher at St. Joseph's school, has always felt a special affinity for the family. Yet her religious vows prevent her from becoming too close to them, even in their time of need. In the past, Sister Regina had bristled under the constraints of the order, but always reaffirmed her commitment through prayer and contemplation. Now the strict rules of the Benedictine sisterhood, which once gave her life a sense of meaning, chafe at her more insistently. Time passes, and Sister Regina and Eddie Olczak continue to cross paths. Deep inside, they realize there is something between them--more than a kinship, a connection that somehow goes beyond their shared love of Krystyna and the girls. Thrilled--and secretly frightened--they both must summon the courage to look within their hearts and make their own choices. Powerful, moving, and deeply affecting, Then Came Heaven is a celebration of love and tenderness, a book LaVyrle Spencer's fans are sure to cherish long after the last page is turned.
332 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1997
141 people are currently reading
1397 people want to read
About the author
LaVyrle Spencer
105 books1,593 followersLaVyrle Spencer is an American best-selling author of contemporary and historical romance novels. She has successfully published a number of books, with several of them made into movies. Twelve of her books have been New York Times bestsellers, and Spencer was inducted into the Romance Writers of America Hall of Fame in 1988.
Spencer is known for creating realistic characters and stories that focus on families rather than only the relationship between a man and woman. These "ordinary" men and women are warm and vulnerable and are always portrayed sympathetically.[1] Her heroines tend to be a mix of fire and warmth, strength, savvy and soft–heartedness who must overcome some sort of adversity, such as pregnancy, divorce, a lengthy separation, the loss of a loved one, and then undergo a catharsis. The stories center on themes of abiding love, family ties and strength in difficult times.
In the 1980s and 1990s Spencer wrote 12 New York Times Bestsellers. Her books have been sold to book clubs worldwide, and have been published around the world. Condensed versions of many of her novels have appeared in Reader's Digest and Good Housekeeping.
She retired from writing in 1997.
Spencer is known for creating realistic characters and stories that focus on families rather than only the relationship between a man and woman. These "ordinary" men and women are warm and vulnerable and are always portrayed sympathetically.[1] Her heroines tend to be a mix of fire and warmth, strength, savvy and soft–heartedness who must overcome some sort of adversity, such as pregnancy, divorce, a lengthy separation, the loss of a loved one, and then undergo a catharsis. The stories center on themes of abiding love, family ties and strength in difficult times.
In the 1980s and 1990s Spencer wrote 12 New York Times Bestsellers. Her books have been sold to book clubs worldwide, and have been published around the world. Condensed versions of many of her novels have appeared in Reader's Digest and Good Housekeeping.
She retired from writing in 1997.
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March 22, 2024
SPOILERS
Small town Minnesota 1950
A young, well liked and loved woman, Krystyna, was driving her little truck to her parents farm. She'd tried to beat the train to the rail road crossing but she did not make it.
She'd died at the scene leaving behind her husband Eddie and two elementary school daughters.
The devastating news was a shattering blow to Eddie. With tears in his eyes and accompanied by the priest, had to tell his two girls who were attending young sister Regina's class, at the Catholic school.
The whole scene was heartbreaking and sister Regina could not stop her own tears. She was a nun for four years and wanted now to have the freedom to open her arms and embrace the children and their father, console them, but she was forbidden to have physical contact with the secular.
Eddie was the janitor of the Catholic Church and school. He was a good family man, well respected and efficient on his job.
He could not understand why Krystyna was taken so soon. He did not know how he would go on without her. He loved her so. Who would be there for the children?
Sister Regina was distressed and wanted to be alone after the tragic news but Mother Superior forced her to attend prayers.
Sister Regina had taken vows of poverty, chastity and obedience but sometimes she would feel resentment as she was a wilful young woman.
She would feel increasingly discontented, questioning her superiors judgement and was having problems with obedience and dedication.
Grief stricken Eddie and Sister Regina started having conversations even though she was not permitted to encourage familiarity through idle conversations with the secular, but Eddie was a heartsore man in need of consolation.
Krystyna's unmarried and a little chubby sister, Irene, offered to come everyday and take care of the girls. Irene always struggled with her romantic feelings towards her brother in law. To her Eddie was the perfect, ideal man.
So the next day she made an appearance wearing make-up and performed the perfect duplication of Krystyna's morning routine.
Alarms rang for Eddie and felt uneasy, but he needed her. He later told sister Regina about it, that he kind of resented Irene been there invading Krystyna's territory as if she was trying to be Krystyna.
He was always feeling better after talking to the sister. He enjoyed been around her.
That was until they both started having inappropriate feelings for one another. After that realisation, they avoided each other.
Eddie thought that sister Regina was the only woman who could measure up to Krystyna. Others only managed to repel him.
So they resumed their conversations and sister told him that talking to him cause her to sin as he made her forget to observe the rules of her position.
He was falling in love with her and he had to keep reminding himself that she was a nun.
Sister Regina could not help but be attracted to him and get angry at the restrictions and lack of freedom.
It was expedient of him to get together with Irene. Eddie knew Irene was in love with him and that she was the simplest answer to his loneliness and his children's motherlessness and his house's lack of a woman.
One night Eddie and Irene kissed and touched and embraced in a non chaste manner. He was waiting for some feeling of love to overwhelm him but none came. Only lust and a sense of wrongdoing.
