Amy Dawson directs a summer camp for foster children near Briceville, Tennessee. A foster mom for the first time, her responsibilities as mother to a traumatized child bring a whole new set of challenges and joys.But when Amy’s four-year-old foster daughter is dragged into the mountains of Royal Blue by a former employee, parenting challenges are overshadowed by a new nightmare. The Sheriff’s … Sheriff’s department fails to procure viable leads, and Amy can’t sit idle. Her childhood friend and first love, Jack Evans, returns to lend his skills as tracker. Problem is, he also stirs up romantic memories Amy would rather leave buried.
Jack struggles to let go of his past failures and prove his reliability by bringing Mattie home, but fears when he left camp nineteen years ago and failed to keep a promise to Amy he permanently lost her confidence.
As Amy plunges into the wilderness on horseback to search for Mattie, she must decide who she trusts, let go of her childhood traumas, and learn to rely on hope in God. Facing dehydration, starvation, and a convoluted kidnapper, will she succeed in recovering her precious foster daughter or get lost in the vast wilderness forever?
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I read Callum’s Compass by Sara Foust and loved it – one of the best books I’ve read in over a year. She just topped it with Camp Hope. She will touch your heart and emotions. Amy runs Camp Hope for foster children that need hope and trust in their lives. She can empathize with them since she had been abused as a child and she wants to help others through some of what she dealt with. She takes in a foster child who is mute. The four-year is abducted and by someone who she knew in the past. About the same time as the abduction a friend from the past shows up. Jack doesn’t look like a prosperous person, and he’s been gone 19 years. No one has seen nor heard from him in all that time. He’s changed and Amy doesn’t even recognize him at first. All clues point to Jack as the abductor, especially since he disappeared the same night Mattie turns up missing. Also, a horse has disappeared.
I received this book as an ARC from the author & Mantle Rock Publishing. All opinions are my own and I can honestly say this relatively new author is one to put on your “favorite authors” list. The characters are well developed, the hurt and sorrow is brought out without being over done. Faith and trust in God is prevalent but not preachy. Just the right blend. Sara L. Foust became one of my favorite author’s after reading Callum’s Compass. She will touch your heart, your emotions and keep you turning the pages with the suspense. Highly recommend this talented author and her books. I read this book in two sittings and only wished it had been longer.
Camp Hope is a great book to read I give it a 5 star if you haven’t read you need too Sara L. Foust is a great Author. You will not be disappointed!
Camp Hope by Sara L. Foust
A face from the past, a kidnapping, and a rescue mission
As if having her foster daughter kidnapped isn’t bad enough, the police dog is unable to trace the scent and word is that they are going to stop looking. So Amy takes matters into her own hands and heads out to face an evil man alone.
I liked Amy as a character despite not being able to relate to her at all. Her life had been tragic and she had a major lack of trust. She was tough as well. Her love for Mattie was almost overpowering – and wouldn’t it have to be for her to set out on such a treacherous trek? Though she was broken, Amy was strong. She had big issues with God. Why would He allow her to go through such trauma and abuse as a child if He really is good?
There were so many great characters in the story. Not too many, though, to keep track of. It was humorous that the only one that I came across that had me wondering “now who was Cosmo?” was the dog. Oh, yeah. The others were woven in so well, mentioned enough when they were introduced that I didn’t forget who they were when they were named again. I really appreciated that. I dislike having to thumb back through a book to remind myself who someone is. . .
I don’t think there was even one significant character who wasn’t broken in some way. Except maybe Monty and he just wasn’t in the story long enough for us to know his backstory. What made all the brokenness good is the way that they had to figure out how to navigate life despite the brokenness. I think it made things a bit more real.
A strong spiritual element flows naturally through the story as Amy questions God and His ways. Author Sara L. Foust addresses some hard questions in a sensitive and intelligent manner and creates a very natural journey to faith for Amy.
The mystery of who the kidnapper was lasted for a bit, causing me to question what I knew about one of the characters. There was also a mystery surrounding the accomplice. That revelation surprised me – I did not see that coming at all. As a result, other things made lots more sense. I just wish at some point the motivation of the accomplice was explained. I’m still not quite sure why this person would have gotten involved.
There are some ugly things in the story. Abuse, domestic violence, fear, corruption. Though the details were kept to a minimum regarding them, the sexual abuse was mentioned multiple times throughout the book. So be aware of these things in case it is a problem for you.
I love the way that the cover of the book conveys the mood of the story so well. Stormy, broody, mysterious yet with the hope of sunshine breaking through the gloom.
I recommend this book for lovers of Christian suspense stories with a touch of romance.
Read the full review of Camp Hope by Sara L. Foust with a Preview at AmongTheReads.net
I would like to thank Sara L. Foust for giving me a copy of this book. This gift did not influence my opinion or review.