Into the Free (Into the Free, #1) in David C Cook

Oct 03, 2013 Deborah rated it it was amazing

Just a girl. The only one strong enough to break the cycle.

In Depression-era Mississippi, Millie Reynolds longs to escape the madness that marks her world. With an abusive father and a "nothing mama," she struggles to find a place where she really belongs.

For answers, Millie turns to the Gypsies who caravan through town each spring. The travelers lead Millie to a key that unlocks generations of shocking family secrets. When tragedy strikes, the mysterious contents of the box give Millie the tool Just a girl. The only one strong enough to break the cycle.

In Depression-era Mississippi, Millie Reynolds longs to escape the madness that marks her world. With an abusive father and a "nothing mama," she struggles to find a place where she really belongs.

For answers, Millie turns to the Gypsies who caravan through town each spring. The travelers lead Millie to a key that unlocks generations of shocking family secrets. When tragedy strikes, the mysterious contents of the box give Millie the tools she needs to break her family's longstanding cycle of madness and abuse.

Through it all, Millie experiences the thrill of first love while fighting to trust the God she believes has abandoned her. With the power of forgiveness, can Millie finally make her way into the free?

Saturated in Southern ambiance, Julie Cantrell has created Into the Free—now a New York Times Best Seller—a story that will sweep you away long after the novel ends.

My Review:

This novel is absolutely amazing. It took my breath away to think that one person could handle this much abuse and survive. The secrets she hides because she is ashamed of her past is just so sad and just broke my heart to read about. When she experiences her first love I couldn't help but cheer for her and want the best for her. And when she discovers why her life is the way it is, she desperately needs God on her side to help her break the cycle of abuse and sin in her family.

Cantrell wrote a novel that will shed light into the human condition, and if you've even walked a mile in Millie's shoes, I recommend this book as a work that will greatly encourage the healing process. Quite surprisingly, I understood Millie's point of view more than I ever thought possible. I wanted to reach out to her somehow and tell her that with God's love everything that ever went wrong in her life could be salvaged and she could be free form her past forever. A wonderful story of the power of forgiveness, and what it means to come out of the other side.

This book was provided by the publisher for free in exchange for an honest review. ...more

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Apr 05, 2012 Jeanie rated it liked it

Shelves: historical-fiction

The story of Millie and her family set in the 30's and 40's is tragic indeed. Living in a shack with her mother who is addicted to morphine and a father who abuses Millie's mother and who is gone and not much of a father because of his rodeo job. As you read this story, you uncover secrets of that past and what made these characters to who they are. The story is told by Millie who witnesses evil and wants to be loved and accepted. Something we all can relate too. Millie's mother Marie is a survi ...more

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Aug 31, 2013 Lindsey rated it really liked it

Shelves: christian-historical, historical-fiction, advanced-reader-copy

I received a copy of Julie Cantrell's When Mountains Move as a First Read's win and the kind people at David C. Cook offered to send me this novel as well so I could read the series together.

Julie Cantrell wove a poignant and amazing tale in this novel. You are drawn in from the first and feel like you know her characters intimately. Full of heartbreak, drama, mystery, and a dash of romance, Millie's story will draw you in and have you hoping with all your heart she finds her way and triumphs o ...more

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Aug 28, 2012 Amber rated it really liked it

When I first started this book, I wasn't sure I was going to like it---the difficulties in this girls life and all the secrets in the family. But the farther I got into it, the more it became about discovering her families past and learning about those secrets that had been hid from her all her life and being able to understand a little about why her family was the way it was, and even more so about learning to trust and not falling into the same traps that her parents had. This is not a light r ...more

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Apr 08, 2012 Logan rated it it was amazing

What a fabulous book! I highly recommend it to anyone who wants a fantastic read. I am thrilled to know that Julie is writing a sequel. I just finished this book about 30 seconds ago and I already miss my friends. :)Reminds me a little of the Glass Castle, a wonderful story of resilience.

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