Sister Regina made up her mind. She went through a lot of anguish while making the decision. She no longer wanted to be a nun. She could not live a life full of strict rules and restrictions that went against her nature. She also longed for children of her own.
She had to stay in the Monastery for another six months in order to have a chance to reconsider.
A month later she'd seek a dispensation of vows.
Eddie knew nothing about that new development. He was in love with her and knew that he would never have her.
During the Easter Church service sister Regina observed an exchange between Eddie, the two girls and Irene, who had lost weight and now resembled Krystyna. It was obvious that the girls loved Irene and that Eddie felt affection for her and for the first time sister Regina experienced jealousy. She was forbidden to voice a word of her feelings to him and pretended she felt nothing for him.
She wasn't even allowed to divulge her plans to quit the order.
She was afraid that maybe before her dispensation came through he would reconsider Irene and realise what a perfect stepmother she'd make for the girls.
The six months waiting came to an end and sister Regina became Jean Potlocki again, now living on her parents farm.
When Eddie found out he was hurt that sister Regina hadn't bothered to say something to him about her dispensation coming through.
The two started exchanging mundane letters. Eddie wondered how long he should stay away from a newly released ex nun in order to keep her free of gossip.
He waited two full months before making contact.
After dating for a few weeks, they got married.
All the characters, main and secondary, are nice and likeable, the two little girls adorable. Eddie is the
husband every woman would want to have.
The romance is low key, their love developed and flourished over many months.
Eddie's grief and how he dealt with it was well described as well as sister Regina's anguish and doubts over her vocation and growing feelings for Eddie.
The life as a nun and all it involved and entailed is very well described as well.
I can't deny that l felt sorry for Irene and her unrequited love.
I read a few goodreads reviews stating that Eddie and sister Regina got married four months after Eddie's wife's death and disgust was expressed over this fact by the reviewers.
The book states that the two main characters got married a year after the death, so there is a discrepancy there but l am pretty sure that it was a year after and not four months.
The author did a good job in describing this 1950 small, conservative and close knit town setting for the reader.
The story is very original and the book is the last the author wrote before retiring.
Small town Minnesota 1950
A young, well liked and loved woman, Krystyna, was driving her little truck to her parents farm. She'd tried to beat the train to the rail road crossing but she did not make it.
She'd died at the scene leaving behind her husband Eddie and two elementary school daughters.
The devastating news was a shattering blow to Eddie. With tears in his eyes and accompanied by the priest, had to tell his two girls who were attending young sister Regina's class, at the Catholic school.
The whole scene was heartbreaking and sister Regina could not stop her own tears. She was a nun for four years and wanted now to have the freedom to open her arms and embrace the children and their father, console them, but she was forbidden to have physical contact with the secular.
Eddie was the janitor of the Catholic Church and school. He was a good family man, well respected and efficient on his job.
He could not understand why Krystyna was taken so soon. He did not know how he would go on without her. He loved her so. Who would be there for the children?
Sister Regina was distressed and wanted to be alone after the tragic news but Mother Superior forced her to attend prayers.
Sister Regina had taken vows of poverty, chastity and obedience but sometimes she would feel resentment as she was a wilful young woman.
She would feel increasingly discontented, questioning her superiors judgement and was having problems with obedience and dedication.
Grief stricken Eddie and Sister Regina started having conversations even though she was not permitted to encourage familiarity through idle conversations with the secular, but Eddie was a heartsore man in need of consolation.
Krystyna's unmarried and a little chubby sister, Irene, offered to come everyday and take care of the girls. Irene always struggled with her romantic feelings towards her brother in law. To her Eddie was the perfect, ideal man.
So the next day she made an appearance wearing make-up and performed the perfect duplication of Krystyna's morning routine.
Alarms rang for Eddie and felt uneasy, but he needed her. He later told sister Regina about it, that he kind of resented Irene been there invading Krystyna's territory as if she was trying to be Krystyna.
He was always feeling better after talking to the sister. He enjoyed been around her.
That was until they both started having inappropriate feelings for one another. After that realisation, they avoided each other.
Eddie thought that sister Regina was the only woman who could measure up to Krystyna. Others only managed to repel him.
So they resumed their conversations and sister told him that talking to him cause her to sin as he made her forget to observe the rules of her position.
He was falling in love with her and he had to keep reminding himself that she was a nun.
Sister Regina could not help but be attracted to him and get angry at the restrictions and lack of freedom.
It was expedient of him to get together with Irene. Eddie knew Irene was in love with him and that she was the simplest answer to his loneliness and his children's motherlessness and his house's lack of a woman.
One night Eddie and Irene kissed and touched and embraced in a non chaste manner. He was waiting for some feeling of love to overwhelm him but none came. Only lust and a sense of wrongdoing.
Sister Regina made up her mind. She went through a lot of anguish while making the decision. She no longer wanted to be a nun. She could not live a life full of strict rules and restrictions that went against her nature. She also longed for children of her own.
She had to stay in the Monastery for another six months in order to have a chance to reconsider.
A month later she'd seek a dispensation of vows.
Eddie knew nothing about that new development. He was in love with her and knew that he would never have her.
