Turtle Heart

Title: Turtle Heart
Author: Lucinda J. Kinsinger
Major Themes: Memoirs, Love, Faith, Friendship
Synopsis: The story of two unlikely friends and how their friendship changed their lives.

Esther’s review:

Though I’ve followed Lucinda Kinsinger’s blog for years, Turtle Heart was the first full-length book I’ve read from her pen. I read her picture book years ago and loved that—but somehow, I never took the chance to read her first book. I’m hoping to remedy that soon, but for now, this story.

Wow. Its depth and beauty surprised and blessed me in ways I’m still trying to wrap my mind around. I don’t read many memoirs, so when I do, I want them to be good, and this one was the kind of good good that makes you want to savor it and get through it all at the same time. Add in a hefty dose of realism and beautiful writing style, and I was gripped from very nearly the first page.

When she was first asked to drive Charlene to her doctor’s appointment, Lucinda’s grandfather—who also knew the older woman—said, “She’s a spicy one.” He relayed a story illustrating her spunky spirit, and as Lucinda went to meet her for the first time, she was intrigued, looking forward to getting to know her herself. As their friendship grew, Lucinda grew to love this part-Ojibwe woman, and despite their many differences, they formed a strong bond. This is the story of their unlikely friendship—and the beautiful truths they both learned through the experience.

Turtle Heart is a wonderful story of friendship—but even more than that, it’s a story of a life. As Lucinda grew to know Charlene, she also grew to know herself better—and faced questions she’d never considered before. I appreciated that she didn’t just brush them off in here; rather, in showing us her thought processes and different conversations, she showed us a precious piece of who she is—and what paths she took to get to where she is now.

This book isn’t written just to impress. It’s written to tell a story, and to show it the best way possible, and it does that admirably well. Lucinda has a way of crafting words that makes the reading experience something special, and even though it’s a memoir and told in first-person present tense, it reads like a novel. The storytelling has clarity and honesty such as I’ve rarely seen in books, and after finishing this, I’m even more excited about reading more from her pen soon! If you’re interested in true stories that leave a lasting impact, I’d highly recommend this book.

I was given a review copy of this book, and this is my honest opinion of it.

Emma’s review:

When I saw the cover of Turtle Heart I was immediately intrigued. A Mennonite woman and someone else who was obviously not Mennonite juxtaposed in one picture. Reading the description only made me more intrigued, and I knew I wanted to read this book for sure. I was not disappointed.

Several days after finishing reading this book, I’m still thinking about it. There is so much depth in the book, that it takes a while to process it. Having come from a background similar to the author’s, I could identify with her attitudes about salvation. It was amazing to see how God worked to open her mind to the way He works in various people’s lives, with no two people having the same experience. The author is very real about her struggles with being a friend to Charlene.

It was fascinating to see the two cultures interacting. The author’s and Charlene’s cultures were extremely different, as were their upbringings and life experiences. Even so, their spirits connected and they learned to love each other and were very real and vulnerable with each other. This is an amazing story. I recommend it for mature readers, because of some of the content, but it is one that most Christians should read, to get a different perspective on the way God works in people’s lives.

I received a review copy of this book from CelebrateLit, and these are my honest thoughts about it.

WARNING: Smoking is mentioned throughout the book. May 2011: Description of a fire poker made to resemble a woman’s torso and emphasize its features, a mention of sex, and a description of the way someone once tortured a mouse. September 2011: Sex is mentioned again a couple of times, a quick description of a woman without many clothes on, someone swears, and there is a mention of someone being bisexual and sleeping around. January 2012: Someone curses, and bisexual and homosexual lifestyles are mentioned. Part Three: Sex mentioned. July 2012: Mention of people getting drunk, a woman getting pregnant out of wedlock, a man dies, a mention of part of a woman’s body being exposed. October 2012: Another mention of an older woman almost naked and a quick discussion of a slang word for breasts. December 2012: A mention of a school shooting, someone says a person should be stripped naked to be punished, a mention of pubic hair. February 2013: A woman dies, and there is a discussion about someone who was raped as a girl.

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