Confessions From a Farmer's Wife

by Caroline Way

What if the Thing You Admire Most About the Person You Love Becomes the Cause of Your Deepest Despair? My Name is Jessie. I married a man named Job. He was my rock, my safe haven, my husband for better or for worse. I did not know what it would mean to fully live that vow, or that I would want him to turn his back on that which he loved above all else. This is my story. Confessions From a Farmer's Wife is a modern parallel of the Job story told from his wife's point of view - a compelling journey of love, hardship, and restoration.

372 pages, Paperback

First published November 18, 2011

Reviews

[Janice Dick · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've followed this story from idea to first draft to finished manuscript, and have read it many times in all phases, but it never ceases to grip me with its compelling storyline, characters who will stay with me throughout my life, and a vivid and historically accurate setting.

The author employs consistent and clear point of view—a different POV than one might expect as we hear the story from the lips of Job's wife. The dialogue is character-unique and realistic; the writing sparkles with wit, wisdom, and strong word choice. Caroline's Christian worldview is honest and natural, without preachiness.

Confessions From a Farmer's Wife, originally titled Job Nightingale, is a 1940s-50s retelling of the biblical story of Job. This fact adds interest as the reader familiar with the biblical account anticipates how the author will handle specific aspects of the story. But it is more than a retelling. It is a riveting coming-of-age story of a young woman who doesn't always see what's right in front of her, and has no idea what life will hold—something any reader can identify with.

Most important, in my opinion, is the theme of this novel. Why do bad things happen to good people? Don't look for a definitive answer; there isn't one. Instead, share the journey with Jessie and learn from her life with Job.

[Denise Kruse · Rating 2 out of 5]

Oh dear ... what can I say? The best thing for me about this book was its cover. It reminded me of times being stuck listening to a dull person relaying every minute detail of the unremarkable. The first thirty pages had four grammatical or spelling errors which got me started negatively. There is a lot of I, I, I and comments such as "you have to kiss a lot of frogs" and, when the narrator dressed for one of the proms, (gag me) she was told "you look like a woman." I was okay with the God and faith parts; in fact, I wish that religion was explored further. But the overly dramatic, soap opera-ish telling of a simplistic story was not for me. It got a little more interesting toward the middle. I should admit that I normally don't care for romances unless they have some meat and are really well-written. So I generously give this book two stars (teetering dangerously close to one) because it is a first novel and because I have read worse. Perhaps I am just too old for this book.

[Cheryl McKay · Rating 5 out of 5]

Confessions From a Farmer's Wife is a great read. You'll get caught up in the adventures of Jessie & Job Nightingale through Jessie's mind. It's an inventive POV from which to tell Job's story, modernized to a more recent time period. Jessie is endearing, spunky, and we are brought into her world emotionally throughout. Author Caroline Way writes with a fresh voice, a narrative you want to get lost in for hours. I've read this book several times and enjoyed it every time. It will entertain you, yet cause you to ask deep questions about God and what God allows to happen in our lives, even when we serve Him faithfully. You won't want this novel to end. I hope the author writes prequels and sequels so we can all get lost in this special world again.

[Yvette Stout · Rating 2 out of 5]

It had a good story line but there was a repetive nature about this. At times i found myself skipping a page or two because it wasnt quite relevent to the story. Seems as if there.was alot of filler work going on. Grammatical errors too, i was surprised. It sometimes lacked proper emotion.
It kept my interest for the most part though.

[Marion Green]

I just could not put it down. Excellent book. Caroline's cousin, Alvin Way, in Flower's Cove, NL is one of my best friends. His wife, V gave me the book to read. I hope that Caroline writes more books. She is an amazing author. Keep on writing.