During the Easter Church service sister Regina observed an exchange between Eddie, the two girls and Irene, who had lost weight and now resembled Krystyna. It was obvious that the girls loved Irene and that Eddie felt affection for her and for the first time sister Regina experienced jealousy. She was forbidden to voice a word of her feelings to him and pretended she felt nothing for him.
She wasn't even allowed to divulge her plans to quit the order.
She was afraid that maybe before her dispensation came through he would reconsider Irene and realise what a perfect stepmother she'd make for the girls.
The six months waiting came to an end and sister Regina became Jean Potlocki again, now living on her parents farm.
When Eddie found out he was hurt that sister Regina hadn't bothered to say something to him about her dispensation coming through.
The two started exchanging mundane letters. Eddie wondered how long he should stay away from a newly released ex nun in order to keep her free of gossip.
He waited two full months before making contact.
After dating for a few weeks, they got married.
All the characters, main and secondary, are nice and likeable, the two little girls adorable. Eddie is the
husband every woman would want to have.
The romance is low key, their love developed and flourished over many months.
Eddie's grief and how he dealt with it was well described as well as sister Regina's anguish and doubts over her vocation and growing feelings for Eddie.
The life as a nun and all it involved and entailed is very well described as well.
I can't deny that l felt sorry for Irene and her unrequited love.
I read a few goodreads reviews stating that Eddie and sister Regina got married four months after Eddie's wife's death and disgust was expressed over this fact by the reviewers.
The book states that the two main characters got married a year after the death, so there is a discrepancy there but l am pretty sure that it was a year after and not four months.
The author did a good job in describing this 1950 small, conservative and close knit town setting for the reader.
The story is very original and the book is the last the author wrote before retiring.
March 3, 2024
This is a sweet,simple and old-fashioned romance novel. It sort of reminded me of the movie The Sound of Music but this book was less believable because I think that the encounters between Eddie and Jane were infrequent and short so their love story was a bit abrupt,unlike Maria from the movie who lived as a governess with her Captain von Trapp. Plus, the movie definitely had it's share of funny scenes.The book is more serious due to the in depth descriptions of everyday life of a nun in the convent.Not funny at all,at least in this book.
April 26, 2019
I have read quite a lot of LaVryle Spencer's books and enjoyed most of them. The blurb on this one didn't really grab me but sometimes I like a good, old fashioned read. I had four aunts who were Nuns (three uncle who were priests - well two of them are still alive and are still priests), so I spent a lot of my youth visiting convents and attending Mass etc. I think this was Ms Spencer's final book before she retired from writing. Maybe she needed to emphasize her religious faith a bit ... or a lot.
The whole lifestyle of Sister Regina and her life in the convent annoyed the fuck out of me. The Mother Superior annoyed me. It's a bit of an unnatural lifestyle really. "Married" to Christ, the Bride of Christ. Being subservient, meek, forsaking pleasure, money etc. I watched the Sound of Music. I wanted to be a Nun when I saw it - I wanted Captain von Trapp to sweep me off my feet and marry me ... but the reality is different.
I guess there are happy nuns out there. At least I hope there are ... I don't know of anbody from my generation/age-group (and younger) that took the "vow" and entered the Convent. A lot of convents have closed their doors and are derelict now, especially in Ireland. One thing I will remember fondly about convents is that you always got a lovely cup of tea and fresh homemade cakes, scones, jam!! LOL. I am such a heathen.
I thought the relationship between Eddie and Regina developed a little to quickly. I would come back and haunt my hubby if he sort of had feelings for someone else less than 6 months after my passing!!!
An OK read but definitely not her best.
The Sound of Music was the first film I ever saw in a Cinema... not on release date, thank you very much - I am not THAT old.
The whole lifestyle of Sister Regina and her life in the convent annoyed the fuck out of me. The Mother Superior annoyed me. It's a bit of an unnatural lifestyle really. "Married" to Christ, the Bride of Christ. Being subservient, meek, forsaking pleasure, money etc. I watched the Sound of Music. I wanted to be a Nun when I saw it - I wanted Captain von Trapp to sweep me off my feet and marry me ... but the reality is different.
I guess there are happy nuns out there. At least I hope there are ... I don't know of anbody from my generation/age-group (and younger) that took the "vow" and entered the Convent. A lot of convents have closed their doors and are derelict now, especially in Ireland. One thing I will remember fondly about convents is that you always got a lovely cup of tea and fresh homemade cakes, scones, jam!! LOL. I am such a heathen.
I thought the relationship between Eddie and Regina developed a little to quickly. I would come back and haunt my hubby if he sort of had feelings for someone else less than 6 months after my passing!!!
An OK read but definitely not her best.
The Sound of Music was the first film I ever saw in a Cinema... not on release date, thank you very much - I am not THAT old.
July 20, 2017
Another beautiful read from this talented writer. I've recently been rereading some of her books and I'd forgotten what a quality writer she is. The characters are believable, the secondary characters are wonderful, the settings are evoked so realistically, and the stories tug on your heartstrings. The ones with historical settings don't seem to have dated either, which IMO is quite an achievement for books written in the 1990s.
At the start of the book, Ms Spencer explained that this was to be the last book she would write before retiring from writing forever. (It was published in 1997). I haven't checked whether or not she ever made a comeback, but I assume this was her last book. She also explains that one of the characters, Krystyna, who dies right at the start of the book but is frequently remembered, is partly based on Spencer's own mother. And, set in a small rural US farming community in 1950, the details that ring so true undoubtedly come from Ms Spencer's own childhood.
