Heart of a Sheperd
by Rosanne Parry
When Brother's dad is shipped off to Iraq, along with the rest of his reserve unit, Brother must help his grandparents keep the ranch going. He’s determined to maintain it just as his father left it, in the hope that doing so will ensure his father’s safe return. The hardships Brother faces will not only change the ranch, but also reveal his true calling. (description from Amazon.com)
I hate that I truly judge a book by the cover so often! I heard great things about this book and so I checked it out from the library. Then...it sat on the shelf in my office for AGES because I kept looking at the cover and picking up other books instead. *sigh* I don't know why I can't break that habit!!
This book was GREAT! It's short and really easy to read, but still packs a really big emotional punch. I smiled, I cried, and when I put the book down, I was immediately kicking myself that I hadn't read this book ages ago when it first came out and started winning awards.
Brother is a great character. He is trying soooo hard to keep things going after his father goes to Iraq and his brothers are away. He's learning all these great things about the ranch (I learned some things, too) and he learns about himself. As you follow Brother's emotional journey, you become invested as a reader. I cried several times and when he makes the statement at the end, letting everyone know what he wants to do when he gets older, it just feels exactly right.
Parry's debut book is a knockout! Well worth the read, anytime.
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