On the surface, it's an unlikely theme for a romance, but it's told beautifully and you fall in love with the characters. Sister Regina is a young Catholic nun who teaches a combined grade 3/4 class at the school attached to the church. She is a wonderful and devoted teacher, and also has a deep and sincere faith. But still, she struggles with some of the vows she took as a nun, especially the vow of obedience. Regina is often frustrated by her limiting life in the convent, and the lack of freedom. So, at the start of the book, although Regina never questions her faith, she is already questioning her dedication to life as a nun.
Then when the mother of two of her students dies in an accident, Regina is angered and frustrated that she is not, as a nun, allowed to express her sympathy in the natural way she feels it. e.g she is not allowed to hug the grieving little girls etc.
This whole first section of the book had me feeling weepy. As a reader, you are so drawn in, and you feel the pain of the family who have lost Krystyna, the woman who was the centre of their life. I'm not usually a fan of angsty, weepy type books, or books where characters die, but in this case it's about those who are moving on after the loss. And you care about these characters right from the start.
As time goes on, Regina and the widowed Eddie start to fall in love. It's a long, slow-burn type of story. Their love is genuine, but it's never sleazy or inappropriate. It's no spoiler to reveal that Regina leaves the sisterhood, because it's obvious from the start that's what will happen. And of course eventually they do get their HEA. But it's a very satisfying read. And the book is a picture-perfect moment in time. It's set less than 100 years ago, but it may as well have been much longer because the life was so different from today. The hard but satisfying life of the Polish immigrant farmers and their big families, the devoutness of the community, but the very human failings that we all have, in spite of our best efforts.
So, although it seems like an unlikely theme - an ex-nun falling in love with a widow with two daughters - it's really a wonderful read. And there are so many cr*ppy books out there, it's great to read one by an author at the top of her game.
At the start of the book, Ms Spencer explained that this was to be the last book she would write before retiring from writing forever. (It was published in 1997). I haven't checked whether or not she ever made a comeback, but I assume this was her last book. She also explains that one of the characters, Krystyna, who dies right at the start of the book but is frequently remembered, is partly based on Spencer's own mother. And, set in a small rural US farming community in 1950, the details that ring so true undoubtedly come from Ms Spencer's own childhood.
On the surface, it's an unlikely theme for a romance, but it's told beautifully and you fall in love with the characters. Sister Regina is a young Catholic nun who teaches a combined grade 3/4 class at the school attached to the church. She is a wonderful and devoted teacher, and also has a deep and sincere faith. But still, she struggles with some of the vows she took as a nun, especially the vow of obedience. Regina is often frustrated by her limiting life in the convent, and the lack of freedom. So, at the start of the book, although Regina never questions her faith, she is already questioning her dedication to life as a nun.
Then when the mother of two of her students dies in an accident, Regina is angered and frustrated that she is not, as a nun, allowed to express her sympathy in the natural way she feels it. e.g she is not allowed to hug the grieving little girls etc.
This whole first section of the book had me feeling weepy. As a reader, you are so drawn in, and you feel the pain of the family who have lost Krystyna, the woman who was the centre of their life. I'm not usually a fan of angsty, weepy type books, or books where characters die, but in this case it's about those who are moving on after the loss. And you care about these characters right from the start.
As time goes on, Regina and the widowed Eddie start to fall in love. It's a long, slow-burn type of story. Their love is genuine, but it's never sleazy or inappropriate. It's no spoiler to reveal that Regina leaves the sisterhood, because it's obvious from the start that's what will happen. And of course eventually they do get their HEA. But it's a very satisfying read. And the book is a picture-perfect moment in time. It's set less than 100 years ago, but it may as well have been much longer because the life was so different from today. The hard but satisfying life of the Polish immigrant farmers and their big families, the devoutness of the community, but the very human failings that we all have, in spite of our best efforts.
So, although it seems like an unlikely theme - an ex-nun falling in love with a widow with two daughters - it's really a wonderful read. And there are so many cr*ppy books out there, it's great to read one by an author at the top of her game.
January 22, 2010
This book introduced me to LaVyrle; how sad I was when I learned she was no longer writing. This is a wonderful, wonderful love story.... especially meaningful to those who were raised Catholic. It is set in small town Minnesota. I purchased the book for a vacation read during a Minnesota vacation, only to find that it was set very near to where I was. She is a treasure. Love your work, LaVyrle.
April 16, 2018
Another beautifully written book from Spencer! A sweet love story, but once again I was drawn more to the family and community than anything else. Can't believe she's been missing from life.
February 26, 2011
Probably my favorite of all LaVyrle Spencer's books. She has completely captured the 1950's small town America that is sheltered and nourished by the Catholic church. The idyllic time, the safe community, the devotion to faith and family.
LaVyrle also captures the grief and the sorrow of losing a beloved spouse and mother. The feelings evoked by her writing are real. Eddie is too good to be true, but a wonderful character. Sister Regina is fantastic and her metamorphosis from nun to woman is terrific. Even as she questions her vocation and makes the decision of whether or not to leave it, never is the Catholic church negatively treated. Instead, we see a real introspection of a woman who listens to the voice of God and pursues His path for her.
Truly a charming, delightful read. One I like reading again and again.
LaVyrle also captures the grief and the sorrow of losing a beloved spouse and mother. The feelings evoked by her writing are real. Eddie is too good to be true, but a wonderful character. Sister Regina is fantastic and her metamorphosis from nun to woman is terrific. Even as she questions her vocation and makes the decision of whether or not to leave it, never is the Catholic church negatively treated. Instead, we see a real introspection of a woman who listens to the voice of God and pursues His path for her.
Truly a charming, delightful read. One I like reading again and again.
November 10, 2017
Esto es LaVyrle Spencer en su máxima expresión, una novela adorable y tan humana que a pesar del tiempo transcurrido desde que se publicó se siente muy cercana.
May 22, 2011
This is an updated review and even if this was not one of my favorite books by LaVyrle Spencer, who, for me, is truly a gifted romance author, this is still a lovely and very tender read.
The characters, Sister Regina/Jean Potlocki and Eddie Olczak are wonderfully endearing and felt very genuine. I liked that this is set in the 1950ies, and life was more simple then, and I liked how the author was able to tell this love story with so much reverence and dignity. This was a very touching read by a talented author.
The characters, Sister Regina/Jean Potlocki and Eddie Olczak are wonderfully endearing and felt very genuine. I liked that this is set in the 1950ies, and life was more simple then, and I liked how the author was able to tell this love story with so much reverence and dignity. This was a very touching read by a talented author.
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June 23, 2008This is a book I like a lot. I read it when I was about 13 during the height of my wanting to be a nun phase. The love and struggles of the main character Regina always effect me very strongly. It is about her journey of discovery about what identifies our spiritual worth in the Kingdom, and yes it is also a love story.
April 8, 2010
This is Spencer's last book and I had not read it before. I have read most of her books in the past. I must say it is a delightful book and she is a wonderful writer. It just seems to me that I have been reading so many great novels recently that I found this little romance just too predictable. Nice story though.
February 20, 2012
One of the most beautiful books I've read. It leaves a very long lasting impression. A sense of sereneness and contentment washes over after reading this.
"Love has no bounds.
It can happen at the most unexpected times...
And everyone, has a right to fall in love
For... we all do, at one point of time, during the journey of our life.
And when love happens, Life is never the same"
"Love has no bounds.
It can happen at the most unexpected times...
And everyone, has a right to fall in love
For... we all do, at one point of time, during the journey of our life.
And when love happens, Life is never the same"
April 10, 2015
This book is a good old-fashioned love story but, of course, not without its ups and downs. I have loved most of LaVyrle Spencer's books and this one was no exception. A small Town, Catholic community, is the setting, and I plan to pass this book on to my childhood friend who is Catholic. I'm sure she will picture herself in many places in the book.
March 2, 2016
2.5 Stars.
This is definitely not a terrible book. I liked it. I enjoyed it. However, I had issues with the development of the romance between Sister Regina and Eddie. I did not find it realistic. At times it felt rushed and out of no where. However, this could have been due to the fact that novel was set in the 1950s.
This is definitely not a terrible book. I liked it. I enjoyed it. However, I had issues with the development of the romance between Sister Regina and Eddie. I did not find it realistic. At times it felt rushed and out of no where. However, this could have been due to the fact that novel was set in the 1950s.
January 11, 2016
What a beautiful gentle read from one of my favorite authors. Ms. Spencer knows how to invite the reader into the lives of her characters and gently leads them into the story full of emotions of love, tenderness sadness and joy. I enjoyed the story of Jean and Eddie, how they loved from afar and finally were able to be together happily ever after.
November 23, 2009
This book starts out sad but the love of a child brought two people together. Paths chosen are not always carved in stone and sometimes you need to look within your heart to show you the direction for which you were truly chosen.
February 20, 2012
The book was good except, the author harps on the evil sister-in-laws weight, as if the fact she is over weight is what makes her so bitter. This is not the first book that the author has written were the antagonist is over weight and that is what makes them so mean.
July 31, 2012
What can I say that I haven't already said.
LS knows how to make you reach for the tissues, by the end of the book I felt rung out in fact by the end of most of her books I've felt completely rung out.
I think I'll reread as soon as I find a copy.
LS knows how to make you reach for the tissues, by the end of the book I felt rung out in fact by the end of most of her books I've felt completely rung out.
I think I'll reread as soon as I find a copy.
October 7, 2013
This is a really lovely story of love over all. Spencer's last novel is well worth reading just for the enjoyment of reading. I especially liked her Polish and Catholic references, as well as her trueness to the time in history. She ended her writing career on a very high note.
July 12, 2008
This was a sweet book and she is a good author.
March 21, 2009
Light reading but don't let that fool you. Extremely emotional tale with well-develped characters. This is probably my favourite of LaVyrle Spencer's books.
February 13, 2013
I really, really loved this book. Sadly, after this Lavyrle Spencer retired. I really loved her books and wish she could write again :(
January 9, 2020
Things I liked about this book:
-It starts off with a bang (literally) and gets you hooked right away.
-The story has many personal connections to the author (as she explains in the intro).
-The beginning feels really emotional and I could feel the grief in the characters.
Things I didn't like about this book
-The 2nd half with the romance was much weaker
-The life of a nun was portrayed very negatively and they all seemed unhappy.
-Biggest complaint-- it grossed me out how quick Eddie moved on. 4 months after his wifes death and she was supposedly the love of his life, etc. YUCK!
-I wanted some explanation of Krystyna's death. Was it intentional? Truly an accident??
Overall, this was my first Lavyrle Spencer and I will read more of her, but I didn't love this one.
SPOILERS AHEAD:
In the very beginning of this book, a woman named Krystyna runs her car into an oncoming train and is killed, leaving behind her husband Eddie and their 2 little girls. Eddie is the school janitor, but he also does a lot for the church and is a very well loved man, as was his wife. The whole ton is struck by her death and the grief and tragedy was palpable. One of the girls' teachers, Sister Regina (they're all nuns) is especially stricken by her death and becomes angry with God. She questions why He took her, etc. and she starts wondering if being a nun is right for her. She stands up to the head nun and also starts having feelings for Eddie. She leaves the nunnery and goes home to her family for awhile, but she and Eddie just can't live without each other so they get married 4 MONTHS after the wife's death. YUCK. That's really all there is to this story. I loved how passionately Regina stood up for the girls and how much she clearly loved them. I just was so grossed out by the ending and their relationship that it left me with a sour taste in my mouth.
-It starts off with a bang (literally) and gets you hooked right away.
-The story has many personal connections to the author (as she explains in the intro).
-The beginning feels really emotional and I could feel the grief in the characters.
Things I didn't like about this book
-The 2nd half with the romance was much weaker
-The life of a nun was portrayed very negatively and they all seemed unhappy.
-Biggest complaint-- it grossed me out how quick Eddie moved on. 4 months after his wifes death and she was supposedly the love of his life, etc. YUCK!
-I wanted some explanation of Krystyna's death. Was it intentional? Truly an accident??
Overall, this was my first Lavyrle Spencer and I will read more of her, but I didn't love this one.
SPOILERS AHEAD:
In the very beginning of this book, a woman named Krystyna runs her car into an oncoming train and is killed, leaving behind her husband Eddie and their 2 little girls. Eddie is the school janitor, but he also does a lot for the church and is a very well loved man, as was his wife. The whole ton is struck by her death and the grief and tragedy was palpable. One of the girls' teachers, Sister Regina (they're all nuns) is especially stricken by her death and becomes angry with God. She questions why He took her, etc. and she starts wondering if being a nun is right for her. She stands up to the head nun and also starts having feelings for Eddie. She leaves the nunnery and goes home to her family for awhile, but she and Eddie just can't live without each other so they get married 4 MONTHS after the wife's death. YUCK. That's really all there is to this story. I loved how passionately Regina stood up for the girls and how much she clearly loved them. I just was so grossed out by the ending and their relationship that it left me with a sour taste in my mouth.
July 25, 2024
⭐️ 3.5 ⭐️
I liked the hugging in this book. It felt tender. Also, such an interesting idea, but I also appreciated that it wasn’t about ridiculing Catholicism, but more so allowing people to look at their own lives and the questions they have and giving them space to ask those questions.
I liked the hugging in this book. It felt tender. Also, such an interesting idea, but I also appreciated that it wasn’t about ridiculing Catholicism, but more so allowing people to look at their own lives and the questions they have and giving them space to ask those questions.
January 22, 2023
Loved this book. It was such a sweet story that took me back to my Catholic upbringing. Spencer did a great job sharing the good and bad of the church. Loved the characters.
August 25, 2015
This final work of Spencer’s definitely reads different than her normal, gentler and more settled than dramatic and emotional, liked I’ve been used to from her. Not really a bad thing but I think I missed that high dramatic content from this “good-bye” book from her.
I liked the characters well enough. The leads were thoroughly portrayed and three-dimensional. I liked how Spencer went into detail on how Eddie dealt with his grief over his sudden loss and his struggle to cope with suddenly being a single parent. Regina’s struggle with her vocation and her quiet rebellion were vividly portrayed as well.
Their relationship was sweet and very gentle. There is no sudden upheaval or “lighting out of the sky” attraction. Their realization that they are feeling more for each other than parent/teacher and friends was a tender slide into being. The whole forbidden “loving a nun” thing never really came into being like I was expecting. Yet, there was some repercussions but nothing I would expect from such a situation. Still, a very loving romance.
The author put a lot of effort into setting and overall atmosphere than usual. The setting of small town 1950s Americana almost becomes a character itself. The reader gets a real sense for how close knit a community this little town is: everyone knows everyone, doors stay unlocked, children are looked after communally, and people pitch in like crazy when a sudden tragedy strikes.
It’s this setting where things go a smidge downhill for this book. I think the author spent so much time establishing the setting and telling the story of the community itself, that she lost the sense for Eddie and Regina. Their story got lost in the shuffle of community, and I was sad for that loss. Maybe it was because this was the author’s last book and was based on her hometown, she was trying to give it homage. I don’t know. Still a bummer…
For a last hurrah, this book lacked a bit. The main relationship and the characters were sweet and engaging. The story of a community in tragedy, banding together to support one of its own, was also uplifting. But the balance between the romance and this secondary story was out of whack. The romance got lost in the shuffle sometimes and that frustrated me. Not a bad book, but not the author’s best, either.
I liked the characters well enough. The leads were thoroughly portrayed and three-dimensional. I liked how Spencer went into detail on how Eddie dealt with his grief over his sudden loss and his struggle to cope with suddenly being a single parent. Regina’s struggle with her vocation and her quiet rebellion were vividly portrayed as well.
Their relationship was sweet and very gentle. There is no sudden upheaval or “lighting out of the sky” attraction. Their realization that they are feeling more for each other than parent/teacher and friends was a tender slide into being. The whole forbidden “loving a nun” thing never really came into being like I was expecting. Yet, there was some repercussions but nothing I would expect from such a situation. Still, a very loving romance.
The author put a lot of effort into setting and overall atmosphere than usual. The setting of small town 1950s Americana almost becomes a character itself. The reader gets a real sense for how close knit a community this little town is: everyone knows everyone, doors stay unlocked, children are looked after communally, and people pitch in like crazy when a sudden tragedy strikes.
It’s this setting where things go a smidge downhill for this book. I think the author spent so much time establishing the setting and telling the story of the community itself, that she lost the sense for Eddie and Regina. Their story got lost in the shuffle of community, and I was sad for that loss. Maybe it was because this was the author’s last book and was based on her hometown, she was trying to give it homage. I don’t know. Still a bummer…
For a last hurrah, this book lacked a bit. The main relationship and the characters were sweet and engaging. The story of a community in tragedy, banding together to support one of its own, was also uplifting. But the balance between the romance and this secondary story was out of whack. The romance got lost in the shuffle sometimes and that frustrated me. Not a bad book, but not the author’s best, either.
June 7, 2020
The new romantic saga by LaVyrle Spencer tells the story of a grieving widower and a nun.
Set in 1950s Minnesota.
Browerville is a small town in Minnesota, with a close, mostly Polish, community steeped in Catholicism. Everyone knows everyone else and looks out for each other's children. And there Eddie and Krystyna Olczak have been bringing up their two little girls, Anne and Lucy, and living quiet but fulfilled, loving lives -- Eddie is janitor at St Joseph's church and school, Krystyna looks after their children and does voluntary work. Then tragedy strikes -- Krystyna is killed by a train as she ill-judgedly drives across the track. Everybody rallies round to help the bereaved family, including Irene, Krystyna's plain and lonely sister -- herself long in love with Eddie -- and Sister Regina, one of Anne and Lucy's teachers at the school. Regina had had a vocation to be a nun since she was a very young girl but now, in her early thirties, she is muddled and beginning to question whether she has done the right thing in renouncing the chance to have a husband and family in favour of a way of life she is coming to find increasingly unfulfilling.
Eddie is touched by the tact and concern of the nun towards his two bereft children, but, as committed Catholics, a chasm lies between them. It is a chasm both become overwhelmingly tempted to cross.
I loved this story of an ordinary man coping with grief carrying on after the death of his wife for the sake of his children and of Sister Regina's spiritual conflict and affection for Eddie's girls and growing feelings for Eddie himself. This remains a favourite of mine and is a definite keeper. It remains so disappointing that this was her last novel with her taking the decision to retire as a writer. I miss the novels she has not written in the past nearly 20 years.
Set in 1950s Minnesota.
Browerville is a small town in Minnesota, with a close, mostly Polish, community steeped in Catholicism. Everyone knows everyone else and looks out for each other's children. And there Eddie and Krystyna Olczak have been bringing up their two little girls, Anne and Lucy, and living quiet but fulfilled, loving lives -- Eddie is janitor at St Joseph's church and school, Krystyna looks after their children and does voluntary work. Then tragedy strikes -- Krystyna is killed by a train as she ill-judgedly drives across the track. Everybody rallies round to help the bereaved family, including Irene, Krystyna's plain and lonely sister -- herself long in love with Eddie -- and Sister Regina, one of Anne and Lucy's teachers at the school. Regina had had a vocation to be a nun since she was a very young girl but now, in her early thirties, she is muddled and beginning to question whether she has done the right thing in renouncing the chance to have a husband and family in favour of a way of life she is coming to find increasingly unfulfilling.
Eddie is touched by the tact and concern of the nun towards his two bereft children, but, as committed Catholics, a chasm lies between them. It is a chasm both become overwhelmingly tempted to cross.
I loved this story of an ordinary man coping with grief carrying on after the death of his wife for the sake of his children and of Sister Regina's spiritual conflict and affection for Eddie's girls and growing feelings for Eddie himself. This remains a favourite of mine and is a definite keeper. It remains so disappointing that this was her last novel with her taking the decision to retire as a writer. I miss the novels she has not written in the past nearly 20 years.
August 17, 2013
Then Came Heaven is just about as far as I can get from my normal reading but at the prodding of my mother – fascinated at how it portrays life as she grew up – I gave it a go.
I’m not familiar with the genre but the book was pleasant, inoffensive, readable, and entertaining. All without the slightest shred of depth or development. It’s like an outline, penciled out with plot and characters, with linking dialogue scribbled in to connect the dots.
And that’s too bad. There is plenty of good stuff here. Why was the lead character so driven at his job as the church caretaker? Why did the young nun struggle so with her chosen career after the death of the lead’s wife? And how – really? – did the young nun move so sveltely in a single night from pedestal topping Madonna to the naked, embracing, and openly sexual wife? Now there’s a novel for you.
The story presents life in small town mid-twentieth century America in an idealistic way. The families are all recently from the old country, all know each other, all eat the same foods, and all life centers around the central Catholic Church. I know these towns. They are wonderful places. Unless you hail from another part of the world. Or go to that other church. Or don’t fit in in any of a hundred ways. Then life can be something less than idyllic.
But I enjoyed the story. It’s good for a few hours of entertainment. Don’t expect much more.
I’m not familiar with the genre but the book was pleasant, inoffensive, readable, and entertaining. All without the slightest shred of depth or development. It’s like an outline, penciled out with plot and characters, with linking dialogue scribbled in to connect the dots.
And that’s too bad. There is plenty of good stuff here. Why was the lead character so driven at his job as the church caretaker? Why did the young nun struggle so with her chosen career after the death of the lead’s wife? And how – really? – did the young nun move so sveltely in a single night from pedestal topping Madonna to the naked, embracing, and openly sexual wife? Now there’s a novel for you.
The story presents life in small town mid-twentieth century America in an idealistic way. The families are all recently from the old country, all know each other, all eat the same foods, and all life centers around the central Catholic Church. I know these towns. They are wonderful places. Unless you hail from another part of the world. Or go to that other church. Or don’t fit in in any of a hundred ways. Then life can be something less than idyllic.
But I enjoyed the story. It’s good for a few hours of entertainment. Don’t expect much more.
March 13, 2016
LaVyrle Spencer's last book as she retired from writing. This one is set in her old hometown (Browerville MN) and she tells about her trip back to the town and the names she uses in the novel in Author's Note at the beginning of the book.
The population of the town is small, everyone knows or is related to everyone else. The population is largely polish Catholic and the St. Joseph's church is a central part of their lives.
The story starts out with a terrible accident as a car, driven by Krystyna Olczak is hit by a train at a crossing. Krystyna is described as a young (late 20's) wife and mother of two little girls, and a nearly perfect person. When someone who is well-loved by many dies suddenly like that, they are often raised to near sainthood and that is a theme that is overworked in this book. However, there is plenty of tension and confilct in the story and the further you get into the book, the more you feel for these characters. However, sometimes the resolution is just too easy. It is, after all, a romance and Spencer is good at this so you may find yourself misty-eyed in spite of yourself. I'm not sure how many readers without the Catholic background would understand how well the turmoil that is experienced by Sister Regina is described. A good story.
The population of the town is small, everyone knows or is related to everyone else. The population is largely polish Catholic and the St. Joseph's church is a central part of their lives.
The story starts out with a terrible accident as a car, driven by Krystyna Olczak is hit by a train at a crossing. Krystyna is described as a young (late 20's) wife and mother of two little girls, and a nearly perfect person. When someone who is well-loved by many dies suddenly like that, they are often raised to near sainthood and that is a theme that is overworked in this book. However, there is plenty of tension and confilct in the story and the further you get into the book, the more you feel for these characters. However, sometimes the resolution is just too easy. It is, after all, a romance and Spencer is good at this so you may find yourself misty-eyed in spite of yourself. I'm not sure how many readers without the Catholic background would understand how well the turmoil that is experienced by Sister Regina is described. A good story.
August 31, 2024
I'd give this a 3-1/2 if that were possible. I liked it. LaVyrle Spencer's books are always interesting and this was no exception, but I would not class it as one of her best.
The story begins on a late summer day, when a train and a car race to the crossing, and the car loses. THe driver, Krystina Olczak, is killed instantly. In this small, very Catholic town in 1950, Krystina is close to a saint; a perfect mother, a perfect wife, a perfect daughter & sister, and a perfect parishioner. The tragedy hits the town hard. She leaves behind 2 motherless little girls, a heartbroken sister who has been like a second mother to the girls, and a grief-stricken husband, as well as a young nun who questions God's wisdom in taking Krystina and her choice to serve as a nun. Sister Regina is forbidden by Holy Law to show any real feelings towards the children or Mr. Olczak. In the meantime, Krystina's sister, Irene, struggles with feelings she has always had for her brother-in-law, but kept suppressed. At times, especially near the beginning, the story has a bit of a 'Sound of Music' feel to it. A little bit predictable, and comes together a bit too easily at the end, but a good story anyway.
The story begins on a late summer day, when a train and a car race to the crossing, and the car loses. THe driver, Krystina Olczak, is killed instantly. In this small, very Catholic town in 1950, Krystina is close to a saint; a perfect mother, a perfect wife, a perfect daughter & sister, and a perfect parishioner. The tragedy hits the town hard. She leaves behind 2 motherless little girls, a heartbroken sister who has been like a second mother to the girls, and a grief-stricken husband, as well as a young nun who questions God's wisdom in taking Krystina and her choice to serve as a nun. Sister Regina is forbidden by Holy Law to show any real feelings towards the children or Mr. Olczak. In the meantime, Krystina's sister, Irene, struggles with feelings she has always had for her brother-in-law, but kept suppressed. At times, especially near the beginning, the story has a bit of a 'Sound of Music' feel to it. A little bit predictable, and comes together a bit too easily at the end, but a good story anyway.
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